28.4 Nov 2014 LTG Newsletter - CEC AITA-IATA

Newsletter
November 2014
In This Issue
•Relaxed Performances P5
•Theatres Trust
Advice Service
P6
•Top of the Pops
P7
•News from
Member Theatres P8&9
Vol.28 No.4 November 2014
LTG Newsletter
VOL. 28 No. 4
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
November 2014
The Little Theatre Guild represents
over 105 member theatres that control
and manage their theatre buildings.
Our members are all amateur theatre
companies with an audience of over
650,000 patrons with a turnover of
approximately £4 million. Visit us at
www.littletheatreguild.org
LTG Diary of Events
16 November 2014
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING
Summerseat Players, Theatre Royal,
Ramsbottom
14th March 2015
SOUTHERN REGION CONFERENCE &
AGM
Oasthouse Theatre, Rainham
29, 30, 31 May 2015
NATIONAL CONFERENCE & AGM
Bingley Little Theatre
8, 9, 10 April 2016
NATIONAL CONFERENCE & AGM
Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
70th Anniversary Conference
Change of Address
TONBRIDGE OAST THEATRE
Anne Mattey
22 Pinewood Place
Bexley Park
DARTFORD
Kent
DA2 7WQ
Tel: 01322 839196
Email: [email protected]
Letters to the Editor
Barry Hill writes from Teddington
Theatre Club: In the August Newsletter
UK Theatre
The LTG has just become affiliated to UK
Theatre (formerly the Theatre Managers
Association), the leading professional body
for theatre practitioners. As a result of this,
we will be getting the same information about
developments in professional theatre, legal
briefings and training opportunities as those
employed in the profession.
Part of the negotiated package has given the opportunity for
anyone employed by any of our theatres in a management or
technical role to apply to be a professional member of UK Theatre,
giving mentoring and networking opportunities as well as access
A visit to the Sam Wanamaker
Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe?
Saturday 18th April 2015
Sandra Simpson, who has organized the training weekends
at Shakespeare’s Globe for the past few years, has this year
come up with a new idea – an April afternoon and evening spent
on Bankside soaking in the atmosphere of Jacobean Theatre at
the Sam Wanamaker playhouse. With the Globe’s Education
Department’s help, we could follow an afternoon of lectures and
discussion with a performance in the evening of John Ford’s The
Broken Heart in the candle-lit Playhouse. In between we could
Panto Day 2014
just received, you have taken a comment
from my editorial for TTC’s magazine
‘Theatre’ (about improving and enhancing
the Coward Studio) which was clearly only
a suggestion but you have assumed it to
be a definite building project which it is
not. I would be grateful if you could clarify
this in your next issue.
Southern Region AGM
Regional Secretary Eddie Redfern
has at last found a willing theatre and a
convenient date for the Southern Region
Conference and AGM – Saturday 14th
March 2015, at Oasthouse Theatre,
Rainham, Kent. Eddie writes: I would
like to thank other member theatres who
offered alternative venues and dates for
this one day AGM and conference. Full
details will be sent shortly. Please note the
AGM and Conference for the year 2015 will
be held in the autumn at Studio Theatre
Salisbury, as previously advised.
to training courses and information, plus copies of the quarterly
magazine.
A special application form for professional membership
is available. This is the form that must be used for LTG members’
special terms and may be copied. Copies can be obtained from
Tom Williams ([email protected])
If you wish to know more about UK Theatre visit their website
www.uktheatre.org or follow the link from the LTG website. The
range of training and events is very comprehensive, most of the
courses are very reasonably priced for members, and they take
place not just in London, but around the whole country. For those
LTG member theatres increasingly being drawn into semiprofessional activities, UK Theatre membership will be a
valuable development.
share a meal at the nearby Turkish
Restaurant. Participants would
make their own arrangements for
overnight accommodation.
There is a letter accompanying
this issue of the Newsletter,
addressed to all LTG Reps,
who are asked to contact their
theatre members and friends
to find out what kind of response to this special opportunity
we can get. Replies before the end of November will be
crucial! Readers can of course contact Sandra direct on 01204
843631, or [email protected]
Since 2011 we have had a Panto Day! This year it will on Friday 12th December, celebrating the UK’s most beloved
art form! Last year 150 theatres participated in the event, involving over 2 million twitterers.
This year Panto Day has an official partner – NODA, which will link the professionals and the amateurs to form a joint
national database of pantomime statistics. If you are presenting a pantomime this winter, you should go to
www.celebratepanto.co.uk to participate in the survey, which is open for entries between 1st October and 1st December.
Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain
www.littletheatreguild.org
National Secretary:
Caroline Chapman
Satley House
Satley
Near Bishop Auckland
County Durham
DL13 4HU
Tel: 01388 730042
Email: [email protected]
Newsletter Editor:
Michael Shipley
121 Darwen Road
Bromley Cross
Bolton
Lancashire
BL7 9BG
Tel: 01204 304103
Email: [email protected]
The contents of this newsletter are not necessarily the official views of the
Little Theatre Guild.
Contributions are always welcome. Last date for copy for the next issue: 15th January 2015.
2
LTG Newsletter
Chairman’s Letter
First of all, many thanks to Margaret
Mann, Julie Johnston and all our friends
at Halifax Playhouse for a tremendous
weekend!
The
Northern
Region
Conference is invariably a lively and
rewarding affair, and this year was no
exception - good workshops, a very
challenging but entertaining show, and
lots of good chat and conviviality. I
gather from Andrew Lowrie and Jackie
Blackwood that the Central Region
conference in Kenilworth was also very
enjoyable, so thanks to all of you who
attended and added to the value of the day. I’m only sorry that I
could not be with you!
I’m delighted to have been invited to attend the 50th Anniversary
of Questors Theatre in Ealing this year - it will have happened by
the time you read this - and to be able to visit Rainham in March
next year for the postponed Southern Region Conference - better
late than never! - and a big thank you to Eddie Redfern and all
friends at Rainham Theatrical Society for facilitating this.
I know that all of you will now be well underway with your 2014 15 season, and I hope that your shows are proving both financially
and artistically rewarding. When I asked colleagues in Halifax how
their seasons were going, I very much got the impression that,
at least for them, it was very much business as usual this year,
so I do hope you will all have a surge of bookings as the season
progresses!
To be honest, my attention has been drawn to our relationship
with our audiences by a number of unrelated factors since I last
wrote to you, and, as your Chairman, I see it as part of my brief to
try to achieve an overview of how things are moving in the world
of theatre, and, even more importantly, how such change impacts
on LTG theatres.
For example, the whole issue of ‘relaxed’ performances currently
seems very much to the fore. An academic Andrew Kempe* from
the University of Reading wrote to me, asking how many of our
theatres mount such events - and the reply I got from many LTG
friends was very much as I expected. Some theatres do make some
panto performances ’relaxed’ - perhaps more than I expected but do not do the same for other shows in the main. Mr Kempe’s
contention is that, based on his research, such performances can
be very advantageous on many levels to children with special
educational needs. It set me thinking that we never question a
fair amount of extra liveliness and audible response from our
audience for pantomime, but might baulk at any similar degree of
participation for most of our other shows. Many of us ‘break the
4th wall’ without question when a particular play requires it - I saw
it used effectively last weekend in Halifax! - but we do not expect
the audience to react in an unexpected way to our work. And yet,
we live in age when many professional theatre companies are
embracing the whole notion of theatre as an interactive experience
and positively encourage it.
The work of Secret Theatre, currently touring an assortment of
plays, is an example of this. In one play, the audience is asked to
choose one actor to be the focus for all that is to happen during
the evening!
Whether we like it or not, we live in a world where the ability
to interact is an incredibly attractive notion, particularly for the
younger generation who seem to prefer to spend a lot of their time
much more engaged by participatory pastimes using social media,
rather than passively watching movies and TV. Much new theatre
seems to be responding to this, either consciously or unconsciously.
The idea of sitting in an audience and letting the play pass over you
as a passive voyeur is being challenged. Firstly, as an audience
member you might be expected to move around in ‘promenade’
style, and certainly not sit! You might not even be in a theatre, but
in some other site deemed appropriate for the work. Secondly, the
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
whole experience might be wholly or in
part dictated by your input.
Personally, it is the kind of theatre
I run a mile from, as I love to be
immersed in a play and to be drawn
into a different world, but I suspect a
lot of younger people find a more active
involvement more stimulating. Whilst
I do not think that this kind of thing
means there is a seismic shift beneath
our theatrical feet, it is a trend I think
we should be aware of, and to which we
might need to give some thought.
I’m afraid the current rather ambiguous experience of attending
cinema is another example of a medium in which the role of the
audience is less easily defined. You are admonished if you make
a noise when watching a movie, but actively encouraged to think
that it is perfectly acceptable if you are consuming large quantities
of food and drink which the management is keen to sell you! And
if this is the case, how does this colour the view of an ardent
theatregoer who finds this experience replicated when she goes to
see a theatre performance streamed live at her local cinema.
Certainly in my own theatre, there used to be so many notices
for the audience to read prohibiting them from various courses of
action, and all prefaced with the word ‘NO’, that I felt compelled
to remind the board of the theatre, that the response from some
audience members might be to add another statement of their own
when ‘welcomed’ to the theatre in this way - ‘If there are so many
things I cannot do here, then it’s NO theatre for me!’
It certainly appears however that audiences are increasingly
disinclined to sit in the dark for more than an hour at a stretch
without eating, drinking , going to the toilet or using their phones.
And just in case you were thinking that there is now a blanket
acceptance that the use of the mobile phone in the theatre is
universally prohibited - think again! Only in September this year,
‘What’s On Stage’ ran a poll to test reaction to the initiative by
the Phoenix Theatre to allow ‘tweet seats’ for the production of
ONCE. Audiences were encouraged to ‘snap away, ask questions
and selfie the hell out of the whole experience’. You might be happy
to discover that the result of this poll was that 75% of respondents
hated the whole notion, but I cannot help being worried about the
1 in 4 who either liked the idea or did not care!
In conclusion, whilst I do not believe that our shared view of
good audience etiquette is being severely tested, there is certainly
something going on to which
we might need to give a bit
more consideration. The LTG
has been wonderful in the past
at embracing the changes with
which the future confronts
us, whilst celebrating all that
is excellent in our past. I’ve
no doubt, that we will face
the changing nature of our
audiences
with
our
usual
resilience!
Please do not forget to send
all your interesting information
to Michael Shipley for this
Newsletter - and I hope to
see many more of you at our
forthcoming
conferences,
not least of which is our next
Annual Conference at Bingley
Little Theatre in May 2015!
Kevin Spence
*for Andy Kempe’s article, see
later in this edition
3
LTG Newsletter
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR THEATRE
TO PERFORM AT OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY
CONFERENCE IN 2016
This conference is being held at the Crescent Theatre,
Birmingham from 8-10th April 2016 and promises to be a
splendid affair. We would like to give your theatre an opportunity
to play a starring role.
On the Sunday morning of the conference one theatre from
each of our regions will be asked to perform either a one act play
or an extract from a longer production which lasts a minimum of
20 and a maximum of 30 minutes. To encourage participation the
production can either be new or something you have previously
performed. This could include an extract from a classic play, new
writing or a youth production. It must have a minimum cast of two
and a set which comprises furniture and props only. The Crescent
Theatre may be able to provide these if it is discussed with them
in advance.
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
One production will be chosen from each region by a selection
committee comprising the regional secretary and a minimum of
two others from theatres not entering a production. If you would
like to be considered please complete and return the entry form to
your regional secretary by 31 December 2014.
This will be a celebration of drama and there will be no
adjudication or awarding of prizes. It is expected your cast will be
conference delegates.
To decide the regional entry the selection committee may wish to
see a preview of your entry to assess its potential. This would be in
your own theatre and could take the form of a reading without an
audience. It is anticipated these would take place in the first half of
2015 at a convenient date for both your theatre and the selection
committee.
If you would like further information or to discuss a possible
production please contact your regional secretary. I very much
hope you will decide to enter and encourage your members to
think about attending the conference. Full conference details will
be available in late 2015.
Kevin Spence
We need your pics on the website!
The new LTG Website has been up and running for a few months now and is attracting a good amount of “hits”. We need your production
pictures to feature on the scrolling banner on the front page. We need good clear quality pictures in either JPEG, PNG, or GIF
formats. If you can include some information on your email to advise me what the picture relates too, then that would also be helpful.
The scrolling banner is being used to feature “action shots” from your productions so be mindful of this when selecting pictures to send in.
Pictures taken at a final dress rehearsal work well or any publicity shots you have from the production. The more I have the more regularly
I can alternate and feature your theatre.
Send any pictures to me at: [email protected]
Andrew Lowrie
Welcome to a new member
THE BEAR PIT THEATRE COMPANY
The Bear Pit Theatre, Rother Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6LU
Contact: David Mears – 07872 140031
email: [email protected]
Theatre Website: www.thebearpit.org.uk
The company was founded in 2008 to bring amateur arts, and in
particular theatre, together in the town, and acquired its present
premises, a former church hall, in 2012. With an auditorium seating
100, it presents 5 to 7 productions each season, and recent plays
have included When We Are Married, Talking Heads, Stepping
Out and Season’s Greetings. It enjoys a close relationship with its
The Year Book
Tom Williams, editor of the Year Book, reports on a very trying
early Autumn for him, as he wrote on 5th September: With one
week to go to the deadline for copy, 37 theatres have sent in their
reports. Of the remainder, 17 theatres have had no contact at
all. All have been sent the standard request asking who will be
completing the entry, no. of copies and postal address for copies,
and all recorded LTG reps have been sent last year’s copy for
updating:
On 22nd September he reported: I think this is the worst year
ever for lack of response. I have today sent final emails to 12
theatres who are now 10 days past the deadline. I have spent far
more time than should be necessary chasing people up. Thank you
to Regional Secretaries who have shared the burden.
Of course, if deadlines are not complied with, there will be blank
entry in the Year Book!
By the 1st October things were thankfully looking almost normal,
but the whole trying experience has prompted Tom to set out some
tips for LTG Reps for the future:
“Many thanks to all of you who have done such sterling work in
producing copy for the Year Book. It is not an easy task, and I have
therefore put together a few tips that might make it easier next
year, which will run to the same timetable.
4
neighbour, the RSC, and
has participated in the
Open Stages projects.
Andrew Lowrie reports:
I attended the season
launch of the Bear Pit
Theatre last night.
A
lovely venue in the heart
of Stratford. They have
achieved a great deal
with the building work
in a short space of time.
The performance space,
within a church, is a 100
seat Studio Theatre and is
well equipped, they have a full season ahead. Well supported by the
local community, ticket sales seem to be good.
Tip 1 - Make a note in your diary NOW that a year book entry for
the year ending 31 August 2015 will be required by mid-September
2015.
Tip 2 - Keep a copy of this year’s entry on your computer and
update it during the year.
Tip 3 - As soon as your programme of plays is announced, enter
the details of play and author in the table that is part of the entry.
If you highlight the current entries and press ‘delete’ you will have
a cleared table.
Tip 4 - As soon as a production is over
ask the box office for the figures to
enter in the table – both raw figures
and percentage. This will save a great
deal of time seeking the information
from the treasurer at the end of the
year.
Tip 5 - Change personnel details as
they occur – and if there is a change
of LTG Rep inform the National and
Regional Secretaries immediately.
Tip 6 - Make a note during the year of
notable events in the theatre’s year for
inclusion in the report.
Tip 7 - Keep a copy of these tips handy.
LTG Newsletter
Relaxed Performances
Family fun for everyone?
The annual visit to the panto should be
fun for everyone but it isn’t. ‘Relaxed
performances’ are trying to change that.
Although the new school term has only
just started it won’t be long before teachers
and parents start thinking about the annual
trip to the pantomime. A uniquely British
affair, for many children and adults alike
the panto will be one of the few times they
will ever see live theatre. We know this
just as we also know that school visits and
theatre experiences are often among the
most long lasting and enjoyable memories
we have of our school days. But not, alas,
for everyone.
Families of children with a disability are
far less likely to take part in any cultural
activities; visiting the theatre can be an
especially daunting prospect.
Taking the kids to see a show is an
expensive business, prohibitively so for
many. Given that some children with
learning, sensory or communication
disabilities lack an awareness
of the thoughts and feelings
of those around them, it is
understandable that many
families choose not to run
the risk of attracting abuse
from others who have paid
good money for their seats.
The parent of one child with
autism told me, ‘I don’t think
you can underestimate how excluding it
can be to go to things and just worry about
people disapproving of your child. Every
parent with a kid with autism will tell you,
because they don’t look different, people
just think they are badly brought up and
just look at them, being cross. It’s really
debilitating.’ What is learnt is that theatre
is a place to avoid.
Nonetheless, special schools often
remain determined to give their pupils
the opportunity to visit the panto as a
traditional part of the annual calendar even
though they go with the full awareness
that there may be trouble ahead. Karen
Wallace-Jones of Brookfields School in
Tilehurst says, ‘you feel hugely protective
of them as you walk into the auditorium
because people are looking. But if anyone’s
going to comment, I’m ready!’
Cue the Relaxed Performance Project.
Following a complaint regarding the
treatment of a boy with autism and his
family at a show in London’s West End
in 2011, the Society of London Theatres,
the Theatrical Management Association
and the Prince’s Foundation for Children
and the Arts instigated this project in
2012. Companies such as the RSC and
National Theatre were involved along with
a number of regional playhouses. The
project culminated in a conference aimed
at sharing best practice in September2013
as a result of which an increasing number
of regional and indeed amateur theatres
are beginning to programme ‘autism
friendly’ or ‘relaxed’ performances into
their schedules. Major shows such as The
Lion King, Matilda, The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night Time and War Horse
have all recently been specially adapted
in order to attract an audience that has
hitherto felt excluded.
There’s nothing actually relaxed about
the performance itself of course. Rather,
it’s the audience who are invited to feel
relaxed and engage with the experience
however they wish; that other members
of the audience are doing likewise ideally
leads to the recognition that theatre is
a good space in which feelings can be
physically and verbally expressed.
Theatre by its nature involves some
magnification of sensory experiences yet
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
people with sensory disabilities or autistic
spectrum disorders may experience overor under-sensitivity to sounds, touch,
tastes, smells, light or colours. A relaxed
performance must therefore consider the
extent to which effects should be amplified
or muted and what facilities will be
available to either help avoid or ameliorate
any adverse responses to over- or undersensitivity which would cause people to be
disturbed or distracted in a negative way.
With their exuberant use of special effects
and audience interaction, pantomimes
present particular challenges in this.
However, Heather Wildsmith, who
advises theatres on how to make suitable
adjustments on behalf of the National
Autistic Society, says that ‘a key aim of
a relaxed performance is to make as few
changes to the show as possible but rather
make adjustments to the organisation of
the front of house and auditorium in order
to reduce anxiety and stress for those
attending.’
Preparing children and families for the
visit can be managed through ‘visual
stories’ sent out in advance. These can be
sent as both PDFs and Word documents
so that parents and teachers can edit
them and print out only the parts they
feel their children would benefit from. A
story that deals with visiting the theatre
might show pictures of the front of the
building, the foyer, smiling assistants in
the box office and the auditorium etc.,
and answer questions such as what will
happen when the show is about to begin,
what happens in the interval and how
audiences might behave, for example,
cheering bits they like and clapping at the
end. The story could explain where the
lights come from in the show and why;
warn that the chairs flip back; and mention
any loud sounds or special effects. In a
visual story accompanying Newbury Corn
Exchange’s Jack and the Beanstalk it
was emphasised that it is ‘OK’ to call out
because in a pantomime this ‘is NOT being
rude’. Sometimes, the story explained, the
cast would come into the audience. Each
child attending this performance would be
given a green card and by holding it up
they would be signalling that they didn’t
mind being talked to.
Another visual story may focus on the
show itself, introducing the characters
and outlining the action in words and
photographs. They might mention any
theatrical conventions such as crossdressing that could otherwise be confusing.
Theatre staff are trained so that they
understand the purpose and nature of
relaxed performances and gain some
understanding of the diverse needs of the
audience, what sort of incidents might
arise and how these should be dealt with.
Providing a quiet break out space with a
monitor showing what is happening on
stage; turning off hand driers in toilets
(the sudden noise of which can be very
alarming); and offering a ‘touch tour’
so that children can go onto the stage
to explore the set with a member of the
company are all useful adjustments as
is the provision of a ‘list of surprises’
separate from the visual story so that
parents/carers have the option of whether
or not to share these in advance. For the
performance itself some light is left on in
the auditorium; the use of strobes and
pyrotechnics are reduced or removed;
volume is lowered; and an assessment of
what impact any direct engagement with
the audience might have is made.
Feedback from schools and families on
the relaxed performance initiative has
been overwhelmingly positive. One parent
who visited Jack and the Beanstalk said,
‘There’s no two ways about it, taking
Ella to the relaxed performance was an
incredible liberation. It was great to be in a
place where you knew that if she ran about
no one was going to be cross. If we get
anxious because we think people are cross,
she’ll get anxious and she’ll play up more.’
Beyond having a positive effect on the
individual child, relaxed performances
offer whole families an opportunity
to experience something they might
otherwise never experience together.
Pauline Snowden, Head of Drama at
Brookfields, sees a different possibility
arising: ‘it’s not just about giving children
with autism opportunities to have what’s
available to the rest of society, it also raises
the question, to what extent can drama
and theatre be the medium in which the
rest of society learn more about children
who have individual needs?’
Professor Andy Kempe
University of Reading
Professor Andy Kempe, PhD, University Teaching
Fellow, Institute of Education - University of
Reading, 4 Redlands Road, Reading RG1 5EX /
email: [email protected] / phone: + 44
(0)118 378 2678
Jo Matthews, LTG Committee Member,
Questors Theatre, and Shakespeare’s
Globe comments:
In one sentence for the uninitiated,
RPs are for audience members who may
enjoy a theatrical experience, but cannot
be relied upon to behave in the accepted
manner, and may make a lot of noise. The
RP format accepts and expects this.
Andy’s paper is good, however it is the
academic case and what’s needed for LTs is
actual experiences and advice.
The SOLT website (http://www.solt.
co.uk/relaxed-performances)
is
very
helpful – RPs are on the menu: when you
go to the page you can open up
Exec Summary, Case Studies, Evaluation
- all three are worth 15 minutes of your
time to read. You’ll see the Globe Theatre
in the Case Studies, and note that we
had no associated costs as it was part of
an externally-funded project. There is no
special reason why tickets should be free,
unless funding can be obtained (see my
last comment).
Kirsty Hoyle at SOLT has
pioneered this work – she
has attended many RPs
and I would recommend a
chat with her to any theatre
contemplating providing an
RP.
As far as Little Theatres are
concerned, we always have to look at costs
and time, ie volunteers getting involved,
and the challenges of having to rely on
them for something promised to the public.
The aspects to be considered are:
* more than usual stewards, ushers, frontof-house – and all trained up, so possible
associated costs.
* a break-out space for any members of
the audience wishing/needing to leave the
auditorium at any point and be re-admitted
at any point - essential.
* the discussion that has to take place
between an autism expert and the director
and stage-manager, in order to adapt the
show as deemed fit (eg no explosions)
* volunteers to conduct touch-tours
(highly recommended as a pre-cursor, to
familiarise the family with the venue)
* provision of a monitor in the break-out
space (not essential but desirable)
With my work hat on, I would add that
if an LT was considering, say a half-day at
the theatre with touch-tours and an RP,
there could be a local Trust or Foundation
who would fund such a day.
In summary, wonderful for LTs to mount
an RP, but significant effort required by
member volunteers. Possibly the initiative
could be led by a member who has a person
in the autistic spectrum in their family.
(Archway Theatre, Horley are
preparing to offer Relaxed Performances of
their Panto this Christmas Season)
5
LTG Newsletter
Theatres Trust welcomes first
full-time Planning Adviser
“The Theatres Trust is delighted to welcome Ross
Anthony as its first full-time Planning Adviser.
This new role brings together all aspects of the
Trust’s planning work, including its role as a statutory
consultee on theatre planning applications, the
development of policies which promote and protect
the social and cultural value of theatres in local and
neighbourhood plans, and the protection of theatres in national
planning policy.
Ross Anthony initially joined the Trust in January 2014 on a parttime basis taking responsibility for the statutory planning casework
referred to the Trust by local authorities. Following the retirement
of the Trust’s part-time Planning Policy Officer, in this new combined
role, he also takes on responsibility for the Trust’s advice on local
and neighbourhood plan-making and national policy consultations.
Since 1976, The Theatres Trust’s planning work has resulted in
the protection of theatre use and the potential for future theatre
use of existing and new theatre buildings across the UK. It has also
helped to secure sui generis status for theatres, stronger policies
for culture and the promotion and protection of theatres in local
plans across England, Scotland and Wales, and made the case
for inclusion of cultural wellbeing in the National Planning Policy
Framework in England in 2012.
Director, Mhora Samuel, said, “I am delighted to welcome Ross
Anthony to The Theatres Trust as our first full-time Planning
Adviser. In this new combined role he will strengthen the impact
and influence of our statutory advice, provide expert advice to
planning officers on theatre-related developments, and ensure we
continue to make the case for cultural well-being and theatres’
protection in local and neighbourhood plan-making and national
policy.”
The Theatres Trust is the National Advisory Public Body for Theatres
and is a statutory consultee in the planning system reporting
annually to the Department for Communities and Local Government
(DCLG). Local authorities are legally required to consult the Trust
on planning applications which include ‘development involving any
land on which there is a theatre’.
Theatres are sui generis and are therefore considered separately
from D1 and D2 uses. This means each application is considered by
the Trust as a unique case. This applies to all theatre buildings, old
and new, in current use, in other uses, or disused. It also includes
ciné-variety buildings or structures that have been converted to
theatres, circus buildings and performing arts centres.”
So now you know where and to whom to go should your
theatre or any other be under threat!
THE THEATRE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
The long running debate on the serious disparity between the
amount of public subsidy provided for the arts in London, as
compared with the regions, was given renewed impetus at the
beginning of July when Arts Council England (ACE)
announced its funding decisions for the years 2015
to 2018. ACE during that period, will give grants
totalling £340m a year to 670 arts organisations and
21 major museums. It was able to announce that
more money will be spent on supporting the arts in
the regions. And among the losers were the E.N.O.,
which will lose nearly a third of its grant, and the
Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond which will lose all
its £1m annual funding. But it also emerged that of
the 58 organisations which will lose their funding
altogether 43 were based outside of London!
Even more recently additional evidence for
the subsidy debate was contained in a report
-commissioned by the National Theatre and the
Society of London Theatres (SOLT) and prepared by
Alistair Smith, the editor of “The Stage”. Commenting
on the report Nick Starr - currently Executive
Director at the NT - said that he believed that, as a
whole the figures in the report showed that London
was the world’s leading city for theatre ahead of New
York. Smith’s analysis shows that in 2012-13 there
were more than 22 million attendances at London’s
6
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
An interesting case concluded recently in Bolton. Over 40 years
ago, the Methodist Church in Seymour Road was imaginatively
converted into a Theatre/Church, preserving services on Sundays,
but allowing its use as a theatre for the rest of the week. As
such over the years it was used by an increasing number of local
societies, as its use as a church became gradually redundant. In
2012 it closed, and the Methodist authorities sold it for £500,000;
a consortium of local societies just could not match this money to
save the building for the community.
An application for demolition to enable housing to be built was
naturally referred to the Theatres Trust. Initially the Trust took
the line that it had no objection to demolition “provided that the
local authority was satisfied that there was already adequate local
provision for theatre use in the borough”. There was of course
no local news that any consultation about local needs was taking
place! However the consortium of local societies acted vigorously,
and persuaded the Theatres Trust to think again. The Trust
changed its recommendation, advising the council that if it agreed
to plans which included demolition, it should impose a Section 106
agreement on the developers that money should be provided for a
replacement venue.
A final decision from the council was made on 25th September.
Demolition was confirmed – but sadly a s.106 agreement was
considered to be unreasonable! As a result quite a few local
societies (mostly operatic) are now permanently without a regular
home in which to play. Bolton Little Theatre would like to assist,
and is providing theatre space for hire, but feels that it must
restrict the weeks available, so that its own productions are not
starved of adequate preparation time. With the council’s own Albert
Hall currently under renovation, there is quite a theatre space crisis
in town at the moment.
Theatres Trust Advice Service Workshops
There is an exciting programme of
workshops organized by the Theatres
Trust this winter, all being held at their
central London Resource Centre.
* Theatres and the Heritage System,
28th October
* Fundraising for a Capital Project, 27th November
* Planning a Capital Project, 21st January
* Theatre Maintenance, 12th February
* Delivering a Capital Project, 5th March
* Planning System & Local Government, 26th March
The cost is £110 plus VAT each, reduced to £85 each plus VAT
for two or more. Each workshop is limited to a maximum of 15
participants. For more details, go to the website.
241 professional theatres, bringing in a total of £618.5m at the box
office. On those figures he calculates that London theatre is better
attended than Premier League football and takes in more at the
box office than London cinemas.
The report identifies 59 - mainly West End - commercial theatres,
47 fringe venues, and 135 “not for profit” theatres such as
Shakespeare’s Globe and the National Theatre. Only ten London
boroughs - Ealing and Bexley - have no permanent professional
theatre. The total seating capacity of the 241 is more than
110,000, ranging from a 30 seater pub in Camden to the 3,600
seater Hammersmith Apollo. At any one time they employ more
than 3,000 performers, 6,500 full time non-performing staff plus a
further 5,000 part time staff and 5,000 freelancers. In 2012-13 the
average ticket price in London was £27.76 ranging from £36.05 in
the West End to £21.24 at Arts Council backed theatres, to around
£10 for the half a million plus tickets sold on the fringe - where less
than a fifth of actors are paid the national minimum wage, if at all.
Launching the report the Deputy Mayor responsible for culture said
that “it presented, for the first time, the industry nature of theatre
and the fact that theatre is not some small subsidised charitable
sector, it is a huge industry.”
But just as important as all these facts and figures is the need
to be reminded of the extent to which the commercial West End
is dependent on the subsidised not for profit theatres. It isn’t only
the very long runners - the RSC’s Les Miserables is just about to
enter its 30th year (I first saw it at the Barbican in September
1985), War Horse has been running at the New London since April
2009, Matilda has been packing them in at the Cambridge since
November 2011, One Man Two Guvnors - now on a national tour
cont. p8 
LTG Newsletter
Top of the Pops, 2013/2104
With reports from nearly every member of the Guild safely in,
Tom Williams, editor of the Year Book, has been able to use his
trusty computer programmes to bring you the news that lots of you
await eagerly each year!
“Within the Guild, at least 941 plays were produced by 102 of
the 106 members. In addition our overseas members produced 10
plays. We have audience numbers for 870 of these productions,
617,998 to be precise! So we can, I think, confidently say that
audience numbers were in excess of 650,000.”
A)
Most frequently produced plays:
Boeing Boeing, Marc Camoletti (12)
The 39 Steps, Patrick Barlow (7)
The Accrington Pals, Peter Whelan (7)
The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde (7)
God of Carnage, Yasmina Reza (7)
My Boy Jack, David Haig (7)
Fawlty Towers, Perry & Croft (6)
Calendar Girls, Tim Firth (6)
Death Trap, Ira Levin (6)
With Quartet, The Cemetery Club, Dancing at Lughnasa, Up
RSC Open Stages
Questors Theatre - “On Saturday, 16 August,
we played host to another series of workshops
run by the RSC as part of their 2013-2016 Open
Stages programme. Representatives of half of the
participating companies within the South East region
came to The Questors and had the opportunity to
join a full-day workshop in Lighting Design, Sound Design, Stage
Management or Set Design.”
According to my fumbling research on the RSC website, the
following LTG Member Theatres would appear to be participating in
the Open Stages Project 2013-2016:
* Stockport Garrick Theatre: A Winter’s Tale, March 2014
New Writing
Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham is
presenting a new play – One Act Play – by
Matt Fox, which won the theatre’s New Writing
Competition in 2013. The author says: The
play is a comedy which deconstructs the very
nature of theatre itself, whilst never taking the
subject seriously for a moment. It’s written to be
surreal, tragic, warm and funny, playfully abusing
theatrical theory and the concept of dramatic intent, whilst creating
humanity in a bizarrely inhuman world.
At Archway Theatre, Horley a small group of writers meets
regularly in the bar to explore aspects of writing.
At Chesil Theatre, Winchester the latest 10x10 playwriting
competition and festival went with a swing on 18th & 19th October,
with two out of three performances being sold out. On one night,
the audience and casts were joined by Sir Ian McKellen. To
persevere with a thrilling and challenging project ultimately brings
great rewards!
Sir Ian commented that he was keen to see this production as the format of
ten completely different but entirely new works performed in one evening was
rare. He said: “At the end of each play, I thought the next one might be a dud,
but none of them were. It’s a pity there are only three performances. 10×10
merits a longer run and the whole set could easily form a touring production.”
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
Pompeii, Educating Rita, Oh What a Lovely War, Betrayal, Stepping
Out and The Lady in the Van following closely behind with (5). Top
pantos were Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Alice
in Wonderland with 5 each. Top Shakespeare was A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (4).
B)
Most frequently performed authors:
Alan Ayckbourn – 34 performances
William Shakespeare – 33
Alan Bennett – 16
Oscar Wilde – 13
Marc Camoletti – 12
Tim Firth – 10
Noel Coward – 10
Harold Pinter – 9
Amanda Whittington – 9
Jim Cartwright – 9
J B Priestley – 9
Terence Rattigan – 9
John Godber – 9
Rather than make any editorial comment on the choice of plays
and playwrights, it is perhaps best to leave readers to draw their
own conclusions!
* Rugby Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, May 2014
* Leicester Little Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, June 2014
* Theatre 62, West Wickham: The Tempest, June 2014
* Cotswold Players, Stroud: Romeo and Juliet, October 2014
* Wokingham Theatre: Summon up the Blood, October 2014
* Studio Theatre, Salisbury: Macbeth, October 2014
* Crescent Theatre, Birmingham: King Lear, November 2014
* South London Theatre: Henry V, November 2014
* Nonentities, Kidderminster: The Merchant of Venice, February 2015
* Lindley Players, Whitstable: Arden of Faversham, February 2015
* Questors Theatre, Ealing: Macbeth, February 2015
* Maskers Theatre Company, Southampton:Richard II Spring 2015
* Bolton Little Theatre: Lear’s Daughters, April 2015
* Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham: King John, April 2015
Some photographs recording these productions would be welcome
at the Editor’s office!!
At City Theatre, Durham a new one-act play by local author
Adrian Marks – Waiting for Gandalf – was given a warm-up
performance at the theatre in July before moving on to the Buxton
Festival Fringe for three nights. It was nominated for the best
new writing award. “Kevin is an obsessive Lord of the Rings fan,
camping overnight for the chance to meet Gandalf in person.”
New writing at Oast Theatre, Tonbridge continues to be
encouraged with the launch of a new scheme to enable budding
playwrights to have their work performed, first as rehearsed
readings before an audience, second to be entered in One Act Play
Festivals, and third to be performed as a main theatre production
at the Oast over a three night period. The first rehearsed readings
were held in September, on Sunday @ 2:00pm, followed by tea
and cakes.
Abbey Theatre, St Albans at the end of October presented Stage
Two, the natural development of New Views, which have been
opportunities over the past few years for new directors to present
work in progress to a friendly audience on Sunday lunchtimes.
Writers too have been able to present informal rehearsed or semistaged readings of their new work. Now, two new plays already
having received the ‘work-in-progress’ treatment, were given the
full exposure to a paying audience on two evenings. The chosen
plays were Impromptu by Derek Rhodes, and Under New
Management by Peter Hale.
At People’s Theatre, Newcastle the winner of the People’s Play
was Patrick Robertson with In My Father’s House. The People’s
Play Award is a biennial competition run by The People’s Theatre
and New Writing North to find an exciting new play by an emerging
North East playwright. Former winners who have gone on to write
professionally include Alison Carr, Peter Straughan and Carina
Rodney. The play enjoyed a week’s run in late October.
“10 Minute Plays - 8 Plays. 8 Directors. 8 Performances. In our
recently refurbished 75 seater Theatre Upstairs. Could your play be
one of those performed? Why not submit and see what happens.
The writing part of the competition is now open, closing at midnight
on 31 January - enter online or by post. (from the Newsletter for
New Venture Theatre, Brighton)
7
LTG Newsletter
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
from. p6 
- ran at the Adelphi and the Haymarket for nearly 2½ years and
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time recently moved
up Shaftesbury Avenue to the Gielgud after surviving the ceiling
collapse at the Apollo last December.
In the next couple of months the National’s phone hacking play
by Richard Bean Great Britain transfers to the Haymarket, the
Almeida’s King Charles III goes into Wyndham’s, Hampstead’s
Kink’s musical Sunny Afternoon to the Harold Pinter and the Young
Vic’s The Scottsboro Boys to the Garrick. Without them the West
End would be a much poorer place - in every sense of the word.
And none of them would or could have been staged without public
funding. If only all my investments made such a substantial return!
11th August 2014
Martin Bowley
News from
Member Theatres
Bradford Playhouse, the old ‘Civic’
theatre which was a founder member of the
Guild in 1946, has apparently been saved
from a fate worse than death by being
bought by a local wealthy enthusiast. There
are new plans to restore it to working order
as a theatre. Older members will remember
attending LTG Conferences and meetings
there. And members of nearby Bingley
Little Theatre will no doubt be watching
events with interest.
Chesil Theatre,
Winchester
are
commemorating
their
150th
anniversary
in
2013 as Winchester
Dramatic
Society
with the publication
of a History of the
society. The cost is
£12, and copies are
available from the
theatre’s archivist
Othello (1868)
Flavia Bateson,
Winchester Dramatic
flavia.bateson@
Society (Chesil Theatre) starspray.org.
The Restoration Project at South London
Theatre is galvanising the membership
now that the Heritage Lottery Fund has
officially promised £1.6M for the restoration
of the old Fire Station Building! Plans are
announced for a complete re-organisation
of the wardrobe before the building is taken
over by the contractors; for a Guide Book
to be produced showing the history of the
old fire station; for an oral history project,
and a schools visit project for when the
building is re-opened; and for a ceramic
tile installation to be created by a local
youth group with professional artists and
craftsmen assisting. All these projects do of
course need volunteers!
Players Theatre, Thame’s ‘Building A
Better Theatre’ project receives £5,000 from
the Theatres Trust small grants scheme to
install a flexible and moveable stage wall
system to improve the size and flexibility
of its stage and enable it to complete its
stage refurbishment. At a celebratory 70th
birthday party on 3rd October, attended by
Nicholas Parsons and Bruce Alexander, the
development fund was further boosted by
£3,500 raised by an auction and a raffle.
Members of Bolton Little Theatre are
confident that by Christmas they will have
raised the £90,000 required to buy the
‘freehold’ of the building, to secure the
8
theatre for future generations.
The auditorium at Oast Theatre,
Tonbridge was completely refurbished
over the summer ‘break’ – re-painting, new
electricals, seats and carpet.
Station Theatre, Hayling Island, home
to HIADS, have announced plans to build an
extension to the theatre foyer. Meanwhile
in the summer members played host to a
party of children from Chernobyl, who were
shown over the theatre, and given a special
performance of Alice in Wonderland, with a
substantial tea to conclude!
In October Summerseat Players,
Ramsbottom opened their newly equipped
Studio Theatre upstairs. They have just
installed a £10k lighting rig in the studio
space as a first step to it becoming a Studio
Theatre, to complement the main stage.
Questors Theatre, Ealing will be
marking the recent death of poet, novelist
and playwright Dannie Abse with a special
issue of their Newsletter, which will contain
personal reminiscences, going back to
1960 when his relationship with the theatre
started with the production of some of his
first plays.
New Venture Theatre, Brighton are now
happily back in their upstairs auditorium
which has been completely modernized and
refurbished, meeting all H & S requirements.
City Theatre, Durham prepared an
extract from Lee Hall’s The Pitman Painters
for performance in the Miners’ Hall Durham
in October. It was directed by Caroline
Chapman.
As part of the celebrations for their
75th birthday in September, Lewes Little
Theatre prepared an exhibition covering
the history of the theatre and the work
involved which was mounted at Lewes
House, and open to the public for two
weeks.
At Halifax Playhouse in September
members
celebrated
with LTG HLM John
Brook
his
90th
birthday! There will
be many in the Guild
who know John of old
and with affection who
would have liked to
join in the celebrations!
John has been a member of the Thespians
since 1946.
On a sadder note, members of Lancaster
Footlights Club mourned the death in
September of Chris Hayhurst, wife of LTG
HLM Carl Hayhurst. “She was one of those
people who saw what needed to be done,
and got on with it, without any fuss. Perhaps
through her training as an assistant stage
manager at Morecambe’s Royalty Theatre,
Chris understood that there is much more
to putting on a play than acting on the stage
Sir Ian McKellen with
Aggie Holland on the
first night of Rise and
Fall of Little Voice at
Teddington Theatre
Club.
- and that being a member of Footlights has
the additional responsibility of caring for
and operating our wonderful Theatre.”
Workington Playgoers at the Theatre
Royal Workington “have come one step
closer to realising their £0.5m vision for redevelopment of the Theatre Royal. A stage 2
application to the BIG Lottery for £357,161
has been approved, and an interim award of
£21,585 has been made to enable them to
prepare more detailed plans and to make a
final submission at the end of the year. The
alterations will include a much improved
and extended foyer for community use, a
youth venue and a number of cummunity/
training rooms. The whole building will be
designed to allow disabled access.” (News
from the Theatres Trust Magazine)
Richmond Shakespeare Society have
announced ambitious plans for the Mary
Wallace Theatre in Twickenham. They
intend next summer to completely rebuild
the stage, “incorporate various useful
elements, such as under-floor electrics and
the possibility of opening a trap at any of
numerous positions rather than just one.
We also hope to take the stage level out
into the workshop area, to do away with
the awkward stairs and instead create
storage space under the floor. All this will be
expensive – we are still awaiting quotations
– and so will necessitate a special fundraising effort. It is hoped that with such a
definite object in mind, it will be possible to
raise the money required.”
Plans are moving ahead to refurbish
Theatr Fach, Llangefni; already the new
toilets are installed, and plans to refurbish
the Fisher Room are gathering pace, thanks
to some funding from the council.
There is no other stage like it. This is the
Minack theatre with the Miller Centre
Theatre production of Far From the Madding
Crowd in full flow. The company pulled in
full houses, rave reviews and a handsome
financial pay-off during their week-long run
at this famous cliff-top venue.
LTG Newsletter
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
News from
Guild of Players,
Dumfries
AT LAST! After many,
many years of frustration,
disappointment, and false
starts, work has finally
started on the redevelopment of the Theatre Royal. Here are the
production credits.
The Guild of Players proudly presents
The Redevelopment
Opening Night: 30 June 2014 and running for 54 weeks
Designer: Gordon Fleming of ARPL Architects and team
Construction: Thomas Graham & Son (Builders) Ltd
Starring: Holywood Trust, DGC, HLF, Creative Scotland,
Robertson Trust, Monument Trust, DTDT, Historic Scotland,
members and friends.
The Plot: The oldest working theatre in Scotland will be
transformed into a theatre fit for the 21st century, whilst still
retaining its traditional appearance and character. At first this
transformation will be largely unseen as most of the work is
internal, but over time a new glass front infill will rise from the
yard to connect the theatre with the shop next door and form an
entrance into the glittering world within. Watch this space!
Ticket Price: £2m
On the 15th of March, 2014, the Theatre Royal commemorated a
new chapter in its history by taking Robbie Burns to the pub for ‘a
wee dram.’ The bust of Robert Burns, which has watched over the
theatre stage since 1960, was
the last artefact removed from
the building before its closure
for construction works. It was
accompanied by members of
the Guild and Junior Guild and
received by the Burns Howff
Club, who held a reception in its
honour in the Globe Inn. The bust
will be stored in the Howff Room
in the Globe for the duration of
the renovation.
And news from Questors Theatre
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of our main performance
space – the Playhouse. As part of the anniversary celebrations your
Board of Trustees is honoured and excited to announce that our
President, Dame Judi Dench, has agreed to our proposal that the
Playhouse be renamed as the Judi Dench Playhouse.
Our Playhouse will be the first public theatre to bear her name.
It is a fitting way to mark both
her long service as our President
and the 50th anniversary of the
opening of The Playhouse at The
Questors Theatre in 1964 by HM
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
It shows the high personal regard
she has for The Questors and all it
has achieved.
Dame Judi has sent the following
message to all of us; in it she recalls the occasions on which she
and her late husband, Michael Williams, performed on our stage,
the first of these visits being as long ago as 1972. She writes:
“The Questors’ theatre building is a landmark of theatre architecture,
built by this remarkable company. I send congratulations to you all
for the Golden Jubilee celebrations and on the continued success
of the company. I am absolutely thrilled and very flattered to add
my name in celebration of this achievement and I have very fond
memories of the recitals that Michael and I were invited to perform
there.”
We would have loved to have Dame Judi with us on Saturday 18
October for our gala celebration of the anniversary but unfortunately
this is not possible due to filming commitments. We are trying to
find a space in her diary for a visit to The Questors next year, and
this is entirely appropriate as 2015 marks her 30th anniversary as
our President.
It is important to make it absolutely clear that the name of The
Questors is not changed or diluted by this addition. Rather it will be
enhanced by having a truly great name from the world of theatre
attached to our Playhouse, in the same way as we have names
from the world of theatre for all our rehearsal rooms and for the
Studio.
Every member since 1929 who has given their time and striven
for excellence has played their part in creating The Questors and
its remarkable position in the world of theatre. We should all feel
proud to be associated with it.”
Remembering Richard Attenborough
At Leicester Little Theatre, the recent death of their Patron and Life President Lord Attenborough
was commemorated by a generous supplement to their October Newsletter. Richard had joined the
theatre as a young teenager in 1937 while his mother was the current president, and was so keen
he could hardly stay away! He was coached for RADA and in 1941 won a Leverhulme scholarhip, and
quickly launched his famous career. He was a lovely, warm, friendly man. Christine Hewson wrote:
“Throughout his life generosity has played a strong part and he has given generously of his time and
money to numerous charities. Ever willing to give of his time, he never forgot Leicester and our theatre,
being ever ready to help out, using some of his precious time to help us make money to improve the
theatre he still loved.”
Social Media
Will Smith writes in the Newsletter for
Barn Theatre, Welwyn:
Facebook and Twitter are becoming
increasingly more important for the Barn as
we strive to find new and interesting ways
to engage with members and audiences.
Last season, social media was used
alongside other traditional sources to
promote shows and advertise
club
events
as
well
as
letting
people know about
audition dates and
other
important
news. For the first
time ever we have
more people engaging with us online than
we have members, so Facebook and Twitter
are great ways to reach out to people,
particularly of a certain demographic.
If anybody has any content - whether
it be pictures, news or information - that
they believe would benefit from being
shared via social media, please send it to
me. We are also happy to give a shout out
to those ‘playing away’ with other societies
as we do within Barn News. So, if you’re
involved with a production elsewhere,
please let us know and we will try and
give it a mention. If you could encourage
that the other society do the same for us
when their members are involved with our
productions that would be great. This is a
fantastic way to ensure that members of
other clubs and groups are aware of us and
may choose to get more involved with the
Barn.
Unaccredited Research:
“People living in the countryside swear
more on Twitter than urban dwellers.” (The
Daily Telegraph)
“Too much social networking on the
internet shrinks the brain and makes
people stupider, but every cloud has a silver
lining, and the good news is that one of the
side effects of Twitter, Facebook and so on
has been a steep decline in the amount of
graffiti defacing the walls of Britain. There
is less need for graffiti now that people can
pass each other pointless messages by
electronic means.” (The Oldie)
9
LTG Newsletter
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
Heritage Open Days
The weekend of 6/7 September was a busy weekend for quite
a few member theatres. Here is a report from Stockport Garrick
Theatre on their own special “Open Day” the weekend before:
“Preparations began early for the Garrick’s Open Day on Saturday
30th August. By 10.00am, a performance area at Stockport train
station had been set up to attract attention to the day, and this
backed-up efforts from the previous week distributing flyers and
season brochures around the town centre. Passers-by were treated
to an excerpt from the forthcoming production of The 39 Steps
and to a preview of the full range of our shows this year in ‘The
Garrick Season - Reduced!’. Whilst leafleting those watching the
performances, we received a huge amount of positive feedback
about the Garrick: ‘I’ve seen the features in the paper’, ‘Oh yes you’ve just repainted the building haven’t you?’, ‘I used to go to
the Garrick but I’ve not been for a while - thanks for the brochure’
were just some of the comments received.
The theatre opened its doors at 10.30am and half an hour later
things were in full swing with performances, displays, theatre tours
and
presentations
all running smoothly
and to schedule. All
events seemed to be
well received by our
visitors.
There was a steady
trickle
of
people
arriving throughout
the day and although
we
didn’t
keep
an exact tally of
attendance
figures
for the day it would
be fair to assume
Changes to Electrical
Safety Testing
Ian Beeby, Bolton Little Theatre,
advised members as follows:
The ‘rulebook’ for all electrical installation
and maintenance in homes and public
buildings (commonly known as the
IET ‘17th Edition’) has stipulated some
recommended changes to the electrical
safety testing of equipment (generally
called PAT testing).
It was felt that some of the recommended
test intervals were unrealistic in ‘real life’
and as such they have introduced new
guidelines
suggesting a
more realistic
test interval.
It has been
suggested that
some low risk
items could be
tested every
24/36 months
“We opened the doors – and they came in. It was a great
success. Nearly 100 visitors flocked to the Miller Centre on Open
Day to see for themselves what it is that makes it such an amazing
place.”
Member theatres invariably report that their “Open Days” are
a success, drawing in the public and potential new members and
volunteers.
instead of every year, although high risk
items, such as hand tools, kettles, or any
items where cables could be pulled or
snagged should still be electrically tested on
a regular basis; they do however stipulate
that these items should also be subject to
a thorough visual check on a regular basis,
but that all PORTABLE, semi-portable or
hand-held electrical equipment should
have a ‘quick check’ visual inspection when
it is about to be used.
Q. How will this affect me?
A. While the theatre technical staff will
endeavour to ensure that equipment you
are likely to come into contact with is
electrically safe, it can only be certified at
the time of testing, just as your car COULD
break-down the day after an MOT test!
The Health and Safety Executive
makes responsibilities very clear,
as an ‘employee’ of the theatre YOU
have a LEGAL responsibility to your
colleagues and members of the public
to keep them safe from harm!
To this end, it is important that when
using ANY electrical equipment in the
theatre you are aware of the need to
be observant for:
And that Fire Inspection
“On 22nd September, the theatre was subjected to the first
fire inspection we’ve had for some time. This is an inspection of
our buildings and our procedures and practices, carried out by
the Hertfordshire Fire Service. It’s a reminder that they, and the
Local Licensing Officer, can inspect us at any time, with or without
warning, to ensure that we are doing all we should do to minimise
the risk of fire and to facilitate safe escape in the event that a fire
does break out. This is why we have so many procedures and rules
which can at times seem irksome. Thanks to a lot of work in pulling
10
that we had between
50 and 60 guests
through the door. To
be honest this was
slightly
less
than
we’d hoped for but,
come closing time,
we’d sold 15 tickets
for the opening night
of The 39 Steps, plus
some season tickets
and tickets for shows
on other nights. We
also attracted two new members (I suspect we’ll also get a third)
and this was all achieved without any pushy sales pitches. Most
importantly, all of our guests appeared to leave with a smile on
their face.
The whole day really was a team effort and I’d like to thank
everyone who got involved with the event. There does seem to be
quite a bit of interest in the Garrick with the general public, we just
all need to keep working together to transform this interest into
attendance at the shows.
Jon Clark
1.) FAULTS (intermittent
operation, running
excessively hot,
smoke/ burning smells etc)
2.) DAMAGE (frayed wires,
cracked casings or plugs,
missing safety covers,
‘bodged’ repairs etc)
This is NOT a full formal inspection
and obviously you do not require any
electrical training or qualifications to
perform these checks, it’s just a quick
look to make sure that the equipment
is in good order and that there is no
obvious signs of damage, wear or
missing parts!
If you are bringing personal equipment
to the theatre on a regular basis, (hair
dryers, laptops etc) you may like to have
them safety tested, as much for your own
peace of mind as for any legal reasons! We
will be happy to test personal items for you
on request.
The Technical Services team can’t watch
everything all the time, so we rely on YOU
to bring any issues to our attention for
rectification.
together all our various documents and in filling in a new, large Fire
Risk Assessment, the inspector was very satisfied by the evidence
of our procedures. However, when shown round the theatre, he did
point out a number of areas where the building does not comply
with current standards and we will certainly have to carry out a
number of improvements. Nevertheless, in ensuring things like
clear fire exits, fireproofed scenery and carrying out routine fire
drills, he confirmed we are doing all the right things.” (from Noises
Off, the Newsletter for Abbey Theatre, St Albans)
So it clearly pays for us to keep on our toes, as we never know
when the dreaded inspection is going to take place!
LTG Newsletter
Bits and pieces from
your Newsletters
“It has come to the attention of the
Drama Committee that some new
members, especially those volunteering to
act, feel that the Oast operates a form of
‘closed shop’ in that the same ‘old’ actors
are appearing on the stage in play after
play after play and, therefore, it is not
worth their while auditioning as they will
not stand a chance of being cast. Nothing
could be further from the truth! One of the
main reasons why the same ‘old’ actors
appear in play after play after etc. is that
the poor demented directors are unable to
cast their plays from the auditions and so,
in desperation, turn to the same old faces.”
(from Oast Notes, the Newsletter for Oast
Theatre, Tonbridge)
“In my last comment in the August issue
I included a piece asking for volunteers
to make themselves known as there were
certain jobs in the closed season that
could be accomplished by ourselves – e.g.
painting the dressing rooms. I’m afraid to
say that only one member came forward
– out of 600 members! This really is a
shame and shows how dependent we are
on just a few regular stalwarts who make
themselves available to do all the work
needing to be done.” (from the Chairman’s
comments in Barn News, the Newsletter
for Barn Theatre, Welwyn)
“You may have already heard a whisper
but if not we are very pleased to announce
that we have spent the closed season
refurbishing our little theatre.
The
extensive refurbishments have led to the
need to increase our ticket price to £7.00
this season. However, when you see the end
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
result we are sure you will agree it is worth
it. Since the end of May a tireless group
of volunteers have been busy painting,
laying carpet and most impressively fitting
new seats in the Attfield auditorium and
we can’t thank them enough. The end
result is a fabulous new look and some
very comfortable seats from which to
enjoy our next season of productions.”
(from the Newsletter for Attfield Theatre,
Oswestry)
“We saw a highly successful production
of our summer musical ‘Me and My Girl’,
despite one performance having to be
cancelled due to water damage caused
by vandalism to the roof.” (from Norbury
Theatre, Droitwich)
“Despite the valiant efforts made before
Betrayal, our lovely neighbours have
reduced the approach road to a tip again.
Please come along at 11am this Sunday,
19th October to lend a hand getting it
clean again. This doesn’t take long and
makes such a difference to the experience
enjoyed by our audiences. Plastic gloves,
bin bags, coffee and biscuits provided!”
(from News & Views, the Newsletter for
Maskers Theatre, Southampton)
“Our summer project is to get ready
for the LTG Northern Conference that we
will be hosting in October. We want to be
able to show our fellow Guild members
a sparkling, tidy, immaculate building.
One we can all be proud of.” (from the
Newsletter for Halifax Playhouse)
“A lot of volunteers for the bar are also
our actors.” (from the HIADS Newsletter,
Station Theatre, Hayling Island
“Right, well I’m nursing a sore foot,
still have a good half-dozen bruises, the
remnants of around 50 mosquito bites,
and haven’t yet shifted my cough. I think
it reasonable to say that the week in Paris
was not the health spa that I’d been led
to believe. It was really, really, really
hot. I know that in open air theatres, you
shouldn’t complain about this, but after the
wrestling I was properly exhausted, and
was mindful of the evening show that would
go up some minutes after the matinee
came down. And there it was, straight after
the curtain call was the nominal call time
for the evening show. The word knackered
is over used, I believe, but on this occasion
most appropriate.” (from Stephen Doak’s
Where are all the young men?
“In a club boasting over 400 ‘acting’ or at least ‘active’ members,
it should not be difficult to cast a four character play. However,
such has proved to be the case twice in the last few months firstly John Roth’s special production for the Garrick Temple had to
be abandoned for this reason and now London Suite has fallen at
the same hurdle. And we are not alone, as we understand other
societies have recently experienced similar problems.
The shortage of young and early middle-age men is at the root
of this problem. There may be several reasons why this is so. This
is the group of people busily building a career, bringing up children
and paying the mortgage and it is not surprising that many simply
don’t have the time or energy to devote to amdram, enjoyable as
it is. And this is a problem we can do little about.
diary of playing As You Like It in Paris for
Tower Theatre, Islington)
“Every drama committee I’ve had
anything to do with always wants to include
strong worthwhile plays – and that’s right,
but it might be worth remembering that
the biggest seller in the past ten years was
‘Allo ‘Allo!” (from the Chairman’s corner in
the Newsletter for Harborough Theatre)
“The Central AGM of the LTG was held
at Priory Theatre in Kenilworth on 13th
September. Sounds a bit too much chalk
and talk doesn’t it – but WOW! How wrong
you could be! We were a mixed bunch from
theatres far and wide – LTG reps came
from as far as Durham and Oswestry.”
(from Scene, the Newsletter for Leicester
Little Theatre)
“It was saddening to hear Mike report
that the Council Officers have such little
regard for The Grand that some do not
even know where it is or what we do. One
thing we can all do is make our own ward
councillors more aware. Why not give your
councillor a call and see what they know
about The Grand - better still, why not
invite them to come and see one of our
productions? Maybe next time there’s an
election pending!” (from the newsletter for
Lancaster Footlights Club)
“You are not expected to learn the
audition pieces but it will help you to
practise them aloud, thinking about the
characters and how they would speak. You
need to be a member of Nantwich Players
to audition; you can join on the night
(£25). Please come with details of any
dates when you are not available between
Nov - Feb including any other production
you may be involved in. Every Nantwich
Player is most welcome at auditions. Come
and support your fellows in their search
for stardom....“ (from the Newsletter for
Nantwich Players)
What we may be able to do,
however, is to look carefully
at our programming and think
long and hard as to whether it
is sensible to mount productions
which require rehearsing through
the summer holiday period when
family commitments dictate that
this overstretched demographic
are enjoying a well-earned rest
from their labours (but not from
a demanding family life) on a
beach in Benidorm or art gallery
in Altrincham.”`
Barry Hill, in the Newsletter for
Teddington Theatre Club
11
LTG Newsletter
Vol .28 No.4 November 2014
Some Recent Production Photos
The Accrington Pals - Theatre 62
Tomb With A View - Priory Theatre
Role Play - Leicester Little Theatre
Romeo and Juliet - Cotswold Playhouse
Amongst Barbarians - New Venture Theatre
12
Accrington Pals - Southport Little Theatre