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!



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 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.