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Enough to Go Around?

While the Government’s announcement of a financial rescue package of £1.57billion for the ‘arts’ is a welcomed move, we can’t help but wonder just how quickly the funds will be delivered and, probably even more essentially, how much of it will get to theatres. Then, when we extend this question to amateur and non-professional theatres in particular, we suspect the answer won’t be much at all.

I’m not saying it’s not a large sum of money; it’s huge. But let’s not forget the generous package is to be distributed among a multitude of arts, culture and heritage organisations in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales; that means museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, historic palaces, heritage sites and music venues. So, how far will £1.5 billion really go?

The new announcement has come quite late in the day as well, hasn’t it? Theatres have been crying out for life-saving support for weeks and weeks, so it’s almost as if the whole exercise might have been timed to make Rishi Sunak & Oliver Dowden look like knights in shining armour. Plus, now, we’ve just heard yesterday that outdoor performances can now also legally go ahead from this Sunday, 11th July – not that the required social distancing will really make that a financially viable option.

I interviewed musical theatre star, , a couple of days ago, and she was more concerned with the desperate state of her industry than she was promoting her rescheduled UK concert dates from last April to March next year – all credit to her. Ruthie told me that she thinks many theatres will probably “end up with about 5p each” of the newly announced rescue package.

Not surprisingly, Boris Johnson, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak are singing the praises of the new funding, but there is a lot more caution from the theatre industry itself. Last week we quoted Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan. This week, he has said of the new announcement: “We hope that this package can be distributed swiftly in order to avoid further redundancies and closures and to bring many of the UK’s theatres back from the brink,” adding “We will need to know more detail of how this money will be allocated across the different areas to fully assess its benefit – we would hope that a significant proportion will be reserved for the performing arts. Theatres have been amongst the hardest hit industries by the pandemic and are still at risk as they are unable to operate viably while social distancing is in place.”

Jon Morgan also comments that: “We also hope that funding will reach beyond and support the UK’s many brilliant local theatres that serve their communities so well … The majority of this money will be needed to cover ongoing staffing and overhead costs as the furlough scheme tapers from August and ultimately ends in October. While this is an extraordinary sum of money whether it will be sufficient to keep the nation’s theatres alive will depend on when they will be able to reopen fully.”

There are also countless amateur and non-professional theatre societies, companies and charities that would desperately like to see some of this Government money but, with “decisions on awards made working alongside expert independent figures from the sector including the Arts Council England and other specialist bodies such as Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute,” we will be very interested to know if any amateur societies out there are waiting for a windfall anytime soon.

Needless to say Sardines isn’t expecting to see any of the Government’s £1.57 billion.

Looking at last week’s survey questions, it doesn’t look like many of you are all that positive about reopening before 2021 anyway – and this whole recovery is going to be based on confidence:

NOTE: Over 80% answered a flat NO. NOTE: Over 85% answered NO or NOT YET

NOTE: Two thirds answered NO or I DOUBT IT NOTE: Half of respondents answered NO

NOTE: Perhaps the most telling question of all was answered by almost 90% with YES or VERY LIKELY

One could get quite depressed by these answers; so roll on finding a vaccine we say!

Anyway, don’t forget that one lucky respondent has won a box of 63 CDs, containing many of the all-time classic musicals to ever grace the stage including West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, Oliver!, The King and I and The Phantom of the Opera.

And the winner of the musicals CDs is: ‘JOHN ANTHONY from NEWARK’. Congratulations, John! We’ll be contacting you immediately to arrange your prize. Meanwhile, as a result of everything that’s been going on, plus the reactions we’ve been able to gauge from the amateur sector – which we thank you all for very much – it looks like we won’t be able to publish another printed edition of Sardines until 1st December. That means we’ll be forced to go ‘dark’ for a full six months of 2020.

That said, we’re heading full steam now to get the new website up and running as soon as possible. This will enable us to publish lots of online content. When this happens, current subscribers will all be given full automatic online access, not only to every past issue we’ve ever produced, but also exclusive magazine features such as our interview this week with the lovely Ruthie Henshall.

If you can support us and subscribe, please follow the link below.

S.O.S. (Save Our Shoals!)

Subscribe to Sardines Here

THE PERFORMING ARTS A MESSAGE OF HOPE?

By Graham Whalan

The future of the performing arts seems bleak indeed. Some have asked whether they even have a future, referring to the worldwide impact of the coronavirus as an ‘Extinction Level Event’.

Whilst at the time of writing the lockdown measures have begun to ease, live performance in theatres remains banned. It is widely agreed that the 5-step ‘roadmap’ of Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden for their return is of no help at all and, although the more recent announcement of a £1.57bn rescue package offers more hope, many uncertainties remain, with some even damning it as ‘too little, too late.’

I have no solutions, no great insights, but just a few thoughts. First let’s consider the value of music and song. At the most basic level they are a source of rich entertainment, a diversion and a temporary escape from life’s daily routine, a morale-booster. Back in 1939, when Britain declared war on Germany, in fear of the impact of bombing raids, the Government initially ordered that all theatres be shut down for the duration. It was soon realised that the impact of music, song, and dance on the nation’s morale was such that it was far better for them to remain open, and the ruling was duly relaxed. Although at the present time live performance remains banned, it is no surprise therefore that, through social media, many individuals have offered musical performances to keep spirits up. So we have had new songs offered up by aspiring singer- songwriters, evening concerts from established performers streamed live (both amateur and professional), and, most notably, in a recent TV series The Choir: Singing for Britain, choir- supremo Gareth Malone made highly creative use of modern technology and brought people together in song. The resulting ‘virtual choir’ was a major success, relieving loneliness, boredom, and the crippling sense of isolation for many. ‘There is a need in people to make music,’ he observed.

Talking of TV, I recently happened to be watching an episode of the mock-umentary comedy series The Office in which David Brent points out that life is basically a series of peaks and troughs. He then offers the optimistic thought that, ‘If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain,’ before going on to ask, ‘Do you know which ‘philosopher’ said that? ….. Dolly Parton.’ Sardonic it may be, but it set me thinking about the many other song-writer ‘philosophers’ whose lyrics, within the medium of musical theatre, have been inspirational, encouraging, and above-all optimistic. Musical theatre is in fact awash with them. The spirit of optimism, the strength of the human spirit against adversity, and hope for a better world are constant themes.

Going back to Edwardian times, the standard plotline in Georges Edwardes’ Gaiety Girl musicals was that of the poor girl of humble origins triumphing over adversity. Later on, in the early 1920s, the character Blair Farquar in the Jerome Kern musical Sally exhorts the heroine to ‘Look for the Silver Lining’, whilst a few years later the character Jill Kemp, in Mr Cinders, advises that, ‘Even when the darkest clouds are in the sky, You mustn’t sigh and you mustn’t cry, Spread a little happiness as you go by.’ In more recent times, there is then of course the ultimate note of optimism in who reminds us about the constant promise of Tomorrow – it’s ‘always a day away’ she says, when ‘bet your bottom dollar, there’ll be sun.’ The list goes on. ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ sings Patsy, King Arthur’s trusty servant in Spamalot; when times get tough, hang on to your dreams advises Bloody Mary in South Pacific; ‘Climb every mountain’ says Maria in The Sound of Music; and dare to dream ‘The Impossible Dream’ says Don Quixote in The Man from La Mancha. These are all very strong messages of hope and aspiration that we now need to take to heart more than ever.

I also like the fact that, right in the middle of the dark days of a war-torn world, when morale was particularly low and the future seemed bleak, spirits must have been cheered by the up-lifting and hopeful opening song of Oklahoma! – Oh, What a Beautiful Morning - first heard on a Broadway stage in 1943. Two years later, in 1945, Rodgers and Hammerstein would again hit the spot with arguably the greatest inspirational song ever written, You’ll Never Walk Alone, which featured in their follow-up production, Carousel. At a time when many were grieving the loss of loved ones, its central message that, in death, they continue to watch over us, is powerful indeed.

Aside from the professional world, the closure of theatres has of course been a major concern for amateur groups. Over several years all have risen to the challenge of keeping pace with the professionals, and the production values of their shows have become increasingly impressive. In the current crisis many are now very fearful for their future and, while there will be inevitable losses, I am taken back to Gareth Malone’s observation that, ‘There is a need in people to make music.’ I would suggest that, equally, the impulse to perform is too strong to think that any amateur group will just pack up and call it quits. Just think of their enduring value to both their local communities and to all those involved - fostering and encouraging local talent, helping to develop and nurture both personal and social development, promoting a sense of community, connection and belonging, providing opportunities for self-expression, and affording an outlet for the release of creative energy.

These are all more than compelling reasons why the arts and, in terms of my focus here, why musical theatre must and (I’m confident) WILL survive. I have no solutions. I have no idea how the future will pan out. But, as I’ve said, messages of hope and inspiration are, one might say, part of Musical Theatre’s DNA. I also know that the world of the performing arts, both amateur and professional, is brim-full of creative and imaginative people whose urge to perform will never be quashed and who, no matter what, will always find ways forward. Perhaps we’ll see even more imaginative use of social media, or perhaps some theatres will be able to make more extensive use of cabaret-type seating. Across the country already, industrial-size car parks are being converted into drive-in theatres, so perhaps there will be there will be a greater emphasis on open-air performance, and street theatre. Of course I am very much aware that there are still many obstacles, and the scale of this crisis should never be under-estimated but, as Elphaba reminds us in Wicked, much is often possible, even against the worst of odds: ‘Some things I cannot change, But till I try I’ll never know.’

Theatres Trust - Comment

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan responds to the government's package of support as announced by the Chancellor and Culture Secretary:

"Theatres Trust greatly welcomes the government’s announcement of £1.57bn additional support for the arts and cultural sectors. It is a strong message from government that it recognises the importance of these sectors to the UK economy, to national life and to communities across the country. We hope that this package can be distributed swiftly in order to avoid further redundancies and closures and to bring many of the UK’s theatres back from the brink.

"We are also pleased to see investment in capital projects included in this announcement. Maintaining and improving the UK’s unrivalled national network of theatre buildings, which act as vital community hubs across the country, is essential if they are to remain fit for purpose. Our research has shown that there are more than 100 theatre capital projects worth almost £800m that have been stalled by the pandemic by anywhere between 3 and 18 months at a cost of upwards of £66m. These projects will keep theatres operational, improve their environmental sustainability, and provide new and improved facilities for engaging with their local communities.

"We will need to know more detail of how this money will be allocated across the different areas to fully assess its benefit – we would hope that a significant proportion will be reserved for the performing arts. Theatres have been amongst the hardest hit industries by the pandemic and are still at risk as they are unable to operate viably while social distancing is in place. We also hope that funding will reach beyond London and support the UK’s many brilliant local theatres that serve their communities so well.

"The majority of this money will be needed to cover ongoing staffing and overhead costs as the furlough scheme tapers from August and ultimately ends in October. While this is an extraordinary sum of money whether it will be sufficient to keep the nation’s theatres alive will depend on when they will be able to reopen fully. The theatre sector is keen to return and welcome audiences again safely and as soon as possible".

...and as if things couldn't get any worse...

This article was seen in the FT this week:

It's Never Too Late

It’s never too late to start something new. Whether it’s learning a new language or skills for work, there are a multitude of options worth pursuing later in life and performing arts is just one of them. Pursuing a career in the performing industry, meeting new people or simply building up one’s existing abilities to use in everyday life, there are plenty of opportunities for singers, dancers, actors and more. Here Stage & The City shares some encouragement with five performers who didn’t start until later in life:

1. Harrison Ford – while the misconception is this infamous actor got his first gig with Star Wars, he was acting in features a decade before. However, this was at the time where he was a professional carpenter for 15 years, before making the switch to a full-time actor. 2. Debbie Harry – it wasn’t until she was in her 30s that the lead singer of Blondie was able to quit her jobs as a waitress, go-go dancer and more. While she had sung in a few bands, it wasn’t until later that she peaked in the late 1970s and focused on a career as a musician. 3. Oprah Winfrey – starting as a news anchor, her debut was The Color Purple in 1985. While she’s associated as the talk-show queen, she has continued to act in several productions, as well as use her name to help fund a number of projects for those starting out.

4. Terry Crews – formerly an American football player, Terry, quit sports and became a security guard, before switching career later in life to have small parts in movies to supporting TV roles and eventual host of the world’s biggest talent TV show. 5. Ken Leong – not necessarily a household name, but Ken was a physician before appearing in films such as The Hangover, TV series Community and has since gone onto a variety of panel shows and hosting roles. It wasn’t until Ken was in his late 30s that he switched career and hasn’t looked back.

www.stageandthecity.com

SETTLE STORIES

At a time when our experiences are limited, Yorkshire Festival of Story will offer audiences the chance to use stories to escape, to gain new perspectives and get active. With Guest Festival Director Joanne Harris MBE, Yorkshire Festival of Story will take place online across August 2020. With over 80 events, this diverse, immersive programme is all FREE.

2020 marks 10 years since Settle Stories started producing a festival in one of the most rural parts of the UK, Settle, Yorkshire Dales. The global pandemic has not stopped festival organisers from delivering their most ambitious programme to date. Across multiple online platforms, the festival will reach larger audiences than ever before with its free programme.

Yorkshire Festival of Story will celebrate the best voices from Yorkshire and beyond. Audiences will be invited to have breakfast with Radio 4 Woman's Hour Presenter Dame Jenni Murray. Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire Shepherdess will deliver a talk live from her farm and Booker-Prize winner, Ben Okri OBE, will be introducing his new collection of short-stories.

Attendees are invited to learn new skills in storytelling, chocolate making and other workshops. Contemporary theatre has been reimagined to fit the digital stage as the festival offers new perspectives on today’s world. Yorkshire’s rich heritage will be celebrated as the Brontë Society explores the fierce brilliance of Anne Bronte in her bicentenary year. The festival will also mark the 150th anniversary of the Ribblehead Viaduct with new artists commissions, interactive events and talks.

Family activities run throughout the festival. Children can join Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize winner, Kevin Crossley-Holland, for folktales. Families will help Get Lost and Found rediscover the magic of Roald Dahl's words and Rotherham’s Grimm & Co will get children creative with writing workshops.

www.yorkshirefestivalofstory.com

Angels in Kent

Kent's No Frills Theatre Company will be holding 2 workshops for their production of Angels In America Part One :Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner, slated for production in March of next year.

The will be held on Wednesdays the 12th and 19th August at the Gerald Miskin Memorial Hall, Hever Court Road, Gravesened DA12 5EG from 7.30 pm. The play is a complex,often metaphorical, and at times symbolic examination of AIDS and homosexuality in America in the 1980s. Initially and primarily focusing on a gay couple in Manhattan, the play also has several other storylines, some of which occasionally intersect. If anyone is interested in attending, all are welcome MORE HERE

GMDF Awards go Online

Sardines usually prints the results but, this year, things will all be online for the Greater Manchester Drama Federation's 2020 Awards Click the image to watch the trailer

WATCHING ROSIE - ONLINE

Miriam Margolyes & Amit Shah to Star in New Online Short Play

Watching Rosie is a tender portrayal of experiencing dementia in lockdown and the power of love to overcome it. This heartbreaking and hilarious film highlights the incredible bond between Alice (Miriam Margolyes) and her granddaughter Rosie (Louise Coulthard) as they face change, confusion and an unexpected arrival from Tesco.

Watching Rosie will be released free-of-charge at 7pm on Thursday 6 August at OriginalTheatreOnline.com and will be available until 30 September. Donations are encouraged in support of Dementia UK.

Original Theatre Company’s recent critically acclaimed, innovative online production of Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’s best-selling novel Birdsong has spurred the company on to produce another online production while theatres remain closed to live performances. Watching Rosie is a specially commissioned short play by Louise Coulthard based on her debut play, Cockamamy, which won the Lustrum Award for Outstanding New Play at The Edinburgh Fringe 2017. The production will star BAFTA-winning actress Miriam Margolyes, Amit Shah and Louise Coulthard and will be directed by Michael Fentiman.

Available from 7pm on Thursday, 6 August until Wednesday, 30 September via OriginalTheatreOnline.com

Twitter: #OriginalOnline #WatchingRosie @OriginalTheatre

Running Time approx. 20 minutes | Suitable for all ages

in brief... Cinderella Shall Go to the Ball

Producers The Really Useful Group has announced that ’s new musical Cinderella will now world premiere at The Gillian Lynne Theatre in London on Wednesday, 7 April 2021, with previews from Friday 19 March 2021.

Carrie Hope Fletcher will play Cinderella in the highly anticipated new production at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. She has starred in Heathers (), The Addams Family (UK Tour), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour), Mary Poppins (), and most recently played Fantine in Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre. She is also a bestselling author and social media personality.

The production, a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, is based on an original idea by Emerald Fennell, the Emmy Award nominated lead scriptwriter of the second season of international smash hit Killing Eve, with a brand new score from the legendary composer and lyrics by David Zippel.

www.andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com CADOGAN HALL REOPENS

Cadogan Hall will become one of the first venues in the UK to reopen its doors to live performance since the COVID-19 lockdown, as it welcomes musicians back for a series of carefully planned live-streamed concerts and recording sessions over the coming weeks, all adhering to strict government guidelines.

cadoganhall.com

GODSPELL 50th Anniversary concert

Prepare ye the way of Godspell in concert! Theatrical legends will come together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godspell in an exciting online concert experience. Ruthie Henshall (; Billy Elliot), and Darren Day (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) will return to reprise their roles from the 1993 cast recording; they will be joined by Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Ria Jones (Sunset Boulevard; ), and (The Bridges of Madison County; ). Thursday 27th, Friday 28th and Saturday 29th August 2020 Tickets are £15 and can be purchased online at www.hopemilltheatre.co.uk

THE MOUSETRAP REOPENS

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap – the longest running show in the world, which had to be suspended when the Coronavirus Pandemic resulted in the closure of UK theatres – is to re-open in the West End on Friday 23 October. The Mousetrap will celebrate 70 years in London in 2022. It has been performed 28,200 times in London and sold over 10 million tickets. To celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2002, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attended a special Gala performance.

www.uk.the-mousetrap.co.uk

MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING rescheduled dates

Rescheduled dates have been announced for the world premiere of MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING THE MUSICAL. Starring Alexandra Burke as Julianne Potter, the show will open at the Manchester Palace Theatre on 20 September 2021 ahead of a UK and Ireland tour. New tour schedule can be found at: www.bestfriendsweddingmusical.com

BRISTOL OLD VIC

Bristol's Old Vic Theatre School is to run an online theatre skills short course for young people this summer

This interactive online course covers a range of topics, with each day tackling a different area of acting technique. As ever, the emphasis is on collaboration, playfulness and developing the actor’s instincts, whatever their age and experience.

Participants will be encouraged and challenged in equal measure, ensuring the week has a positive impact on both confidence and competence. The experience, however, will simply feel like a fun, imaginative and creative week with friends- both old and new!

Week 1 – Monday 27 July – Friday 31 July (school year groups 3-6) Week 2 – Monday 3 – Friday 7 August (school year groups 7-9) Week 3 – Performance Week – Monday 10 – Friday 14 August (school year groups 7-9). Please note: you must attend week 2 to be able to participate in performance week. Week 4 – Monday 17 – Friday 21 August (school year groups 10-13) Week 5 – Performance Week – Monday 24 – Friday 28 August (school year groups 10-13). Please note: you must attend week 4 to be able to participate in performance week.

MORE HERE

THE RHYTHMICS

Metta Theatre and Aria Entertainment – two of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – are pleased to announce that they are joining forces to produce a brand-new life affirming musical THE RHYTHMICS.

With book and lyrics by Metta's Artistic Director Poppy Burton-Morgan, and music & lyrics from Stiles&Drewe award winner Ben Glasstone (Reanimator), THE RHYTHMICS explores the crisis of masculinity via a collection of oddballs belting their way through a thrillingly catchy guitar led score.

Hapless single-dad Grey is in a rut. Teenage daughter Silva packs him off to revive his rockstar dreams, successfully auditioning for ‘Nick & the Rhythmics' only to realise... he’s actually signed up for an All-male Rhythmic Gymnastics troupe. Against the odds these burly blokes make it as far as the World Championships - twirling their ‘ribbons of fire’ - and along the way Grey finally learns to commit to life. Calendar Girls meets Full Monty in this joyous new British musical.

MORE HERE

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