Five Kinds of Silence by Shelgah Stephenson started its life as an award-winning radio play that first aired in 1997. She then adapted it for the stage, and in May 2000 it had its debut at the Lyric Hammersmith in London. The cast included Gina McKee, Lizzy McInnery, Linda Bassett, Dione Inman, Gary Whitaker and the wonderfully immortal Tim Pigott-Smith in the cast. The tone of the piece is often lyrical, particularly from the revenant ‘animal Billy’ ('the tarmac road made my dog teeth tingle")
Who would have thought that one year on from what would have been our post-production week of Five Kinds of Silence by Shelagh Stephenson we still would have not performed the play, or even have a date in mind of when we can open again?
My love for Neil Simon started as a youngster. I was off school with Asthma and ‘Barefoot In The Park’ was showing on television and even though it was, what I considered, an ‘old’ film, I loved every minute of it. That love affair with his work continues until today. He had the very rare talent of being able to make you roar with laughter one minute and the next have you crying into your tissue. He was an exceptional, insightful playwright.
I have been really enjoying the new series of Talking Heads on the BBC. The first series was aired in 1988 with Alan Bennett in A Chip in the Sugar, Patricia Routledge in A Lady of Letters, Maggie Smith in Bed Among the Lentils, Stephanie Cole in Soldiering On, Julie Walters in Her Big Chance and the wonderful Thora Hird in A Cream Cracker under the Settee. I remember watching these and being totally enthralled. In 1998 the second series was aired with some of the same cast playing different roles Patricia Routledge in Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet, Eileen Atkins in The Hand of God, David Haig in Playing Sandwiches, Julie Walters in The Outside Dog, Penelope Wilton in Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Thora Hird in Waiting for the Telegram. When they were first published I remember appearing in and directing the odd one or two here and there. I even have a dusty old copy of the scripts on my bookshelf but haven’t revisited them in a good few years.
Back in early February, just a few weeks before the world turned upside down, the lovely Simone Stewart interviewed me for her podcast ‘How to Adult’. She says she started this podcast because at, aged 25: “I am trying to dig my way out of a quarter-life crisis. I've realised that burying my head in the sand (no matter how deep I go) doesn't actually help, but talking to people about their experiences, really does! Here, on How to Adult, I’ll be talking to different people about their quarter-life journey's and hearing some incredible stories along the way. I'm hoping that we can learn, laugh and get through this together! I mean, does anyone really know how to adult?”
It’s hardly surprising that in these difficult times when people are trying all sorts to keep themselves entertained, we theatrical types are turning to the theatre to help us. In fact, we have found that engaging in play readings over video call is so helpful, so much fun and such a nice way to spend time together while apart that we wanted to recommend it to our followers as a great lockdown activity.
Here are the things we think are so good about it:
Not only is play reading great fun, because you really have to concentrate on it, it means you can’t think about anything else so it provides a great escape from everything that’s going on. Our gang have had a great time reading comedies to make them laugh but also very absorbing serious plays that give them something different to think about.
Happy New Year!
2019 was a big one for The Green Room Productions. Being our 10 year anniversary we chose to start our season with the amazing (world premiere!) play Someone, Somewhere by Pat Davis. This was the true story of 22- year old Jessie Earl, who disappeared from her flat Eastbourne in 1980. She was a 'missing person' until 9 years later when her body was discovered hidden in dense undergrowth on Beachy Head. We worked with Pat and Jessie’s parents, John and Val, to bring this story to the stage. We all invested our hearts and souls into this production and we are incredibly proud and honoured to have produced a piece of theatre that impacted so many people in so many ways. It was a very moving experience for those onstage and off, and I know that those of us who were involved in the play will ever forget that time. When we collated all the emails, comments and letters we had received to give to John and Val, there were 10 A4 pages! We are hoping for some more news about Someone, Somewhere in 2020 so watch this space.
***** ‘Simply stunning’ *****’
Producing a play is not just about the actors, we have to think about the set, the soundscape, costumes, the lighting and the props. Each of these elements is as important as the other, and a successful production will have a great artistic team working tirelessly behind the scenes with the director.
Some playwrights (and directors - and I personally hold my hand up to this) like to task huge complex challenges for the companies producing their plays, with difficult sets, extraordinary props, flamboyant costumes and complicated lighting effects & soundscapes.
These are shortened and much more condensed descriptions of what were, at times, heart-stopping theatrical nightmares! Each one of these situations was eventually overcome and - thank goodness - solved without the audience suspecting a thing. But for those of us backstage, on stage, or out front we all gained a few more grey hairs on those days.
I am 100% sure there is no ‘good way’ to give this kind of news to anyone involved in the theatre. There never seems to be time to even fully digest what you have just been told because as soon as the news is delivered a plan has to be made (usually extremely quickly) as to how to combat the issue. The time to fall apart is post-show in the bar. But maybe the blow would be softened by some of these gorgeous baby animals delivering the news. What do you think?
When I look at the props list of a forthcoming play and I see that it has some rather unusual props on it, I actually get quite excited about the challenge. However, Steve Darvill - a member of our company who quite often helps to source the props - will probably say his heart sinks! Over the last two or three years it seems that a number of our productions have contained unusual props. We have had to hunt for some quite bizarre items - but more of that in another blog. Our next production, Breeders (What’s On in Eastbourne), certainly has some ‘weird and wacky’ props. The play centres around Santa Lucia Day and I was intrigued to see that Saffrons Buns were included on the list. Having no idea what they were I hopped over to Google to find out more and ended up delving further into the subject than I first anticipated. So, for all you bun lovers out there (said the actress to the bishop) read-ahead!...
I had decided to blog about the history of ‘theatrical superstitions’ this week, the ones that most people have heard of, not whistling in a dressing room, not saying ‘Macbeth’ in the theatre etc., but little did I know the weird and wonderful world I was going to delve into. It turns out there are many more superstitions I hadn’t heard of that quite frankly made me laugh.
Last week I went to the Hawth Theatre in Crawley see the 2019 tour of Cabaret directed by National Theatre Director Rufus Norris. It is one of my all-time favourite musicals, and on my ‘Director’s Bucket List’ to produce one day. I was quite literally blown away by this production! I have seen Cabaret produced professionally many, many times but this version shot to my number one spot in an instant. The choreography was second to none and totally awe-inspiring, the set and costumes perfect, the cast outstanding (John Partridge gave an excellent performance as the Emcee) and the lighting was superb. If you are a fan of the show it is well worth a weekend trip away to see it, I’ll put the remaining dates and venues at the end of this blog.
On 1st November 2009 I formed The Green Room Productions. Our first play was The Collector, based on the book by John Fowles and set in Lewes. It was a two-hander starring Tim Bond and Leah Mooney. Leah is still an integral, and founding, member of the company - these days you will find her in our tech box, lighting our productions.
My first task was to find us a venue. The (then) Headmaster of Willingdon Community School along with the drama teacher very kindly allowed us to use their school drama studio to perform and rehearse in. We cannot thank their staff enough for the support and generosity they gave us in those early days, which enabled the company to grow and flourish.
Theatre was invented in Greece, and so naturally there are many theatre-related words that find their origins in Greek. Our blog today looks at 6 of these words and where they began.
THEATRE
Greek Word: theasthai
Greek Meaning: to behold
The Greek theatres were large, open-air structures constructed on the slopes of hills. They consisted of three principal elements: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience. Behind the orchestra was a large rectangular building called the skene (meaning "tent" or "hut"). The skene was literally a tent or hut, put up for the religious festival and taken down when it was finished. Later, the skene became a permanent stone structure. These structures were sometimes painted to serve as backdrops, hence the English word scenery.
When I started secondary school my drama teacher immediately recognised my passion for the theatre and acting. During my time there she allowed me to take part in school productions (earlier than I should have done), she opened my young eyes to live theatre, she encouraged me, pushed me and let me hang out in the drama department. When I was 14 she took us to the National Theatre and I fell in love with the place - a love affair that still continues today. We returned there frequently throughout my school years and I saw some wonderful plays. Forty years later I still have clear vivid memories of some of those productions. She even arranged for us to interview some of the actors - no idea how she managed that!...
During our last production of Spine I was asked a few times what the role of the Director is. The answer is that it can vary from company to company, but in The Green Room Productions it goes something like this:
As the Director, when I read a great play it captures my imagination. Usually the story visually unfolds in my head and if I can see it working well on our stage I will decide to produce it.
The next step is to cast the play. The Green Room Productions has a pool of very talented actors so I will try to cast from them. If this isn't possible then I will hold auditions to find other actors to suit the roles.
Why do you like acting and what do you think you gain from it?
Theatre has always been one of my biggest loves. Being on stage and telling someone else’s story to an interested audience is an amazing experience. Observing the impact after the end of a play really solidifies in my head why I love acting. It can have such an effect and really brings people together. I have made so many amazing friends through acting over the years.
How do you feel taking on a one-woman play, and what do you think is the biggest challenge?
Following on from our blog in May here is part two of our interview with Kate Daly from Old Town Community Library in Eastbourne. This second part reiterates why these services are so vital to our community and how the role of volunteers in our society, who so generously donate their time, quite literally change people’s lives.
How do you feel the library makes a difference to people's lives? You’ve said that it isn't just about books?
Oh no, it's not. It's not just a reference service. I've got this wonderful quote that Angela Clark wrote (she's one of our supporters, and she's also an author) ‘I think a library is a place for the vulnerable.’ And that's exactly what our library is. You might get an elderly gentleman who comes in, and his only remaining human interaction will be with us in the library, he might not have anybody else, and men are much more difficult to get out doing things. Women, when they're widows, tend to go out and get involved. Men don't. We've got a few that come in. They'll get their books and then spend a while chatting with us and have a cup of tea. Then you might have young mums who want friendship or Rhyme Time. I think it's really important we do that, because there's a lot of young mums who relish that friendship.
Researching for our next production Spine by Clara Brennan made us wonder what exactly a community library is, and what value do they bring. We set up an interview with the lovely Kate Daly from Old Town Community Library in Eastbourne (only a stones throw from our theatre) and were quite humbled at the answer. We are going to split this blog into two, as every word is worth a read.
How does a community library vary from a council library?
A community library is either a registered charity or a community interest company, or even a charitable incorporated organisation. We don’t get any funding so we had to become self- funding. In 2002, we were one of the first community libraries in the whole country. So we've been doing it a long time.
That time is here again - the madness that is pre-show week.
The last two weeks before any production are pretty hectic as every aspect of the play comes together. All members of the company are running around putting the final tweaks to their particular role, and in general preparing for the get-in. The actors are all in a state of panic that the lines and cues they have spent weeks learning won’t escape them, and for me the Producer, I have to make sure that no fish has escaped the net, and everyone is set to go.
