The show must go on
Amidst the sadness of bad news that has fallen on the Barn over the last four weeks, there has been a real buzz and energy which has kept a number of us going. It’s worth remembering that although we lament the loss of loved ones, it’s the very nature of this theatrical community that brings people together, builds an extended family, and helps create memories that stay with us for a lifetime. This spirit was no more evident than in the recent production of Calendar Girls. For everyone and anyone who saw it you’ll know that a genuine camaraderie was established in that company, and it filtered across the stage and throughout the building, and lifted everybody. It was the perfect play in the perfect hands, performed by a perfect cast, and it delivered at the perfect moment.
The same spirit and energy continued into the Directors Evening. In my ‘however many’ years at the Barn, I’ve never known such a well attended evening: we were literally standing in the aisles! Clive Weatherley effortlessly guided us through an epic-sounding season of 13 productions – nine Main House and four Studio – ably assisted by all directors who pimped their shows to the assembled masses. There were new plays, musicals, comedies and full-on epics on offer: large casts, small casts, experimental ideas and safe ‘bums on seats’ suggestions. Above all, there were plenty of opportunities provided to get involved, both on stage and behind the scenes. If you missed the excitement, then the full season is listed below, alongside details of directors who you might contact should you wish to get involved.
2023 / 24 season
Good Grief and Vanilla– Late September (2 one-act plays)
King Charles III – Mid October
The Mercy Seat – End October
Toast – November
Grimm Tales – December
War and Peace – January
Holes – February
Iron – February
Beginning – March
Oliver! – April
The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovery – May
Cabin Pressure – May
Harvey – June
Following this, it was business as usual, and no real sense of slowing down before Season’s End. I felt like Mother Hubbard when I wafted into the wardrobe to find myself a new ‘boned’ corset, only to find the corset cupboard was bare! A lack of corsets can only mean one thing: Lou Wallace is in the director’s chair for the next production!
Sure enough, the sound of 80s electo-pop echoes out of the Studio and, upon further investigation, Lou is found sitting on the floor, wading in a sea of lace and corsetry. Being Jane Eyre is well into rehearsals and the trademarks of a Lou show are already on display. To the uninitiated, it looks like chaos; to those in the know, it is proper creativity in progress. Lou doesn’t go by the script: she likes her devising and experimenting, and producing outstanding productions! Her 2019 production of Kneehigh’s The Red Shoes was an entertaining, engaging and original success, and Being Jane Eyre looks to be following in the same mould.
The play is an original piece, penned by Louise herself, and stemming from her love of the Brontës, and… I’ll let her continue:
“I’m a drama teacher and decided to write a play back in 2019. By then I’d been teaching – er – a LONG time! And the time had come AGAIN to come up with a school play! We study Polly Teale’s Brontë at A-Level and I have an old fashioned notion people would read at least some of the ‘classics’ – so was shocked that less than half my class had read Jane Eyre. ‘Hmm,’ I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s have a go.’ So I began adapting the novel for a flexible cast – knowing I needed around 40 roles and knowing the students like working with music and with a largely ’storytelling’ style! We made our play in four mad weeks. The students were amazing: they adapted music, had too much fun with matches, and made some magical memories. But I always thought I’d like to see how the play might change with some ‘adults’ in the company.
Which brings us to 2023…
“When we read a novel, we feel / see / imagine worlds within our head. I was interested in exploring ways of doing that on stage – of making visible and tangible things / ideas / characters that are often contained within our imagination. Our imaginative world is an ever-changing picture of sounds and images, and I wanted to try and create that on stage. You might call it ‘expressionistic’ in approach: we want the stage to look a bit like a writer’s playground – full of possibilities, paper and corsets!
“This has been a rollercoaster journey, rather like the journey of Jane herself! The rehearsal process has moved from place to place and we’ve become rather nomadic carrying bags of costumes and props around as we go. The rehearsal room has been generous, playful, at times rather loud and often quite stressful, but then nothing of value is easily won and I’m so proud of what we’ve created together. I hope our audiences will enjoy the playful style of our production. Go with it, don’t feel you have to analyse every second to enjoy it. I’ve loved working with a (lively) bunch of multi-generational actors and I hope our audience are able to play with reality in the way a child is able to… why do we stop doing that when we ‘grow-up’?
“Please come and support us as we close what has been a fabulous season!”
Being Jane Eyre opens on 23rd June and runs through to Thursday 29th, with a matinee on Saturday 24th.
Tickets available online and from the Box Office.
Simon Wallace
Obituary - Siobhán Hill Elam
Born in Dublin, Siobhán had a career in Hertsmere Police in the rank of Sergeant. She had been a member of Tower Theatre in north London where she’d played in the 70s and 80s very notably in leading roles in such works as Duet for One, Juno and the Paycock, The Odd Couple and Kennedy’s Children.
Keith Thompson
Tributes to Siobhán
Siobhán was one of the Barn’s best actors and directors and would, I’m sure, have made an excellent Chair, certainly a welcome change from the old grey chaps (like me) who have held the position for the past few centuries.
She also had a great career in the police force, was a published author, and a very committed liberal. I was fortunate enough to appear in a few productions with her, my favourite (although it was a dreadful play) was The Farndale Macbeth where she played Macbeth and was actually terrific. I also remember more recently an excellent performance in a superb production (and we seem to have had a few of them recently) of Hangmen.
Siobhán was also great fun, had a terrific sense of humour and was a delight to be around.
I’m sure a lot of people at the Barn will miss her very much and we send our condolences to her family.
Bob Thomson
Siobhán helped me enormously during my one significant appearance at the Barn. She was directing the Barn’s 2011 Festival entry, in which one character was a 5ft 3in Scot. I was cast purely for actually being a 5ft 3in Scot but… I couldn’t act. Siobhán’s tact and patience with me were limitless.
Peter Neville
Changing of the guard
Chair
The recruitment for role of chair at the Barn is currently work in progress. Nigel Rive is assuming the position for the time being, but if you think you’d like to apply we’d be very pleased to hear from you. If you want more information please contact Nigel at nigel.rive@barntheatre.co.uk
Finance Director
It’s time for a new Finance Director as Ian was due to finish his five-year term last Christmas, so this is a call for anyone who wants to be hands-on with running the finances of our theatre. We’re a successful small business, with an annual turnover of more than £200,000, and we have all the financial issues and controls that you’d expect. However, the main role of the FD is to support the Directors putting on shows, to support Michael Merry and the team looking after the building, and to be the finance representative on Barn Council. As well as the obvious tasks of doing the accounting for the Trust and Club businesses, payments, and producing management information for Council, the FD gets involved with bar pricing, Box Office sales, and membership and youth group admin, so he or she gets to know a lot about how the theatre works.
We’ve made things simpler over the last five years, eliminating cash and making it possible to work remotely, and I’ll be around to help mentor the new FD while Sofia Oliva will help with the accounting.
We think this is a great opportunity for someone younger to volunteer and be part of the management team. It helps, but you don’t need to be a qualified accountant, and it will probably suit someone who ‘scworking in admin or finance who’d like to add Finance Director to their CV. We look forward to the rush of volunteers, so contact us at finance@barntheatre.co.uk
Workshop Manager
We’re also looking for a keen volunteer to take on the management of the Barn’s workshop as our very able current manager – Keith Collingwood – is moving away from WGC. The position requires someone who’s handy, very handy, in DIY and is available Monday mornings to head up a very, very able construction crew.
The position requires you to be responsible for the construction of sets for the coming season to plans prepared by the relevant set designer. Also, any remedial repair jobs to the fabric of the Barn is also a task. If you’re interested in finding out more please contact Nigel Rive at nigel.rive@barntheatre.co.uk and he’ll meet with you (with a member of the crew) and describe the function. It’s great fun and there’s a lot of camaraderie – plus ‘builders’ biscuits’ are legendary!
Ian Major
Finance Director
Review - Alys, Always
Alys, Always was billed as a thriller, though it perhaps doesn’t easily fit into that category. Psychological thriller, perhaps, with elements of social observation, and some light comedy
However you class it, it’s tightly written, plot-driven, clever and fast-moving. It takes us on a journey through the transformation of its leading character, Frances (with an e), from lowly office dogsbody to… what? Scheming interloper? Serial deceiver? Monster? Or just a more resourceful, ambitious and confident version of the person she’d always been?
The original book Alys, Always was written by the journalist Harriet Lane and was adapted for the stage by screen writer Lucinda Coxon. Although this play may not yet be well known, these are writers with serious chops who know how to make a good story work.
Our protagonist, Frances, leads the action by addressing the audience directly, introducing events and linking the short scenes to each other. Using this device, the drama moves seamlessly between locations and through time. Frances is on stage throughout almost the whole performance and there are 14 other characters, with a cast of 10 doubling up some of the smaller roles.
Key to the success of the production was therefore Jessica Drucker playing Frances. This was a fantastic, tightly controlled and confident performance. There was no ‘evil genius’ style grandstanding (which would have been tempting), but instead great pacing, clarity and characterisation. Her transformation as the play progresses was caught perfectly and was key to carrying us through the drama, helping us believe in her and keeping us fully engaged.
The 10 other players with roles of various sizes were all excellent. It was a feature of the evening that no weak links were apparent – all contributed their parts with aplomb and worked together seamlessly to keep the action flowing. Foremost was Des Turner as Lawrence, a ‘great’ writer with some, let’s face it, not uncommon character flaws. This was a sympathetic portrayal of both his trauma at the death of his wife and of the weakness that will be his undoing.
Alice Croot and Arthur Roberts were Polly and Teddy, the children of Alys, overtaken by grief but responding in different and complex ways. It is, perhaps, a hard task to catch the wild adolescent mood swings convincingly, but both dealt with the demands of the part well (Alice Croot particularly).
The role of Charlotte, an old family friend and Lawrence’s agent, was taken by Jan Palmer Sayer. This is a key role and we got very subtle performance from a great seasoned performer. Her confession in the final scene was extraordinary – we could all see how painful the truth she was being forced to reveal was.
Mary, Oliver and Sid, played by Jessica Wall, Laurence Lowe and Hannah Humbles, gave some light relief as the newspaper colleagues who become victims of Frances’ new-found ambition. This was all performed with great sprit, though I would note that some of the laugh lines didn’t reach the back of the auditorium.
In other roles, Paul Russell and Mary Powell gave us Mr and Mrs Thorpe, an irredeemably dull suburban couple. They were small parts, but beautifully done, again showing the strength in depth in this cast. Devi Smart and Sarah Green were PC Nagra and the unseen, dying Alys, again small but important roles that gave the opening its required spark.
The director Mel Powell throughout made excellent choices on how to make the piece work. A box set was used, which is more or less required to allow for the many quick changes of scene. These scene transitions meant that there was a great deal of inconspicuous detail to be coped with on how to get cast, props and scenery into the right place at the right time without pausing the action. There was evidence of lots of diligent preparation work here to find elegant solutions, which really paid off on the night.
The box set, while well used, was inevitably not much of a treat on the eyes. An archway over a raised platform at the back gave some variety in elevation, and projections onto the screen behind the arch were used to give more of a sense of place to each scene. Many of the choices as to what to use for the projections were very effective, though at times they were perhaps literal rather than atmospheric. The lighting design, while effective, could also, perhaps have been bolder, using more colour to highlight mood and place.
Overall, the audience had a tremendous evening. The delivery was slick and entertaining and it brilliantly told the tale of a young woman taking her chances and carelessly hurting everyone she encountered on the way. Tremendously well played, and congratulations to all involved.
Oliver Hitch
Review - Calendar Girls
A play based on true experience
When this play was released for amateurs in 2012, over 250 theatre group bought the rights to perform what was widely acknowledged to be a taboo-busting piece. Who suspected that the WI harboured such radicals and who expected to see such large numbers of female actors doffing so many of their clothes for their art?
Around that time, I personally saw at least five productions as my more courageous friends rushed to be part of what proved to be a very funny, very poignant and ultimately very uplifting (no pun intended) experience. But five times? Enough was enough!
So it was with some reservations that I arrived to see it again, 12 years on. Had age and experience dulled the impact of the piece? Would I engage with it all this time round?
Reader, the production was a delight…
From the moment that the play started, the cast engaged the whole audience who were laughing and enjoying themselves. We all had some level of recognition of the characters and their situation and we readily acknowledged it.
The open stage showed us what was undoubtedly a village hall, with the pre-requisite folding chairs and laminate table and the essential piano tucked tight into the upstage right corner of what was a simple but very solid set. I would have liked to see the standard portrait of the reigning monarch and a couple of local dignitaries to give more of a sense of time and place, but that became irrelevant as the play progressed and we became more and more drawn in to the unfolding story. The later setting for the sunflowers on the hill, using a cloth and low-level flats, didn’t quite achieve the glorious beauty of the sunflowers, which was somewhat of a disappointment.
The music that underscored the play was very well chosen and, apart from a couple of very recognisable, fun tunes, offered us the opportunity to access the emotion of the moment through some lovely classical pieces.
This play is a significant challenge for the creatives on the Props team. At first, I was a bit concerned that there wouldn’t be enough to truly fill the picture to support the action. But – some very careful measurements and precise positioning of the delightful baked goods and produce (for which the WI is so famous) ensured that the picture was perfect!
Wardrobe was excellent, with some notable pieces really capturing the imagination – the knee-length white boots, the hats, the fancy dress items – the rabbit costume was wonderful because it hit the brief perfectly and with that brilliant tail added another opportunity for fun. One of my favourite moments was when the unexpectedly vibrant red bra flew through the air, breaking a bit of tension for us all.
This is without doubt essentially an ensemble piece, particularly within the group of six actors who had to work so closely together to create the calendar poses. Suzie Major and Barbara Holgate-Stuckey carried both the main narrative and the most complex relationship. Their command of the roles, their timing and execution were spot-on. I never doubted their friendship for a moment, and Annie’s disappointment as her friend lost sight of the real purpose of their actions was crystal clear. In her interpretation of Jessie, Maureen Davies embraced perhaps the most surprising character, one who has nothing left to prove or to be held accountable for and she played it with relish. Rachel Wallace, Richelle Pitt-Chambers and Charlotte McDermott completed the group, owning their roles and earning our affection.
Celia Roberts created an overbearing but ultimately sad Marie and Frances Ferrugia gave us a superior Lady Cravenshire – great job! Catherine Hutchinson as the husband-stealing Elaine was instantly relatable as the patronising beautician and Stephanie Cotter played Brenda, the visiting broccoli specialist, with just the right amount of affront when the projector failed.
John is of course a pivotal character but the role is deliberately underwritten to enable the development of the women’s story. We don’t see much of him, so it’s important that we empathise immediately. Rob Graham’s interpretation allowed us to do that and to understand his relationship with his wife and his gift to her.
Roly Taylor gave huge energy to the role of Laurence, whose enthusiasm for his job overcame his embarrassment at having to accommodate the photo-shoot. His initial nervousness was perfectly communicated and the change to creative professional was very well done.
Playing Rod, Andrew Sibley provided a much-needed balance between his wife Chris and Annie, as their friendship faltered.
Liam – an increasingly familiar figure in a commercially driven world was very effectively embodied by Tallan Cameron.
Across the whole cast, the vocal and physical interpretations were well realised and totally engaging.
The Director clearly had the right touch for this piece. Understanding of the content and the message, thoughtful staging and the confidence of her cast enabled her to create a really enjoyable production.
The audience responses both during and after the show demonstrated the deserved appreciation and I was so glad that I had the chance to revisit this piece.
Thanks to all involved –
Maureen Bukht
Obituary - John Cude
John died suddenly at his home, which was discovered when he failed to arrive at the Barn for a meeting and then members checked up at his house.
John was our current Stage Director. Although his speciality was designing and operating lighting for productions, his responsibility was staffing all aspects of plays which he did very efficiently, holding meetings with directors to ensure they fully and properly had all the necessary posts filled. Additionally he was responsible for training new staff in backstage roles.
He first appears in the Club archives for 1993, lighting The Cherry Orchard. Only occasionally involved for a while, he greatly increased his efforts from 2006 onwards: seven plays from 2006 to 2009 and then 21 from 2009 to 2014 to a total of 51. His appetite for the job of lighting design and operation is reflected this season, where he appeared on the programmes for Blackadder Goes Forth, Matilda Jr, Treasure Island and Calendar Girls.
His quietly reserved personality masked his enthusiasm and skill, and he was always happy to be inolved in the social side of our hobby. His Father Christmas beard was a reassuring presence at rehearsals. His immobility, the result of an accident, was overcome with the support of a team of lighting experts who assisted when he needed to be using ladders to roam around the lighting rigs. Like so many of our ‘techies’, he was committed and hardworking, enjoying the work and the company. We are grateful for his efforts, and we will miss him.
Keith Thompson
Obituary - Eric Chorley
Born in Bromley and having been evacuated during the war and then completing his National Service in the RAF, Eric played in professional repertory theatre for 10 years, and then became a teacher of English and drama. He first played here in 1971 in The Flip Side, cemented his place in the Barn hierarchy as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 1978, and followed in succeeding years with Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, the hedonistic Bishop of Southwark in Racing Demon, and many more strong and memorable performances until his last in Blue Stockings in 2014.
His knowledgeable directing was fuelled by his early experience in professional rep theatre. He tackled a wide range of scripts for the Barn, starting with the then controversial A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 1975, and among others Loot, Forget-Me-Not-Lane, Cider with Rosie and his last effort Funny Money in 2013. As a director he understood the demands of the mechanics of farce more than most, as demonstrated in Run for Your Wife in 1993 and several others.
In 1979 he devised a history of the Barn in music and sketches called Hippo on the Doorstep.
At the Minack for Jan Palmer Sayer’s production for Hertfordshire Players of The Madness of George III, described by the local press in Cornwall as ‘one of the Minack’s all-time greats’ he played the mad monarch. He also played for The Company of Players, Hertford, and HD&OS. We had seen little of him in the last couple of years. On the artistic side of the Club’s affairs he was a major contributor for 50 years and had been Artistic Director and a Council Member in the 1970s. Almost all of his efforts were in the upper echelon of the Club’s achievements.
We offer our condolences to Tina and his family. His input to our programmes was significant, and his company always worthwhile. We will miss him, and remember him.
Keith Thompson
Audition Notice - King Charles III
By Mike Bartlett
Directed by Cliff Francis
Playing dates: 13th to 21st October
King Charles III… Bold, brilliant and unstoppably entertaining (The Times); Outstanding and provocative (Daily Telegraph)
Synopsis
King Charles III is a 21st century take on a five-act Shakespearean tragedy. Written at the time of the original News International phone hacking scandal, the play is a fictional account of the accession and reign of King Charles III.
Charles and his family gather following the funeral of the Queen. Charles, as the new King, holds his first weekly audience with the Prime Minister. They discuss a new bill for the statutory regulation of the press, which has passed both houses of parliament and awaits only royal assent to become law. Charles is concerned that the law restricts freedom of the press too much.
He asks the Prime Minister to change the Bill, but the Prime Minister refuses. The two men spar, as the Leader of the Opposition arrives for a new weekly meeting with Charles. The Leader of the Opposition expresses his own doubts on the bill, but he sees little alternative but for Charles to sign.
In parallel, Prince Harry has begun a relationship with Jess Edwards, a republican.
Both Charles and Prince William have seen the ghost of Princess Diana, promising each man that he will become “the greatest King of all”. One of his first actions is to refuse to give royal assent to the press regulation bill.
The Prime Minister holds a crisis meeting with the Leader of the Opposition and then goes alone to try to convince Charles to sign, but Charles continues to refuse. The Prime Minister then threatens to pass a new law bypassing the royal assent and then pass the press law, but Charles dissolves Parliament before the Prime Minister can bring either of these plans into effect.
Protests begin across the country and especially in London. Charles increases the army guard at Buckingham Palace, offers his protection to Jess (whom the press has made the centre of a sex scandal), and agrees to Harry’s wish to become a commoner. The Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William’s wife Kate) proposes a solution: William will serve as a mediator between Parliament and his father. William announces this plan at a press conference without his father’s knowledge or consent.
Roles
The Royals
I won’t be looking for exact lookalikes as the play is set in alternate universe, but those who can bring essence of the characters to life.
- CHARLES – The King
- CAMILLA – The Queen Consort
- WILLIAM – The Prince of Wales
- KATE – The Princess of Wales
- HARRY – The Duke of Sussex
The Commoners
- JESS – Harry’s new girlfriend, a staunch republican
- EVANS – The Prime Minister (gender blind)
- STEVENS – The leader of the Opposition (gender blind)
- REISS – Charles’s private secretary
- DIANA’S GHOST / SARAH (chief advisor to the PM) and TV PRODUCER
- Next up the visitors to the station
- SPENCER / NICK / SIR GORDON – Spencer is a friend of Harry’s, Nick is the PM’s communications adviser, Sir Gordon is chief of the defence staff
- COOTSY / CLIVE / SIR MICHAEL – Cootsy another friend of Harry’s, Clive a palace messenger, Sir Michael is commissioner of the met police
- And other small roles are of a BP servant and a butler, the speaker of the house of commons; Paul a kebab van owner; a newspaper seller, a monarchist protester; Terry, Harry’s police guard;
The play is set entirely in London, moving from Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Palace of Westminster and other locations
Open auditions
You are welcome to attend as many auditions as you like, but only once will be needed. You do not need to be a member of The Barn Theatre Club to audition, but will need to join if cast.
Rehearsals will be initially twice a week on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and then moving to Sunday mornings too.
Scripts are available in the club room (in a box near to the pigeon holes).
Audition dates
Auditions will be held on the following dates:
Tuesday 13th June 2023 at 7.30pm in Room 1
Thursday 15th June 2023 at 7.30pm in Room 1
Sunday 18th June 2023 at 10.30am in Room 1
Rehearsals
Readthrough will be Thursday 20th July 2023 at 7.30pm in Room 1
First rehearsal will be on Tuesday 25th July 2023 at 7.30pm in Room 1.
Cliff Francis
Audition Notice - Good Grief
By Matt Adie
Directed by Rob Graham
Playing Dates: Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th September in the Studio
Workshop dates:
Wednesday 7th (Room 1) and Thursday 8th (Studio) June, 8-10pm
Audition dates:
Tuesday 20th and Thursday 22nd June in the Studio, 8-10pm
Good Grief is a new unpublished play, which I came across almost by chance, and am delighted that I have talked the author who, between you and me, can be a tad difficult, into letting me give it its first outing in the Studio at the end of September. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. Actually, yes I can. In fact, I just did.
The play is centred around a family that’s dealing with the aftermath of a personal tragedy and is based on the author’s own personal experiences. It covers a number of issues – love, loss, grief and in particular how battling through can often be shaped by how others around you react. It’s a very real, visceral and, at times, intense piece but is still laced with plenty of humour. Many of the issues raised should certainly strike a chord and I believe that both the words and the context will readily appeal to an audience particularly in the intimacy of the Studio setting.
I’m delighted to have my crew already in place. So, to the cast (4-6):
- Alison – a mother in her fifties, a measured individual, the centre of the family, its rock and stabilising force. Even-tempered and the yin to her husband’s yang, but she has her breaking point. Plays a pivotal role in the narrative.
- Alex – her husband, a similar age but more volatile, he’s struggling to get to grips with the changes thrust on the family. Sarcastic, sardonic and at times irrational. Mentally anguished. All his emotions are laid bare. A peach of a role.
- Ella – their daughter, probably early thirties, has some lovely tender scenes, particularly with her father with whom she also clashes. She’s a chip off the old block.
- Jake – Alex’s best friend of many years who tries his best to help the family with their crisis. Well-intentioned but his efforts are often misplaced and misguided. As a result he has some great moments and comic lines.
There are a dozen or so supporting characters who have key moments – usually in narrative with Alex, sometimes imagined and sometimes real. While I’m of a mind to have the above four actors play all these supporting roles, depending on the level of interest, I may consider casting two people to cover these instead, taking the cast to six. Either way, all actors will have plenty to do in the play.
Running time somewhere in the region of 1 hour 15 minutes. Props, costumes and set will all be kept to a minimum. Lighting will be key for a number of transitions and short monologues. I have in mind staging the play in a workshop style, almost as if the cast is a touring company so, like Alex’s emotions, the inner workings of the play will also be laid bare.
My intention is to have a number of rehearsals in June/July, then break for August before we resume off-book at the start of September for the last intense push. Premiering a new play is going to be a huge thrill and we’ll have fun experimenting, I guarantee, so I do hope you’ll come along to the auditions on 20th and 22nd June at 8pm in the Studio.
If you’re unsure about whether to audition, or can’t make the run itself due to other commitments, but would like to be involved in some way, then please come along to one of the two workshop sessions we’ll be running with a view to testing out and tweaking the script with the author’s blessing, on 7th June (Room 1) or 8th June (Studio) at 8pm.
Scripts are available from me rob.graham@barntheatre.co.uk.
Any questions: please feel free to email me or my Production Secretary Brenda Tomlin brenda.tomlin@barntheatre.co.uk.
Audition Notice - Vanilla
Written and directed by Laura Mead
Playing dates: Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th September in the Studio
Audition dates:
Monday 19th and Wednesday 21st June in Room One at 8pm
Vanilla is an unpublished play, which I’ve had the pleasure of taking to both the Vault Festival and the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham this year, and I’m now super-excited to be able to direct at the lovely Barn Studio. I’m really excited to be able to collaborate on this with a handful of actors who are ready to play and create something new with the text.
The play centres around a couple who are looking for something to reignite the fire in their relationship. It’s the year 2020. The restrictions of the first lockdown are starting to lift. Dan and Katie are trying to imagine a life where they can go to the pub on a Friday night again, something which has been replaced by puzzles and endless quiz nights on Zoom for the last three months. How do they go about finding something to feel passionate about again? Well of course, they instigate a threesome – much to Katie’s apparent discomfort…
The play discusses LGBTQ+ themes, as well as loneliness, loyalty, betrayal and sexuality. It’s a 55-minute funny, awkward and, at times, heart-breaking journey. It’s an intimate piece fit for any studio setting and certainly relatable for – I think – more people than we would usually imagine.
Characters:
- Katie – somewhere in her mid to late twenties. Before the pandemic hit, she was working as an estate agent. Luckily for her, she’s been furloughed. She’s loyal, always looking after the seemingly depressed Dan and making sure that he’s content. There’s a pivotal moment in the play where she finds her voice and transitions into somebody very powerful.
- Dan – somewhere in his mid to late twenties. He lost his bar job in the January just before the pandemic hit and he doesn’t really know what else to do with his life. He hasn’t been very lucky. Dan was staying at Katie’s when the lockdown arrived and he never ended up leaving. A very confused and stubborn soul, he’s anxious to find something to help him escape his depression. Throughout the play, Dan is the character who we gradually discover more and more about.
- Nick – our ‘antagonist’. Somewhere in his mid-late twenties. Nick is a man of mystery. He’s our ‘third person’, the man Dan and Katie decided to invite into their relationship. From the moment he arrives into the living-room, the play takes an unexpected turn. He’s exciting and scary: an incredibly strong character. The night unfolds because of Nick.
Props, costumes and set will all be very minimalistic. The play is set in one night, therefore only one lighting state will be used throughout. The rehearsal process will very much rely on the actors ‘workshopping’: being brave, throwing ideas into the space, relying on each other. I’m looking for a team who can become a little family: a team who will support each other throughout so that we can really work on the intricate details of the story together. The ability to work well together really is integral as all three characters are leading parts in their own right.
I intend to have a read-through rehearsal at the end of June. We will then break for July before going into an intensive off-book period of rehearsals (two evenings a week) in the August and into September. If this sounds like your cup of tea, I’ll be very excited to see you at the auditions on Monday 19th and Wednesday 21st June.
Scripts are available on request. Please feel free to ask me any more questions via email!
Laura Mead
Audition Notice - The Mercy Seat
By Neil LaBute
Directed by Andy Mills
Playing dates w/c 25th October 2023
On 12th September 2021, Ben Harcourt finds himself in the downtown Manhattan apartment of his lover Abby Prescott – who also happens to be his boss. Ben should have been in the office on 11th September at the scene of the tragedy that struck New York but was instead with Abby. His endlessly ringing cell phone haunts their conversation as Ben and Abby explore the choices now available to them in an existence different from the one they knew just the day before. Will Ben let his family know he’s alive or will he and Abby take the chance to create a new life for themselves?The Mercy Seat is a brilliant exploration of the often-brutal realities of the battle between the sexes and explores whether one can be or should be truly opportunistic in a time of universal selflessness. The play premiered in New York in 2002 directed by the writer himself with Liev Schreiber as Ben and Sigourney Weaver as Abby. It opened at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2003 with the roles played by Sinead Cusack and John Hannah.
The Mercy Seat is a one-act, single-scene, 80-minute rollercoaster of emotion with two great roles allowing both actors to explore and portray a huge range of emotions and feelings throughout. The play moves through, and often revisits, conflict, passion, comedy and sadness with an unexpected twist at the end. We’ll be representing Abby’s downtown Manhattan loft apartment in the Studio with an audience on three sides. With a small cast we can be flexible with some rehearsals over the summer before a more structured rehearsal run in September and October. Both actors will need to perform with American accents.
The roles
- Ben Harcourt – Playing age; late 20s to late 30s, married with daughters still at home. Initially sees the tragedy of the day before as an opportunity to start a new life with Abby but spends the rest of the play tying himself in emotional knots. He likes to think he’s in control of his relationships, but his ego struggles with Abby’s hierarchical and intellectual superiority. Clearly a flawed character and often described as difficult to like, he has been putting off the choice he thinks he has to make for some time.
- Abby Prescott – Described as 10-12 years older than Ben, single and a senior manager at her firm. She’s clever and witty and, while clearly very emotionally attached to Ben and their relationship, bears the frustration and resentment of being ‘the other woman’. Unlike Ben, she seems to be deeply affected by the events of the day before, while not completely discounting the potential opportunity it could afford them both. Abby runs through a great range of emotions from anger to sadness and, while she knows how to ‘push Ben’s buttons’, is clearly deeply uneasy with the apparent lack of control that she has over their relationship.
Auditions: Sunday 2nd July at 2.30pm and Thursday 6th July at 8pm, both in Room 1.
Scripts and further Information:
Carol Bush on 01707 708704 or 07968 636437.
Email: carol.bush@barntheatre.co.uk
Andy Mills on 07800 711306
Email: andy.mills@barntheatre.co.uk
Andy Mills
Social scene
Thank you to everyone who attended the Jazz Night in May. Once again it was a huge success. If you missed out this time, you can get your tickets for our final evening of the season – in the auditorium! Join us on Friday 14th July for our final Jazz Night when we’ll be joined by Kind of Blur.
Brit-pop meets bebop in creative mash-ups of familiar tunes, all re-cast in the style of the best-selling jazz album ever – Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. Setlists can include songs from Blur to Kylie Minogue via Chumbawamba and the Eurythmics. With the occasional Disney tune thrown in for good measure, the talented quintet takes each song on a journey into A Whole New World. Expect heaps of fun and sophistication.
We’ve sold out for our Comedy Night on 10th June, which is excellent. We’ll be doing more of these evenings next season so please do keep your eyes peeled for more dates.
Our final social event of the 2022-23 Season! Please save the date for Saturday 15th July for our Golden Spatulas Awards. These will be presented the same way as the Oscars, so if you’re nominated, make sure you have your speech ready! A full list of nominees will be in the July Barn News with a link so you can vote for your favourites! If you’re around, please do come along: you never know, you could be the Barn Theatre’s first Golden Spatulas Winner!
If you’d like a space, please email social@barntheatre.co.uk so we have a rough idea of numbers.
Hannah
Social Director
Barn Youth Opportunity
Former Barn member Chris Bruce runs a theatrical training company in London called CreaTech Academies. He contacted our new Youth Director Jacqueline Clayton to find out whether a course during the summer for our youth groups would be of interest.
Here are the details:
“Want to make a fantastic film, using digital equipment and giving you the opportunity to learn some amazing new skills? Want to have a load of fun working with people of your own age?
Apart from having an incredible time making the film, we invite you back to the Barn in the autumn with invited family and friends, to attend the Premiere. At this fabulous event, you’ll receive a bespoke certificate which lists the skills you’ve learnt / mastered, plus you’ll get an engraved trophy as a memento and celebration of what you contributed to during the week! And if your colleagues think you were great, you might pick up a peer award too!
“Making a film in one week is really exciting, sometimes challenging, but also allows you to let your creativity, time management and organisation skills develop – something that employers are always looking for. For over ten years we’ve enjoyed working with, and have had the best time with, around 500 students across the UK. Many have had a ‘creative light ignited’ and after the week is over, get the bug to do it again.
“For Barn Youth members (aged from about 10-18) we have a specially reduced price of £175 for five days, from 9.30am until 4pm. Normally a workshop like this would be £250 – so there’s a great saving to be had. Barn Youth members get priority booking until 9th June 2023. The workshop will run from Monday 21st to Friday 25th August in the Studio.
“For further details and to look at our past decade’s worth of films, go to createch.org.uk or email us at createchacademies@outlook.com”
Jacqueline Clayton
Youth Director
Meet Barn Youth!
Our theatre is home to an incredible community and provides endless opportunities on stage and off stage. Barn Youth is the perfect introduction to this theatrical hub, with many of our members forming life-long connections with the theatre as a result.
We have a total of four youth groups: three junior groups:
Pigwidgeon (9-11 years (Y6) – Monday, 4-5.30pm);
Hedwig (11(Y7)-13 years – Tuesday, 6.15-7.45pm); and
Errol (13(Y9)-15 years – Monday, 5.45-7.45pm); and
One senior group Hermes (16 (Y11)-21 years – Monday, 8-10pm), who all meet in the Studio.
Youth theatre provides an opportunity for young people to get theatre training and gain experience in performance, backstage work, theatre practices and etiquette.
Members are expected to attend weekly drama workshops / training sessions. These include improvisation, play readings, characterisation and group work. In addition, the groups may be preparing a main-stage presentation or for a show to be entered into the Welwyn Garden City Youth Drama Festival.
Interested? Why not come along to our open evenings on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th June? To book your place, please email the Barn Youth Administrator on youth-admin@barntheatre.co.uk
Jacqueline Clayton
Youth Group Director
Barn 100
The Barn is embarking on a range of improvements, remedial repairs and lots of other stuff that needs doing across the closed summer period. A committee is being set up to progress ideas that have been suggested by members to a question asked by Michael Merry (Facilities Director) in a recent Barn News. There is, however, one fairly urgent summer job which has got the green light and it’s painting the outside fabric of the building (whoopee!) – the bits that can be reasonably reached only – not the silo! We’ll save a fortune if we can do it ourselves. We did last time, when I was chairman in 2015, and I organised a working party to do it – around 20 then!
I’ve volunteered to do it again so I’ll be looking for volunteers and I’ll be sending a members email in a week or two’s time. The date set for this task is Saturday 8th July, 10am – 2pm. Refreshments will be on hand and a BBQ available in the early evening when we’ve cleaned ourselves up! Hopefully I’ve already solicited lots of you to make a note of the 8th so you’ll be available when I make direct contact with you shortly – watch this space! Feel free to volunteer now if you like! My contact email is nigel.rive@barntheatre.co.uk
Nigel Rive
Membership Director
Obituary - Tanya Turton
We are sorry to report the death on 26th April of Tanya Turton, aged 94. Tanya was first involved in a Barn production in 1973, and was subsequently cast in nine other productions, mainly in ensemble roles. She also designed the costumes for The Country Wife in 1971. With considerable experience in journalism, she later handled our press relations very effectively. We convey our sympathy to her family and friends.
Who's Who omissions and updates
In the May issue of Barn News the Who’s Who list had an omission: my apologies to Jacqueline Clayton, our Youth Director.
There were also two changes that slipped through the net. Keith Collingwood is now heading up the Workshop; and Michelle Williams is now the contact for Singers at the Barn.
Mike Smith
Editor
Who's Who
at the Barn Theatre Club
Directors
Chair – VACCANT – chair@barntheatre.co.uk
Finance – Ian Major (07789 728997) – finance@barntheatre.co.uk
Marketing – Barbara Holgate-Stuckey (07740 812950) – marketing@barntheatre.co.uk
Membership – Nigel Rive (07768 867534) – membership@barntheatre.co.uk
Facilities – Michael Merry (07973 238346) – facilities@barntheatre.co.uk
Stage Director – VACCANT
Non-Executive – Sheila Grimmant (07970 929290)
Administration – John Davies (01707 882209)
Youth Group – Jacqueline Clayton (07981 866568) – youth-admin@barntheatre.co.uk
Ex-Officio Council Members
President – VACCANT
Company Sec. – Linda Miles (01707 335718) – secretary@barntheatre.co.uk
Non-voting Council Members
Artistic Director – Clive Weatherley (07773 044801) – artistic-director@barntheatre.co.uk
Studio Director – Cliff Francis (07547 373326)
Social – Hannah Humbles (07940 226917) – social@barntheatre.co.uk
Other responsibilities
Archives – Robert Gill (01707 324572)
Barn News – Mike Smith (07774 849606) – barn.news@barntheatre.co.uk
Bar Manager – Martin Moore (07768 650660)
Child Protection – Linda Miles (01707 335718) – child-protection@barntheatre.co.uk
Club Nights – Hannah Humbles (07940 226917)
Coffee Bar – Sue George (01707 330274)
Costume Hire –
Direct Debit Admin – Ian Major (07789 728997)
FoH Admin – Wendy Bage (01707 331494) – foh@barntheatre.co.uk
Library – VACCANT
LTG Rep – Robert Gill (01707 324572)
Photography – Simon Wallace (07875 423550)
Photo-studio hire – John Davies (01707 882209)
Private Hire – Victoria Rive (01707 336446) – hiring@barntheatre.co.uk
Properties – Barbara Foster (01707 694237)
PR – Simon Wallace (07875 423550) – public-relations@barntheatre.co.uk
Rehearsal Room – Victoria Rive (01707 336446)
Singers at the Barn – Michelle Williams (07946 376993) – singers@barntheatre.co.uk
Site Manager – Sharon Francis (07885 421051)
Stage Lighting – Nick Mogg (07802 866843)
Stage Sound – James Rowles (07958 427927)
Website – John Cook (07973 221617) – webmaster@barntheatre.co.uk
Workshop – Keith Collingwood (07710 426990)
Barn Erroll – Louise Parr (07875 436317)
Barn Pigwidgeon – Georgina Bennet (07923 620163)
Barn Hedwig – Louise Parr (07875 436317)
Barn Hermes – Sean Scotchford (07814 236260)
Green Room / Bar – 01707 330672
Theatre Box Office – 01707 324300
The Dell
This month 98 years ago, on 6th June to be precise, the residents of Welwyn Garden City performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Considering there were only around 1,000 residents at the time, this was quite remarkable. The venue chosen was a swallow-hole within Sherrardspark Wood which became known as The Dell. The director of the production was Mrs W E August, a resident living in High Oaks Road. Access to The Dell was via a railway crossing from Brockswood Lane and a series of paths in the wood. Special trains were laid on from King’s Cross, those attending being invited to explore the growing town as well as bring a picnic.
These photos show Oberon and Titania with her fairies. Titania was played by Sheila Robson, sister of Flora Robson – who was in charge of the pixies apparently.
This photo shows Titania performing in The Dell in what looks like a rehearsal. The Dell became a popular venue most summers until 1951, Shakespeare being popular choice. Since 1951, The Dell has been left to the wood and is now overgrown.
If you’re interested in more information about The Dell, there is a booklet available at the Barn bar.
Robert Gill
Archivist
Season tickets
Did you know you can buy tickets for the whole season?
Not only will you have your regular seat and regular performance reserved, we’ll also set them aside for the next season and offer them to you first. You’ll also benefit from a 15% discount on the ticket price and you can use your 15% discount for any Barn Theatre shows or additional tickets.
If you’d like to know more or apply for a season ticket, please contact Michael at boxoffice@barntheatre.co.uk
All photos used in Barn News are courtesy of John Davies and Simon Wallace (MeltingPot Pictures)
Box office reminder
Member tickets are £11 on the opening Friday of most main-stage productions. To access the member price, customers will need the password ‘APPLE’.
Box office telephone: 01707 324300 (Mon to Sat, 9am to 5pm) – a £2 booking fee will apply for all telephone bookings.
The theatre box office will also be open every Sunday from 1pm to 3pm.