Hangmen - it's all in the execution...
People seem to be amazed when they find out that Hangmen is the first main-house production I have directed at the Barn. I’ve been involved with the Barn for more years than I care to remember, since I was 14 or 15, and have been involved with dozens of shows both on and off stage. I ran the senior youth group back in the 90s and did direct several productions with them, but since going to drama school back in 2001 I’ve been mainly concerned with non-public-facing things like posters, programmes and other marketing jobs.
Having submitted another wonderful play to Clive a couple of years back – before you-know-what happened – he knew I was keen to direct. That other play is not, shall we say, a bundle of laughs and so Clive came to me last year offering me Hangmen, a wonderful dark comedy that will lift the spirits of anyone fortunate enough to see it.
In truth I didn’t know the play at all but as soon as I read it I was hooked. Even with a truly wonderful script, the concerns for me were obvious: a large cast and the need for a complicated and realistic 1960s pub set, with a prison and café to boot… oh, and loads of props!
I had around 25 people audition, which I thought was astonishing, and I really can’t explain just how difficult a job I had casting. Everyone was so good. Many turned up having fully prepared their audition pieces, and one was almost off-script! Weirdly, I was slightly disappointed in one respect. Some people, who I’ve known for a long time, and who I’d convinced myself would audition, didn’t! Yet there were a host of people, some I didn’t know at all and some brand-new members, turning up to audition and each one fantastic – thank you all!
One thing I’d never even considered was having to make ‘those’ phone calls. I feel hugely grateful to everyone for taking the time and risk in auditioning for me and am so sorry that I had to say no to so many of you… it was horrid, but I guess that’s the not-so-nice part of what’s turning out to be a great experience.
We have an amazing cast who have been off-book for about two weeks now and who are so willing to try things, to explore their characters and to just take risks in rehearsals. I always want them to go further but I love it! It’s really important to do this exploration of the script and character yet, because we’re nearly always running short of time in amateur theatre, doing this in anything but broad brush-strokes is often difficult, and some performers are unwilling to put themselves in that vulnerable position – I get it – but oh my god, how exciting is it when they do? I love it when they do! When they embarrass themselves in rehearsal trying something new, I love it – the room lights up! I’m not a sadist of course, but when they’re trying things and looking at their character in different ways, it shows they’re thinking. In order to discover the depths of their character they need to distance themselves from what they presented at the auditions or early rehearsals. They need to try stuff that may not work at all! SO WHAT?! It’s a rehearsal and that’s exactly where actors should be encouraged to leap into the wonderful unknown! Honestly, it’s a thrilling place… if you’re feeling ‘comfortable’ with what you’re doing, you’re probably in the wrong place and need to go exploring!
We’ve just had our first full run-through of the play… script-free and still four weeks until opening might. It was supposed to be a ‘stagger’ through, but it was far better than I expected and it filled all of those watching with joy!
It’s wonderful to have a great production team around me too. For me to turn up to rehearsal and find everything just ready to go, rehearsal furniture, props, refreshments – I really couldn’t do it without them. Their level of commitment, enthusiasm, talent, and organisation makes my life so much easier: it allows me to focus on the job in hand, and when I get it wrong, I have my assistant and production manager to kick my backside (metaphorically!) which they correctly do all too often! I also want to thank my wife – sounds cheesy, but I don’t care! We have two young boys who have after-school clubs, homework and all the usual schizzle that comes with a young energetic family, and she also holds down two jobs! We are, I hope, a good tag team, but she definitely keeps the wheels oiled and cogs turning at home while I indulge my other love! I hope I do the same for her.
Hopefully you’ve seen the publicity and have already purchased your tickets, but the following little video might help you gain a better understanding of the play and encourage you to get your tickets very soon if you haven’t already.
Be warned: tickets are selling extraordinarily well for this point in time and our volunteer Box Office heroes are about to open up the ‘preview’
Thursday (24th) to the general public. PLEASE GET IN QUICKLY!
Thanks for supporting my main-stage directorial debut and thanks to this incredible team working on Hangmen – I really hope you’re all having fun because I believe that it’s one of the primary aims for this mad and wonderful hobby of ours.
John Cook
Director
March 2022
From the Chair
Welcome to March’s Barn News
March is here, and with it lighter evenings, spring flowers and more great stuff from your Barn Theatre. As we wait for Hangmen we pass a huge thank-you to the cast and crew of Sydney and the Old Girl in the Studio and also to the team who brought us (finally and to huge audiences) A Bunch of Amateurs. Good luck to Bunch as they take the show to the re-convened Hertford Theatre Week.
Elsewhere we continue to look to improve the Barn facilities and, with an eye to a reduction of our carbon footprint, Mike Merry is going to lead a group to examine how we can operate in a more sustainable way. He will be looking for volunteers for that, so please get involved. We’re already exploring grants to change our lighting to be more eco-friendly, as well as a more efficient boiler, but there should be more that we can do.
We’re also going to start some work to examine the Barn’s broader future – we want to ensure we can grow our audiences, continue to offer a broad and varied set of productions and increase our membership. All of that, of course, is relatively easy to say – it’s the how that will, no doubt, require a number of brains and voices: so get thinking please!
This work is particularly timely as we move through this year and the terms of several of us on Council come to an end. I’ve mentioned this several times recently, and will continue to remind you all so that you have plenty of time to consider joining the committee and being part of that planning – and part of the Barn’s future.
A whisper has reached me that Clive has almost finished the planning for next year’s Season – this must be a record! Early warning then of the Directors Evening on Friday 6th May – get it in your diaries now! Always a highlight of the year for so many of us, and the first one where we can meet in person for three years.
Just a brief note this month – but hopefully much to mull over as the month progresses. See you at Hangmen!
Simon Parr
Chairman
Membership & Council
Minutes for the Council Meeting January 2022
Please find the minutes of the meeting of the Barn Theatre Council held on
11th January 2022
Our membership news depends on information we get from YOU
New members
Welcome to the Barn!
Doug Brooker
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting
Alice Croot
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting
Angela Dunham
Membership level: Senior
Interests: Audience only
Tony Meehan
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting, lighting, programme selling, prompting, set building, set painting, sound, stewarding
Hayley Merry
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Box office, bar tending, stage management
Christine Neal
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Props, set building, set design, set dressing, set painting
Alan Raw
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting, bar tending, lighting, set building, set design, set dressing, set painting, wardrobe
September in the Rain
A lifetime of holidays in not-so-sunny Blackpool
Forget February and its storms and gales – we now have September in the Rain to look forward to! But cheer up, that’s not a weather forecast but the next play coming into the Studio in April.
And if you’re old enough to be nostalgic for the ‘golden age’ of British holidays – in this case in Blackpool – with donkey rides, deckchairs and your dad with his trousers rolled up and a knotted hanky protecting his bald head.
John Godber’s two-hander will revive this lost world so vividly that you might almost feel the sand in your socks and the rain in your face. He based the stories on his own memories of his grandparents.
We first met Jack, a grumpy Yorkshire miner, and his long-suffering wife Liz back in 2021 in Happy Jack, directed by Cliff Francis in the main theatre. It was his second choice then, as having started rehearsals for September in the Rain, interrupted by Covid and lockdown, he found by May the performing rights were no longer available.
“But it was a happy accidental choice, as everyone who saw Happy Jack loved it,” said Cliff. “There was a vacancy in the Studio for the last production of this season so I asked if we could do September in the Rain and Clive agreed.
“It’s basically a separate play but with the same characters: a companion not a sequel. It lends itself perfectly to the Studio, simple staging and more intimate – a gentler play with a lot of comedy and not so much heartbreak.”
Jack is still grumpy, not a happy bunny, and Liz a nervous wreck, bored with her lot, and they’ve spent every annual holiday, from newly-weds to pensioners, in Blackpool. Through nostalgic songs and reminiscences we see a new side to them away from their domestic environment: a lifetime of holidays condensed into one week.
Watching rehearsals, it was fascinating to see Simon Parr as Jack and Mary Powell as Liz slip in and out of time periods and the consequential affect of age on demeanour and voice.
“It’s lovely to have the chance to reprise these characters, although in a completely different play,” said Simon. “It’s still just as interesting and fresh.”
Mary agreed: “And it’s nice to be able to do the play we originally intended to do and had rehearsed, just a year later!”
Cliff is currently selecting excerpts from the play as the Barn’s entry into this year’s Welwyn Drama Festival.
“I prefer to do it like that rather than just perform one act, as I can use all the best bits then, some of the funniest being in the second half,” he said.
September in the Rain is in the Studio from 6th to 9th April at 8pm with a matinee performance on the 9th at 2.30pm.
Georgie Palmer
No 'last orders!' call from Ian
‘Ian,’ I say, as we walk into the Hangmen rehearsal, ‘I need to interview you.’ ‘Oh, is that a euphemism?’ he asks. We both laugh.
And, in the seven years that Ian’s been managing the Barn bar, that’s probably how most conversations went. His ever-ready wit and good humour made him perfect for the role. At this point, I need to remember that this is a piece to mark his retirement from the bar, not his obit!
‘I actually began volunteering behind the bar, as well as the occasional front of house and stewarding,’ he said. ‘Amanda, who was running the bar, decided to go to live and work in the Far East, so I thought I’d apply for the job. It’s been great fun and I’ve really enjoyed it.’
Ian had been a policeman in the Met for 31 years, followed by 10 years in an admin role with Hertfordshire Police, when he was interviewed for the job by Will Smith, then Social Director.
‘I was a bit unsure what to expect,’ he continued, ‘but the Barn bar is a great place to cut one’s teeth and everyone was very supportive. I have to mention the loyal bar volunteers without whom the job would be daunting, if not impossible. I built a great rapport with all of them and I’d encourage anyone thinking of having a go to do it: it’s great fun, lots of laughs and a great way to meet people.
‘Many of the bar regulars have become close friends over the years – sadly some are no longer with us – but I was privileged that my tenure coincided with getting to know the likes of John Ormerod, Eric and Pam Farlie, Mark Crampton and others.’
He’s kept us all entertained, and topped up, at so many memorable evenings – after-show parties, wine tastings, karaoke sessions and, recently, a live music event, which was a huge success.
‘I saw Andy Clewlow busking outside the Sue Ryder shop in town,’ Ian said, ‘and he was so good I asked him if he’d like to come and do a gig at the Barn, with a bucket collection at the end of the night. It was a great success. Now we have Hannah Humbles doing such a great job as Social Secretary, I’m sure we can have some more of the same.
‘But I think my most memorable evening, even though I wasn’t actually working behind the bar, was the time John Finnemore came to see his creation, Red Handed, performed in the Studio. He loved the show, and the Barn, and stayed behind after the show, chatting to the cast and crew and even bought a round of drinks.’
Ian’s not going to disappear. He’s planning to help out with front of house and stewarding, as well as with the odd shift behind the bar. And I can say with great confidence that he’ll be turning in a fine performance in Hangmen. He’s playing Chief Inspector Fry, the first time he’s played a police officer since retiring from the Force.
‘There are other things I want to do,’ he said. ‘My son has recently bought a small boat and he’s down there on the south coast, waiting for us to go fishing, once the weather improves.’
So, it’s not last orders!
Carol Bush
Financial update
Going cashless
Like most theatres and other public venues, we moved away from cash payments once we re-opened. Most of us have become used to this anyway with our day-to-day shopping, and I haven’t carried cash for about two years.
We introduced card machines this season in the foyer and box office for buying programmes, refreshments and tickets, and this will become the new normal as we begin to live with coronavirus.
I want us to go cashless as much as possible, and there are some very good reasons. Firstly it’s much easier for volunteers as they don’t have to handle and count cash, and also it’s much safer. We used to have thousands in cash in various safes in the Barn after a show, and now we only have about £100 in the whole building. Finally, we have to pay the bank to take our cash, so it helps if we can avoid it in the first place.
We will change signage to show ‘Card payment only’ in the foyer and Bar to remind people. We will take cash if someone forgets their card, but it should be the exception, and we appreciate your assistance with this.
Online direct debits
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we’ve added a button on the Membership page of the Barn website to allow members to set up a direct debit online, without having to fill in a paper form. This is much easier and only takes about a minute, and payments are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee. This is for new direct debits only, and if you’ve already set up a direct debit previously you don’t have to change anything.
Other
We’ve also made it possible to pay for memberships or Youth Group fees by card to give people more flexibility, and there are links on the Barn website. We’ve also added a card machine in the wardrobe for costume hire, to make it easier for hirers and volunteers.
Finally, there are three QR codes in the foyer and bar that allow people to make a donation by card to the Barn Theatre Trust Limited. These take the place of the cash donations box on the bar. Simply point your smartphone camera at the QR code and you’ll be directed to a payment page.
Overall, quite a few changes – but they’re designed to make life easier for members, volunteers and audience, and to make payments safer. I’ve been very impressed by how quickly people have embraced the changes, so thanks to all, and if anyone has any suggestions as to how we could improve things further, please let me know.
Ian Major
Finance Director
Social scene
As you know, we were running low on our social team, however I’m very pleased to say we have three new members who have recently joined. Thank you so much to Francine Ross, Neil Harrison and Alan Raw – I’m really looking forward to you bringing some new ideas for the Barn’s social events with you!
On the back of this, we still have a few spaces left for the cocktail evening. If you’re around on Saturday 5th March, please come along. This will be a lot of fun: we have theatre-themed cocktails and live music. If you don’t fancy having a cocktail, the bar will be open as usual for other drinks and snacks.
Our next social event after this week’s Cocktail Evening, will be at the end of May, as April has shows at the start and end of the month. We’ve yet to set a date and event, however with some fresh faces in our team, I know it will be good fun. Please keep your eyes peeled for full details in April’s Barn News.
If you want a place, please email [email protected]
Hannah Humbles
Social Director
View from the Back Row
A Bunch of Amateurs
What a triumph! The story so far…
Jefferson Steele (Jim Markey) is a Hollywood actor who’s been persuaded by his agent (Bob Thomson) to take on the role of Lear at Stratford. Not the Stratford, but a small village in Suffolk. He’s not a happy camper but was eventually persuaded to stay. The news has been in all the papers, so he doesn’t really have a choice. He meets the rest of the cast and over the rehearsal period actually gets to like them and they him.
The programme tells us the cast all know each other very well and, overall, like each other and this certainly came across in their performances. It’s not a great play – the characters are all stereotypes and it certainly ain’t Shakespeare – but inventive direction, and acting of a very high standard, gave us an absolutely wonderful show. You don’t need to be gold to glister.
Turning a film into a play always gives staging and directorial difficulties. A film often has 20 to 30 scenes, often in different locations but the director (Bob Thomson) handled all the various challenges. Jefferson’s ‘commute’ from Mary Plunkett’s (Rachel Thomas) B&B to the rehearsal room was shown on a screen with the actors walking into the Barn Theatre from across the road. The press conference announcing the play to the British tabloids was also shown on the screen. The gaps between many of the scenes were often filled with a verse or two of song from Will Smith and Stephanie Cotter, and this proved an excellent link between the scenes. Not all the mechanicals were mentioned in the programme, but their work aided the smooth running of the show. The set worked very well and moved easily from rehearsal room to B&B dining room (with the obligatory ducks), to the bedroom and back. The direction was tight, irreverent and, where it needed to be, slightly serious. Great work Bob.
Jim Markey gave us a fantastic performance as Jefferson Steele. He was obnoxious, precious, spoilt, loud, misogynistic and something of a philistine. But Jim still managed to make us care for the character which is not easy but crucially important. Jim’s comic timing was superb, and he got the most out of every single line. When he was patiently being told he really did need to learn all the lines, his response of ‘I’ll do it with a look’ was perfect. Bravo Jim.
There were two newcomers to the Barn stage, and I hope they’ll entertain us for years to come.
Charlotte Collingwood played Dorothy Nettle, the director and driving force behind Stratford Players. Charlotte has a great stage presence, a wonderful speaking voice and owned the role from the start. Dorothy dealt with all the various walkouts, huffs and flounces really well and Charlotte looked in command of the chaos at all times. Neil Harrison, the other newcomer, played Nigel Dewbury, who thinks he really should have been cast as Lear. It’s not easy to play an overacting actor without overacting and Neil got it just right. Neil also has a great stage voice and presence and got laughs even when the punchline was obvious. These were great debut performances and I look forward to many more.
At the other end of the Barn appearance spectrum was Rachel Thomas (47 years and counting) who played the doting Mary Plunkett. One of the running gags was her confusing Jefferson with pretty much every other leading Hollywood actor, and they got laughs every time.
Tamsin Goodwin-Connelly played femme fatale Lauren Bell, wife of the play’s sponsor. Again, not being a particularly savoury character and somewhat two-dimensional and stereotypical, Tamsin did a great job to make the character likeable and Lauren came into her own towards the end of play, showing her true colours.
Adam Dryer drew on all his experience to give a nice comedic performance as the hapless Dennis Dobbins. The scenes with the mobility scooter and headphones got great laughs from the appreciative audience. I came early in the run and I’m sure the laughter got even louder as the week went on. With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
Last but by no means least, the delightfully named Hannah Humbles played Jefferson’s daughter, Jessica. She tells us how she’s always being let down by her lothario father and is fed up being tossed from pillar to post. This, like all the characters, could have come across as stereotypical, but Hannah was not overly sulky and showed a nice contrast as the play and the story evolved. I was impressed and delighted in equal measure to read in the programme that Hannah has been involved in many backstage roles and has joined the Barn Council as Social Director.
The penultimate scene where the bunch of amateurs put on Lear was particularly touching. All the characters changed from also-rans and unlikely Shakespearean actors to actors who professionally delivered the Bard’s lines.
Very occasionally I felt that the cue bite could have been tighter and maybe a trick was missed in not delivering Jefferson’s last line in the auditorium after walking from his B&B. I would have liked to have seen the singing between more of the scenes to get as much continuity as feasibly possible. But these are the tiniest of ‘what if you’d tried this’ thoughts. I was tempted to leave this out, and not ‘to the marriage of such a performance admit impediments’. The play’s the thing and was a riotous success, so very well done to the cast and crew.
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View from the Back Row
Sydney and the Old Girl
This play joins the recent trend of presenting plays with unpleasant content in the Studio. Equus and The Wasp are fine plays in which the plots have really ugly outcomes. Sydney is ugly all the way through, because the principals, mother Nell and son Sydney, engage in a continuous battle of foul language and insult with hardly any respite. Nonetheless, the dialogue reveals dark comedy beneath the surface.
Nell and Sydney live in a flat in London. She is wheelchair-bound. He exhibits furious paranoia, and hopes to inherit the modest family home. Nell seems to promise it surreptitiously to her Irish carer, Marion. This promotes deception and betrayal between the three characters.
The simple set with an additional wall and door in the Studio space worked well. Basic furniture containing the essential props was at the rear of the thrust stage area. I felt at one stage that a carpet would be useful to cover the expanse that is the black floor of the studio acting area but I then realised that this might have inhibited the movements of Nell’s wheelchair (decisions for the director!).
Costume choice added significantly to the characterisations. Sydney was horribly scruffy and unkempt, and even his change to collar and tie to be a little more respectable to impress Marion was half-hearted. Marion had an authentic nursing tunic, and a pleasantly attractive outdoor outfit. Nell was in an assortment of simple comfortable items, although I felt that a little untidiness, maybe a stain or two on her clothes, would have been appropriate.
The script dives into fierce argument and shouted crude phrases from the beginning. Doug Brooker as Sydney mouthed torrents of paranoid abuse at Nell in rapid succession, and Maureen Davies responded with equal venom. These scenes were delivered with certainty and were the core of the plot situation. Nell softened when being helped by Marion, and Sydney tried pitifully to appear to be his mother’s help when trying to persuade Marion of his intentions. Marion (Louise Bateman) ranged skilfully from helpful to appalled to confused in the unfolding family incidents, and is sent packing by Sydney. In a surprise volte-face Nell betrays Marion by telling Sydney that Marion was trying to get her hands on the inheritance.
All three actors were convincing and worked well together to propel the plot to its unhappy conclusion. Sydney is unhinged by ambulance sirens and cannot cope. In a furious climax, with hints of blue lights outside the window, Sydney is shot offstage. This leads into a finale sequence, with a very effective video film, of Nell’s other son Bernie, who died in a care home as an infant.
A good choice for the Studio with just three actors, all offering excellent performances. Each had to cover a range of reactions as the play developed and they carried these moments well. The play was well received by the audience on the evening I saw it, especially responding to the comedy overtones before the plot took a harsher turn. Director Belinda Gee took us through a mixture of harsh relationships and tragic backgrounds lightened by some good comic dialogue in the earlier scenes, with a sure touch.
This was another good entry into the Studio programme which is offering such intriguing material.
Audition Notice - The Alchemist
By Ben Jonson
Directed by Simon Wallace
Playing dates: 24th June to 2nd July
Audition dates:
Sunday 20th March at 10am
Friday 25th March at 8pm
Sunday 27th March at 10am
All auditions will be held in Room 1.
Playing dates
24th June to 2nd July 2022
What’s it all about?
The Alchemist is about a group of conmen who set up, and run, their scams from a plush apartment in the middle of London’s business district. The apartment has been vacated by its owner, who has left his butler (one of the conmen) in charge. From this apartment, the three of them lure their ‘victims’, convincing them that they can conjure up the all-powerful ‘Philosopher’s Stone’, turn base metal into gold, converse with spirits and fairies, and teach people to become successful businessmen, gamblers and ‘players’.
The action takes place across one afternoon, where the various ‘gulls’ come and go from the apartment, believing that they will be achieving their hopes and desires that very day. As more and more gulls arrive at the apartment, it becomes harder and harder to keep them apart, until the whole thing literally, and metaphorically, blows up!
Who’s who
The Antiheroes (your not-so-typical good guys):
Face (M, 25-35) – he thinks he’s the mastermind of the outfit: he’s certainly a master of disguise, and it’s his ability to take on different personas that’s at the heart of this role. His job is to find the marks and bring them in, which he does with aplomb! Bright, lively and energetic, and completely untrustworthy, Face is a brilliant character to play.
Subtle (M, 35-50) – also thinks he’s the mastermind of the outfit. He’s a hidden genius with a real gift for language and the power of persuasion. His role in the operation is the ‘good doctor’, the expert who successfully convinces the gulls to invest in each and every scam. Like Face, he has to adopt a range of different characters, depending on who’s in the house.
Doll (F, 20-30) – she’s the mastermind of the operation in that she recognises the need for them all to work together in order to be successful. She’s part UN peacekeeper, part lap dancer, and pure femme fatale to all who enter the house. She’s able to take on a range of roles within each scam, enhancing them by ensuring the other two behave, and stay on task.
The Villains (in order of grotesqueness but all are horrible in their own way)
Sir Epicure Mammon (M, 50+) – he’s definitely a politician, a nasty piece of work in every way: greedy, lustful, lascivious, vain, and the superlative of arrogant. Full of hypocrisy and belief that he’s above and beyond the law. Wants to get his hands on the Philosopher’s Stone, not only to give him riches and power, but also sexual prowess and the ability to attract any woman he desires.
Tribulation (M or F, 40+) – a super-strict religious figure / zealot: despises what the conmen are doing, but believes that the ends justify the means. Wants the Philosopher’s Stone in order to increase his power, and the power of his church, so that they may cleanse the city. As with Mammon, Tribulation is horrible and filled with hypocrisy and arrogance, not to mention a biting tongue.
Ananias (M or F, 25+) – Tribulation’s underling, a real sycophant and an absolute snob. Totally convinced that they’re superior to everyone else, and has a total belief in their religion. Fails to see the hypocrisy in their actions, and likes to bully others, especially our antiheroes. Totally changes in front of Tribulation, becoming much more subservient.
Dapper (M, 30+) – he’s a gambler who wants a familiar spirit to help him win at every card table, and in every casino. A playboy-type character who sees himself as a James Bond-esque figure: tries to be suave and sophisticated, and thinks himself irresistible.
Drugger (M or F, 30+) – a young entrepreneur with grand designs on being successful in business, and a willingness to buy into a ridiculous scheme of setting up shops using astrological suggestion. Initially appears quite naive and innocent but soon reveals a greedy desire to succeed.
Kastril (M or F, 20-30) – if audiences are going to feel any sympathy for any villain then it will be for Kastril. He / she arrives in London, looking to learn how to quarrel and live by his / her wits; he / she is also looking to ‘marry off’ his / her sister to any rich aristocrat. Completely gullible and falls for Subtle’s claims of being the ‘Jedi Master’ of wit, but completely awful to his / her sister, seeing her as his / her property, and only interested in marrying her off to the highest bidder.
The others
Dame Pliant (F, 20-30) – Kastril’s sister and the ultimate object of Subtle, Face, Mammon and Lovewit’s desire. She’s a beautiful, rich young widow, blissfully naive to the ways of the world, and totally in awe of her brother. She’s ditsy but lovely, and serves to counterpoint how horrible the villains are, in how they lust after her, and see her only as an object.
Surly (M or F, 25-50) – the only person to see through the artistry of the conmen and attempts to warn everyone that they’re being fooled. Also adopts a disguise / other role in order to try and expose the scams but falls foul of their own cleverness.
Lovewit (50+) – owner of the apartment, makes a return at the end of the play and is the catalyst to the metaphorical explosion. Morally questionable but nowhere near grotesque enough to be a villain. As his name suggests, he enjoys a good joke and buys into the scam, especially when a certain rich young widow becomes part of the scheme.
Neighbours / Officers
Setting and style
The play is described as the ‘grand-daddy of all farces’, and it certainly plays like one. The action is fast-paced – it calls for quite a bit of physicality and quick changes, especially for the Antiheroes. Characters are bold and bawdy, often verging on the stereotypical and definitely leaning towards the grotesque: audiences need to root for Face, Subtle and Doll, and abhor the villains.
The action is going to be transposed to the present day, although the text will remain in its original form. If you mashed up Hustle, Ocean’s Eleven, Breaking Bad and Lock Stock…, you’d be well on your way to getting the intended playing style.
How do I audition?
Easy: send me an email stating which session you’d like to attend, and any of the roles you’re interested in playing. I’ll then send you the audition pieces and further details about the play and relevant characters.
The audition itself will involve a group activity – involving everyone who attends on that day – as well as a solo audition slot. The group activity will be based around the game Call My Bluff; again, I’ll provide further details when you book your slot.
How else can I get involved?
Alongside cast, I’m in need of various creatives and crew to join the team. Please email me if you’d like to get involved.
Hangmen - cast
The Lifeblood
Cast and Crew
Cast
Mary – Celia Roberts
Claudine Arno – Francine Ross
Dame Edith Paulet – Hannah Sayer
Gorge – Danny Swanson
Walsingham – Glyn Maxwell
Crew
Director – Glyn Maxwell
Assistant Director – Siobhán Hill Elam
Assistant Director – Danny Swanson
Stage Manager – Sharon Francis
Set Design – Rosemary Bianchi
Sound – Rob Wallace
Props – Sheila Grimmant
Costume – Wendy Bage
Welwyn Youth Drama Festival update
What a crazy couple of years this continues to be! Since publishing our week’s programme in last month’s Barn News, we’ve lost three entries. Worse: all the flyers were printed and tickets were on sale! All three entrants withdrew for unavoidable reasons: two due to Covid-related illnesses and the other where permission to cut a full-length play was refused.
After reorganising, and with grateful thanks to the other entrants, the adjacent listing is the final programme.
Thursday and Saturday nights are sold out. Plenty of tickets left for other nights, including Tuesday and Wednesday when the Barn’s youth groups perform.
Please support them!
Hazel Halliday
Little Theatre Guild (LTG) - National Conference 2022
This year, the LTG’s National Conference is being held at the Southport Little Theatre from 13th to 15th May. It’s open to all members of the LTG and is a weekend of various events and activities – it’s not just a formal ‘AGM’ in the traditional sense.
Although final details of the weekend agenda have yet to be finalised, it will typically consist of the following.
Friday: Registration, dinner, an evening of entertainment.
Saturday: Tours of the theatre, various workshops covering a variety of theatre subjects, the formal Conference, open discussion, dinner, attend Southport Dramatic Club’s latest production.
Sunday: More workshops, presentations by visiting guests, lunch – all concluding around midday.
Importantly, it’s an opportunity to meet members of other theatres around the UK and discuss and share experiences, problems and happy moments over the past year. Having been through the rigors of the pandemic during the last 2 years, this will be the first
opportunity to meet face to face.
More details from the Southport Dramatic Club are below. I have a list of suggested hotels near the theatre. Further details of the weekend are expected in early March.
If you’re interested in attending, please get in touch and I can provide further details.
From Southport Dramatic Club
On behalf of the Southport Dramatic Club (SDC), it’s my great pleasure to invite you to join us at the first face-to-face LTG National Conference for three years. We’re very excited to be hosting it at our beautiful 400+ seat, Art Deco theatre in sunny Southport from Friday 13th May to Sunday 15th May 2022.
Southport is a bustling seaside resort, nestled on the northwest coast of England. Close to both Preston and Liverpool, we have excellent transport connections and there are a good range of accommodation options too – hotels, B&Bs, camping and caravanning sites and quality self-catering apartments / whole houses. We hope you’ll take some time to explore the town and local area too. Southport has so much to offer, from the Victorian Pier, the long, sandy beach, attractive Promenade, parks and gardens, a host of great cafés, bars and restaurants through to the world-famous Lord Street. Did you know that Prince Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (later Emperor Napoleon III) lived in Southport for a time – and it’s claimed that Lord Street is the inspiration behind the tree-lined boulevards of Paris?
At the SDC we’re working closely with the LTG Committee to offer you a safe and enjoyable
Conference weekend. Margaret Mann and the Steering Committee are putting together an exciting agenda, which includes a performance on Saturday evening, 14th May, of the final production of the SDC 2021/22 season, The Vicar of Dibley. We think that you’re in for a treat. Rather than performing the adapted script, we’ve gained permission from Richard Curtis and Comic Relief to present to you four of the original episodes, together with additional amusing interludes, to bring you true variety and a whole bunch of laughs!
The 2022 National Conference promises to be an interesting and very enjoyable weekend and we look forward to seeing you there. We’re raring to go and we hope you are too!
Kind regards
Diane Hutchinson
Chair
Southport Dramatic Club
Dates for your diary
Performances
Hangmen
by Martin McDonagh
Directed by John Cook
24th March to 2nd April at 8pm
Welwyn Youth Drama Festival
7th to 12th March at 7.30pm (Matinee 12th March 2pm)
Auditions
The Alchemist
by Ben Jonson
Sunday 20th March at 10am. Room 1
Friday 25th March at 8pm, Room 1
Sunday 27th March at 10am, Room 1
Performances
September in the Rain
by John Godber
Directed by Cliff Francis
6th – 9th April at 8pm (Matinee 9th April at 2.30pm)
In the Studio
All photos used in Barn News are courtesy of Simon Wallace (MeltingPot Pictures) and John Davies.