Amateur Stage Magazine

Recently, Darlington Operatic Society encouraged the Editor of its local paper to take part in their production of Titanic. This week, show concluded Peter Barron, wrote about his experience.

It's great to see that taking part was such a revelation for him. It has to encourage others to do the same. The only way to realise just what amateurs do is to take part yourself so we challenge groups to take a leaf out of Darlington's book and encourage participation by someone in your community who could take up your cause. Who knows you may get results like this.

"At the end of his 11-show run in Titanic: The Musical, editor Peter Barron reflects on the importance of amateur theatre to local communities

AND now, the end is here – and so I’ve faced the final curtain. The Northern Echo’s reviewer may have cruelly described my performance as “wooden”, but, hey, I did it my way...

When I agreed in February to play the role of former Northern Echo editor WT Stead in Darlington Operatic Society’s lavish production of Titanic: The Musical, I didn’t quite realise what I was letting myself in for.

But having survived an epic voyage – unlike the great man I portrayed – I will look back on it as one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of my life.

It was smart planning by the society to mark the 100th anniversary of the world’s most famous maritime disaster by staging Titanic: The Musical at Darlington Civic Theatre.

And, let’s face it, it was a public relations masterstroke to grasp an historic connection by getting the local newspaper editor to appear in the role of his illustrious predecessor who died when the great ship sank on April 15, 1912.

Originally, the intention was that I would appear in a single scene in just the first show. But that initial agreement grew into several scenes in every show as weeks of rehearsals took shape and showbusiness seeped into my veins.

It has always been my view that editors should immerse themselves in their communities so that they can understand them better.

For 13 years as editor of this newspaper, I have failed to understand the value of Darlington Operatic Society and the many other amateur theatre groups which exist throughout the country. But my Titanic journey has made me realise how much they need to be cherished.

For a start, the word “amateur” needs to be kept in perspective. Darlington Operatic Society has been bringing top quality, affordable local theatre to the area for 60 years. The members may include teachers, accountants, dentists and students, but the only thing that is amateur about them is that they don’t get paid to put on their productions.

The level of dedication and professionalism has to be seen to be believed, with each show costing about £85,000 to produce.

Figures for 2009-10 show that Darlington Operatic Society productions contributed £30,000 to the Civic Theatre budget – more than any of the professional touring shows. In these days of public sector cuts, where would the Civic Theatre be without the two shows produced every year by its local society?

On average, the society donates £12,000 a year to local charities, including St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington Samaritans, Darlington Hospital Radio, Darlington and District Talking Newspaper, Guide Dogs For The Blind, and the Great North Air Ambulance.

The organisation brings together people of all ages, giving them confidence, teaching them teamwork, and building relationships which often blossom into lifelong partnerships.

There are opportunities to not only perform, but to understand the many facets of stage management. Everyone is part of a team whether they are on stage or backstage.

The society also provides a springboard for performers to learn their craft before turning professional.

For example, Darlington lad Peter McGovern appeared with the society in West Side Story in 2001 and went on to appear in a recent production of The Madness of King George III at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End.

In my short time with the members of Darlington Operatic Society, I have learnt some important lessons:

• Amateur theatre groups play a crucial role in community life;
• They do not get the support they deserve and local authorities – and local newspapers – need to do more to help;
• Genuine talent is by no means limited to the professional ranks;
• There is room for even those of us with limited (even wooden) ability;
• It is not easy to get through a two-hour show with a horribly itchy moustache and beard glued on;
• Bad reviews hurt and great reviews are a cause of celebration. When a woman I’d never met greeted me outside the stage door after one of the shows, took me by the arm and said “You’re not wooden love”, it meant the world.

I HAVE made new friends and been touched by the camaraderie that comes with sharing a dressing room and performing together.

I admit that when the curtain began to come down for the last time on Saturday night, I had a somewhat misty view of the audience.

I set out with three objectives: to rekindle the memory of a pioneering editor; to help publicise a great show; and to appear in it without getting in the way of those with real talent. I hope those aims have been achieved.

It has been a privilege to sail with the wonderful characters who make up Darlington Operatic Society.

My final act is to plead for more support for local amateur theatre groups, which do so much to enrich our lives...

... the end

Reprinted with kind permission of The Northern Echo
For more information please visit Darlington Operatic Society

FULL STEAM AHEAD IN BATH THIS WEEKEND

Get a kick out BLOG’s “Full Steam Ahead” The Guildhall, Bath Thursday 26 – Sat 28 April 7:30

Amateur theatre group Bath Light Operatic Group (BLOG) brings their ever popular songs from the shows to The Guildhall Bath this week.  Under the direction of Scott Rogers the evening is a mix of song from musicals that celebrate “a bygone age”

Capturing the luxurious decadence of the era the group will perform songs from shows such as Anything Goes, Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard and the Titanic the musical. Classic musical theatre songs and characters will provide a fitting tribute to mark the centenary of the sinking of The Titanic within the fitting surroundings of one of the sumptuous venues in Bath.

Scott Rogers brings a highly talented 40 strong company together with Matt Finch as Musical Director; this will no doubt be an evening of nostalgia, transatlantic travel and an opportunity to see some of the finest members of the award winning company in action. Don’t miss the boat!

Tickets £14 / £11 are available on the door or in advance from the Box Office: 01225 863740

Performances nightly from Thursday – Saturday 7:30

Keep us up to date with whats happening performance wise in the town of North cheshire eg. Runcorn, Warrington, St Helens, Altrincham areas etc

What is it?
Where and whens it going on?
Hows it going so far?

Plays/ Musical Theatre/ Gilbert&Sullivan/Operetta/Dance

etc etc etc 

Amateur Stage and amdram.co.uk are pleased to announce that the Business Design Centre in Islington, London is the venue of the first Amateur Stage Expo. The Amateur Stage Expo will be the first time in the UK that amateur theatre groups, traders, industry professionals and amateur theatre audiences have been assembled at one event. The Expo will be held on the 29th and 30th October, with the expectation that the Expo will become a regular event on the amateur theatre calendar.  With over 6000m2 of exhibition and performance space, The Design Centre should comfortably house the diverse aspects of the amateur theatre world.   Over the course of the next week information for traders, sponsors, performance and ticketing information will be sent to all those pre-registered with our website.  Douglas Mayo and Jane Dickerson are the driving forces behind the Expo. Douglas is the Editor of Amateur Stage Magazine which is the UK's only monthly national magazine for amateur theatre. Whilst Jane is the Editor of Amdram.co.uk, which was founded in 1997 and was one of the UK's first online interactive information websites for amateur theatre. The Amateur Stage Expo will be a celebration of everything amateur theatre. The event is being planned to include something for everyone no matter what their area of interest. There will be trade stands from the world of amateur theatre in the Traders Village on the main exhibition floor and those expected to exhibit include publishers, rightholders, scenery and props companies, costumiers, printers, venues, ticketing suppliers, banks, merchandisers, drama schools and many other organisations.   Amateur theatre groups from around the UK are being invited to exhibit at the Expo. This will give the groups a way to be seen, to encourage new members and also show what they have been achieving. The Amateur Stage Expo will feature a main performance stage on the exhibition floor as well as a 500 seat intimate raked drama theatre which will be made available to amateur groups for performance. The intention being to showcase amateur groups from across the country and highlight new work available to amateur groups. A performance troupe is being assembled from the ranks of amateur groups which will combine with West End professionals to present new highlights from new musicals across the weekend providing a unique opportunity for young performers. There are also over 150 workshops are planned for the weekend covering both performance and the business of theatre. Whether your interest is on stage or off, there will be a workshop for you. Information is being released as it happens via the website at http://www.amateurstageexpo.co.uk and at the moment people are being asked to register their interest so that the event can be organised around what visitors actually want. Alternatively you can contract Douglas via http://www.amateurstagemagazine.co.uk or Jane via http://amdram.co.uk.

Don't forget to tell your friends to pre-register or join our Facebook group so we can make sure you get all the breaking news. Sincerely, Jane & Doug Amateur Stage Expo www.amateurstageexpo.co.uk

Sky Arts launches a nationwide search for
the best amateur theatre company

Open call for audition entries from 16^th May at sky.com/arts.

This April, Sky Arts will launch a nationwide search for Britain’s best amateur theatre groups, for a new series to be broadcast in 2012.  Stagestruck (working title) will offer one amateur theatre group an unprecedented opportunity to work with a host of luminaries and industry professionals from stage and screen, to realise their ultimate dream and win the chance to perform on a West End Stage. 

Amateur theatre is alive and flourishing across the UK like never before. There are more than 2500 amateur theatre groups in the UK, putting on nearly 30,000 productions a year, attracting over 8 million people to their audiences and making around £40 million in box office income.  Stagestruck seeks to explore the stories, commitment and passion of the world of amateur theatre.

“Sky Arts wants to recognise the importance of the amateur dramatist to UK cultural life. Sir Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart all began their illustrious careers within amateur dramatics,” comments James Hunt, Sky Arts Channel Director. “We were amazed to discover how many people are involved in some form or another, with amateur theatre. With this series, the emphasis will be on excellence of acting which can be found in the most unexpected of places. We hope to find amazing new talent who can put on a performance worthy of its final West End setting.”

To enter the search, society’s members are encouraged to upload an audition video to sky.com/arts of their group performing a short extract from a list of plays and productions which have been preselected by Sky Arts. Entries will open on 16 May and the deadline is midnight 25^th July 2011. The auditions will be based on society members acting prowess and their ability to approach the chosen work in an innovative and refreshing way.

The list of audition pieces will be available on the sky.com/arts website and will include a host of passages for the groups to choose from including a number of Shakespeare pieces, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Chekhov’s The Seagull and Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops To Conquer. The full list will be available from May 16.  

Sky Arts will work closely with the Little Theatre Guild and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association and other society bodies, to reach out to groups for the auditioning process.

 

***Full details on how to enter will be available at sky.com/arts

The May issue of Amateur Stage is out this Thursday and you can pre-order your copy online now by clicking HERE

This issue features an interview with Helena Blackman, Howarth Wrightson's new theatrical firearms division and how changes in arms laws affect you; we look at the American Academy and studying acting in the USA, regional news from NODA North & North West as well as all of our regular features.

Don't miss an issue. Order your single copy HERE or subscribe for a year to get every issue sent direct to your door by clicking HERE.

Sky Arts launches a nationwide search for
the best amateur theatre company

Open call for audition entries from 16^th May at sky.com/arts.

This April, Sky Arts will launch a nationwide search for Britain’s best amateur theatre groups, for a new series to be broadcast in 2012.  Stagestruck (working title) will offer one amateur theatre group an unprecedented opportunity to work with a host of luminaries and industry professionals from stage and screen, to realise their ultimate dream and win the chance to perform on a West End Stage. 

Amateur theatre is alive and flourishing across the UK like never before. There are more than 2500 amateur theatre groups in the UK, putting on nearly 30,000 productions a year, attracting over 8 million people to their audiences and making around £40 million in box office income.  Stagestruck seeks to explore the stories, commitment and passion of the world of amateur theatre.

To enter the search, society’s members are encouraged to upload an audition video to sky.com/arts of their group performing a short extract from a list of plays and productions which have been preselected by Sky Arts. Entries will open on 16 May and the deadline is midnight 25^th July 2011. The auditions will be based on society members acting prowess and their ability to approach the chosen work in an innovative and refreshing way.

The list of audition pieces will be available on the sky.com/arts website and will include a host of passages for the groups to choose from including a number of Shakespeare pieces, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Chekhov’s The Seagull and Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops To Conquer. The full list will be available from May 16.  

Sky Arts will work closely with the Little Theatre Guild and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association and other society bodies, to reach out to groups for the auditioning process.

Full details on how to enter will be available at sky.com/arts

The series is being produced for Sky Arts by the multi-Bafta award winning Oxford Film and Television who will follow the members of eight shortlisted societies as they prepare scenes from well-known plays for the Stagestruck judging panel, and mentored by industry experts from stage and screen. The panel will choose the winner and declare one lucky society ‘the best amateur dramatic society in the UK 2011.’ Their prize is a performance on a London West End stage.

“Sky Arts wants to recognise the importance of the amateur dramatist to UK cultural life. Sir Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart all began their illustrious careers within amateur dramatics,” comments James Hunt, Sky Arts Channel Director. “We were amazed to discover how many people are involved in some form or another, with amateur theatre. With this series, the emphasis will be on excellence of acting which can be found in the most unexpected of places. We hope to find amazing new talent who can put on a performance worthy of its final West End setting.”

"Stagestruck is more than a talent show. it's a celebration of how amateur theatre can be a beating heart of communities all across Britain," says Nicolas Kent, Creative Director of Oxford Film and TV. "This is an exciting and ambitious production and we are thrilled to be joining forces with Sky Arts.