Tony Travis fits kitchens for a living so spending the bank holiday weekend building the Killer Joe set is a bit of a bus man's holiday. The set is more than just a kitchen; it is the inside of trailer and also includes the suggestion of the roof and sides.
Tony working on the Killer Joe set
Tony doesn't only fit kitchens, he is also an electrician and a voluntary sector consultant after spending ten years as the director of a disability charity in London. He is a writer, holding an MA in writing for Television and a musician. He played bass and backing vocals in Ray Fay a new wave band in the 1980s, you can find the videos on YouTube.
He doesn't just build Progress sets he performs on them too. You can see him next month playing Jack in The Weir.
Multi-talented as he is Tony hasn't built the set all by himself. Several members of the cast and crew willingly pitched in, many sporting their Love's Labour's Lost...And Won t-shirts from last summer's outdoor 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 roughly weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.
Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, 7.45 Monday 18th May - Saturday 23rd May 2015 The Weir by Conor McPherson, 7.45 Monday 15th June - Saturday20th June 2015 Progress Youth Theatre Gormenghast by John Constable, adapted from the novels by Mervyn Peake, 7.45 Tuesday 7th July - Saturday 11th July 2015, Progress Theatre The Merry Wives of Windsor 7.45 Wednesday 15th - Saturday 25th July, Caversham Court Gardens.
When I visited a Talking Heads rehearsal last weekend their technical team were busy putting up lights and painting doors. This meant the actors had been sent back to the foyer to rehearse their monologues. It can be difficult to revert to adhoc spaces and random furniture when you have just got used to using the stage space. From what I saw they seemed to be coping well with their temporary arrangements.
Our production of Talking Heads is made up of three separate monologues and initially rehearsals were one actor at a time working with the director. It quickly became clear that it was more fun to have joint rehearsals so that they could encourage each other, watch each piece develop and feel like a cast rather than individual performers.
Each piece has it's challenges, apart from remembering all the lines with no-one to help you out. The actors have to open margarine tubs, put on make-up on stage and shuffle along the floor during a blackout but it was decided that eating toast while delivering a monologue was a step too far! 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 roughly weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.
Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, 7.45 Monday 20th April - Saturday 25th April 2015 Killer Joe by Tracey Letts, 7.45 Monday 18th May - Saturday 23rd May 2015 The Weir by Conor McPherson, 7.45 Monday 15th June - Saturday20th June 2015 The Merry Wives of Windsor 7.45 Wednesday 15th - Saturday 25th July, Caversham Court Gardens. Progress Youth Theatre Gormenghast by John Constable, adapted from the novels by Mervyn Peake, 7.45 Tuesday 7th July - Saturday 11th July 2015, Progress Theatre
Animal Farm is a joint production with Progress Youth Theatre and the principle has been carried through to the backstage roles. The musical director is Amelia, who has been a member of the Youth Theatre since she was seven. Her most recent roles were in Roses of Eyam and Murmuring Judges. Although she was only intending to be backstage for this production she has found herself taking on some on-stage roles as people have had to withdraw for various reasons. She is now playing Moses the Raven, a pigeon, Mrs Pilkington and potentially a goat. As she says if she has to be at rehearsals anyway she might as well go the whole hog (pun intended) and be in it is well.
Amelia (right) with assistant stage manager Josie, also a youth theatre member
The first question I asked Amelia was what does a musical director actually do. The rights to the play come with music for all the songs and Amelia arranged some of them to suit the range of voices in the cast. She has then been responsible for teaching the songs at rehearsals and leading vocal warm-ups. She is well qualified for the role as she is studying music A level, plays the violin, sings in the Taplow Youth choir and leads a choir at school.
Animal Farm starts on Monday 23rd March and runs until Saturday.
Calling all male actors There is still an opportunity to take part in The Merry Wives of Windsor, this year's outdoor production in Caversham court gardens. The performance dates are 15th - 25th July. It should be great fun, please contact the director on merrywives@progresstheatre.co.uk
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Animal Farm by Peter Hall, adapted from the novel by George Orwell, 7.45 Monday 23rd March - Saturday 28th March 2015 Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, 7.45 Monday 20th April - Saturday 25th April 2015 Killer Joe by Tracey Letts, 7.45 Monday 18th May - Saturday 23rd May 2015 The Weir by Conor McPherson, 7.45 Monday 15th June - Saturday20th June 2015 The Merry Wives of Windsor 7.45 Wednesday 15th - Saturday 25th July, Caversham Court Gardens.
In a previous Gaslightblog post I talked about the stove that had been found on a skip. This week I was able to see it in its full working glory. Gaslight starts tomorrow (Monday 23rd February 2015) but there was no last minute rehearsal going on when I went down to the theatre on Sunday afternoon. Everything was very calm and the only person there was lighting designer Martin putting the finishing touches to the lighting effects, including the fire.
It was difficult to get a good photo but it did look very realistic (you'll have to go and see the show to judge for yourself).
The smoke is actually water vapour created using a pond fogger. I had never heard of a pond fogger but they are commonly used in garden water features when a misty effect is required and are particularly good for creating witches' cauldrons at Halloween. The glow comes from LEDs underneath the 'coals'
The lighting is designed to replicate a Victorian living room lit by a combination of wall gas lights and free standing oil lamps. On set two Raspberry Pi (small basic computers) are linked into the lighting control desk. Martin has written some code so that one turns on and off the fire glow, gas lights and oil lamp. The other one controls the pond fogger and a small fan making sure the smoke goes in the right direction. All are operated on the night with a click of the mouse from the tech box at the back of the auditorium.
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Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, 7.45 Monday 23rd February – at Progress Theatre Auditions for The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, 2.30 Sunday 8th March 2015 or 7.30 Wednesday 11th March, Progress Theatre Animal Farm by Peter Hall, adapted from the novel by George Orwell, 7.45 Monday 23rd March - Saturday 28th March 2015 Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, 7.45 Monday 20th April - Saturday 25th April 2015 Killer Joe by Tracey Letts, 7.45 Monday 18th May - Saturday 23rd May 2015
A 'read through' of a play is just that - a group of people get together to read the play aloud from beginning to end, but without acting it out. The first rehearsal after a play is cast is usually a read through, giving a chance for the new cast to meet each other and start to get a feel for the production.
A read through might also be used if a writer wants to test how a new play sounds. It can also be used before auditions, particularly with a less well known play, to raise awareness and interest among actors who might come to audition.
The motivation for the recent read through of The Merry Wives of Windsor was a combination of these last two points. Director Tony Wernham has worked on the play; cutting some bits and adding a prologue and inter-scene pieces (Tony is calling them interlogues ) to make the production more accessible for a modern audience. He was also hoping to interest people in coming to the auditions in early March.
The people attending were a mixture of those considering auditioning, backstage crew, curious spectators and those looking for something to do on a Sunday night. The parts where randomly allocated after each scene so that everyone had a chance to read different characters.
The Merry Wives of Windsor is the perfect play to perform in Caversham Court Gardens. There are mentions of various places in Berkshire including the only reference to Reading in a Shakespeare play. The Thames also gets a look in and, without giving anything away, will feature in the production.
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Auditions for The Weir by Conor McPherson, Sunday 15th February 2.30 or Tuesday 17th February 7.30 Progress Theatre Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, 7.45 Monday 23rd February – at Progress Theatre Auditions for The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare, 2.30 Sunday 8th March 2015 or 7.30 Wednesday 11th March, Progress Theatre Animal Farm by Peter Hall, adapted from the novel by George Orwell, 7.45 Monday 23rd March - Saturday 28th March 2015 Talking Heads by Alan Bennett, 7.45 Monday 20th April - Saturday 25th April 2015 Killer Joe by Tracey Letts, 7.45 Monday 18th May - Saturday 23rd May 2015
Gaslight was written in 1938 but is actually set in late Victorian London around 1890. At Progress we like adapting and reusing things especially if they are free! The fireplace in the photo below is from our props store and has been used in other productions. The stove was found in a skip and while it may not actually be Victorian it is cast iron and certainly looks the part, It will be made to look like it is burning with the magical use of smoke and mirrors (well smoke and lights anyway).
They are also reusing the beautiful leather sofa that was first bought and renovated for Blithe Spirit in June 2013. The sofa and chairs have been seen on stage a few times since then in various combinations and settings. In this production they will also be using the wing backed armchair you can see behind it in the photo.
You can also see the wooden bureau that prop finder extraordinaire Tony Powell sourced from his mother's flat. During the set build session it was mainly being used as somewhere to leave tools but by opening night everything will be cleaned polished and looking perfectly in keeping.
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Auditions for Killer Joe Wednesday 28th January 7.30 Progress Theatre Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, 7.45 Monday 23rd February – at Progress Theatre
Auditions for The Weir by Conor McPherson, Sunday 15th February 2.30 or Tuesday 17th February 7.30 Progress Theatre (details available on the website soon)
Any staging of The Three Musketeers is going to need swords and, of course, muskets.
Kevin Copping (Aramis) modelling one of the muskets
Fortunately there are people involved in this production who were able to source both. Ian Belcher, who plays Athos, is involved in LARPing (Live Action Role Play) which he described as like cross country pantomime. During a LARP participants dress up and physically act out their characters actions using props were appropriate. In this case Ian's beautiful Renaissance era muskets are very appropriate.
The detail on one of the muskets
Even though the muskets are only models they still have to be kept safely under lock and key while at the theatre. Alex McCubbin who has various roles on stage is also official armourer for the production. This means he has to make sure that as soon as the muskets come off stage they are whisked away and locked back in their box.
Dani Davies from Reading Between the Lines theatre group has been working on the production choreographing the fight scenes. She has lent her swords to the production and made sure that all the actors now how to perform a stage fight so it looks exciting but is not dangerous.
You can enjoy all the action and adventure in The Three Musketeers safe in the knowledge that you won't be threatened by a musket or hit by a stray sword.
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 roughly weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails. The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig from the novel by Alexandre Dumas 7.45 –
