WILMSLOW GREEN ROOM
NEWSLETTER
Season 2011
- 2012 Web Edition April 2012
Lonesome West
Saturday 12th - 19th May 2012
by Martin McDonagh Directed by Mike Rogerson
So, finally the play has arrived. The Green Room’s seven-year journey
across the bad lands of
Following ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ in 2005 and ‘A Skull in
For those paying attention, most of the ‘West’ characters will seem
familiar, having appeared offstage in the first two
plays. For those as yet unexposed to the delights of Leenane (the murder capital
of
After the untimely deaths of Mag Folan (poker
through skull) and Oona McDowd
(axe through head), we now meet the Connor brothers, Coleman and Valene, whose father has recently perished in a shotgun accident.
Like a modern day Tom and Jerry, the brothers are locked in a cycle of comic
and pointless violence. Even the pleas of the wonderfully ineffective local
priest, Father Welsh, Walsh, Welsh fail to
prevent the bizarre conclusion.
Sandy McGregor, Bill Nolan, Richard Ellis and Alison Fleming star in
McDonagh’s unique blend of comedy and horror. Having directed all the trilogy, I can assure you of a terrifyingly funny
evening and I promise to retire from the Irish now that Leenane is out of my
system.
Welcome to ‘The Lonesome West’ - murder, suicide and the abuse of
kitchen appliances.
Mike Rogerson
BOX OFFICE
- Lonesome West
The Ticket-Line
answerphone will be available to take your messages from Monday 16 April; you can phone 01625 540933 at any time
to leave bookings. Messages are picked up daily.
Also, a Ticket Secretary will
be at the theatre on four Saturday mornings, from Saturday 21 April, between 10.30 am and 12 noon.
Please follow up any telephone
bookings with written confirmation in the post (with a cheque), or by calling
in at the Green Room in person, so that no messages are lost.
All pre-booked tickets do need
to be paid for in advance, please, by Saturday 5 May.
Denise Soussi
New
Members
We are pleased to welcome two full members: Jayne Roberts, who
is interested in a number of backstage activities; and Fred Donnan
– returning to the Green Room after a period away.
Welcome also to Mrs Julie Beswick, joining us as
a social member.
Ian
McBride
Social
Event for all Members and Guests
Thursday 19th
April
Language and the Theatre
a talk by broadcaster
Graeme Donald
Entrance
fee £2
Doors open
7.30 for 8pm start
Open invitation to all social and full
members and friends
OPEN EVENING
The last this season
Friday 20th April
from 7.45 pm
Drop in to meet other members, look behind
the scenes at our props cupboard, peep into the wardrobe and spend some time
watching a play in rehearsal -
A Chip in the Sugar
(preparing for
Guild Festival)
ASMs for
Gawsworth
Help wanted backstage at Gawsworth
The Play & Stage
committee is having difficulty in filling backstage roles at Gawsworth and
Styal. If you are able to help as either ASM or with props at either location,
please contact Jan Atkinson or Richard Barraclough or email pscc@wgrsoc.co.uk
Running the
For many
years the Green Room has been pleased to use Print It on
Now is our
chance to support them in a different way.
Paul Rowland, who works on the GR orders, is to run in
the MANCHESTER MARATHON on 29 April - which, as he says, is both a
challenge and an opportunity to ‘have a go’.
Used to half marathons and fell running, Paul is probably being far too
self-deprecating when he writes: ‘I’ve always said that a marathon was about 15
miles further than I’m capable of running’.
So, in
order to encourage him, and to help him raise funds for Cancer Research UK, we
are invited to sponsor him.
If you
would like to do this, please go to http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/rowley4
Hearing
loop
The Green Room auditorium is fitted with a
magnetic hearing loop system, which
should improve audibility for the hearing impaired.
People using a hearing aid with a T setting should adjust their aid, in
order to benefit. The theatre now shows a symbol in a number of places, as a
reminder. We hope that our audiences will let us know if
they find this service helpful. Bruce Williams
SHEILA
HINE AWARD
A reminder that the award committee is still
seeking nominations for the annual award which is being proposed to commemorate
our late President, Sheila Hine. The award will be presented each year at the
AGM to an individual who has made a special contribution to the Theatre – over
and above their normal role – during the previous year.
Please nominate any candidates, together with your reasons, to any
member of the committee (Jacque Bilsborough, Olive Bradbury, Bruce Williams) no
later than the end of May. This will give time for any recommendations made to
be considered by the Executive before the AGM, which this year is on 5th July.
Bruce Williams
STEEL
MAGNOLIAS
The Adjudicator from GMDF (making his first
visit to us) said he had enjoyed ‘ a strong and thoroughly entertaining
production’, and ‘a fine piece of
theatre… [with] a moving and memorable climax.’ ‘The setting really helped to establish the
environment, and was enhanced with good props, generally good lighting, and
excellent sound.’
He felt the set convincingly represented a
hair salon, with excellent props and very
appropriate use of colour. Costumes reflected well the passage of time
over three years, with make-up and hair styles - and hair-styling skills -being
excellent. He praised both the cast and the backstage crew for their work.
In general, the cast used the acting space
to good effect, and captured the humour and interaction between the characters
with ‘pace and good energy’. He remarked on the good use of the virtual
mirrors, enabling characters to ‘see’ people behind them.
He felt that Lindsey (as Truvy)
‘brought out the wit and warmth’ of her character’ in a well thought out and
enjoyable performance’, handling ’the hairdressing scenes brilliantly’. Keeley
(as Annelle) gave ‘a lovely and intelligent portrayal
of a seemingly simple character’, who, even when not part of the action, ‘still
showed the attitude, stance and personality of Annelle’.
Mary (as Clairee)
showed good ‘facial expressions and reactions’, and ‘kept the pace going with
solid delivery and lots of energy’. Christina (as Ouiser)
‘demonstrated enough heart and soul to be a real person [with] splendid
reactions and expressions throughout’.
Abby ‘succeeded brilliantly’ in capturing
Shelby’s intelligence, humour and determination, making her a ‘fully-rounded’,
‘warm and real person, with a great accent, and lots of thought behind tone of
voice and expression’. Sarah (as M’Lynn) gave a
‘strong and natural performance’, showing her love and concern for her
daughter, and her heartfelt emotion at the end.
Complete copies of recent GMDF
Adjudications are available to read on the Green Room noticeboard
MOTHERS’
UNION CHARITY EVENING
In a new venture for the Green Room, the
final dress rehearsal for Steel Magnolias was run as a charitable
fund-raising event for the Knutsford Deanery Mothers’ Union literacy project.
The result was a full house for a dress rehearsal and a new audience who were
able to enjoy the Green Room experience for the first time.
Financially, the Mothers’ Union’s proceeds from the evening totalled
£631 and, with their matched funding scheme, the total sum raised will be
£1262. This money will support the MU Literacy & Development Programme,
initiated in 2000, and will enable approximately fifty people in Burundi,
Malawi and Sudan to become literate and numerate. This is something we should
all be proud of.
Sheila Rayner, of the Mothers’ Union has
written to thank everyone. ‘Please
convey a big thank you to the cast, front of house folk and the backroom ‘boys
and girls’, all of whom played their part in making this evening so enjoyable
and successful for our members and friends’
Following this success, I’d like to think that we will find opportunities
to help other good causes in a similar way.
Graham
Boswell
IN
MEMORIAM
Sonia and Ronnie Dykstra help in remembering two long-serving and valued
members
Doreen Johnson
Doreen was a member of the Wilmslow Green
Room for well over 50 years. During that time she more than played her part in
the successful growth of the Society. She acted, directed and at one time or
another served on every committee. She remained on the publicity committee as
secretary right up until a few years ago when her eyesight began to fail.
However, most of all she will be remembered for organising ‘The Play Reading’
group for many years, which introduced new members to the Green Room - many not
knowing whether they wanted to act or not. However, Doreen encouraged everyone
to have a go. Most famous of her young readers was Paula Wilcox, who went on to
become a big star in her own right, appearing shows such as ‘Man about the
House’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Emmerdale’. All this
started with guidance from Doreen.
Another most important role at the Green
Room, that Doreen made her own, was being Ticket Secretary. She introduced an
infallible system, namely that you did not get your tickets until she saw the
colour of your money. No exceptions! Liz Richards of Gawsworth Hall, says that
to this day she still adopts Doreen’s System in dealing with all the events
that take place at the Hall each year, and has no plans to change it.
In the latter years Doreen became a Vice
President, and a Trustee of the Green Room. She will be sorely missed by all
the members.
Barbara Fawkes
Barbara Fawkes, who has recently died, was a social member of the Green
Room for many years. However, it is not widely known just what a great friend
Barbara was to the Green Room. It was while Barbara was a Lib Dem Councillor
that we applied for planning permission to demolish an old garage and build the
extension that we now have to store our scenery. We had not envisaged any
opposition to the change.
However, when brought before the planning committee, the plan was in
great danger of being refused. This is
when Barbara in her forthright way stepped in, and insisted that they should
visit the site, and appreciate for themselves how hard the Green Room had
worked over the years since we had opened the theatre in 1990. The next stage
of development would be enhanced by the new extension. Barbara won the day and
the planning permission was granted!
We send our condolences to her husband Ron and the family.
Green Room
remembrances
Thanks to Denovan Nowell, who was prompted to share some of his
memories, having read Pamela Shafe’s email and seen the photo (in the last
newsletter) concerning her father, Fred Crookell.
‘I first met Fred in 1946 soon after my discharge from the RAF. Margaret
Savaage telephoned to ask if I would take part in a play called Interference
to be produced by ‘a lovely man called Fred Crookell’. Margaret’s powers of persuasion were
legendary, as those who knew her can testify, and - despite my limited acting
experience - I was conscripted.
‘I still recall Fred’s superb performance as Marine Ogg, pictured in the
newsletter last time, which had the audience convulsed with laughter. One bit
of business he devised involved his character showing Margaret Savaage a photo
of his wife and nine children. She looked at it for some time, a little puzzled
- till he gently took the photo from her and turned it the right way up!
‘I played the part of a Chinaman - Ah Fong - and Cedric Keen played
Marine Captain Randall. Throughout his life, he always greeted me as Ah Fong
whenever we met.
‘Twenty-five years later, Frank Savaage produced a revival of The
Middle Watch at the Green Room, and I was recast as Ah Fong - simply
because the passing years were irrelevant to an ageless Chinese character.’
Denovan Nowell
What did
the Green Room do for me?
Toby Jones was a young member of the Green
Room from around 2001, prior to leaving Wilmslow for life at University, and
now, professional work in the world of theatre. He looks back on his period
with us and reflects on the influence this might have had.
‘The years I spent at the Wilmslow Green
Room held fond memories for me. It was where I found my love for Theatre. The
adult groups were kind enough to include me in their plays and the drama school
taught me a great deal. Opportunities given to me stretched from playing Harry
Potter in a Gawsworth Shakespeare (playing to the most sophisticated of
audiences of course), with an uncontrollable barn owl who upstaged the whole
play, to a Galway grave-digger in a Martin McDonagh play, A Skull in
Connemara. I was exposed to a fantastic range of material and learnt a
great deal from everyone there, particularly those who directed me. It was
because of them that I had the confidence (or over-confidence) to take my first
show to Edinburgh when I was in Sixth Form. I can’t say that it was a good
play, but it was a start. What I had learned from watching those who had
directed me meant that it wasn’t totally dreadful - and a generous three stars
review from The Scotsman gave me the confidence to keep going.’
‘Now I find myself as an apprentice to the
Artistic Director of a small fringe theatre in Plymouth called The Barbican
Theatre. It is only my first job out of university, so things still have plenty
of time to go belly up but a career in directing is for the first time in my
life looking plausible. I owe it all to all those years at the Green Room
Theatre. Without them I would never have got in to acting, would never have had
the confidence to spend most of my time at Cambridge either directing or acting
(to the dismay of all my supervisors), would never have spent my summers at the
Edinburgh Festival - and would never have set my heart on theatre as a career.’
‘So at the minute, I owe a huge thank you to
everyone who ever helped me at the Green Room Theatre. However, should I end up
living in a skip with a cardboard sign asking for money and moaning about arts
council cuts, then I may well have all of you at the Green Room Theatre to blame.
Fingers crossed I will stay in a theatre and not a skip.’
Drama School students: take note! Toby
Jones
RSC Open Stages
As part of the Open Stages project, Contact Theatre in
Manchester will hold a Festival commencing on Monday 21st May 2012. This area of the North West is the
biggest region out of all the ten Key Partner Theatres. Contact is planning to have a variety of
excerpts and activities to include as many people as possible.
There are
also plans for a combined professional/amateur production of Pericles, to take place in October
2012, so as soon as we have further details of both these, we will let people know.
Celia Bonner
Auditions
- Reminder
Auditions for the first three plays for the 2012 - 2013 Season will be
held in April and May.
Please put these dates in your diaries.
For more information, please contact Ian
Cole. For scripts, please contact Jan
Atkinson.
Blithe Spirit Tuesday
17 April
Calendar Girls Tuesday
24 April and Thursday 26 April
Polar Bears Tuesday
1 May and Thursday 3 May
All auditions are at 7.30 pm at the Green
Room.
Ian
Cole
A CHIP IN
THE SUGAR
starring Ian McBride at the Wilmslow Guild
Perhaps you were unlucky and were not able
to see Alan Bennett’s A Chip in the Sugar when it was included in the
One Act Plays staged so successfully at the Green Room earlier in the year.
You may therefore be pleased to know that
the play will be performed again, for one night only, as part of the One
Act Play Festival at the Wilmslow Guild.
The Festival runs from Tuesday to Saturday 22 - 26 May; the actual date
for Chip will be announced in
mid May.
Forthcoming
Attractions
|
|
2012 |
|
|
Auditions
- all at 7:30 pm at the Green Room |
||
|
Tuesday 17th April |
Blithe
Spirit |
audition |
|
Tues 24th &Thurs 26th April |
Calendar
Girls |
audition |
|
Tues 1st & Thurs 3rd May |
Polar
Bears |
audition |
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday 19th April 7:30 pm for 8:00 pm |
Language in the Theatre a talk by Graeme Donald at the Green Room |
Entrance fee £2 |
|
Friday 20th April from 7:45 pm |
Open
Friday at the Green Room including rehearsal of A Chip in the Sugar |
For existing and potential members - open bar. A chance to meet other
members. Just drop in! |
|
Saturday 12th - 19th May Curtain up 7:45 pm |
‘Lonesome
West’ by Martin McDonagh |
Directed by Mike Rogerson |
|
Friday 18th - Sunday 20th May |
Little
Theatre Guild Northern Conference at Southport Little Theatre Act now! There is still just about time to
offer to join the group attending from the Wilmslow Green Room |
Contact Mike Rogerson |
|
Saturday 30th June + Sunday 1st July at Gawsworth
Hall & Sunday 29th July + Sunday 5th
August at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal |
A
Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare This most loved and popular comedy,
produced as part of the RSC Open Stages initiative |
Directed by Celia Bonner |
|
Thursday 5th July |
AGM |
Plus next 100 Club draw |
NB Next Newsletter will be
published in late September 2012
Contact us: The Newsletter is edited by Chris Hills, and published by the Green Room
Theatre, 85 Chapel Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5JH. Please send any
feedback or articles for publication to:
newsletter@wgrsoc.co.uk , or by post to the address above marked ’Newsletter’
Box Office: 01625 540933
Website: www.wgrsoc.co.uk
Registered Charity Number 506047