Neverwhere gets on stage

The set for Neverwhere is quite complex, there are two different height raised platforms, a curved staircase and several entrances. Before WriteFest finished most rehearsals were either in the theatre foyer or in the Palmer Park Church Hall. It is always difficult trying to block scenes (work out where everyone needs to be) before you are in the actual space but it is even more difficult with a set like this. It leads to instructions like 'stand behind them but actually you'll be above them' or 'they are actually coming down stairs while you exit under them'. It takes a lot of imagination when you are actually in an empty room with a few chairs.

Before Christmas the cast were finally able to see the skeleton structure of the set and start to see what director Rik Eke had been talking about.

The technical crew have been very busy over the Christmas break and the whole set is now really coming together and looking great - I'll include a photo in next week's blog.

Following the success with 39 Steps the first night of Neverwhere is going to be a Jelly Third Thursday event. For £10 (with no booking fee) you will get a ticket, pre-show drink and talk. See the Jelly website for details.

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 -

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman,  Adapted by Robert Kauzlaric 19th - 28th January 2012
(There has been a lot of interest in this production from Neil Gaiman fans, tickets are now on sale and selling fast so if you want to be sure of one then book soon.)

Auditions for Mindgame by Anthony Horowitz at Progress Theatre Tuesday 2nd February 2012 7.30pm or  Sunday 5th February 2pm

Art by Yasmina Reza 20th - 25th February 2012

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

WriteFest Tech and Cataloguing Costumes

Last Sunday was technical rehearsal day for WriteFest. With eight sets of sound and lighting requirements, making sure everyone has the right settings and props in the right place at the right time this was a long day for the technicians and stage management.

Also going on in the foyer was the latest day of cataloguing the costumes. Progress has a huge collection of costumes, some of them valuable period pieces, many handmade beautiful costumes and some moth eaten and falling apart. The problem is that there are so many it is very hard to know what we have and where to find it.

Chris Moran has taken on the job of sorting through all the costumes, throwing away the rubbish and creating a database of every single piece. The idea is that it will then be much easier for productions to find what they need and we will be able to hire out costumes to earn some revenue for the theatre. Luckily Chris has lots of willing helpers for this mammoth task including the invaluable Barbara Bentley.

Barbara showing her costume 'bible'
(not that she ever needed to refer to it!)

Barbara was in charge of the wardrobe at Progress for many years and has a wealth of knowledge. She can tell at a glance what period a piece is as well as usually telling us what plays it has been used in, where it came from and who wore it. She made many of the costumes herself including seventeen togas and tunics for the Abbey Ruins production of Julius Caesar.







Cataloguing involves assigning each piece a unique number and a code to indicate what type of costume it is. A photo is then taken showing the number and code, details are entered into a database and a laminated label showing its number is pinned to the costume.

This is the third costume cataloguing Sunday and so far over 100 have been done. There are still many more to do and more days are being planned for the new year. If you would like to get involved then email Chris at cmoran@ntlworld.com



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Coming up -

6th Annual WriteFest 8th - 10th December 2011

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman,  Adapted by Robert Kauzlaric 19th - 28th Jan 2012
(There has been a lot of interest in this production from Neil Gaiman fans, tickets are now on sale and selling fast so if you want to be sure of one then book soon.)

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

WriteFest 2011

After the outstanding success of The 39 Steps we move on to our 6th annual WriteFest. This is an evening of short plays of between 5 and 20 minutes written by local writers. It is a popular evening and with eight plays there is bound to be something that appeals to you (and if one doesn't at least you know it won't last too long!)

With so many plays there is plenty of opportunities for actors, WriteFest often appeals to those who don't have the time to commit to a full length play with a longer run. It is also a good way for new members to get on the Progress stage and show everyone what they can do. I met two new members Libby and Shi at the set building session, busy making a giant wooden 'H'.

The 'H' is for the play Libby is in called The Letter H Girl which is set on the Hollywood sign. Shi is in two of the plays She's not there and Self-Service. Libby's Mum suggested that she audition for Writefest and Shi went along because she has recently moved back to Reading after being very involved in theatre groups at university and touring with a musical theatre production for schools.

Shi also has a part in Neverwhere where she plays a market trader proudly selling  "Rubbish! Junk! Debris! Nothing whole or undamaged!"

Coming up -

6th Annual WriteFest 8th - 10th December 2011

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman,  Adapted by Robert Kauzlaric 19th - 28th Jan 2012
(There has been a lot of interest in this production from Neil Gaiman fans, tickets are now on sale and selling fast so if you want to be sure of one then book soon.)

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

The 39 Props

In fact there are more than 39 props in this production of The 39 Steps,  more like double that. I spoke to the man who has had the job of sourcing all those items, Tony Powell.

Many of the props he found in the Progress store, a cellar on the grounds of Calcot golf course. This store is a treasure trove of items that have been used in previous productions or someone thought might be useful one day. There are old sofas, cash registers, shields and even a bus stop. Over the last couple of years Tony has taken on the job of bringing order to this eclectic mix of things. He has tidied it up, put similar items together and thrown out things that are not worth storing. He is planning to catalogue everything but that is a big job.

This production is set just before the second world war and with an eye for detail Tony has even managed to find some period milk bottles, he spotted them in an old farm yard. The beautiful old milk holder he bought from Fanny’s Antiques in Reading and they have kindly agreed to buy it back if it survives the show unscathed.

Some items Tony has ended up making either because he couldn't find what he wanted or they were too expensive. He has made an old lamp-post, an aeroplane and some haddock. He searched everywhere for suitable plastic fish but ended up making his own from foam polystyrene.

A collection of period hats & props with stage manager Laura Mills reflected in the mirror.

Another major source of props has been his own house. His reputation as an extraordinary props finder started when he was working on Much Ado About Nothing which was set in the aftermath of the Falklands war. He 'happened to come across' at home a copy of the Sunday Times from the 1980s with a report on the Falklands. I did ask if he was a hoarder and after a long pause he said 'yes I probably am!'

The 39 Steps has been chosen as a 'Third Thursday' event by local arts group Jelly. You can buy a ticket for the first night (17th November) from Jelly, they cost £10 (no booking fee) including a free drink, a talk from the directors and a chance to meet the artist exhibiting in the foyer. See the Jelly website for more details.

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Coming up -

The 39 Steps by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow 17th-26th Nov 2011

6th Annual WriteFest 8th - 10th December 2011

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

The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps is an adaptation of the Hitchcock thriller performed with just four actors. The main part, Richard Hannay is played by the same actor all the way through but the other actors play multiple parts. The play, adapted by Patrick Barlow, is based on the 1935 Hitchcock film which was itself based on (although differs from) John Buchan's novel.

I had a chat with co-directors Dan Clarke and Steph Weller before their rehearsal on Thursday. They described the complexity of the show, there are 50 different costumes and 70 - 90 props. There are also various technical challenges like how to stage a chase along a moving train. The script apparently gives a few ideas but then just tells the director to do it however they like. They showed me a detailed scale model of the set including doors and windows on wheels, a pull out fireplace and a bedroom that revolves to become a reception. The cast and crew have only just got access to the theatre after the end of Blackbird so the challenge over the next three weeks is to transform all these great ideas into reality.

I don't know what is going on in this photo but it looks interested.

The stage management is going to be a vital part of this play, in fact it is so complex that two stage managers are needed each night one each side of the stage both with an assistant. They will need to know where and when actors are coming off stage what costumes changes they will need and what props. They will also need to help the actors make some quick costume changes. I'm already booked to go back on at the weekend - I want to interview Tony who is doing the props I hear there are some interesting stories about the sourcing of the props.

The 39 Steps has been chosen as a 'Third Thursday' event by local arts group Jelly. You can buy a ticket for the first night (17th November) from Jelly, they cost £10 (no booking fee) including a free drink, a talk from the directors and a chance to meet the artist exhibiting in the foyer. See the Jelly website for more details.

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 -

Second auditions for Art by Yasmina Reza  Sunday 30th October at 4pm

The 39 Steps by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow 17th-26th Nov 2011

6th Annual WriteFest 8th - 10th December 2011

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

Blackbird - hanging blinds and other strange activities

 I didn't make it to the rehearsal on Wednesday but I was there in time to hear the notes from the director and have a chat with the cast and crew about how things are going. Photographer Mandy King was there too and kindly sent me a photo of the blinds being hung last weekend.

The blinds go all round the stage and extend slightly into the auditorium to create the impression of a single space. As you can see from the photo they were quite fiddly to but together. Being involved in a production you often find yourself doing unexpected things like constructing office blinds. For example last night  producer Helen Coleman was busy cutting burger buns from a piece of sponge.

I enjoy listening to director's giving notes to actors, you often hear things that are perfectly normal to everyone involved but to an outsider sound frankly bizarre. Last night's gem was "When you've got a decent wet patch on your shirt show it off"

Blackbird runs from Monday to Saturday next week so come along and see if you can spot the burger buns and the wet patch.


There is a good article about the production in this week's getreading

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Coming up -

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011

Auditions for Art by Yasmina Reza Wednesday 26th October 7.30pm or Sunday 30th October at 4pm

39 Steps by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow 17th-26th Nov 2011

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

Blackbird Rubbish

No this is not a prediction of the reviews! Part of the stage setting for this production is litter is scattered on the floor and this always presents a dilemma. You want it to look convincingly like the sort of wrappers and fast food containers people might drop, but on the other hand you don't want a load of smelly, unhygienic rubbish lying about.

Blackbird rehearsal - if you look carefully you can just see some rubbish in the bottom on the photo

The solution is to collect clean rubbish and to buy some foil take-away containers that can be crumpled up to look realistic but don't fill the theatre with the smell of old curry. If you are up at the theatre over the next week there is a box in the kitchen to collect any suitable litter you might have.

The set of Blackbird is designed to give the impression that the audience are in the same room as the actors. To enhance this feeling some litter scattered around the auditorium as well. This might be one production where you can get away with dropping your sweet papers on the floor.




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Coming up -





Auditions for Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Sunday 9th Oct 2.30pm or Wednesday 12th October 7.30

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011

Auditions for Art by Yasmina Reza Wednesday 26th October 7.30pm or Sunday 30th October at 4pm





39 Steps by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow 17th-26th Nov 2011

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

Sounds of Blackbird

I gatecrashed a rehearsal of Blackbird on Sunday afternoon. When I arrived the actors were already outnumbered by observers including the director, production manager, stage manager and sound designer. The people you see on stage during a production are a small fraction of the people involved in making it a success.
 
One of these unseen workers is Mike Brand who is designing the sound and lighting for Blackbird. He certainly looked the part of the sound engineer on Sunday - compete with headphones and recording equipment.

During a break in the rehearsal he explained that he had pre-recorded some sound effects and was listening to them while watching the action to check that they sounded right in context.

As well as the 'realistic' sounds like phones ringing Mike is planning to include voice montages at the beginning and end of the show. He recorded the first read through of the play and now has over ninety snippets of speech  that he is hoping to interweave into an interesting sound effect.    


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Coming up -



Auditions for WriteFest  Sunday 25th September or 2.30pm at Progress Theatre

Auditions for Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Sunday 9th Oct 2.30pm or Wednesday 12th October 7.30

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011

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

Proof press night

On Friday Progress Theatre held a press preview night for our latest production, Proof. The cast performed in front of a small invited audience including press, theatre members who had been involved with the production or who are away during the main run and, of course, Progress Blog.

The evening was run as if it were a normal production - including opening the bar. Producer Chris Moran explained that they had planned the rehearsal schedule from the start with the aim of being performance ready for the press night. They will still have a final dress rehearsal on Sunday night to give them a last chance to iron out any wrinkles.

Lauren Gilbert and Anna Bristow as sisters Clarie and Catherine

During the interval I chatted to Liz Crosthwaite, entertainments editor at the Reading Chronicle. She normally concentrates on music and this will be the first play she has reviewed for Progress. She seemed to be enjoying it but we'll have to wait and see what she says in her review.

I certainly enjoyed it and the rest of the audience seemed to be. There were even a few discretely wiped away tears at the end! The main run starts on Monday 12th and runs until the Saturday.


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Coming up -

Proof  by David Auburn September 12th - 17th 2011

Auditions for WriteFest  Sunday 25th September or 2.30pm at Progress Theatre

Auditions for Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Sunday 9th Oct 2.30pm or Wednesday 12th October 7.30

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011

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

Proof

I distracted director Aidan Moran for a few minutes during the technical rehearsal for Proof on Sunday. This was the second day of technical rehearsals, Saturday had been mainly about rigging the lights but Sunday included the actors. Lauren Gilbert, who plays Claire, was practicing walking in high heels while looking elegant and not falling over. I also met new member Anna Bristow who is playing Catherine. Her costume is a bit more casual - no shoe practice required.

Anna Bristow

 Aidan decided he wanted to direct Proof after reading the first scene. The play is set in Chicago although his original idea had been to change it to an English setting so that they could concentrate on the drama of the piece without having to worry about accents. This was not allowed under the terms of the performance licence so the cast are having to use American accents but Aidan has kept them simple and generic.

You may have heard that Proof is about maths. I should stress that you don't need to understand any maths to enjoy the play. The most complex calculations involved were the ones Martin Noble had to make. He had the job of making the weirdly angled roof Aidan designed into a reality.


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Coming up -

Proof by David Auburn September 12th - 17th 2011

Auditions for WriteFest  Sunday 25th Sept, 2.30pm at Progress Theatre

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011

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

Happy Holidays

Progress Blog is off for a summer break for the next couple of weeks. That doesn't mean that there isn't a lot still going on at the theatre. Rehearsals are well under way for our next show Proof and there is still time to audition for The 39 Steps on Sunday 7th August at 2pm.

We'll be back soon to let you  in on what is going on behind the scenes at the Proof rehearsals.
 

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. 

Auditions for The 39 Steps Sunday 7th August, 2pm at Progress Theatre

Proof by David Auburn September 12th - 17th 2011

Blackbird by David Harrower 17th - 22nd October 2011


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

The Tempest - rain and church bells

As I walked through the church yard at dusk, making my way down to Caversham Court gardens, I could hear a haunting melody floating up from the river. I was on my way to one of the final rehearsals of The Tempest and the music was coming from the live musicians who provide all the music and sound effects for the performance.

It was coming from the live musicians and the passing disco boat. One of the hazards of an outdoor production is the extraneous noises. In the Abbey Ruins, where we used to hold our outdoor productions, it was the shouting of inmates from Reading prison. Sometimes they even quoted the speeches they had heard many times in rehearsal. At Caversham Court it is the disco boat - that luckily comes past in the interval -  and the church bells. When the bell ringers are practicing  it is impossible to hear anything on the stage but they have kindly agreed not to ring during the performance week.

The cast and crew have been showing the best of British pluck rehearsing in the recent bad weather. Producer Coral Last was explaining the contingency plans for rain, including the potential to move the time of the interval and having on hand a supply of clear rain ponchos for the cast. There are currently still tickets available on the gate so if you've been put off buying a ticket because of the weather you can wait for a sunny evening and come down then.

Don't forget that there is no fixed seating so bring your own blanket or low backed chair to sit on, there will also be a number of chairs available for hire. Stewards will be guiding people to a seating space to ensure that everyone has a good view. It really is a beautiful setting,  right by the river and an exciting production so keep your fingers crossed for some good weather or be really British and come and enjoy some outdoor theatre whatever the weather.




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Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011 Caversham Court Gardens

Auditions for The 39 Steps Wednesday 3rd August 7.30pm and Sunday 7th August, 2pm at Progress Theatre


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

Black Bird Auditions

Auditions for Black Bird  by David Harrower are being held at the theatre on Sunday 17th July at 6pm and Tuesday 19th July at 7.30pm.

Tony in his Sunday best

The director is Tony Wernham whose last production was Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall in 2007. The two plays have some similarities in that they are both about serious subjects and have very small casts, only two in the case of Black Bird. I asked Tony about the appeal of small cast plays and he admitted that it is mostly a question of logistics. With a small cast you can organise the rehearsal schedule around the commitments of the actors but with a large cast there is always someone who can't make the dates suggested.

As a director Tony feels that the look of a production is very important. He is particularly interested in the lighting. He doesn't think that stage plays should strive for realism, that can be left to films, but the lighting can add visual interest and symbolism. He is also thinking of using imaginative soundscapes during the play as an alternative to music. He likes to give the technical people he is working with on a production full rein to develop their own ideas.

Tony is very busy at the moment working on marketing for The Tempest, Progress's outdoor Shakespeare production. When I spoke to him about this post he was on holiday in the Lake District but still sending out emails to the press. So if you aren't auditioning for Black Bird you can still make Tony happy by booking your ticket for The Tempest!



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Auditions for Black Bird by David Harrower Sunday 17th July at 6pm and Tuesday 19th July 2011 at 7.30pm at Progress Theatre

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011 Caversham Court Gardens

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

Half Masks and Dead Sailors

The theatre today was in the happy state of chaos that is a technical rehearsal, the lighting needs to be sorted, costumes perfected, contact numbers collected and the theatre tidied on top of rehearsing the play.

When I was at the Under Milk Wood rehearsal last week they were busy making masks so I was interested in see the finished articles. The masks are used by the actors playing dead sailors. The original idea was to use make-up but it soon became apparent that this wouldn't be practical because many of the actors are playing multiple parts and have to make quick changes.

The base of the masks are the cheap white plastic ones you can buy in costume shops. These were then cut in half and covered in papier maché. The plan was to paint them but in the end they looked good without - like rotting skin!

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. 

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 5th - 9th July 2011


Auditions for Black Bird by David Harrower Sunday 17th July at 6pm and Tuesday 19th July at 7.30pm at Progress Theatre

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011 Caversham Court Gardens

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

Under Milk Wood

Steven Brodie has been involved with Progress Youth Theatre for the last 8 years and he is still only 17. In Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas he plays Captain Cat, a blind ex-sailor who is on stage throughout the whole performance. He tries to keep his eyes slightly out of focus and is careful not to follow the action on stage as well as not wriggling too much on the hard wooden chair.

Steven explained that the play tells the story of the lives of the people of Llareggub partly through their dreams and partly through real events. Apart from Steven most of the cast play multiple characters and he was hugely impressed by the idea of a one woman production he has heard about.

I wondered what production Steven had most enjoyed taking part in while at Progress. He mentioned several, for different reasons that cover the whole range of motivations for being involved in theatre: Cold Comfort Farm because everyone in the cast became very close; Macbeth because it is his favourite play and Blood Wedding because it was the first play not written for children he was involved in. My favourite was  Don Juan Comes Back From The War which he said he liked "because it was such a beautiful play", He's right it was and if Under Milk Wood is of the same standard it will be well worth watching.


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Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 5th - 9th July 2011
(please note dates as were wrong in previous posts)

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Progress on the Whiteknights studio trail

This weekend, 18th and 19th June 2011, Progress Theatre will be one of the venues on the Whiteknights Studio Trail. This exciting annual event is an opportunity to visit artists based in the university area in their studios or other venues. You can see examples of their work and talk to the artist.

Progress will be showing work by artist Carole Stephens. Carole is mainly inspired by flowers and gardens and creates beautiful bright pictures using water colours and pen and ink. She went to art college in 1964 and has been teaching and working as an artist ever since. As well as flowers she likes painting toys and is happy to take commissions to paint a favourite toy (or your garden.)

The exhibition at Progress is open 11am - 6pm on Saturday and Sunday and Carole will be there to answer any questions about her work or just to chat to visitors. Tea and coffee will be available and the bar will be open during licencing hours. Importantly for those visiting several venues on the trail there will be somewhere to sit down and toilet facilities. Progress member Alice Mulford is exhibiting her work at MERL as part of the trail. Full details of the trail, including a map showing all the venues can be found here.


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Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Proof auditions

A quick blog post today to let you know that auditions for the first show of next season  Proof  by David Auburn are today Sunday 12th June 2.30pm and Tuesday 14th June 7.30pm at Progress Theatre. There are parts for four people, men and women ranging in age from early 20s to 50s.

Shinfield Players have recently finished a run of this play so if you saw it there and fancy having a go at one of the parts then this is your chance. If you missed the Shinfield production then come and see ours in September.

Director Aidan Moran recently reached the age at which life begins and went on a helicopter flight to celebrate. He is clearly a man of adventure and up for a challenge so it should be a fun production to be involved in. Full details about the play are on the Progress website. 
 

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. 

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Manufacturing Porn Mags

Liz Carroll, who plays one of the leading roles in Enjoy, was voted 'Wonderful Woman of Reading' in March for her voluntary work. So how has she gone from pillar of the community to cutting and pasting photos of semi-naked women?

It is all in the name of art and essential to the drama of course. During the play a pornographic magazine is passed between characters and is an important part of the action. As the play is set in the 1980s the production team wanted a magazine from the right period. We like to recycle props at Progress so they were pleased to find that a period porn mag had been purchased for the recent production of Teechers.

Liz is one of the people responsible for Progress's 'body of persons' licence, giving us permission to produce plays with young actors. In this role she thought she ought to check that the magazine was suitable to be shown to a young person. It didn't take her long to decide that it certainly wasn't.

She then bought a celebrity gossip magazine that was the right size and put it inside the cover of the porn mag. This solved the problem of the unsuitable material but now there was a problem of authenticity. As the magazine is passed around the stage it is likely that audience members near the front would be able to see that it was not what it claimed to be. So stage two involved Liz trawling the Sun's website to find photos of their 'Golden Girls' - page 3 photos from the 1980s. She then printed these and stuck them in her magazine.

Liz reading an (undoctored) vintage TV Times.

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...

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Enjoy door practice

When I last wrote about Enjoy I mentioned that they needed some extra actors to take on non-speaking roles. They have now found some volunteers and they were at their first rehearsal on Tuesday night. Also at its first rehearsal was a functional front door.

Doors are difficult to work with on stage (never work with children, animals ...or doors). They take time to open and shut, actors have to remember when to close them and when to leave them open and the door itself can block the audience's view of the action. The scene I watched being rehearsed was fairly short but did involve the door so a lot of time was spent trying different ways of opening the door and places to stand. All further complicated by having to find space for two extra people on the stage. Director Peter Charles has assigned all the cast extra door practice.

Door Practice

 

 

 

 

Producer Mandy King told me about another problem they had with the door. It has a working letter box that they fitted on before fixing the door into position, at which point they realised it was upside down. Taking it out and reinstalling it the right way round proved more difficult than putting it in the first place. I think Mandy learnt some good new swear words though.

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...


Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Update on the Tempest

Enjoy by Alan Bennett is the next show at the theatre but we've got time for a guest blog this week from the production team of The Tempest.

Open air Shakespeare is always popular among theatre goers and this year the Progress Theatre returns to the open air with its annual Shakespeare production and our director Chris Bertrand’s vision of The Tempest. The Reading Abbey is now closed to the public, so our plans were in ruins (pun intended), but now they’ve been revived thanks to the lovely people at Caversham Court Gardens who will host our venture into the unknown world of a new venue.

In April The Tempest’s Stage Manager, Matthew Drury, was out in the glorious sunshine to photograph the cast’s rehearsal and had the following to say about the challenges a new venue brings to us… 

“One of our biggest obstacles is getting power to light the stage. You don’t find a plug socket in the middle of a field, so you need to rethink many things you’d normally take for granted.” Though you may not think it, the lack of mod cons such as electricity has had a positive effect on the show. Forcing the director and ensemble cast to get creative and think outside the box. The show now features some wonderful elements of collaborative sound effects for the storm and costume design that uses the daylight to its full advantage. It’s going to be an inspirational piece, not to be missed.

One of Matthew's photos of the outdoor rehearsal

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Coming up...



Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Enjoy rehearsals

All My Sons by Arthur Miller is running until Saturday 14th May. There are still tickets left so don't miss the chance to see this brilliant emotionally gripping play.


Meanwhile rehearsals are progressing for the next show, Enjoy by Alan Bennett. I'm going to struggle with posting about this show as I keep being told interesting titbits followed by "oh but you can't write that in the blog it'll spoil the plot". So what can I tell you? It was first performed in 1980 and this production is set in that period but director Peter Charles said the look will be "more beige tank-tops than Toni Basil". It is set in Leeds and to my southerner's ear the actors seemed to be making a good job of the Yorkshire accents.

LIz Carroll and Tom Sellwood 'Enjoy' rehearsing their dance moves

The production requires a number of extras - these are non speaking parts but need to be reasonably young and strong. If you are interested and free 6th - 11th June and the weekend before for final rehearsals then contact Peter on enjoy@groovechild.co.uk.

The other thing I'm going to struggle with for this production is not making terrible word plays on the title - I'll do my best!


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Coming up...

All My Sons by Arthur Miller runs until 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

All My Sons Tech Rehearsal

This is the final weekend before the first night of All My Sons on Thursday 5th May so it is time to sort out all the technical aspects before the final few rehearsals. Today was mainly about getting the lighting right, making sure that the areas of the stage where the actors perform in each scene are lit correctly. Of course the actors also need to make sure they stand in the right part of the stage....

After a run through with the lights director Harry had to sort out the sound effects with the two operators. The actors weren't needed for this so went for a well earned break in the pub - acting is hard work you know!

In the post All My Sons - Photo Op I took some photos of the publicity shoot. I thought you might like to see one of the resulting shots taken by photographer Mandy King.

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...

All My Sons by Arthur Miller 5th - 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

Scale Models and Shoes

Some directors have only a sketchy idea of how they want the set to look and others know precisely. Harry Grey, definitely falls into the latter camp. He has constructed a detailed model from cardboard and paper. I wish now that I had included a hand in the photo to give you some idea of the scale. It is about 30cm x 25cm I from memory.

The wrong pair of shoes can ruin an otherwise good costume. Audiences notice these things so it is important that the shoes worn are right for the character and for a historical play that they are from the correct period. They also need to fit so that the actor doesn't spend the show either in pain or worrying about tripping over their feet. Progress has a large collection of shoes so there is usually plenty of opportunity to find the perfect pair.

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...

All My Sons by Arthur Miller 5th - 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas 4th - 11 July 2011

Open air production The Tempest by William Shakespeare 23rd - 30th July 2011

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

All My Sons Photo Op

Mandy King takes most of the publicity photos for Progress and my visit to the theatre on Sunday to gather material for the blog coincided with her visit to do a photo shoot for All My Sons. As is often the way, the publicity photos are needed before the costumes are completely sorted. The actors therefore had to be photographed with an approximation of the final costume or the top half only because they have the right shirt but are wearing modern jeans. Mandy also has to made sure that modern watches and jewelry are removed as inconsistent details can spoil a good shot.

Helen Coleman, who is organising costumes for the show was also on hand to make sure the cast looked right for the period. She had some red lipstick for the women as she says "red lipstick just says 1940s". There wasn't a lot she could do about modern haircuts in time for the photos but she is encouraging the men to grow their hair longer on the top so that by the time of the performance they can have a traditional short back and sides.

Mandy decided to take advantage of the sunshine and we all walked over to Cintra park just opposite the theatre. We requisitioned a park bench for our photos - much to the bemusement of the other park users.

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...

All My Sons by Arthur Miller 5th - 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

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

Recycling and Chaperones

At Progress we like to reuse material whenever possible. It saves time and money as well as being better for the environment. If you saw The Ash Girl earlier this year you'll remember the splendid fireplace. If you come to Cold Comfort Farm you'll see it being reused as part of the set. It will be looking slightly more dirty and battered as part of the Starkadder's kitchen.

The word chaperone calls up images of Victorian maiden aunts sitting in on dates to ensure nothing untoward is going on. In the theatre it is used to mean someone who looks after the interests of any children or young people in a show. In the professional world they have been used for some time in theatres and on film sets to make sure that their charges have rest breaks, access to education and are not asked to do anything dangerous.

For the last few years it has been a legal requirement for amateur theatres to have a chaperone backstage during every performance including under 17 year olds. Chaperones have to be police checked and registered with their local authority. It is not an onerous job and mainly involves sitting in the dressing rooms, saying shush! a lot and waiting until all their charges have been picked up at the end of the night. Having said that without people willing to give up their time to do this young people would not have the opportunity to perform on stage. Many amateur theatres have decided that it is too much bother and don't cast anyone under 17. Luckily we do bother at Progress so you'll be able to see the Progress Youth Theatre performing Cold Comfort Farm starting tonight 4th April and running until Saturday 9th.

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...

Progress Youth Theatre Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons adapted by Paul Doust, 4th - 9th April 2011

All My Sons by Arthur Miller 5th - 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

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

Cold Comfort Farm

The next production is Cold Comfort Farm adapted by Paul Doust from Stella Gibbons' classic comic novel. Gibbons wrote the novel in 1932, when she was only 22, as a satire of the dramatic, romantic, rural based novels popular at the time.

When I went up to the theatre to see how things were progressing they were rehearsing the ball scene. I walked in to hear the director Ben Sandiford advising his cast to "Spend time with your poles". This is not as strange as it sounds! In order to give the feel of a huge ball they are doubling the number of party goers by giving each human guest a puppet partner - basically a pole with a jacket. At the rehearsal I watched they hadn't yet got the poles but were improvising with coat hangers. Ben was reassuring them that it would be easier when they had the poles as long as they got used to handling them by spending time with them.

To see the finished performance come along to Progress Theatre between the 4th and 9th April.

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...

Progress Youth Theatre Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons adapted by Paul Doust, 4th - 9th- April 2011

All My Sons by Arthur Miller 5th - 14th May 2011

Enjoy by Alan Bennett 6th - 11th June 2011

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

Teechers making noise

Most productions need some sort of sound effects, in Teechers it is mainly the school bell, rowdy school children and music. The way the play works there are no breaks for stage management to come on and change scenes. When the action switches the actors simply move to a different place on the stage, moving or picking up the props they need. Music will be an important part of making these transitions work smoothly.

Stuart McCubbin will be operating the sound and although Aidan Moran is responsible for sourcing the sound effects and music Stuart has been part of the process as well. He sat in on a rehearsal last weekend and made suggestions about what sounds he thought would be appropriate at different points. He has also contributed a CD box set of 80s music, something he felt showed his age.

When I asked Stuart if he had experience of involvement on the technical side of performances he mentioned operating the lights in a school play using rheostats(*) and a broom handle. Perhaps even less relevant early experiences were playing Father Christmas and leading an on-stage rabble singing the La Marseillaise.

Stuart was drawn into Progress by his children Alex McCubbin and Laura Mills who both started in the youth theatre and are still active members. He hasn't acted himself at Progress but enjoys performing with Reading Bach Choir and hopes to squeeze some of their music into the Teechers soundtrack. Regular visitors to Progress will probably recognise Stuart as he is often to be found manning the bar or working front of house, both roles that he enjoys. Members be warned - there will be more slots to fill for this production as Stuart will be busy.

* I pretended to know what Stuart was talking about and then looked it up here later. It even tells you how they work!

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 Enjoy by Alan Bennett, Sunday 6th March 3pm & Thursday 10th March, 7.30pm Progress Theatre.

Teechers by John Godber 14th to 19th March 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons 4th - 9th- April 2011

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

Creating a gym for Teechers

Teechers by John Godber is set in a school gym in the 1980s and set designer Aidan Moran wants to recreate the atmosphere he remembers from his own school days.

The base of the design is the floor which has to be the highly polished cross hatch design school gyms always used to have (and maybe still do). The actual stage can't be varnished so it has to be covered with hardboard which can then be painted and varnished to give the right effect.

New member Ashley Dashwood has recently moved to Reading and was looking for something to do and a way of meeting people. A friend pointed him toward Progress and on his first visit he found himself with a hammer in his hand fixing pieces of hardboard. He is going to be a great asset to the theatre!

When it is finished the set will include all the accessories you'd expect in a gym, a climbing frame fixed to the wall, ropes, long benches, big windows and a vaulting horse. The vaulting horse has a dual purpose as it will also act as a space to store props. Teechers is a classic John Godber play where 3 actors play many different roles. It is fast moving and storing the props on stage avoids interrupting the action.

To complete the school gym illusion lighting designer Martin Noble will be rigging some real fluorescent strip lights to light the set when the audience first come in. The only thing missing will be the school aroma but perhaps we should leave that to the audience's imagination.

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 Enjoy by Alan Bennett, Sunday 6th March 3pm & Thursday 10th March, 7.30pm Progress Theatre.

Teechers by John Godber 14th to 19th March 2011

Progress Youth Theatre Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons 4th - 9th- April 2011

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

Tempest Auditions

Progress Theatre's outdoor Shakespeare is back! We are still not able to use the Abbey Ruins because of safety issues but this summer we will be presenting The Tempest in Caversham Court gardens by the Thames. Auditions are Sunday 20th 2.30pm and Tuesday 22nd February 7.30pm with a call back on Sunday 27th February at 2.30pm, all at Progress Theatre.

Auditions start at the theatre but, weather permitting, at least some of the time will be spent outside. Director Chris Bertrand needs to hear how actors can project their voices outside with no walls to bounce the sound off. The rehearsal process will include work on voice training.

Chris likes to work with a company of actors who all get involved in developing the performance and work together as a team - there will be no bit parts in this production. He is looking to cast a company of about 20 actors, ideally 10 male and 10 female. The call back on the 27th will be where Chris will make the final decision about who will be in the company. He'll let people know that on the day but the parts people will play won't be decided until the first rehearsal.

Chris feels that as a magical fairy story The Tempest is well suited to an outdoor production. It lends itself to visual imagery and as water is a key image in the play being next to the river will be a bonus. Chris has run a series of three workshops over the last few months, where participants looked at different aspects of the play like the comedy, the relationships between the main characters and the use of music and sound. This gave Chris the opportunity to try out some of his ideas like having Ariel, a magical spirit, played by 5 actors. This worked well and will allow the spirit to be portrayed in a state of constant movement. The auditions are open to everyone - you don't need to have attended the workshops.

This should be a very exciting production to be in and to watch so if you can't audition put the performance dates in your diary - 23rd to 30th July 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...

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

Auditions for this year's outdoor Shakespeare The Tempest, Sunday 20th 2.30pm and Tuesday 22nd February 2011 7.30pm.

Auditions for Enjoy by Alan Bennett, Sunday 6th March 3pm & Thursday 10th March, 7.30pm Progress Theatre.

Teechers by John Godber 14th to 19th March 2011

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

Tackling the American Accent

of Mice and Men is set in California in the 1930s and the actors need to speak in American accents.

This isn't too much of a problem for Melissa Tanner as she is from California. She came to London two years ago to work as a Nanny before returning to Los Angeles to study musical theatre. She moved to Reading last March and when she saw the auditions for Of Mice and Men thought it was a great opportunity to get involved in Progress.

She plays "Curley's wife" the only way her character is referred to in the play - she is never given a name. 

It has been very helpful to the rest of the actors to have a genuine American on the cast and Melissa is impressed with the way they have all picked up the accent.

Of Mice and Men is very popular with school groups and there are not many ticket left so if you want to see this production then you need to book soon. 

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...

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

Auditions for this year's outdoor Shakespeare The Tempest, Sunday 20th 2.30pm and Tuesday 22nd February 2011 7.30pm.

Auditions for Enjoy by Alan Bennett, Sunday 6th March 3pm & Thursday 10th March, 7.30pm Progress Theatre.

Teechers by John Godber 14th to 19th March 2011

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

Of Mice and Men - the finishing touches

Tickets for Of Mice and Men are selling fast. Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th are already sold out and other nights have only a few seats left. If you want to be sure of seeing it you will have to book in advance.

Progress Blog popped into a rehearsal on Sunday and preparations are well advanced. Notes from director Joe Haynes mostly concentrated on people getting details right like shutting doors at the right time and making sure they were wearing a hat when they came in from the supposedly blazing sun. People do notice these details and as Joe said "audiences love to see things going wrong - I don't!"

The actors were all looking the part in jeans and cowboy boots. Producer Heidi Ashton, watching from the audience, had also got into the mood and taken on the role of a good American housewife. She was busy hand stitching stuffed mattresses to go on the bunk beds.

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...

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

Auditions for this year's 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.

All My Sons Auditions

Auditions for All My Sons by Arthur Miller are on Wednesday January 26^th 7.30 pm and Sunday January 30th. 7.pm both at Progress Theatre.

Over the years Progress have performed several Arthur Miller plays. The Crucible has been the most popular being put on in 1956, 1984 and 2004. Death of a salesman was produced in 1966 and then thirty years later in 1996. We have also done A view from the bridge (1983) and The last Yankee(1998) was directed by Harry Gray who is returning to Miller to direct All My Sons.

All My Sons was was one of Miller's earliest plays. He wrote it in 1947 after his previous play had been a flop on Broadway and had said that if it wasn't successful he would give up writing. Thankfully it was successful, winning a number of awards.

Harry Gray has directed and appeared in many productions since joining Progress in 1963. He most recently directed Four Nights in Knaresborough in 2008. This was set in the medieval period and involved chain mail, full helmets and big swords. (The photo shows a publicity shot with Harry standing in as a knight second from right.)  All My Sons is set in the 1940s so the costumes should be easier for the actors to handle although they will have to get to grips with an American accent. All the parts in the play are strong, it is a powerful piece with plenty for actors to get their teeth into. Harry describes it as a condemnation of anti-social behaviour that starts of gently and builds up to a devastating conclusion.  

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 All My Sons by Arthur Miller Wednesday January 26^th 7.30 pm  and Sunday January 30^th  7 pm

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

Auditions for this year's 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 and the Glutton Toad

For this week's blog I interviewed Helen Bryant who plays the Glutton Toad, one of the seven deadly sins featured in The Ash Girl. Helen described her costume as "very pink and very fat". The deadly sins also wear masks representing their characters. The mask covers the top half of the face depriving the actor of the use of their eyes in showing emotions and thoughts. Helen has acted in masks before, once at school where she played the angel of death, and in a short play in WriteFest at Progress. In the WriteFest play, Home News she played a man and a woman where for the male character she used a mask and for the female one she didn't. This meant that not only did she have to remember her lines and who was supposed to be saying them she also had to think about whether she should be wearing the mask or not! 

An access officer at Reading Borough Council during the day, in her spare time Helen is an active member of Progress. Her favourite roles have been a gypsy fortune teller in Too Clever by Half (2004) and in Godspell (2005). Her most recent role was as a fish wife in The Tamer Tamed (2008). The photo shows a scene from The Tamer Tamed with Helen being menaced by a bear.

As well as acting at Progress Helen has done some film work. She was an extra in The Sweet Shop starring Gemma Atkinson from Hollyoaks. Helen also had a small role in a local independent film called The Dragon and George. This was made by a group of amateur film makers called TeamTV. Both these opportunities came via contacts she made at Progress Theatre. She is also part of a training group called Spotlight on Diversity that uses drama to work on issues around prejudice and diversity.  

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 11th to 16th January 2011

Auditions for All My Sons by Arthur Miller Wednesday January 26^th 7.30 pm  and Sunday January 30^th  7 pm

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.