Thurso Players
News
2006 Pantomime ~ Sleeping Beauty
I have a wealth of useful feedback both positive and constructive was received and think that this year's show was an amazing achievement for all involved. Although at times, my primadonna demands (five cloths, seven rostra, and a fire breathing, dancing dragon to name but a few!) really stretched the team, I am pleased to say that everyone really pushed the limits and continued to deliver beyond expectations.
I was delighted to be able to offer an extra performance this year on Tuesday night. I know that this was a lot of extra work for all involved, and everyone was truly exhausted by the end of the week but I want to thank you all for continuing to put all of your energy into the show each & every night & keeping up the enthusiasm and focus right through the week despite it being an unusually long run.
I was initially both excited and very nervous about directing my first panto particularly as I am not usually the most organised of people! However, the wealth of knowledge and experience brought to the show by our ever positive, supporting, and encouraging production team guided me through and enabled us to deliver six excellent performances that exceeded anything I'd dared hope for.
I owe a big thank you to the cast for giving up their free time to allow me to boss them around week on week, while relentlessly giving their enthusiasm & energy to help me bring my vision to life. It was a fantastic cast who worked really well as a team making my job as director a lot easier and more pleasurable allowing me to ease my self into the daunting task of directing a show on this scale.
On a negative note however I was a little disappointed by the turn out for the clean up on the Sunday at both The Mill and the High School. As usual there were plenty of stage crew but cast were pretty thin on the Ground. I know that late December is a busy time of year and that after a full week of shows everyone is tired but, unfortunately we do still need to clean up after ourselves and as they say "many hands make light work" so hopefully we will see more people able to give up just a few hours to participate in the very last part of the show in the future.
As some of you may be aware I plan on having a year off from this year's panto to get married. While I'm sure this could have been better timed, Clare is adamant that no other date will do! So I would like to take this opportunity to wish Dot Murphy and her team all the best with this year's production, and I look forward to being in the audience for a change but be assured that I will join in for the audience participation! Thank you. Andrew Crawford
| Click for more pics |
 |
 |
 |
SCDA
Our entry for the SCDA Festival this year promises
good entertainment. The transfer from a Russian venue to that of a large
house on the outskirts of Glasgow, during a hot afternoon in the summer
of1890 sits easily in the imagination, as does its humour. Here we meet
Flora McNeil, alone, apart from her faithful servant, Leckie, who cannot
for the life of him understand her determination to ‘enjoy’ her
widowhood as a recluse. That intention is soon thwarted by the arrival
of “The Bear” in the shape of Regimental Sgt. Major Andrew Baird, come
to collect the debts incurred by the ‘dear departed’. A verbal battle
ensues which eventually becomes physical before all is resolved.
Well written witty and humorous, this adaptation of Chekhov’s play will
be performed by Jackie Robertson, John Glen and Rob Roy under the
Directorship of Alex Rankine. So, do please come along to the Assembly
Rooms in Wick on Saturday 24th February and give them your support.
Barbara Smith
The Players are entering two productions this year in the SCDA Youth
Festival. 'Uncool' by Vin Morreale Jnr in the senior age group and 'A
Load of Rubbish' by Sue Gordon.
'Uncool' explores the world of teenagers in school. The settling in and
bullying that a new girl works through are seen through the eyes of
those around. This play explores some of the issues that many of our
young performers have heard about or experienced. Director Sarah Glen is
working on her second SCDA entry as a director and says her cast are
working well.
'A Load of Rubbish' describes itself as an Eco-Drama. The characters
have decidedly human traits, but, are very clearly 'A Load of Rubbish',
who have landed in a local beauty spot having fallen from the back of
lorries on their way to a landfill site. Watch out as the Carrier Bag
plays peacemaker between two ageing balls of wool and a coke can. The
friendly and down to earth beer can has an interesting chat to a French
Perfume Box and the militaristic Empty Ink Cartridge feels the need for
order. With a cast aged from 8 to 12 Director John Glen has been having
an interesting time in rehearsals, "Their energy levels are amazing, and
they are working well on learning their lines. I hope that this first
Intermediate level entry from the Players for many years goes down
well”.
To both teams, who are competing in a two night festival (5th & 6th
March in Thurso) with three other productions, we say 'BREAK A LEG!'
John Glen
Frank is an alcoholic professor who has obviously
lost interest in his life. Rita is a breath of fresh air for Frank
because of her zest for life, enthusiasm to learn and her uninhibited
way of life. She eventually realizes her capabilities and that the
education didn’t change her but only made her aware and gave her
confidence in what she could accomplish. Frank, with the help of Rita is
able to see and acknowledge the mess his life is in and finally makes a
move to change it.
Rehearsals for Educating Rita will begin after Whoops XI for a
performance at the end of August/beginning of September. If you are
interested in auditioning, there will be a chance for you to do so on
July 1st, 7.30pm, at the Mill.
Frank: late 30s – early 50s
iainmacdonald86@hotmail.com
Rita: early 20s – early 30s
If you can’t make the audition but are interested in potentially taking
a part, send me an email to the address above. I am also looking for
backstage crew for lights, sound, set construction, etc. If interested,
again please email me. Iain MacDonald
Juniors
The Juniors started back at the Mill on Rriday 26th January. The 1st session got off to a flying start with Betty conducting a workshop about directing. Surprisingly, or not, not everyone wants to be a director.For those that had a go it was a very interesting experience.The rest of the juniors became the cast including some extremely tatlented dogs!
The slightly older juniors did some good work with the classic Ronnie Barker sketch set in a Doctors waiting room. In the next few weeks further workshops, hopefully will include:- Sue & Alex Voice workshop. Alan & John Lighting and sound. John G. Fighting and falling!. and Glyn and Lesley Music and stage.At the moment we have 86 Juniors registered. I think the oldies are about outnumbered! Lelsey Jackson
Personal Electrical Equipment
As many of our members are all too well aware, the number of rules governing safety and safety practices arew becoming more and more complex. We are as a group in the process of having all of the portable electrical equipment we use safety tested and certificated. As a result we must ask members not to bring personal mains electrical equipment to the Mill or to any outside players production. This includes things like hair dryers, hair straighteners, curling tongs, phone chargers etc. We will ensure that wherethese items are required for a production that Thurso Players owned and tested equipment is available to that cast. Anything very specialised that we do not have should be discussed with The Mill Managers, or brought to the attention of any Committee Member. Please help us to meet our required safety standards, it is your safety that they are there to protect. John Glen
THANK YOU JUNE
Alas June Roy has had to give up her post as catering/refreshments manager for the Mill Theatre. We all thank her very much for the work she has done. The job involves providing supplies, making sure that the kitchen/lounge area is clean and clear and serving (or making sure that someone is there to serve) at all performances in The Mill. If anyone is interested in taking on the job, please contact a committee member, meanwhile we will deal with each show on an ad hoc basis. Betty
Professional Programme
By the time you read this, the Professional Programme
will have already kicked off with ‘The Jolly Beggars and a’ That’ – A
Celebration of Burns in song and verse. With so much going on in the
club between SCDA Adult and Junior Festivals, ‘Ivan’ and ‘Forbidden
Planet’ it was well nigh impossible to schedule any shows for February
through April so the next item on the programme doesn’t come along until
May 24th.
‘A History of Scotland’ by Vladimir McTavish takes an irreverent look at
Scotland through the ages. June 21st sees the welcome return of Martin
Taylor to the Mill and he is followed on July 26th by Mike Maran’s
production of ‘Garibaldi and Me’, a historical drama based on the
battles with the Bourbon Dynasty which led to the Unification of Italy.
A little known fact is that Garibaldi’s army included a large number of
Scottish Volunteers. Despite it being a serious subject I can’t but help
thinking of it as a battle of the biscuits! On 1st September it’s Fiona
Knowles with her new show ‘A Clucking Good Hen Night’.
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers
In the pipeline for 2008, although very much dependant on funding, are Prime Productions with ‘Great Expectations’ and Theatre Modo with their take on ‘Lear’. Let’s hope that we are all successful in the next round of funding grants from SAC. Neil MacDonald
On September 20th we have a visit from members of the
Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers with their exciting new show ‘The Way of the
Drum.’ I’m really looking forward to seeing that one having read their
reviews, if you only see one show this year, make sure it’s that one.
I’m also trying to fix a date for Sutherland & Son towards the end of
September. My final booking for 2007 is with Splinters and their new
show ‘J M Barrie - A Life in Stories’.
I would like to put out an appeal for photographs of the show. I didn't manage to get many pictures myself this year and would love to see some photos of all the action both on and off the stage. If you have any photos to share please give me a ring on 894006 and I will provide CDs for digital copies or pay for printouts of hard copies.
Andrew Crawford
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||