As I write this I am sat in the control room watching Casablanca. Not for fun, you understand. This is work. And tremendously hard work it is too. The beautiful subtlety of the lowering houselights. The expert twiddling of the volume knob. The highly skilled manner of pressing ‘Play’. Not Read more…
27.05.15 0945hrs: A large number of vehicles are arriving in the car park. They appear to have coordinated their arrival. This is most unusual. 0955hrs: I have been observing these vehicles for some ten minutes now. Their behaviour is most irregular. They enter the car park, eject a child, and Read more…
When I received the email saying that Westacre Theatre had accepted my work experience application, to say I was delighted would have won the award for ‘Understatement of the Century’. Having been a regular at the theatre’s young people’s workshops for a grand total of six months, I was over the moon to have been given the opportunity to spend five working days – from the 13th to the 20th July – in what I can quite safely say is my favourite place to be. At the time, I hadn’t the faintest idea of what Isobel and Andy would have me doing, but I was certainly all set and raring to go. (more…)
Regular visitors to Westacre might have spotted something of a trend in our plays over the last few seasons (apart that is from the usual high quality performances and, we hope, entertaining productions). It’s all about the numbers – of cast members that is. It would seem that, looking at recent productions, two is very much company on stage at Westacre.
Productions of plays for solo performers have been limited at Westacre to the work of one man – the inimitable Alan Bennett and his hugely popular Talking Heads series, many of which have been performed to great acclaim over the years in the studio theatre. And of course we’ve had innumerable plays that require three or more actors – Alan Ayckbourn usually peoples his plays with several couples at a time (I should know – I’ve played many hapless husbands to exasperated wives in several Ayckbourn plays). Musicals tend to require an army, but one that can sing and dance with military precision.
Absent Friends by Alan Ayckbourn
Just Between Ourselves by Alan Ayckbourn
Fun, friendly and relaxed weekly and holiday drama workshops for young people, led by experienced workshop leaders and tutors. Through storytelling, character creation and improvisation, these sessions will see participants making up plays and scenes featuring wild and wacky themes and locations. Using text, mime, music and much Read more…