Drama

NEWS UPDATE 6th February 2012

 

THE S-FACTOR LAUNCH

A launch meeting was held at SAC on Monday 6th February for anyone wanting to get involved in SAC's early summer outdoor Shakespearean extravaganza 'THE S-FACTOR' at Shaftesbury Abbey on June 2. For more information contact Sammy Upton, coordinator, on 01747 854321. 

AUDITIONS FOR ME AND MY GIRL

Sophie Lester's production of the summer musical ME AND MY GIRL starts with the read-through on Wednesday 15th February at 7.30pm in the Rutter Room.

Auditions follow on Tuesday 21st and Wedesday 22nd February, both at 7.30pm, and finally on Saturday 25th February at 10.30am. 

 

 Rehearsals are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2nd April and performances are from Wednesday 4th July to Saturday 14th July.

 

Dorset Drama League Festival 2012

SAC's Music & Drama Group has just one entry in this year's DDL festival running from 1-3 March: Its An Incident at the Border by Kieran Lynn, directed by Jerome Swan, produced by Simon Hunt.  There is also to be  a special 'theatre-with-supper' performance in the Rutter Room on Saturday 17th March. For details see the 'What's On' guide.

 

 

Drama and musicals are one of the centre’s principal year-round activities involving people of all ages and abilities, professional and amateur, who make full use of the centre’s fully-equipped 161-seat theatre.

 

Productions are organised mainly through the Music and Drama Group, an amalgamation of the centre’s Drama Group with its Light Opera Group. The group produces a core of five shows a year, from a regular winter pantomime in January and a summer and Christmas musical in July and December to a special spring and autumn drama production.

The group also contributes at least one play to the Dorset Drama League Festival in March each year. Occasionally, as in 2009 with its acclaimed production of ‘In Dreams’, the group produces an original revue written by members.

Left: A scene from a recent production of the classic Great War drama ‘Journey’s End’. Right: The centre’s 161-seat theatre set for the production that won wide acclaim.

The Cabaret Club has now become a regular event after its successful launch in 2009 and in 2011 a professional Comedy Night booking is hoped to lead to a regular series of similar nights, including ‘open mic’ sessions for amateur standup comics.

 

The group also gets involved in productions outside the centre in the wider community. In the past these have included the large-scale community drama ‘On The Green Rock’ in 2000, ‘The Miracle Child of Caer Palladwr’ at Shaftesbury Abbey in 2004 and ‘Mortal Flesh’ at St Peter’s Church in 2006, the last two original plays written and directed by a member.

 

It was also behind the Byzant Festival revival in 2006 and has also toured productions abroad in association with Shaftesbury Town Twinning Association, latterly with ‘The Tempest’ in 2007. Special performances are also arranged for the elderly and people with special needs.

 

How and Who The group is run by a committee elected by its large membership, plus two junior representatives of the youth group who attend on an ad hoc basis. Two committee members are designated directors on the Centre’s Board of Trustees and also represent the youth theatre group. The group, with the juniors, has a core membership of around 100.

 

Contact: Steve Pocock 01747 870534; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

YOUTH THEATRE

Music and drama for the under 16s is catered for by two separate groups – both with a waiting list due to demand. Both groups regularly supply actors for the centre’s adult productions, particularly the annual summer musical and winter pantomime.

 

Right: Members of the junior drama group in a recent pantomime

 

The Junior Drama Group is for six to 13 year-olds. It is divided into two groups: one for six to 10-year-olds and another for 10-13 years.

 

Contact: Rosie King 01747 840864; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Youth Theatre Group is for young actors aged 13-16 after which they may graduate into the senior (Music & Drama) group.

 

Contact: Barbara Arnold 01747 811084; youththeatre@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk

Both groups meet every Tuesday evening during school terms (Junior Drama 4.45-5.45pm; Youth Theatre 5.45-7.15pm) when training is given in speech, mime, acting, dance and backstage skills by experienced members of the centre. The young people perform short productions reflecting the term or year’s work, take part in centre productions and have entered plays, with some success, in the annual Dorset Drama League Festival.

 

Notable recent productions have included the original works 'Shake Ripple and Roll' and 'Round the World in Light’. A production of 'Noah's Deluge' in November 2009 included members from all three groups. Each group is about 15-strong, with total membership of all three groups in October 2009 some 45. Each group is run by two adult members. There is no formal committee.

 

Note The 2009 extension of the UK’s child protection laws (officially known as the ‘vetting and barring scheme’ overseen by the Independent Safeguarding Authority) caused a nationwide problem with adult volunteering for children’s drama that still continues. It remains to be seen whether the government’s recent relaxation of the rules will help overcome the problem.

 

 

COSTUMES/WARDROBE 

 

 The centre has an extensive wardrobe of some 2,000 digitally catalogued costumes available for hire to other groups and individuals, from period to modern and full chorus sets.

 

Rates are from £10-£20 per hiring (up to two weeks) or from £25 plus deposit for its specialist Proms Dress Hire Service. Accessories and props are available at an extra charge by negotiation.

 

Fees are payable on collection by cash or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to 'Shaftesbury Arts Centre'.

 

Please note bookings are by arrangement with the centre's wardrobe mistress Myra Wood (pictured above and right with assistant Liz Carruthers) and not through the box office.

 

For bookings and more information contact SAC's wardrobe mistress Myra Wood on 0775 6640461 or costumes@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk

 

 

Costume hire is also available from Glad Rags of Semley with which the Centre has close links.

 

Contact Pam Goodall or Jan Klakus 01747 850101; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it