Members Section
August Newsletter
Hi Everyone
I hope that this newsletter finds you well. Apologies that there has been a lack of news for a while but I have been away in Mauritius for a short break.
Don’t worry; I have lots of news to share with you in this edition, so without further ado . . .
Jane McGill
Member Communications
New Committee
Following the AGM on 3rd July, you, our members voted in a new committee. We had our first meeting last Tuesday and I am pleased to tell you that this is how we have split our responsibilities for this year:
Craig Howard – Chairman & Webmaster
Rob Johnson – Treasurer
Nicky Bland – Secretary
Ian Bird – Show Guide Editor
Albert Helg – Shadow Treasurer
Eddie Hinds – Membership Recruitment Officer
Chris Ireland – Facilities Officer
Jane McGill – Member Communications
Paul Robinson – Future Productions Officer
Janine Wesson – Publicity Officer
Louise Wheeller – Shadow Webmaster
Jenny Williams – Membership Secretary
Pompeia Wolstenholme – Social Events Officer
Albert and Louise will be shadowing the roles of Treasurer and Webmaster respectively. Both of these roles require quite specific skills so Rob and Craig will be working alongside them so that we can spread some of the knowledge and experience amongst our members.
If you have any ideas and suggestions, the contact emails remain the same e.g. chairman@concordeplayers.co.uk. A list of all these can be found on our website.
Ticket Winner
We are pleased to announce that the winner of a pair of tickets for a West End Show goes to Craig Howard. These were given to us in return for an advert on our website. The committee decided that they would open a draw to all members who came along to the AGM. Have a great time, Craig!
Cinderella – January 2010
Rob has finished editing the script and we are getting ready to launch. We have filled a number of roles since our last newsletter. We have members, old and new, who have stepped into the following roles:
- Choreographer
- Lighting
- Sound
Due to recently being promoted and other commitments, Simon Payne will not be able to join us as Musical Director for this show; he will be greatly missed. This does mean that we urgently need to find a Musical Director and/or Rehearsal Pianist – do you know anyone who could help???
We also still need to fill the following roles:
- Set Design
- Set Construction
- Producer
- Props
- And more!
If you are interested in any of the above, please contact Pomps on social@concordeplayers.co.uk
Work Parties
As January is drawing near, we need to get hammering and banging so that we are able to build another one of our amazing sets.
Work parties are taking place every Monday from 6:30pm on stage in the Main Hall. Come along and join us. The next few weeks will be quite easy as we are currently tidying things up and getting ourselves ready before the heavy work starts in a few weeks’ time.
Cinderella Audition Dates
Our first audition will take place on 7th September. We will host an open evening from 6pm with the audition starting at 7pm. Our second audition will take place the following week on 14th September at 6:30pm.
Whether you want to audition for a principal role, a chorus role or a backstage role, come along to the Main Hall at the Concorde Centre and join us there. You will see that I have attached a synopsis of characters with this mail.
Get your tap shoes on!
As reported in the last newsletter, we are utilising our break from rehearsing to brush up on our tap dancing skills.
Gill Holloway, who has come forward as choreographer for Cinderella, has been putting some of our members through their paces each week.
The sessions take place on Mondays at 7pm and will continue each week until the end of August. All sessions will take place in the dressing room and these are free to all members and non-members.
Find us on Facebook
Don’t forget, you can still join us for our latest news and events via our Facebook group. Just search for ‘Concorde Players’ on your group page. Thanks to all our members who have posted pictures and links, please keep them coming.
We have also created a ‘Fan’ page, yes; you can now become a fan of the Concorde Players. Just search for us and click onto the non-profit page (the club page was created in error by me!).
Are you Tweeting yet?
As well as our Facebook pages, we have created a new account on the social networking site, www.twitter.com
For those of you who are not familiar with this, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers.
We are now following lots of drama groups around the country and they are also following us. We hope that this will be a great way of linking up with other groups, selling more tickets and increasing our membership.
Find us at www.twitter.com/concordeplayers
Military Men Required
We have received the following message from our friends in Hounslow Light Opera Company who are looking for men – aren’t we all!
We will be performing the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta “Patience” at Hampton Hill Playhouse in October. The storyline revolves round the interaction between 2 poets, the village maidens and the locally stationed Dragoon Guards. In parallel with the situation prevailing in so many amdram societies, our plethora of maidens greatly outnumbers our Dragoon Guards at the moment. This gives rise to this invitation to any of your (male) members who fancy dressing up in military costume. Good chorus songs and movement; virtually no dialogue involved.
Our rehearsals are on Monday evenings, 8pm to 10pm, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Great South West Road, Hounslow, with additional rehearsals on the Saturdays throughout September and October, 2pm to 5pm, at Feltham Library. Performances are at Hampton Hill Playhouse, High Street, Hampton Hill, 21st – 24th October.
Our website: www.hounslowlightopera.org.uk
Phone for further information: 020 8847 5112 or 07961 384689.
Mack and Mabel – June 2010
Many thanks to Jenny Williams who has volunteered to direct Mack and Mabel as our show for June 2010. For those of you not familiar with the story, I hope you find this useful:
The main story begins in 1911, and chronicles the story of Mack's involvement - both professionally and romantically - with one of the biggest stars of his movies, Mabel Normand. When Mabel, a delicatessen worker, delivers a sandwich to Lottie, the actress that Mack is filming, Lottie is unable to pay, and Mabel reacts violently. Mabel's dramatic behaviour catches Mack's eye, and he thinks she has potential as an actress. He offers her a part in his next film. She initially refuses, but when she looks back on the offer, she is dazzled by the career prospects.
Mabel is very successful, and later, the film company moves to a new, larger studio. Lottie and the rest of Mack's film crew, eagerly fantasize about moving up in the world. Meanwhile, Mabel has become attracted to Mack. He comes up behind her while she is reciting an improvised poem, and Mabel invites him into her train compartment for a meal. Things escalate, and Mabel persuades a very reluctant Mack to take part in a mock wedding ceremony. But Mack has no time for romance. He and Mabel sleep together, but Mack wakes up horrified and leaves in a hurry. Mabel, out of her love for Mack, resolves to do things his way.
Eventually, Mabel wants to move on from comedy and star in serious dramas. But Mack is only interested in comedy and tries to discourage her. Mabel meets another movie director, who is instantly attracted to her, and agrees to feature her in serious films - he invites her to dinner to discuss arrangements. Mack tries in vain to discourage her; after an argument, Mabel dresses in her best clothes and puts on make-up, then goes off not only for her luncheon appointment, but for good - she never wants to see Mack again. Mack is confident that he can manage without Mabel. He made a star out of one ordinary girl, and he can make a star out of another. With this in mind, he immediately comes up with the concept of the Bathing Beauties.
Mabel eventually returns to Mack of her own accord and is welcomed with open arms by the entire film company. Mack is so glad to have her back that he agrees to film Mabel's new, serious drama, "Molly", at his studio. But he can't help himself - comedy is his nature. He attempts to jazz it up with a new comic creation, The Keystone Cops, and Mabel returns to Taylor.
Later, Mack sees Mabel again as she is preparing to embark on a ship with Taylor. Taylor shows up and Mack leaves. Taylor, sensing that Mabel might still have feelings for Mack, persuades Mabel, who is complaining of tiredness, to take heroin, saying it is a pick-me-up, which works with the magic words, "Bye, Mack!” Mabel is heartbroken by everything Mack has done to her, but is confident that she will eventually forget him.
Back at the studio, a happy Mack has realized the potential of sound in his movies, with singing and dancing. Lottie Ames, another actress in Mack's company, has become a star, while Mabel has become a full-time drug addict, and her reputation is ruined. To add further injury, her lover, William Desmond Taylor, is murdered, and she is the prime suspect. By the time Mack is willing to try to patch things up between him and Mabel, it is too late - she has died. But musicals must end happily, so Mack imagines a happier ending to their story
Sound like fun?? We will be posting details of auditions soon. It goes without saying that there will be a tap number or two – another reason for you to come along on a Monday night!
Dates for your Diary:
2009 |
|
September |
Cinderella – Open Evening & 1st Audition |
September |
Cinderella – 2nd Audition |
2010 |
|
January |
Cinderella |
June |
Mack and Mabel |
