FRIENDS OF THE EVERYMAN THEATRE

Number 261 February 2015 Acting Chairman’s Report y the time this Newsletter reaches you with the latest Everyman brochure, you will have received the Bpaperwork for our AGM on 15 March, together with some tickets for our Grand Draw. I hope that many of you will join us for the AGM and for lunch on stage afterwards. Since the last Newsletter we have enjoyed a number of ETA events. The Panto Workshop on 1 November in the Studio was a great success. Joe Hackett gave the children a marvellous time and they enjoyed answering Joe’s questions about the story of Sleeping Beauty, dressing up as the various characters, and learning the pantomime song. On 13 November members enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea in Matcham’s after the matinée of Jeeves and Wooster. Bertie Wooster (James Lance) and Geoffrey Rowe and Janet Limb at our Christmas Dinner Seppings (Robert Goodale) joined us, and we with guest speaker, Roger Hendry. appreciated their kindness in giving us their time Members of our committee have been working hard to between their two energetic performances that day. sell Draw tickets before some of the theatre performances since the pantomime. My thanks go to Our Christmas Dinner on 5 December, at which Roger them for their enthusiasm and for giving their time. Hendry was our speaker, was a great success, as was the Please do help us to raise a substantial sum for the ETA Exclusive Studio Event on 16 December when we Everyman by purchasing tickets! enjoyed Educating Rita, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Caroline Hartley and I recently met up with Fiona Spiers, Development Manager at the Everyman. We Our last event was the Pantomime Tour and Talk by thought you might be interested to read the attached Hayley Spicer on 3 January. This gave us an insight into article by Fiona about the Everyman’s community work. just what goes on behind the scenes at the pantomime, and during the tour two of our gentlemen members We look forward to seeing you at our future events. gamely dressed up in the Dame’s costume! Janet Limb News on the Everyman’s community work The Everyman’s Education and Community department work, commemorating the Great War, included the delivers a range of creative projects, commissions and Everyman’s community production, Will Harvey’s War. co-productions within education and community We also have a community tour organised, Business As settings, as well as in the Studio Theatre. Our provision is Usual, about women on the homefront. It will tour rural diverse and we work with a wide range of groups and venues in Gloucestershire and plays at the Studio organisations. Just some of our current initiatives are Theatre on the 5th and 6th May. highlighted below: Bandstand Park: This is a project to engage the under The Garage: The Everyman has been delivering a range 5s. A newly commissioned play, written by Miranda of craft workshops to clients at The Garage, a drop-in Walker, it will introduce children to their local park and centre in Cheltenham for vulnerable and homeless explore ways that they can protect and enjoy it. Piloted people run by Trinity Church. The craft items are sold on in early February, in the Studio Theatre, it will tour a stall that the participants help run. This develops their bandstands this summer, if further funding can be found. life-skills and conidence. We hope to increase the range There are several other projects and ongoing and number of participants as part of the project this initiatives that we’re involved with, most requiring some year, subject to funding. level of additional funding. If you’re interested in Home Thoughts from Abroad: The Everyman tries to supporting any of our projects, or want to know more, theme its education and community work over a three please get in touch. year period. Our current three-year theme is Fiona Spiers Home Thoughts from Abroad, exploring themes of exile Development Manager and being away from home. The theatre’s irst year of [email protected] Dates for your Diary Tuesday, 24 February Sunday, 15 March MEET THE CAST PARTY AGM & LUNCH ON STAGE has created in Roundelay a confectionary The Annual General Meeting of the Everyman Theatre assortment, a varied bouquet of four related short plays, Association will take place at 11.30am in the Main each with differing lavours and colours and written to Auditorium of the Everyman Theatre. The AGM will be be played in no particular order. Which order will you followed by a buffet lunch with guest speaker, Ray Price, see? Nobody knows for certain; it won’t be decided till former Chairman of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club. the night! Join us in Matcham’s after the irst night to The cost of the buffet lunch is £24. If you would like to meet the cast. join us, please send your cheque, made payable to the Everyman Theatre Association, together with a stamped, Saturday, 28 February self-addressed envelope to: Lesley Whittal, 10 Suffolk BROCHURE LAUNCH House West, Suffolk Square, Cheltenham GL50 2HR by We hope you will join us for the new season’s brochure 8 March. launch on 28 February at 11.15am in Matcham’s. Tea and coffee will be served from 10.45am. Please note change of Friday, 19 June time. MEET THE CAST PARTY Tuesday, 10 March Join us in Matcham’s to meet the cast after the irst night of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession. MEET THE CAST PARTY Set in 1950s’ New York and crackling with raw emotion, The Everyman Theatre Production Company returns Arthur Miller’s dark and passionate tale simmers with with another classic, debuting in Cheltenham prior to a tension. A View from the Bridge ranks as one of the great national tour. Starring Sue Holderness (Only Fools and classics of our time. Jonathan Guy Lewis (Soldier, Soldier, Horses, ) and Christopher Timothy 's Burning and Coronation Street) stars as Eddie. (All Creatures Great and Small, Doctors, Dial M for He is joined by Michael Brandon (Dempsey & Makepeace Murder), Bernard Shaw’s period drama is full of insight and Episodes). After the irst night we would love you to and humane understanding and ranks as one of his join us in Matcham’s to meet the cast. masterpieces. Forthcoming shows We know you welcome advanced notice of future is Announced, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and An Inspector productions at the Everyman. The following plays are Calls in September; Dead Dog in a Suitcase, Brave New coming to the theatre later in the year and will be open World and The Winter’s Tale in October; Handbagged in for booking in due course. Putting on the Ritz, A Murder November and the pantomime Cinderella in December. Our Panto Workshop and Wardrobe Tour

Your ETA Committee President Roger Nicholls Newsletter Editor Hilary Jennings 01242 243 927 Acting Chairman Janet Limb [email protected] 01242 237 484 [email protected] Outings Organiser Margaret Edwards 01242 581 187 Secretary Marjorie Imlah [email protected] 01242 526 311 [email protected] Committee Members Helen Lee & Anne Roberts. Treasurer Caroline Hartley Membership enquiries Everyman Box Ofice 01242 528 676 01242 572 573 [email protected] [email protected] Social Secretary Lesley Whittal Website www.everymantheatreassociation.org.uk 01242 263 713 [email protected] Facebook www.facebook.com/everymantheatreassociation The Everyman Theatre Association is a registered charity (number 240237)