Christmas with The Ash Girl

After four days of lazing around and eating too much it was good to have an excuse to do something different and helping build the set for The Ash Girl proved to be the perfect break from Christmas excesses.

The centre piece of the set is a 3-sided revolving structure - imagine a toblerone stood on its end. Each of the three sides represents a different setting and is turned round during scene changes. The bit I was set to work on is a huge tree that reaches almost to the lights and has branches that fold back on on themselves when the next setting is required.

The tree was made of hardboard, some bits of insulating foam were then stuck on to represent the knots and lumps and it was then covered in papier mache to give it some texture. My job was to cut out a slanting piece of hardboard with a jigsaw, screw on a bracket and hinge to the structure and then nail on my piece of hardboard. This took me most of the afternoon and was just so that the tree didn't look 'too straight'. It certainly gave me an awareness of how many hours of work go into constructing even the simplest of sets. (Not that this one is going to look simple!)

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Thursday 10th to Saturday 19th February 2011

Auditions for this years outdoor Shakespeare The Tempest, Sunday 20th and Tuesday 22nd February 2011.

Teechers by John Godber 14th to 19th March 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

The Ash Girl Rehearsals

There is not a lot of time at Progress between one production ending and the start of the next one and time on stage is at a premium.

The cast of The Ash Girl were rehearsing in the bar area on Sunday while the set build team were busy on stage. In a future blog we’ll look more closely at the set – the giant toblerone looks intriguing!

As you can imagine rehearsing in the bar can be difficult, particularly with a large cast. There is not much space and actors not in a particular scene have to sit round the edge waiting for their turn.

The Ash Girl is a take on the traditional Cinderella story and bears more relation to the sometimes gruesome original Brothers Grimm tale than the Disney version. The scene being rehearsed on Sunday has Ash Girl going into a haunted forest where she is pursued by the seven deadly sins and some scary trees.

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Coming up...

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Thursday 10th to Saturday 19th February 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Teechers Auditions

Hope you all enjoyed Ajax. Coming up next at Progress are the auditions for Teechers by John Godber. These are on Sunday 12th December 2.30 and Tuesday 14th December 7.30 at the theatre.

Director Christine Moran is taking time out from rehearsing her part as a princess in Ash Girl to hold the auditions. She said that she chose Teechers  because she wanted do something light and funny but still good. After directing Going Postal last Christmas she also thought it would be a nice change to direct something that doesn't need a complex set and costumes.

She was supposed to direct John Godber's play Shakers when Progress performed it in 1999 but wasn't able to. Shakers  is set in a cocktail bar and is written in a similar style to Teechers with a handful of actors portraying many different characters, a fun challenge for actors and director. This photo is  from a newspaper cutting from 1999. As a marketing stunt we arranged for some of the actors in Shakers to have lessons in shaking cocktails at TGI Fridays. Shown in the photo are Sawsan Khuri, Jane Bertrand and Helen Wright (who wasn't actually in the play just making up numbers for the photos!)

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Coming up...

Auditions for Teechers by John Godber Sun 12th December at 2.30pm &Tues 14th December at 7.30pm

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Ajax and the incredible folding tent

The first half of Ajax is set during the siege of Troy and features Ajax's tent as part of the set. The tent was designed by Aidan Moran who explained that for it to look good on stage it has to be set at a strange angle which makes it harder to construct. Before passing the design on to the construction team he also casually mentioned that as it is not needed in the second half of the play it also needs to be easy to collapse and take off stage.

Chris Rothwell has done an amazing job of creating a folding frame for the tent and Alice Mulford bought her sewing machine on stage to run up the fabric cover. The audience will be busy at the bar while the tent is deconstructed each night so here's a series photos showing the incredible folding tent.

The Full tent

Going

Going

Gone

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

Auditions for Teechers by John Godber Sun 12th December at 2.30pm &Tues 14th December at 7.30pm

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Ajax masks

If you happened to be in town on Sunday afternoon you may have noticed a sword fight going on. This was part of the publicity drive for Ajax and certainly caught the passing public's attention - giving us the opportunity to hand them a flyer. 

The chorus in Ajax (see last week's post) will be wearing full head masks. These represent ancient Greek armour but have a modern twist in keeping with the costumes and setting of the play. 

The masks have been made by Chris Farman who specialised in masks and millinery (hats) at art college. The masks are made of plaster of paris and are individually fitted to each person - that is what is going on in the photo! They were then strengthened and covered in faux leather.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

Auditions for Teechers by John Godber Sun 12th December at 2.30pm &Tues 14th December at 7.30pm

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Ajax Chorus

In classic Greek theatre the chorus is an important part of the action. They help to explain the plot and give insights the other characters don't have. Ajax is no exception and this production has six actors in the chorus who represent the army. Director Dan Clarke has given each of the chorus members a distinct character, for example the rookie, the battle hardened warrior and the clever but clumsy one.


I met up with five of the six chorus members getting ready for a rehearsal on Sunday evening. Most of the faces will be familiar to regular Progress audiences but Ellie Kent is a new member and as well as being in the chorus plays the goddess Athena.



Matt Dury signed up as production manager for the show but stepped into his place in the chorus when the actor originally cast had to drop out. He explained to me that the setting of the play will be a mixture of ancient Greek and modern military. They will be using masks and cloaks but also modern weapons and army boots.



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Coming up...

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

Auditions for Teechers by John Godber Sun 12th December at 2.30pm &Tues 14th December at 7.30pm

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Fifth Writefest

The fifth Writefest starts on Thursday and last weekend was a busy one for all those involved. With seven separate plays the final technical weekend is more complicated than for a single production. When Progress Blog arrived on Sunday afternoon they were just finishing setting the lights for the final play. Stage managers Emma Walsh and Sian Davies were busy glueing felt to the bottom of two black boxes used in several of the plays. The boxes get moved around a lot and were scrapping the stage floor.

Sian is a new member and as well as helping back stage for Writefest she is playing one of the nasty (not ugly!) sisters in The Ash Girl. Her previous theatre experience has included producing Cinderella in Georgia. It was a production that started as a casual idea among friends "wouldn't it be fun to .." and ended with a budget of thousands, a 300+ seater theatre, two ambassadors in the cast and the Georgian defence minister in the audience.

Sian was in Georgia during the war with Russia in 2008. She became something of a media celebrity as her blog was seen as one of the few sources of reliable information to the outside world. I asked her if being in Reading was a bit dull after the excitement  of Georgia but she said she is enjoying herself at Progress and at least she doesn't have to worry about Russian tanks.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

Auditions for for Teechers by John Godber Sun 12th December at 2.30pm &Tues 14th December at 7.30pm

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

WriteFest - Mermaids and Bag Ladies

Fresh from a hip replacement operation Liz Carroll is still playing an active part in Writefest at Progress Theatre. She is directing a play called On the Rocks by Gerald Kells. The play starts with a girl on the beach egging on a boy to do something daring, the adventure starts when a mermaid gets involved. The cast includes two members of the Progress Youth Theatre and Liz's daughter Ali.

While we were talking Alison Hill, who is playing the part of Mary in  a play Liz has written for WriteFest called The Browning Papers, came up to ask Liz a detail about one of the lines in the play. Alison plays a "bag lady with a past". Liz was very relaxed and said that Alison should say whatever felt right for the character.

Liz has written another play in this year's WriteFest called Asylum. All she would tell me about it was that it is a very short thriller with two actors - she didn't want to give anything else away.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Of Mice and Men Auditions

Another chance to audition for a progress production. Auditions for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck are on  Sunday 24th October 2.30-5pm and  Wednesday 27th October 7.30-10pm  Progress Theatre. The performance dates are 10th – 19th February 2011.  

Director Joe Haynes has directed of Mice and Men before. He is drawn to it because he is interested in the 'American Dream' as a fascinating subject for theatre. The phrase was first used by the American writer James Truslow Adams in 1931 "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. " Of Mice and Men was written only a few years after this in 1937. Joe believes that its story of two poor men and their dream of owning their own piece of land is one of the finest examples of the genre.

Joe is an experiences director - his debut was ‘Spring and Port Wine’ in 1977. As well as being interested in American drama Joe is passionate about Shakespeare. He directed an outdoor production of Twelfth Night in 2009 and has previously previously directed Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale.  He will be directing Measure for Measure for the Wargrave Village Festival in 2011.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Auditions for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck  2.30-5pm Sunday 24th October Progress Theatre Foyer and 7.30-10pm Wednesday 27th October Progress Theatre Foyer

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

 

Metamorphosis and Acting Workshops

Metamorphosis starts tomorrow (11th October) and it only runs until Saturday so don't miss out on seeing this exciting production.  

The acting workshops  in the title of this post don't refer to any need within the cast of Metamorphosis but to a series of Acting Skills workshops being run by Ali Carroll. Longer term readers my remember a post about the support group Ali had started to encourage those who wanted to get involved in theatre but needed some support. (See Making theatre more accessible to all). The series of workshops currently running on Sunday afternoons are open to members of the support group as well as anyone else in the theatre who is interested.

The session this Sunday was attended by eight people and covered characterization. It involved games and exercises like having to walk around like a supermodel who is secretly insecure! There was plenty of serious discussion and learning about acting techniques as well as a lot of laughs. There are still two more sessions on acting skills 4 - 6pm on Sundays. There is then a break for half-term followed by some sessions on mask making. Contact Ali if you are interested in attended any of the sessions. Email elizabeth.carroll7@ntlworld.com or ring 07831 488809.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka adapted by Steven Berkoff 11th to 16th October 2010

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Reunited in Metamorphosis

Evelyn Frith and Jim Tubbs-Galley first played husband and wife in 1995 when they were Ancient Pistol and Mistress Quickly in Henry V, the first Progress production in the Abbey Ruins. Fifteen years later they are reunited as Mr. and Mrs. Samsa in Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

In his day job Jim is a hypnotherapist and helps people overcome addictions. One of the addictions he can help people with is nicotine which as he is a longterm heavy smoker himself may seem a little strange but he says he feels he is a good warning of the dangers of smoking!

With a week to go until Metamorphosis opens on the 11th October the cast and director were hard at work on Sunday afternoon. They were looking at the exact intonation of particular lines to best express the frustration of the characters.

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Coming up...

Auditions for The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker Wednesday 6th October 7.30 pm at Progress Theatre

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka adapted by Steven Berkoff 11th to 16th October 2010

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Metamorphosis

The set of Metamorphosis features a large cage that was originally built for People in Cages in 2007. It is good when parts of sets can be reused, it saves on materials and work. The cage is being adapted so that actors can climb on the top and hang from the inside of it. Mindful of health and safety the construction team have also worked out a way of cutting up mattresses and laying them out on the floor of the cage just in case anyone falls.

 

One aspect of putting on a production that people may not be aware of is getting the licence to perform a play. The first step is to get permission to perform it. This is usually straightforward and all that is involved is paying the nightly performance fee. Sometimes permission is not given - usually because there is a professional production on at the same time. Some licence holders also have strict rules about how the play is performed, the most common one being that none of the text should be changed. Director Joanna Rogowska cast the part of Gregor as a woman and her sister as a brother changing the names slightly to reflect the gender change. She was however told that she couldn't do that and the names had to remain as in the script. She has responded to this by keeping the name Gregor but still having the part played by a woman. This fits in with what she sees as one of the main themes of the play, the difficulty of being yourself when all the pressures are to conform and do the sensible thing. 

The play has also been updated from the 1900s to modern day. This meant a few minor changes to the text, for example switching letters for emails and permission was given for this. They were also allowed to switch one of the characters from playing the violin to the saxophone as the rehearsal schedule didn't allow the actor time to learn a new instrument!

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Auditions for The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker Sunday 3rd October 11am at Mencap 21 Alexandra Road and Wednesday 6th October 7.30 pm at Progress Theatre

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Auditioning for Writefest

You obviously need creative people in a theatre but you also need people with organisational skills. Chris Moran, producer of this year's Writefest is creative - she writes, directs and acts and when she's not at the theatre is busy teaching quilting and making her own quilts. She also has great organisational skills that she put to good use in running yesterday's Writefest auditions. 

There are 7 plays in Writefest and there is one audition attended by all the directors and anyone who wants to be cast in any of the plays. There were 17 actors hoping to be cast and they were all given a form to record their contact details and any play preferences. They were also given a sticky label with their name and a number. Each director was also given a form to record the numbers of the actors they were interesting in casting.

The audition itself consisted of readings from each play, giving each actor a chance to try out appropriate parts. The format of auditions at Progress will vary from production to production they may include improvisation or physical exercises in addition to reading from the script if these skills are considered important for the particular play or because of the director's style. All our auditions are open to members and non-members and new comers are made very welcome. If you are cast in a production you will be asked to join Progress.

The part of the process I didn't get to see was the final part where the seven directors get together to fight over the available actors. Chris was there to mediate and I'm sure it was all agreed amicably! You can see the successful auditionees in action during Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Breathing Corpses - the last lap

Progress Blog made it to the theatre for the first dress rehearsal of Breathing Corpses, unfortunately I got there at 9.15 and they had just finished. It is a short show leaving plenty of time for a drink and chat in the bar afterwards. For those interested there will be an opportunity to join a discussion with the cast and director in the auditorium after the show.

The rehearsal seemed to have gone well and director Carole Brown's comments were about minor tweaks and small problems with props. The main discussion was about the need for one of the actors to wear shorts under her short skirt to avoid showing more than intended on stage!

Thanks to Aidan Moran for these photos from the dress rehearsal - he managed to get there in time.

Another issue that always has to be sorted out at the dress rehearsal is the curtain call -  where the actors come back on stage to take their bows. The director needs to work out how to get the actors from their final position into the curtain call. When should the lights come back on? What music should be used? It is also important to think about keeping in tune with the mood of the play. I once saw a professional production of Death and The Salesman where the actors came on laughing and clapping for the curtain call, completely undermined the sombre ending of the play.

If you'd like to have the opportunity to act on Progress Stage but are worried about the time involved in rehearsing a full length play then consider coming to the Writefest auditions on Sunday 12th September. Writefest is an evening of 7 new plays with plenty of different parts. It is a good opportunity to get involved if you don't have time to be in a full production.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Auditions for 5th Writefest, Sunday 12th September 2010, 2.30 pm Progress Theatre.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Breathing Corpses and moving Celebrations

Progress Blog caught up with the cast and crew of Breathing Corpses at their first run though. The play is made up of a number of scenes in different settings and with different actors so this was the first time many of the actors had come together to rehearse.

One of the major things to sort out at this stage is how to move people and props smoothly from one scene to the next. Stage manager Emma Walsh was there taking detailed notes about exactly what needs to be moved and when. Attention to this sort of detail makes a difference to the audience’s enjoyment of the play. For example there was some discussion about what to do with the lid from a box of Celebrations one of the characters opens. It was decided to throw it away – doing away with the need to take the lid of during the scene and remove it at the end.

Production manager Liz Carroll was also at this rehearsal and I took the opportunity to ask her what a production manager for a show actually does. She explained that they organise all the things that need to be done around putting on the performance leaving the director free to concentrate on the artistic side. They ensure that there are people to run the lighting and sound and organise the front of house rota. Liz has booked audition and rehearsal dates as well as helping run the auditions. She did ask me to point out though that in this case there wasn’t much to do as director Carole has been was so well organised! The production manager’s involvement in a show starts with a production meeting before the show is even cast. This meeting includes any technical crew and the director explains their vision about the production. Liz’s final job is chasing up all the cast members to make sure they hand in their biographies in time to go in the programme. As you can tell from the photo Liz has also been helping with set painting – not part of the job description.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Auditions for 5th Writefest, Sunday 12th September 2010, 2.30 pm Progress Theatre.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

Breathing Corpses and Crash Test Drama

Breathing Corpses is a tense whodunnit full of black humour. The plot unfolds through a series of scenes and monologues based around various linked deaths. Glynn Oram plays Charlie who is described in one review as "charming but psychopathic".

Glynn has been involved with Progress for many years. He ran Progress Youth Theatre between 2002 and 2004 producing David Mamet's The Water Engine,  and Much Ado About Nothing,  set in the 1980s. He has appeared himself on the Progress stage, although the last time was in 2004 when he was in Arthur Miller's The Crucible,  in the same year he directed The Demon Headmaster. The photo shows him as Captain Scott from a February 2010 production of Terra Nova by Ted Tally at Woodley Theatre. 

Glynn worked in Australia for a number of years and while he was there got involved in a drama group called Crash Test Drama. He has now come back to Reading and has created Crash Test Drama UK. The first event is Sunday 22nd August 6pm at the Rising Sun, Silver Street. The idea is that 10 minutes plays are rehearsed and performed on the night and the actors and director of the one voted the best get to share a cash prize. The evening is open to all either to act or just watch. For more information see here.  

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Auditions for 5th Writefest, Sunday 12th September 2010, 2.30 pm Progress Theatre.

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

See Progress Theatre website for details of all our productions and auditions.

New Season

We have reached the end of the 2009-10 season but there is lots to look forward to in the 2010-11 season. The first half of the new season has been published -

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th to 11th September 2010

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 11th to 16th October 2010

5th Writefest 4th to 6th November 2010

Ajax by Sophocles 25th November to 4th December 2010

The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th to 16th January 2011

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 10th to 19th February 2011

Progress Blog will be back in mid August to catch up with preparations for Breathing Corpses.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Ajax Auditions

Auditions for the third play of the 2010–11 season, Ajax by Sophocles are taking place this week. They are being held at Progress Theatre on Wednesday 28 July 7.30 pm and Sunday 1 August 2.30 pm. The production itself will be 25 November - 4 December 2010.

The play is being directed by Dan Clarke who was recently on stage at Progress playing Toby and Lionel in Intimate Exchanges. Ajax will be a very different production, it was written in 450 BC and is set in the Trojan war.  Dan sees parallels in the play with a current conflict like Afghanistan and is going to give the production a modern setting although it will still be the Trojan war with the heroes and Gods.

Dan has always been interested in Greek Mythology and came across Ajax for the first time when studying classics. He almost directed the play with another theatre group but decided not to as he didn't think he could find enough talented actors to do it justice. He is obviously confident this time so prove him right and come along to the auditions. Details of the characters and audition pieces are on the Progress Theatre website here. Remember you don't have to be a member of Progress to audition.

Traditionally in classical Greek plays much of the action happens off stage and is reported by the characters. Ajax is different in that more of the often horrific action happens on stage. This is more of a challenge for cast and crew but should make for a more exciting spectacle for the audience and Dan promises "there will be blood!"

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Auditions for Ajax by Sophocles, Progress Theatre Wednesday 28 July 7.30 pm and Sunday 1 August 2.30 pm
 
Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th - 11th September 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

 

Physical Theatre and Blood Wedding

Chris Farman has been leading a series of workshops for young people at the theatre combining physical theatre with British Sign Language (BSL). Chris is studying  for a degree in Theatre Arts, Education and Deaf Studies at Reading University. He is also a trainee BSL interpreter. He is interested in language and communication, particularly visual communication so BSL as a visual language is perfect for him.  

The workshops have been running for six weeks with seven young people, some from Progress Youth Theatre and some from outside. It has been an intensive six weeks as they have been learning some BSL and physical theatre skills as well as preparing for a performance to be shown with Blood Wedding.

Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca, a tragedy about love and death is being performed by Progress Youth Theatre on 19th - 21st July 7.45  at Wycliffe Baptist Church, Kings Road (near Cemetery junction). The physical theatre group will be performing their piece immediately before. It will reflect the themes of the Blood Wedding without retelling the same story.

Chris has thrown himself into life at Progress, he worked on the set for Intimate Exchanges and did sound and make-up for Pillowman. Next season he is designing the costumes for Ajax as well as performing in and choreographing the physical theatre aspects of Metamorphosis...and still finding the time for his degree phew!

Chris is also going to be running a new Progress Youth Theatre group next season based on physical theatre. Those of us who can no longer be described as youths haven't been forgotten and there are plans to run some adult workshops as well.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...
 
Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca 19, 20, 21 July 2010 7.45pm, Wycliffe Baptist Church

Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade 6th - 11th September 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Auditions for Metamorphosis

The final show of this season, Death and the Maiden, starts on Monday 5th July and runs through to Saturday 10th. This is a shorter run than normal so don't miss it.

We are now holding auditions for the second production of the 2010/11 season. Metamorphosis runs from 11th to 16th October and the auditions are being held on Tuesday, 6th July, 7:30 pm at United Reformed Church, Palmer Park and Sunday, 11th July, 2:30 at Progress Theatre.  

Following her successful production of A couple of poor English-speaking Poles by Dorota Maslowska in March, directory Joanna Rogowska has again turned to an East European writer. Franz Kafka's 1915 novel starts with the famous line "When Gregor Samsa awoke from troubled dreams one morning, he found that he had been transformed in his bed into an enormous bug."

This stage production is a modern take on the adaptation by Steven Berkoff first performed in the Roundhouse in London in 1969. The part of Gregor Samsa was played  by Berkoff himself and over the years has also been taken by, among others, Roman Polanski and Tim Roth. The production includes plenty of Berkoff's trade mark physical theatre and will be a fun one to get involved in as well as one not be missed for the audience. 

Click here for more details about the auditions.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

Auditions for Metamorphosis adapted by Steven Berkoff from Franz Kafka’s novel. Tuesday, 6th July at 7:30 pm at Palmer Park (United Reformed Church, Palmer Park Avenue, Reading, RG6 1DN); Sunday, 11th July at 2:30 at Progress Theatre.


See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Death and the Maiden and the World Cup

Sunday lunch time and the rest of the country was preparing to cheer on England but the cast and crew of Death and the Maiden were busy at the theatre.

The set building crew were working on creating the interior of a South American beach house complete with veranda doors with an "impression" of a sea view. None of them were concerned about missing the England game and were looking forward to being able to visit B&Q for supplies without the usual Sunday afternoon crowds.

The cast were rehearsing in the theatre foyer. When I walked in they were trying different techniques for stuffing a pair of knickers in Dino's mouth. He was also tied to a chair with pairs of tights. I watched a very powerful tense scene between the three characters - its amazing how much acting it  is still possible to do with a pair of pants in your mouth!

Certain cast members were less happy about missing the big  game and when I left were still hoping to persuade director Zsuzsi to let them have a couple of hours off - perhaps now they are grateful she spared them from having to watch it!

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Coming up...

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

Auditions for Metamorphosis  adapted by Steven Berkoff from Franz Kafka’s novel. Tuesday, 6th July at 7:30 pm at Palmer Park (United Reformed Church, Palmer Park Avenue, Reading, RG6 1DN); Sunday, 11th July at 2:30 at Progress Theatre.

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Birth and Death and the Maiden

Director Zsuzsi Kingsnorth has got more than the production of Death and the Maiden to look forward to in July - she is expecting her first baby at the end of the month. Death and the Maiden runs from 5th - 10th July so if all goes according to plan she will have time to finish the rehearsals before becoming a Mum. Just in case though she has been working with Esther Walters as assistant director. Esther and Zsuzsi met during the 2007 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream when they were both playing fairies. 

Esther has been on board from the beginning and has sat in on most of the rehearsals. She is playing an active role and puts forward her views on the production as well as taking rehearsals if Zsuzsi can't make one. She will be in a good position to take over the ropes if necessary - as long as she has a plentiful supply of diet coke. 

As well as rehearsing, Zsuzsi and Esther have been out in Reading taking random photos of people in the street. Death and the Maiden is set in an unnamed South American country which has suffered under a dictatorship. In countries like Chile and Argentina one thing the governments did was to arrest people randomly from the streets. These people may have had nothing to do with any political action it was merely one method of keeping people in fear and under control. The taking of photos in Reading was a way of replicating this randomness but as Progress is not a repressive regime they did ask permission first. The photos will be on display during the run.

Death and the Maiden at Palmer Park

During dress rehearsals and production runs other plays in rehearsal can't use the theatre and have to find another space. Usually this is the Park United Reformed Church by Palmer Park. As the Youth Theatre were using the theatre on Sunday getting ready for the first performance of Is this it on Monday, I found the cast of Death and the Maiden rehearsing at the church. Sometimes rehearsals are held in the church itself. I once ran some rehearsals of Dracula there which felt a bit weird but as it was a traditional telling of the story where good triumphs over evil with the help of Christian symbols I decided it was quite appropriate.

The Death and the Maiden cast were not in the Church but in one of the function rooms. When I arrived they were rehearsing a scene where the two male characters are discussing a commission to examine the crimes of the previous regime in the unnamed South American country the play is set in. They are putting the world to rights over late night drinks and much of the director's comments centred around portraying that increased certainty about our own opinions many of us get when we've had a few drinks.

Richard Tripp and Dino Costa who play Gerardo Escobar  and Roberto Miranda have got their lines and basic moves pretty well learnt and with nearly three weeks to go are now concentrating on the subtle nuances and turning points of scenes. 

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Youth Theatre week - Parcans (11 - 13 year olds) 14th and 15th June "Is This It?"
Strobes (13 - 15 year olds) 18th and 19th June Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Is this it?

Is this it? is the title of the Parcans' contribution to Progress Youth Theatre week. The Parcans are 11 - 13 year olds who meet on a Saturday morning at the theatre. They have been working since Christmas on  improvising scenes in these sessions. They were given a subject or situation to work on in groups and come up with a scene. For example 'celebrities' led to scenes about Zac Ephron and Amy Winehouse. Eventually the scenes came together under a theme of "life and death; heaven and hell". The scenes are linked together by the use of a lift. We are moved from scene to scene via the lift with some set in the lift itself.  

The Strobes group are still hard at work on their Youth Theatre week production and as my Parcans interviewee didn't want her picture on the blog I've included a photo of a clay bear used in the animation sequences in  Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones. 

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Youth Theatre week - Parcans (11 - 13 year olds) 14th and 15th June "Is This It?"
Strobes (13 - 15 year olds) 18th and 19th June Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

 

Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

There are still a few days left to catch The Pillowman. It has been getting rave reviews and runs until Saturday 30^th May -  don’t miss it! 

June 14th to 19th is Youth Theatre week at Progress Theatre. There are two groups performing, Parcans (11 – 13 year olds) and Strobes (13 – 15). Last Sunday I dropped in on a rehearsal of Beary Tales and Office Drones the Strobes production running 18^th and 19^th June. They’d been working hard since 10 am and when I arrived were having a well earned lunch break.

Beary Tales and Office Drones is an update of a folk tale, East o the Sun, West o the Moon, based in an office. The office setting was a practical inspiration – co-leader Ali Carroll had some old office equipment that would make good props. The modernization of the original tale has included removing the part of the story where the girl who makes the best job of washing the prince’s shirt gets to marry him! 

As well as acting,the cast have been divided into teams to work on all the other things that have to happen for a production to be a success. The students have been responsible for areas like props, marketing, costumes, lighting and sound design, video recording and editing and script writing. Co-leader Alice Mulford, who set up the teams, said that getting involved in all aspects of the production has “created a sense of ownership. Some have struggled with taking the initiative but others have taken the opportunity and run with it.”

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh runs until 29th May 2010

Youth Theatre week - Parcans (11 - 13 year olds) 14th and 15th June "Is This It?"
Strobes (13 - 15 year olds) 18th and 19th June Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Auditions for Breathing Corpses

The Pillowman opens on Thursday 20th but we are already thinking about next season with auditions for Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade on Sunday 23rd May 2010 at 7.30pm at Progress Theatre and Wednesday 26th May 2010 at 7.30pm in the small hall at Palmer Park.

Breathing Corpses is a series of scenes and monologues based around various linked deaths. It mixes dark humour with a whodunit element but is ultimately about wasted lives, the breathing corpses of the title,  as much as dead bodies. 

Director Carole Brown was in the play herself last year in a production with theatre group Table Nine where she played Elaine. She also co-directed the production and is looking forward to having a bit more stage space as they were performing in one of the small studio theatres at South Hill Park. Breathing Corpses is normally performed on a very stark stage and she is intending to have more of a set for this production. She is also hoping to be able to cast some of the characters with actors closer to the right ages, the youngest character is 19 and the actors available to Table Nine were slightly more mature. 

Carole's first production with Progress was in Going Postal last Christmas where she played Anghammarad and Miss Maccalariat. She heard about the auditions for Going Postal by joining the Progress mailing list. This is a good way keeping up with events at the theatre (apart from reading this blog of course!). You can sign up for the mailing list here. As well as directing Breathing Corpses, Carole has got involved with costumes for The Pillowman and sound design and operation for Death and the Maiden.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh runs from 20th - 29th May 2010

Auditions for Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade. Sunday 23 May 2010 7.30pm Progress Theatre, Wednesday 26 May 2010 7.30pm Palmer Park Church, small hall.

Youth Theatre week - Parcans (12/13 year olds) 14th and 15th June "Is This It?"
Strobes (14/15 year olds) 18th and 19th June Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

The Pillowman - toys for the boys

There are strict regulations about using guns in the theatre. All guns, whether they work or not, have to be kept in a locked box. They can only be taken from there to the stage or backstage area. The police also have to be notified when gun shots are to be used during a run. This prevents them sending out an armed response team if a worried neighbour dials 999. 

Stage manager Alex McCubbin unlocked the safety box to show me the guns. There are two used in this production. A replica one used on stage that can't be fired and one that fires blanks for creating sound effects off-stage. The off-stage one is clearly marked with tape so that there is no confusion.

There is also a real axe used during the play. Owen Goode who plays Katurian the writer is not too concerned about handling the axe as he practices Kung-fu where he works with 3ft and 6ft sticks.

The Pillowman runs from 20th - 29th May 2010

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

Auditions for Breathing Corpses by Laura Wade. Sunday 23 May 2010 7.30pm Progress Theatre, Wednesday 26 May 2010 7.30pm Palmer Park Church, small hall.

Youth Theatre week - Parcans (12/13 year olds) 14th and 15th June "Is This It?"
Strobes (14/15 year olds) 18th and 19th June Beary Tales and Bored Office Drones.

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Wiring The Pillowman

Husband and wife team Martin and Heather Noble spent their weekend set building for The Pillowman. As well as the usual carpentry and painting, set building for this show involves a certain amount of electronics. The set includes a bank of television screens that are variously used to represent CCTV cameras or to show scenes as part of the action. This has meant routing new cables from the tech box, at the back of the auditorium, to the stage. This is what Heather and Martin were busy doing on Sunday afternoon. Well, to be honest this is what Martin was doing; Heather, Zsuzsi Kingsnorth (director of the next production Death and the Maiden) and I were chatting, drinking tea and eating rather nice chocolate biscuits.

Heather (who has done lots of work on the set!) told me that she is working on a “need to know basis”. The plot includes several twists and surprises so she has made sure that she only finds out what she needs in order to do a particular job then she can enjoy the show to the full when she comes to see it. On the same basis I won’t tell you any more about the set, you’ll have to come and see for yourself.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

The Pillowman in rehearsal

Progress Blog was able to sit in on a recent rehearsal of The Pillowman.  It was held in the theatre foyer as the set build team were busy on the stage.

 The scene we watched being rehearsed was an enactment of one of the gruesome stories at the heart of the play. This one involves a girl being crucified, a scene which manages to be comic and disturbing at the same time. Lucy Daly (see here) is playing the girl and Matt Tully and Ben Lawson, who play the two detectives take on the role of her parents in this story.

Matt featured in last week's post and Ben, a fellow graduate of the Rep College, is new to Progress. He was so impressed when he read the play that he auditioned even though he is commuting from Cambridge. For the role he has had to learn to make and fly paper aeroplanes - an important life skill. He also has to throw toes (don't ask!) a skill it is rather more difficult to imagine a use for in daily life. 

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

Death and The Maiden by Ariel Dorfman 5 - 10 July 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Catching Up With The Pillowman

Intimate Exchanges is still running until 24th April so grab your last chance to see it. Our thoughts are now turning to the next production, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20th - 29th May 2010.

The Pillowman is set in a totalitarian state and centres round a writer of gruesome stories. He is being interrogated by the police as several of the murders described in his stories have been carried out in real life. One of the policemen interrogating him is played by Matt Tully, a face Progress regulars may recognise. Matt was in Progress's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the end of last year where he played Benedick opposite Steph Weller's Beatrice.They are reunited in this production as Steph is co-directing.

Matt trained at East 15 Acting School and at the Rep College in Reading. His professional credits include a role in modern vampire movie Night Junkies which can be seen on Sky's Zone Horror.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Don't forget...

Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn is on now and runs until 24th April

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Auditions for The Merry Wives of Windsor

Please note that unfortunately this production has been cancelled as not enough people auditioned. I would still recommend a visit to Caversham Court, it is a beautiful spot.

With the Reading Post claiming that it is going to cost £90,000 just to draw up a plan for the repair work needed to make the Abbey Ruins safe it looks like it will be some time before Progress will be putting on another Abbey Ruins Shakespeare. However, not wanting to go another summer without an outdoor Shakespeare, Progress is presenting The Merry Wives of Windsor in the newly renovated Caversham Court Gardens.

Caversham Court gardens are on Church Street, Caversham. They were originally laid out between 1660 and 1681 as private gardens but are now owned by Reading Borough Council and are open to the public. It is a beautiful setting by the Thames and if you visit between Thursday and Sunday there is a tea kiosk selling homemade cakes for local charities - I can recommend the flapjacks. 

The Merry Wives of Windsor is directed by Anne Latto who has experience of open air Shakespeare productions. She has directed two at the Abbey Ruins, As You Like It in 2001 and The Winter's Tale in 2006. Anne describes The Merry Wives of Windsor as a "rumbustious farce" based around the efforts  of  Sir John Falstaff to win the affections (and husbands' money) of two wives. It is more accessible than some  Shakespeare plays being written mostly in prose. Falstaff first appears as a character in Henry IV and the story is that Shakespeare wrote The Merry Wives of Windsor very quickly after Queen Elizabeth expressed a desire to see Falstaff in love. 

If you are interested in being part of this fun production then come along to one of the auditions on Sunday 18th April - Progress Theatre, The Mount Reading 2.00 p.m. or  Wednesday 21st April - Park United Reformed Church, Palmer Park Avenue,  Wokingham Road, Reading, 7.30 p.m. You may then be asked to a call back audition on Sunday 25th April 2.00p.m. at Progress Theatre.  The performance dates are 26th to 31st July and rehearsals start on May 11th. For this production you must be 16 or older to audition. For more details contact Anne on 0118 9484454 or anne_latto@yahoo.co.uk  

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Don't forget...

Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn is on now and runs until 24th April

Coming up...

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Intimate Exchanges with the cast

Intimate Exchanges is an exciting challenge for the cast. There are only two of them - Tonya Walton and Dan Clarke and they play two different characters each. A play with a small cast is always going to mean more lines to learn but in this case there are two whole plays to learn as during the run they are alternating A Gardener in Love with The Self Improving Woman. Keeping track of which play they are doing can be a challenge in itself.

Dan Clarke enjoyed acting while growing up but gave up the practical side of it when he moved to Reading to study film and drama at the university. He now manages a betting shop and after years of boring his friends by talking about  how much he missed acting he finally put his money where his mouth is and found his way to Progress Theatre. He played three different parts in Going Postal and was then cast in Intimate Exchanges, which is, he says completely different ...

Tonya Walton first appeared on the Progress stage in The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband in 2005. Last year she was in The Dianalogues and Popcorn.

I asked if it was difficult switching between the two characters in Intimate Exchanges.  Tonya and Dan agreed that it wasn't too hard as the characters have very different accents and personalities. What they have to be aware of is small gestures which may be a trademark of one character but they don't want to spill over into the portrayal of the other one. Tonya has a particularly interesting scene  in The Self Improving  Woman where she has to portray a fight between the two female characters - that has got to be worth the price of a ticket!

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up ….

Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn 14 - 24 April 2010

Auditions for The Merry Wives of Windsor by Shakespeare Sunday 18 April, Progress Theatre, 2.00 p.m. and Wednesday 21 April, Park United Reformed Church, Palmer Park Avenue, 7.30 p.m. Call Back: Sunday 25th April Progress Theatre 2.00p.m. (Performance dates 26th - 31st July). Please note that for this production you must be 16 or older to audition.

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Getting ready for Intimate Exchanges

It was a busy Sunday at Progress Theatre. The cast and crew of the Earnest/Travesties double bill took down their set in the morning. As it is less than three weeks until curtain up on Intimate Exchanges director Geoff Dallimore was there to help them get out as quickly as possible before starting to build his own set. By the time Progress Blog got there in the afternoon the first audition for Death and the Maiden had started. Every space in the theatre was filled with people threatening or pleading with each other - I assumed these were lines from the play. 

There is plenty to be done for the set of Intimate Exchanges. There is the front end of a garden shed to be built as well as a platform for a performance within the play. The set building team were trying to work out how high the platform should be so Geoff got down on all fours and said "measure me" (26 inches if you're interested).

The run of Intimate Exchanges consists of two separate plays,  A Self-improving Woman and A Gardener in Love. The two plays are exactly the same for the first twenty minutes and then diverge when one of the characters makes a decision. You can go and see both plays if you want to see what happens when the alternative path is taken but you don't need to, each of the plays can be enjoyed as a standalone piece.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up ….

Auditions for Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman. At Progress Theatre,  Wednesday 31 March 7.30

Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn 14 - 24 April 2010

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh 20 - 29 May 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.

Auditions for Death and the Maiden

Auditions for Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman will be held at Progress Theatre on Sunday 28th March at 2:30pm & Wednesday 31st March at 7:30pm. 

This will be the fourth time that director Zsuzsi Kingsnorth has been involved in a production of Death and the Maiden but she says it is a play she could never get bored of.

There are only three characters, a woman who has been tortured in the past, her husband and the man she suspects is the torturer. It is passionate and spine-tingling and Zsuzsi particularly enjoys seeing audiences' reactions which can range from bewilderment, to sobbing, to anger but never indifference.

Zsuzsi says that she sometimes feels theatre has lost its edge and she loves producing shows that have an impact - positive or negative.She is certainly no stranger to controversial productions. In 2004 she directed Corpus Christi by Terence McNally which led to a complaint of blasphemy to the local police. Last summer a production of The Laramie Project she directed as part of the first Shanghai Pride week was cancelled by the Shanghai authorities.The play, which deals with the murder of a gay student in Wyoming, was later performed at a new venue. 

Since 2001 Zsuzsi has run Zuloo, a small production company. Zuloo has produced plays in Scotland, China and America and can now be found here in Reading.  They are currently running weekly workshops at the Rising Sun Arts Centre Be Part of Part of a Play! 

If you want to be part of a passionate play with a director clearly passionate about the power of drama then come along to auditions for Death and the Maiden.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up ….

The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Mon 22nd & Weds 24th March 7.45 pm, Saturday 27th 5.30 and Travesties by Tom Stoppard Tues 23rd, Fri 26th March & Saturday 27th 7.45 pm 

Auditions for Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman. At Progress Theatre, Sunday 28th March 2.30 and Wednesday 31 March 7.30

Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn 14 - 24 April 2010

See www.progresstheatre.co.uk for details of all our productions and auditions.