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.
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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.
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.
