Notice is hereby given that the 42^nd annual general meeting of Cheshire Theatre Guild will take place on Wednesday July 5^th commencing at 7.30pm (prompt). This will be held at Frodsham Community Centre. This will be followed by play extracts and the presentation of awards for the 2005/2006 season.

Last years winners were given a piece of paper with your responsibilities while you held the trophy you won- to keep in good condition and return in a clean condition by May 31^st.

I will be contacting winners to arrange to collect these from you, or if any of you are passing my home around this date (advise me first please) it would be a great help if you could drop the trophy off. It is sometimes quite a job over several nights collecting these in.

Full details of the AGM and ticket arrangements, including directions to Frodsham Community Centre, later.

BUT….. It is not too early to start getting numbers and as last year ALL tickets must be paid in advance.

This was the first workshop in a series of 6 covering various theatrical skills. There were 20 places – soon fully booked and a waiting list! (I did warn you to apply early).

Our tutor was Chris Honer – artistic director at the Library Theatre Manchester..

Chris explained that we would be concentrating on the director’s work and the guidance to his actors (design, costume etc would not be covered). There was a selection of short pieces for us to look at and consider – from Ayckbourn to Shakespeare with a brief look at restoration comedy. Perhaps too much to work on and in his evaluation of the day Chris admitted he had not gone into great detail but given us a “whistle stop tour” (his words not mine). However we certainly had variety.

We considered “objectives” – ie the purpose / job of an actor in a particular section of a play. We looked at “status” – high or low bearing in mind that even a king could be of low status if he was a weak leader.

We looked at ways of making Shakespeare accessible to a modern day audience. The answer to put the play into the language of today so that the cast ubnderstand what they are communication to the audience – they will then get the right sense when they go back to speaking the play as first written. The same applies to restoration comedy.

Many had a chance to ‘direct’ a short scene (well done John McKay of Chester Little Theatre who volunteered to be the first of these). Others acted the scene for them and we all threw in our opinions on the directorial aspect.

During the afternoon (after quite a short lunch break – we all wanted to make the most of the time available) we did another exercise on “status”. Nine people were given a playing card numbered 2 to 10. The scene was an airport waiting area. The 9 had to behave (no words) in a manner that was appropriate to the number ie 2 = low status and 10 = high. The rest of us then had to try and work out what number playing card they had been given. This idea could be used in a crowd scene in a play – it helps to give the actor a character and the scene then looks more realistic and interesting.

We then spent quite a length of time looking at a short scene from “Pygmalion” 3 or 4 ‘directors’ tried different approaches, stage positions for the actors – furniture – entrances.

As 4pm loomed Chris had a question and answer session. Yes he did expect his actors to arrive at first rehearsal with a very good knowledge of the play and character (a lesson for us all here!).

At the end of trhe workshop all participants were asked to complete an evaluation form. Most answers were very positive – “good value” – “more please” were typical. Yes there were one or two grumbles – some justified – mainly on lack of tea/coffee facilities (but we did warn you these were not available!). Also many were not aware there was FREE car parking at the Civic Centre. For those attending future workshops this is at the rear of the Shell garage.

In conclusion a good day - too short (they always are) and I know new friends and contacts were made between those attending and sometimes that can be almost as important as the workshop itself.

John Powell

Stage combat
Killing Me Softly..
Five hours of stage combat seemed a little daunting - perhaps because of my non-aggressive nature, or more likely because of my complete lack of fitness. Anyway, 14 of us turned up on a Sunday afternoon, and disappeared into Knutsford Civic Centre. It was a large hall, with plenty of wall-space - a useful feature, as we were to discover. Our tutor Callum introduced himself - he is a professional actor, fight choreographer, and combat teacher. We all introduced ourselves: some actors, some directors, some very new to the stage and some more experienced.
This course was going to cover unarmed stage combat - to look effective and to be safe. Callum has spent years studying and practicing - we had just 5 hours.
Under Callum's instruction we started working on something small but practical -stamping on someone's foot. He demonstrated on a willing volunteer, and we paired off and practiced, mostly successfully, with each other.
Once comfortable with this, we graduated to hair pulling, and then attempted to pull our partners along the floor by their hair, all in complete comfort (though slippy shoes hampered progress a little)!
After this fun, we moved on to strangulation. I didn't even know how many ways you can strangle someone! We covered two methods - one where the victim fights back, and the more successful "strangle to death". To this we added a subtle little delicacy, taking advantage of the fact that the victim was on the floor. [If you are squeamish, look away now] This was the delightful technique of pushing someone's eyeball into their brain. Not pleasant to look at, and certainly required a degree of trust between partners!
After a short break, we diverted into upper cuts, jabs and stomach punches. This was probably the area where practice would pay off the most, as judging the distance between yourself and your partner's face or stomach is clearly a critical factor in convincing execution of the move without ruining a friendship.
And finally, the reason why we needed wall-space. My personal favourite move of the day was being the victim for "running someone's head into a brick wall". Looks brilliant, doesn't hurt, and I'm still waiting for my chance to try it out at work!
At the end of the day, we had some time to devise our own fight scenes in twos and threes, and demonstrate them to the rest of the group. All were enthusiastically performed and warmly received, and I think there was only one eyeball push - not by me!
The 5 hours disappeared in no time at all, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. No first aid was needed, and I just had a bruised knee to show for my over-enthusiastic "being strangled to death". We came away with lots to practice and to show others. We are certainly looking forward to the sequel...!
Ali Hulford
Knutsford Little Theatre

These workshops continue on May 13th, May 20th, July 8th and 9th. The only workshop with places still available is on May 20th on Musical Direction – 10am to 4pm at Knutsford Civic Centre.

For further details and to book a place contact Chris Buckley on 01606 867680. This workshop will be led by David Court.

A report on “Directing for the Terrified” a workshop held earlier this year.

It was my pleasure to attend a workshop run by John Powell for budding directors at Knutsford Little Theatre. Having not experienced this aspect of productions myself I was looking forward to becoming initiated with the hidden and arcane skills of the director, fortunately we were not sworn to secrecy so I can divulge some here.
John Powell is an experienced director and actor and is well known throughout the Cheshire amateur dramatic community, as such there are few with better credentials in running such a workshop. In fact my debut performance was in his production of The Anniversary at Altrincham Club Theatre. There were quite a number of people present and it was good to see Wilmslow Guild Players well represented. The morning was predominantly concerned with planning and preparation and not without good cause. John left no angle uncovered peppering his lecture with anecdotes from his own experiences. It soon became clear that there was a heck of a lot more to this directing wheeze than telling people where to stand.
Before one even took on a play John suggested the golden rule should be that you only chose to direct a play if you liked it! If something does not grab you in reading the script then don't do it. It sounds obvious but I could imagine enthusiasm, particularly for ones first production, getting the better of many amateurs.
The Powell formula consists of making detailed plans, becoming thoroughly familiarized with the script, identifying what the set would look like. Other practical considerations were working out the minimum pieces of furniture required and not forgetting those little details such as amateur rights! Music, lighting, effects and character development through reading the script should all be addressed before one even began to consider casting. Once a cast is assembled John emphasized the importance of demonstrating your competence creating confidence amongst the cast. After a few pointers we then took part in an exercise to set up a rehearsal schedule (never an easy task). Other tips once rehearsals began were to be first person there and last to leave, always bring pencils, and provide actors with extra info such as set plans. We spent some time on blocking a play. We got our hands 'dirty' setting up some scenes which really got us all thinking about positioning and focusing a scene.
When working with actors (a very strange breed) John's approach was to be flexible, listen to ideas but always keep the last decision to yourself. Little tips such as changing lines should an actor find bits difficult work, make sure movements have purpose and think about shapes. Above all pace needs to be worked on, identify highs and lows in the script and work up to them. Encourage overlapping dialogue, get entrances slick, encourage actors to use their full voice range and much more.
By the end one felt ready to take on a production in the West End such was the comprehensiveness of the workshop. John (rather like his directing) left no stone unturned even covering some of the more unusual elements one might encounter such as composite sets. So in honor of John's advice to say thank you after every rehearsal I think all those present would give John a big thank you for this excellent workshop.

Alex Williams
Wilmslow Guild Players

Tarporley Dramatic Society is planning to present “Stepping Out” by Richard Harris in November this year. They are looking to cast Rose, described in the script as “a large black Trinidadian in her 40’s”. Anyone who would like to be considered for the part please contact Beryl Kenny on 01829 732646 as soon as possible.

The Club Theatre
Following on from winning the Greater Manchester best youth actress for her part as Nancy in Oliver Twist, Abigale Foan a recent member of Club Drama (the youth section) has been offered a place at the National Youth Theatre.

Currently the youth group is for ages 11 to 16, with members leaving at 16. The Club Theatre has decided to start a second youth group specifically to bridge the gap between Club Drama and the main group. Membership of the new senior group will be restricted to ex Club Drama members and they will be studying all aspects of drama including directing, stage management and technical aspects.

With the summer coming the auditorium gets a little hot with temperatures recorded during a performance last July of 29 degrees C, they have installed a ventilation system designed to silently remove excess heat and keep the audience more comfortable.

Sandiway Pantomime Group
Parents in Sandiway always enjoyed helping their youngsters as they prepared for school or youth productions – oh yes they did.

But in 1994 they decided they wanted to do something for the adults and Sandiway Pantomime Group was born. Mike Linsell and Mike Stevenson wrote a script for Jack and The Beanstalk and the group have produced panto’s every January since.

They merged with Sandiway Junior Theatre and now there are some 60 active members aged from 9 to 70. Mike Linsell of Hadrian Way, said “we have socials like barbecues and open days to attract new members. I think our success is down to the fact we have a large following in the village.

Moulton Drama Group
An award winning drama group with a reputation for dazzlingf audiences in Moulton is celebrating a silver anniversary.

Established in 1981, Moulton Drama Group has seen the curtain raise on more than 60 productions in the past 25 years and has taken centre stage at a range of award ceremonies.

The group’s first show “Billy Liar” proved to be a hit with the village and since it’s cast trod the boards of Moulton Village Hall, a variety of actors have learned lines penned by theatrical greats such as Alan Ayckbourn, Willie Russell, Dylan Thomas and Noel Coward.

The group has also celebrated home grown talent performing eight shows written by Moulton playwright Robert Meadows, including “A Rough and Ready Lot” and “The Underwich Project”.

Sheila Hetherington Committee Secretary and winner of last years Guardian Rose Bowl for Best Director said “it was a challenge at first. There was only a handful of us who had any experience of acting, or directing and set design, and there was no money at all. The first few years were a bitr of a learning curve.”

The group has won six Rose Bowl awards. Sheila added “It means a great deal to us to have got this far”.

On June 10^th Sheila and Richard Kirkham will present a reflection on Moulton Drama Group’s history, and on July 1^st , Steve Birtwistle and other members will perform a satirical look at the past 25 years.

In the next few months the group will perform “Hindle Wakes” and “Last Tango in Whitby”.

For details contact Sheila on 01606 551673.

Impact Theatre Company
This “homeless” group – and for far too long- were on tour on March 11^th (Comberbach) and March 18^th (Tilston).

On each evening three “Talking Heads” were performed. 5 monologues in total as “A Chip in the Sugar” was performed twice.

Both of these were charity performances in aid of Comberbach Recreation Area and Tilston Youth Group and I understand that substancial amounts of money were raised on each night.

Impact performed to great effect with the minimum of settings and only basic lighting. The group had travelled a long distance to each venue – and not even a “chippy” to sustain them for the long journey home.

Harlequin Players
When you next visit the Harlequins you will not fail to notice the rather smart new auditorium seating. Hrlequin’s heard via an Email from the Arts Council trhat the Royal Court Theatre Liverpool was to become a cabaret / comedy club type of venue and the seating was to be replaced by tables and chairs, and so – free of charge – the old seats were now Harlequin’s and after arrival were steam cleaned and put in place.

Surprisingly, the old seats were put up for sale on E-bay and the majority were sold to various people despite being in much less than pristine condition.

Soliloquay by Pauline Jellicoe
Of Wilmslow Guild Players

To fulfil the talent given And to bring to life what's written on the page.
But auditions came and went, and the energy was spent,
Whilst the disappointments mounted by the score
And the patronising candour
Of some other actors' banter
Was enough to drive all reason through the door!
Til at last all hope had gone that your chance would come along Before the sounding of that final Curtain Call,
And you're forced to face the fact
That KNOWlNG you can act
Is not enough to prove to THEM you can!

At that very lowest low, with no courage left in tow,
And much less the heart to go out there and try,
You are back upon "The Boards"
And perhaps may reap rewards -
For they've offered you the part for which you'd die!
So, now that I'm an Actor, in the autumn of my years, I shall play the part with every skill possessed
And whilst the role is flowing
Shall take confidence in knowing
That, for just this little while, I am the best!

John R Powell
Chairman