Thurso Players News

March 2003

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SCDA Junior Festival

‘A Murderer’s Mind’ a play written and directed by Paul Hardman won this year’s Caithness Youth Drama Festival. The adjudicator, Brian Marjoribanks, praised the Thurso A team for tackling a play which dealt with issues such as physical abuse, sexual abuse and murder! The adjudicator complimented all of the actors but made special mention of Holly Brown as Sarah and Helen Mackay as Dr Marshall. Well done to all particularly Paul as writer, director and actor!

Thurso Player’s second play of the evening was written by John Glen. ‘And Then There Were Three’, a play set in a post-holocaust landscape, was praised for its set and the good use made of the acting area. 

Pantomime  2002

Beauty & The Beast

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who took part in and assisted with “Beauty and the Beast”. As always, a big production, which is staged in the High School, needs a dedicated cast and team: I reckoned that over 60 people were involved, which is most of Thurso Players! It proved to be a popular pantomime –“magical” was a word that kept coming through the feed back – and we played to full houses with ticket sales totalling over £6000.

Nobody “broke a leg” but Gran, alias John Glen, tore cartilage on the opening night and despite medical advice to rest he carried on like the trouper he is, adding a new dimension to the role with his crutches!  Sue Rankine managed to break a toe and gash her hand – but didn’t let these minor setbacks interfere with playing the musical accompaniment! Nobody succumbed totally to flu during the performances so I was able to come off the tranquillisers!

We had lovely costumes, great props, colourful and dramatic scenery, mood –creative lighting and sound effects, lively music (with Isaac bringing percussion the week of the run), and smooth changes through all 22 scenes! Useful ideas have come from wash ups with the production team and some of the actors, and will be passed on for this year’s panto. Planning well in advance and meeting early deadlines were discussed.  The Friday night run- through in the High School was helpful for the stage and technical crews – and for those members of the cast who could come!  The director’s life at this stage becomes extremely manic, and the stage/technical  crews have only a few days in which to set and check everything. As far as I could, I rehearsed in blocks to minimise non-productive time, and cast members said they appreciated this.  However, there were the usual problems of not having everyone together for whole scenes, and we never had a full cast until the dress rehearsal: inevitably this results in some unpolished patches.

My plea would be that when accepting a role in pantomime – or any production – members give it priority and make sure the final week before the run is kept clear.  Confidence, pace and co-ordination get fine-tuned only when everyone is together to work as a team. That little grumble aside, it was a great cast, crew and FOH “make it all happen” event and I wish John Glen, this year’s pantomime director, two broken legs!! Denise Imrie

Click picture to view full size. Thanks to Mike & Alan for the photographs.

Thurso Players in Wick by Eunice Cruickshank 

Thurso Players' performances in Wick for the first round in the annual SCDA festival of one-act plays were a credit to the Players, whatever the tone of the Caithness Courier write-up, a full page spread except for the inset Caithness Courier Competition about tooth polish (Smiles better with Pearl Drops).

Dot Murphy was first on stage, in Peter Shaffer's White Liars, directed by Betty Bradstreet. Beautifully dressed in the role of fortune teller & fake baroness - we never lie - sustaining a beguiling Austrian accent and manoeuvring almost seamlessly through several exposures of her duplicity, Baroness Lemberg fences adroitly with the down to earth business man, Frank, (who is anything but frank) manfully played by Andrew Crawford, and his apparently guileless hippy friend, Tom, languidly portrayed by Glyn Jackson. Tom's cool style contrasts with Frank's passionate nature and Baroness Lemberg's affected self righteousness: all three characters are liars, but it is Tom, the seeming naif, who turns the tables on the others.

Shaffer's text is a typical sixties study of the illusions on which everyday life commonly depends, and in this respect strongly resembled the Tom Stoppard play 'An Independent Man' staged by Wick Players, directed by Donald Farmer.  Drew McLeod played the lead role of George, an idle old reprobate, constantly deceiving himself - but never others - over his claim to be a talented inventor.

Whereas in White Liars, all three characters are involved in one another's pretences, in An Independent Man only the hero is deceived. Whenever he leaves home 'for good' on the strength of a new invention, getting only as far as the local pub, his wife reacts with identical kindly disinterest, his daughter with identical anger, and his drinking friends ignore him or send him up. But we glimpse achingly deep distress when George from time to time momentarily confronts his real condition.

White Liars was set in an airy white tent, and An Independent Man on a split set which seemed to hold everything from a public bar to a family living room, a jungle of house plants and a functioning vacuum cleaner.

Just a Song at Twilight by Valerie Maskell directed by Ruby Sinclair is set in a care home. The starkly empty stage featured three wheel chairs, one for each of the main protagonists - sweetly uptight Mrs Hamilton, archly played by Betty Bradstreet, savage old Mrs Barker, with a self satisfied bad word for everyone, gloatingly portrayed by Barbara Smith, and terrified Miss Prat, a decaying bundle of bones in an unwholesome heap of blankets, played by Joan Meyrick, in one of the best performances likely to be seen onstage anywhere.

When poor Miss Pratt was hounded to her last heart attack by the malevolent Mrs Barker, Mrs Hamilton and Mrs Barker sprang from their wheel chairs in a dance of joy that was a delight to watch. Avril Spencer played the nubile young nurse, eyeing the nervously self effacing minister (Angus McBay) who effortlessly turned into the imaginary presence of Mrs Hamilton's bullying husband. When this minister dies he is replaced by a more red-blooded priest (John Lawes). As the last old lady is wheeled away to meet the Grim Reaper, John Lawes 'Hello, hello ... Hello!' is directed not to the patients but to the dizzily hopeful young nurse.

The audience enjoyed  Just a Song at Twilight thoroughly, clapping loud and long, but the adjudicator, Mike Gibson, pointed out that this was wrong! The play has a dark side and it is this that should have been pointed up. Similarly, perhaps, while Wick Players won the Adam Swanson Memorial Trophy for the winning play, the Margaret Sinclair Shield for highest production mark, the Calcott Innes Quaich for highest acting mark and will go on to represent Caithness in the divisional finals, with Thurso Players' White Liars as runner up winning the Dr Ian Fell Trophy for White Liars and the Old Mill Trophy for the best set outwith the winning set, Thurso Players supporters went home feeling that their teams had done them proud and congratulating all concerned on an excellent evening.

Thurso Players' Professional Programme

We start the season of promotions with a taste of Orkney. 'For The Islands I Sing' by George MacKay Brown is coming to The Mill on Saturday 29^th March. The show is a Splinters premiere, devised by the company with Literary Director Donald Smith, and toured in association with the Scottish Storytelling Centre. John Shedden, Finlay Mclean and Anna Hepburn provide a quality cast in the best of Scottish stage acting traditions. Bookings are available to members by phoning 892019.

Also on the programme for the spring are The MsFits with 'Woman On The Verge of a T-Junction' on the 7th of May and Prime Productions version of Liz Lochhead's 'Mary Queen of Scots Got her Head Cut Off'  on the 9th and 10th of May (joint promotion with Lyth Arts Society). Betty Bradstreet

Victorian Music Hall Club Night

As part of the Players' programme for 2003 John Glen hoped to put on performances of Victorian Music Hall songs and sketches. With the current programme action-packed,  this is probably too difficutl for all cocnerned, but with enough interest a club night could be arranged - possibly  on Saturday May 31st at 7.30 pm. The committee needs to discuss the arrangements, so the date may change. If you any suggestions or would like to take part or assist, please get with John Glen or Eunice Cruickshank.

Behind closed doors – committee meetings!

With the AGM coming up I’ve been asked to say something about what really goes on at committee meetings – ignore the rumours! Agendas cover finance, administration related to the running of the building as a Theatre, the Professional programme, the Player’s programme, junior drama, SCDA and community events such as Gala week.

Thurso Players is an amateur group- but we have the only theatre in Caithness and Sutherland!  It is all run on a voluntary basis yet we need to comply with demanding health and safety regulations, operate a child protection policy, maintain the building, keep it clean, tidy, insured, heated etc. We put on our own productions and host touring professional groups who regularly comment on the high standards at the theatre.  All of this is discussed and organised at committee meetings which are held monthly. Members undertake to carry out actions between meetings. Usually about 8 members attend with business taking between 2-2½ hours. The committee tries to devise a varied programme to meet the interests of all our members with a quarterly newsletter to keep everyone in touch. If you’re interested and can commit some time then please consider standing for the next committee: if not, remember that Tuesdays are work evenings and come along to help run your Theatre. Denise Imrie

Welcome to 'Fat Sam's.' Thursday 13th March was audition day for 'Bugsy Malone,' which we hope will run at the end of April and beginning of May. Director, Betty Bradstreet, was hoping to see a lot of our junior and young adult members turn up to allow her to cast this ambitious piece. The script asks for 18 principles and up to 60 extras. Betty has plenty of work ahead with her production team of eager adult volunteers ( Don't say yes to anything at a cast party!). If you have been unfortunate enough not to hear about the auditions either through school or the handouts on a Friday evening at The Mill please phone Betty Bradstreet on 892019 if you want to be involved. John Glen

Joe Orton Play

Eunice Cruickshank is looking for a Joe Orton play to do in the summer. The idea is for a modern play with a small cast who can attend ALL rehearsals.

A possible schedule is for performances on 31st July, and 1st & 2nd August with casting, etc on Sunday 29th June, but this is only provisional as the schedule has yet to be discussed by the committee. Get in touch with Eunice if you are interested in taking part or helping. Eunice Cruickshank

Newsletter / Website Photos

When you are involved in a production and take photographs of the rehearsal can you let Ken Murphy have a copy (preferrably electronic copy) of some of the shots. The newsletter and the website look much better with photos from the many productions we do in a year. It would be a great help if producers could ensure that someone in the team is taking photos.

For good quality printing in the newsletter it is better if the photos have a white or light coloured background. If you cannot get an electronic version send a copy to Ken and he will get the image scanned. Thanks for your help.

Valentines Night Massacre!

Not really but if you’d been the author’s of some scripts that night you might have thought it a massacre!

A somewhat impromptu Players club night for Players and their invited guests. This event on the 14^th February sprang from an idea raised at a committee meeting (Surprise for everyone not on it that doubt SOME good things and ideas come out of it) for an informal gathering with some entertainment (the word is used loosely; very loosely for some acts). Eunice co-ordinated the event jollying people along who’d offered a sketch, song or whatever and generally took responsibility for making the evening  the success that it was. The evening offered something for most people, Shakespeare, Burns. assorted poems, sketches (from better and less well known writers!) and a bit of community singing. There was even a brief tutorial on “devices” or how (not) to use props as script cards 

The Warthog, a musical piece performed by Maureen, John (Glen) and Glyn accompanied by Leslie on the piano caused great amusement and set a light hearted tone for the evening. This was followed by some 17^th and 18^th century romantic poems, (they were some funny lines in them but it must be the way I tell them) delivered by myself who didn’t ad-lib once but only because I had the written word in front of me. More music from John (Lawes) and Christine was followed by an impromptu Valentine’s Day poem and recital of Burns with a Caithness accent from Andrew. Sketches involving Paul, Alastair John (Lawes), Ruth and Derek Chekup Bradstreet segued into the interval.

The interval might have stopped the enjoyment offered from the stage but was more than made up by the offerings of sweet and savoury morsels which you didn’t even have to queue up for – they just kept appearing in front of you – although it did seem that some tables got more than fair share of shortbread. Didn’t they Jamie?

Frivolity of food over it was time for serious drama and an interpretation of the Balcony Scene from Romeo & Juliet was strongly presented by the two youngest performers of the evening, Andrew and Charley. Barbara Smith’s poems were more up to date even though some people of a certain age knew them from their schooldays and held everyone spellbound with “The Highwayman”. (Jealous? Me?) An amusing song from Christine and John Lawes was followed by more Shakespeare, but this time a couple of his sonnets read by Alastair and Eunice.

We were led in the grand musical finale by (self) selected members who had clearly been chosen and then rehearsed at great length to demonstrate their ability and skill at mixing farce with an outstanding knowledge of the words and music of popular songs!  “Leave them laughing” is now, as ever, as good an ending to an evening as you can get.

And finally …. the performers get their kicks from performing. But Eunice deserves the credit for taking on the initial organisation as do the largely unsung, and sometimes unnoticed heroes who help turn a good event into a memorable one. At the risk of excluding someone, particular thanks go to: Alan, Deirdre, Eunice and Barbara for setting the tables and chairs out; Freddy & John (Firth) for the lighting; Glyn for the curtains which set the romantic mood; Deirdre and Jean for liquid refreshments; Ruby & Betty for a wonderful diversity and quantity of food. If I have missed someone then I’m very sorry and say thank you to yourself. Oh! Life’s fraught with difficulties dealing with these touchy, sensitive thespian types!

An excellent evening and a format which I hope will be repeated. Even in a small club like ours it’s easy to get typecast and perhaps not realise that we have other interests, if not necessarily abilities! it’s certainly a good way of getting Players and friends together for a fun social event giving members a chance to do something,  which they may not otherwise get a chance to do. You don’t even need to learn a script – or ad-lib your way through one! Thanks Eunice and everyone else involved. When’s the next one?! Mike Gordon

Mill Clean-Up & Tasks

A list of tasks that need to be completed in the Mill Theatre has been placed on the club noticeboard. If you want to help, look at the list of tasks on the board and tick off any you manage to complete. Make sure you enter your name beside the task! Please help, keeping the Mill in working order takes a lot of time and effort!

Annual General Meeting Wednesday 28th of May

Nominations for committee office bearers should be submitted prior to the date of the AGM. Nomination forms were sent out with the paper copy of your newsletter. Forms should be returned to the Club Secretary Eunice Cruickshank ASAP.

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