Making the most of the summer

There may not have been any plays on at Progress theatre since mid July but things certainly haven't been quiet. We have taken advantage of the natural gap in the programme to carry out some maintenance work. The main work being carried out is some remedial work in the auditorium, this involved the complete removal of all the seats so that the underlying structure could be replaced. A recent building survey reported that while our audiences were perfectly safe we were advised not to let people dance in the aisles!

The auditorium stripped bare

The old seats are going to be put back in but the rows will be more evenly spaced so that there will be no very cramped rows (but of course also no very wide rows). The aisle up the middle will also be straightened to make better use of the space.

Emma Walsh took over the role of theatre premises manager in July so has had to hit the ground running managing this major job. She was already on the committee so knew what she was letting herself in for. While the work in the auditorium is being carried out by professional contractors willing Progress member were called in to spruce up the foyer. It will not be dramatically different but should look clean and fresh for the start of the season. In her new role Emma is planning to draw up a programme of maintenance work for the whole year so that members can see in advance what is planned and what they might be interested in getting involved with.

Foyer decorating team taking a well earned break

Of course the million dollar question was is it all going to be ready in time? Emma said that there had been a delay in the schedule (isn't there always?) about getting the building regulations signed off. Things are now going well  and although we had to move a members social evening the handover date of 25th September means we will be ready for our first public event, Jazz at Progress on 27th.

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Auditions for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Tuesday 24th September 2013 at 7.30pm or Sunday 29th September 2013 at 10am, Progress Theatre

Jazz at Progress, Neal Meets Steele, Friday 27th September 2013 7.30, Progress Theatre

The 8th Annual WriteFest Thursday 17th - Saturday 19th October 2013, Progress Theatre

Details of all our productions and auditions can be found on our website.

The face behind outdoor Shakespeare in Reading

Peter Cockman joined Progress Theatre in 1974 but even before then he was involved with Berkshire Shakespeare Players, an amateur company that put on an annual Shakespeare productions in the abbey ruins. His claim to fame is he played along side Kate Winslet's father in Measure for Measure.

Peter wearing his crew t-shirt at the recent Progress AGM

Peter joined Progress when he was headhunted to play Hamm in Endgame after the actor originally cast "couldn't hack it" and pulled out after only two weeks of rehearsals. Peter was cast after being auditioned over the phone and clearly was more than able to hack it.

Peter was in the RAF until 1968 and acted and directed all round the world. He spent three years in Malta and belonged to the prestigious Malta Amateur Dramatic Club (MADC). He directed and appeared in several Shakespeare plays with MADC including playing Malvolio in Twelfth Night. MADC are still going strong and their latest production is Much ado About Nothing (outdoors of course).

After the Berkshire Shakespeare Players stopped putting on productions at the abbey ruins a professional production company called MDM took on the space. (Peter claims it stands for Make don't Measure after the production of King Lear when they miscalculated the height of some levels on the stage which meant the actors needed to have very long legs or be good at jumping.) Reading Borough Council only allowed MDM to use the ruins on condition that they involved Progress Theatre in the productions. The first show was Henry V and Peter's involvement was selling coke and crisps - all the bar ran to in those days. Things have moved on since then and if you come to this year's production you'll be able to buy cocktails!

Over the next few years Progress put on the plays while MDM organised everything around it including sets and costumes. Peter's involvement grew and he had parts in Macbeth and King Lear and co-directed Much Ado About Nothing . The crunch came in 1999 when MDM decided to pull out and Progress had to make a decision whether to run the whole event ourselves. Peter had long discussions with Jon Churchill, who is also still very much involved in Progress and they decided to go ahead. It was a huge risk and Peter now says they probably wouldn't have done it if they'd realised quite what a big job they were taking on.

The rest is history and over the years Progress produced many successful and profitable productions in the beautiful Abbey Ruins until they were finally declared unsafe and closed off in 2008. After a two year break Progress returned to open air Shakespeare with The Tempest at Caversham Court in 2011. This was by necessity much lower key than the abbey ruin's Shakespeares, the audience bringing their own chairs or sitting on the grass rather than installed banks of seating. Peter says that he was initially against this as it seemed like a step backwards but now thinks it has worked. The event is much easier to organise and there is less financial risk.

Caversham Court Gardens before Macbeth dress rehearsal, backdrop to my interview

Peter's role is executive producer which he describes as doing everything no-one else wants to do like hiring toilets, ordering the staging and being available during the day to take deliveries. I should mention that Peter is also the treasurer for Progress Theatre although after many years in the role he is now training up a replacement. I asked if he was also planning to retire from the open air Shakespeare. "I'll see how I feel at Christmas" was his reply.... 

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Macbeth Thursday 18th to Saturday 27th July 2013 at 7.45pm, Caversham Court Gardens

Informal read through of Writefest plays,  Sunday 4th August 7.30pm. Progress Theatre

Writefest auditions, Wednesday 28th August 7.30pm, Progress Theatre

The 8th Annual WriteFest Thursday 17th - Saturday 19th October 2013, Progress Theatre

A Shakespeare double bill

The Progress Youth Theatre are presenting a double bill of Shakespeare plays - Romeo and Juliet and Love's Labours Lost. Both have been abridged so don't worry you won't be at the theatre past midnight!

I was distracted from starting to write this blog by wondering about apostrophes, should it be 'Love's Labours Lost' or 'Love's Labour's Lost'? If you care about such things I did find an interesting thread discussing it here.

Romeo and Juliet is being performed in a contemporary setting with the two gangs portrayed as Muslims and Christians. Some of Shakespeare's language has been kept but some has been updated to fit the setting.

 

Fidelity, who plays the Princess, modelling her horse's head
 

Love's Labour's Lost has been set in Victorian times so will have a very different feel. The props used are stylised and use paper and letters as a motif (letters are important in the plot). When they offered to show me the horse's head I imagined something dripping with blood, Godfather style. It turned out to be a very sweet hobby horse decorated with letters.

There is some doubling up required with some actors playing more than one part. This necessity has been turned into an opportunity to showcase the skill and versatility of our young actors. Look out for some amazing transformations between sophisticated courtiers and country bumpkins.

If we have whet your appetite for Shakespeare then don't forget our annual outdoor production in Caversham Court this year is Macbeth and starts on 18th July. The weather is looking good so get your tickets 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.

Progress Youth Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet and Love's Labours Lost Monday 8th to Saturday 14th July, Progress Theatre

This year's outdoor Shakespeare Macbeth Thursday 18th to Saturday 27th July 2013 at 7.45pm, Caversham Court Gardens

Blithe Spirit Costumes

As well as co-directing the production Heather Noble has also been responsible for the costumes for Blithe Spirit. Having recently given up a dress making course as she was too busy she wasn't quite sure how she ended up making replica 1930s dresses....



Photo by Aidan Moran

Heather found  the black evening dress worn by Chris Moran (Ruth) in this picture in a vintage shop while on holiday in Herefordshire. She thinks it is actually a 1980s dress but fits the 1930s look. The red evening dress worn by Amy Leversidge (Mrs Bradman) came from the Progress wardrobe.







photo by Aidan Moran

Heather also found the outfit for Elvira, played by Nicola Howe, in the wardrobe. It perfectly matched her idea of what she wanted and she couldn't believe it was just hanging there.

She suspects the reason it is so perfect is that it was made for the last production of Blithe Spirit put on at Progress nearly twenty years ago.









Heather showed me one of the 1930s dresses she made using a pattern she found on the internet. Chris Moran who plays Ruth is a quilting teacher and they traded skills - one of her pupils helped Heather with the complex parts of the dress making and Chris did some quilting for her.

Another of Chris's pupils is helping out every night with the complex 1930s hairstyles. Lots of grips. rollers and hairspray required.

You can hire costumes from the Progress Theatre wardrobe for your own productions or parties contact cmoran@ntlworld.com . You'll have to wait until Blithe Spirit has finished before you can hire any of the ones featured in this post though ...

Blithe Spirit starts tonight (Monday 17th June 2013) and runs until Saturday 22nd June. You should be able to get tickets on the door for the first few nights but from Thursday you are advised to book.

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.

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward Monday 17th June - Saturday 22nd June 2013 7.45 Progress Theatre

Auditions for Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson Sunday June 23rd 2:30 or Tuesday June 25th 7:30, Progress Theatre

Progress Youth Theatre presents Romeo and Juliet Monday 8th to Saturday 14th July, Progress Theatre

This year's outdoor Shakespeare Macbeth Thursday 18th to Saturday 27th July 2013 at 7.45pm, Caversham Court Gardens

Renovating for Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit is set in the 1930s which gives plenty of opportunity for some fabulous period furniture and props The crew and wider theatre membership have been scouring charity shops and E-bay.

 



This sofa and matching chair had to be collected from London and were in very bad condition but are being given lots of TLC and will look perfect by the time the show starts.

I love this silver tea set. Found in a charity shop and polished up to look as good as new.

Perhaps the most impressive prop is the gramophone player. This is a reproduction made in India and it does play 78s but for the production has been adapted so that it can be used to play music on an i-pod through a tiny speaker that is then amplified by the tube. It can even be made to spin remotely by the 'ghost', and of course there is a genuine 78 record to complete the picture.

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.

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward Monday 17th June - Saturday 22nd June 2013 7.45 Progress Theatre

Auditions for Moonlight and Magnolias by Ron Hutchinson Sunday June 23rd 2:30 or Tuesday June 25th 7:30, Progress Theatre

This year's outdoor Shakespeare Macbeth Thursday 18th to Saturday 27th July 2013 at 7.45pm, Caversham Court Gardens