in Action issue No 1 - 2012 £2.50 News Reviews Tameside Hippodrome May Fair - Disney Insurance One-Act Festival The Magazine for the Association of Community Theatre From the Chair A message from John We said we will do it and we have! Your magazine “ACT in Action” is here, the magazine that you have been waiting for. All your production reviews, news, ACT business and much, much more. It is up to you now! ACT is run by its members for its members; it is now time for you to take the lead. Only through your input will ACT grow and grow. Let us know how you want your association run? What areas of community theatre you want discussing? How do you want the ACT website to develop? We want to hear from you via the ACT website, Facebook, ACT Newsletter, blog, ACT Magazine or e-mail. ACT is the new voice for community theatre and only you can let it be heard loud and clear. Thank you for your invitations to your productions. I have enjoyed the opportunity of meeting committee members and cast, and finding out how important it is for you to have a magazine tailored to your needs. Enjoy this first issue and don’t forget let us know your thoughts. Cover picture: Yssy Pierce-Higham as Maureen in Curtain Up’s production of Rent 3 Contents Index to Shows Reviewed From the Chair 3 Breezeblock Park PADOS 10 Who’s Who 3 Broadway Rocks PADOS Youth Theatre 19 The Lost Theatre of Ashton 5 Camelot Ulverston AOS 11 Sullivan at the Pavilion 6 Chess South Manchester AOS 22 Royal Exchange 7 Cranford Burnley Garrick 18 Golden St Lukes 7 Flint Street Nativity, The Burnley Garrick 12 A Spoonful of Disney 8 Hey Diddle Diddle St Luke's ADS 11 CHYPS Youth Panto 8 High School Musical Mossley AODS 16 Show Reviews 9 - 22 Hot Mikado TEMPO 19 Show Pictures 15 In Praise of Love Worsley Intimate Theatre 17 Curtain up 26 Jekyll and Hyde PADOS 21 Final Curtain 25 King and I, The Acton AOS 9 Pendle One-Act Festival 27 King and I, The Romiley OS 19 Late Edwina Black, The PADOS 16 Index to Advertisers Little Shop of Horrors Urmston MT 22 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime Worsley Intimate Theatre 22 adb Live 26 Love Affair Burnley Garrick 20 Burnley Garrick 2 Me and My Girl Dukinfield AO&DS 10 Charades 2 Natural Causes Burnley Garrick 9 Oliver! Urmston MT 12 Costume House 26 Once Bitten South Manchester AOS 11 Curtain Call 27 Out of Sight, Out of Murder Worsley Intimate Theatre 13 Curtain Call Youth 27 Puss in Boots Antrobus Village Pantomime 13 Dukinfield AOS 2 Rise & Fall of Little Voice, The Mossley AODS 9 Prosceneium 14 Sleeping Beauty Urmston MT 17 Stage Safe 28 Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs CHYPS 16 TSA 25 Sweet Charity Crewe AMS 20 Urmston MT 2 Wedding Singer, The Mossley AODS 21 ACT Merchandise ACT Cufflinks ACT Shopping Bag ACT Tee Shirt per set £ 4. 50 each £ 5.00 each £ 7.50 The Prices quoted are net of ACT Sterling Silver postage. ACT Lapel Badge Necklace To order, please send a list of your each £ 5.00 each £ - to be advised requirements to Brian Thorpe, 70 Moorfield Road, Salford, ACT Tie Pin M6 7 QD ACT Apron each £ 4.50 enclosing your cheque for the full each £ 7.00 cost plus £2.50 postage + packing per order. 4 The Lost Theatre of Ashton ..... ameside Hippodrome began life as the Ashton iscussions were held with members of the Empire in 1904. Through various changes of name Executive Cabinet and the various heads of the T and changes of ownership it presented live theatre DCouncil’s relevant departments. The plans were almost continuously until it closed on 31 March 2008 when ambitious and included not only the re-opening of the 1262- the current owners, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, seat flagship, theatre but also for the building of a 60-80 seat failed to find a suitable bidder to take on a new lease. Since café and restaurant, an 80-seat studio theatre and a gallery then the theatre has remained empty and unused. space for local contemporary artists. It was awarded a grade 2 listing by English Heritage in The proposals were unanimously agreed in principle and the November 2009 for the almost intact 1932/33 remodelling of Trust was instructed to fine-tune its figures and proposals and the auditorium and circle foyer, carried out when the “golden provide a five-year plan at the next meeting which is due to age of Hollywood” reached Ashton–under-Lyne Behind the take place in 4-6 weeks time. proscenium arch the theatre retains many of the original 1904 The Council granted the Trust full access to its own detailed features. reports and surveys and to the building itself. At the moment various people from structural engineers, to theatre suppliers, to sound consultants are making their appraisals and costings. So far there have been no major surprises and the proposals are on track and on budget. The reopened theatre and its studio satellite will house all aspects of the performing arts from major commercial tours to dance schools, the two leading operatic societies, youth theatre, community presentations, new writing, experimental works and so on. The Trust is working in collaboration with Tameside College, not only to involve performing arts students but also to give students in the Building Services department, hands-on experience of working on a major community project. In December 2011, following the Royal Assent to the Localism Bill of 2011, the Tameside Heritage and Arts Trust The motto of the Trust is “Rebuilding a Community” and we (T.H.A.T,) was formed to protect, preserve and, where hope that the people of Tameside will very much see the possible, reuse the heritage buildings of Tameside. Tameside building as “Our Theatre.” A very large number of them will Hippodrome forms its first project. be able to say “I helped to build that and get it reopened.” The Trust carried out a feasibility study which agreed with Prepare for the Spring of 2013! the findings of the Theatres Trust that the Hippodrome is viable as a theatre. Further studies were carried out into the viability and sustainability of such a venture. With all the financial boxes ticked, the Trust approached the Council with a view to acquiring, refurbishing and reopening the Hippodrome as a full receiving theatre. The bid had the backing of English Heritage, the Theatres Trust, The Architectural Heritage Fund, the Arts Council and many others. Bill Kenwright Ltd confirmed their support for its use as a No 1 receiving theatre stating that all their productions for the next two years would fit into the Hippodrome and by this time the Trust had registered over 900 Friends of the Theatre. 5 ARTHUR SULLIVAN APPEARS AT ‘THE PAVILION’, MIDDLETON. Prestwich A.D.O.S. (PADOS) has, for a number of years, By 1928 a there was a growing waiting list of musicians been welcomed at ‘The Pavilion’, Middleton. ‘The and actors for membership. The answer to the problem was Pavilion’ I hear you say,. “Never heard of that Theatre”. for the Lodge to found and sponsor a daughter lodge which took the (musical) name of Madrigal Lodge 5039 (currently Well, that’s because meeting at Hemsley House, Salford) with a continuing ‘The Pavilion’ in interest in music as the name implies. question is the home for Middleton Freemasons and provides an RTHUR Sullivan Lodge 2156 has onsistently excellent venue for the maintained its interest in theatre, orchestral members of PADOS to and choral singing and regularly attends let their hair down at A the Buxton ‘Gilbert and Sullivan Festival’. their annual ‘Awards Among the many familiar Dinner Dance’. names to feature in the list O.K. so where does of past members is Henry Arthur Sullivan come Watson. Any members of in? Amateur Musical Societies will know of the Henry ell, displayed in an anteroom is a large and Watson Music Library interesting collection of Masonic artefacts. To situated at The Manchester Wany devotee of the wonderful music of Sir Reference Library Arthur Sullivan (G and S to you and me) there is an (currently housed in interesting item in the form of a framed original-hand various locations during written letter dated March 1886 from the collaborator in the renovations to the Central operettas. The letter records that he accedes to the request of Library). Many past and professional musical members to the formation of a Lodge present members of the in his name. Manchester Cathedral Choir feature amongst the membership. In addition the membership embraces members The Arthur Sullivan Lodge 2156 still in existence and within the realms of Amateur Theatre (Actors, Singers and currently meeting at ‘The Pavilion’ and has a most Musical Direction). interesting history. The founders of the Lodge were members of Richmond Lodge 1011 (who by coincidence All of this is not surprising as Music and Drama have been also meet at The Pavilion’) and were anxious to form a new warmly embraced widely at Masonic meetings and there Lodge to be composed of members from the musical, have been attracted innumerable famous names within its orchestral and dramatic professions since they embraced ranks from all the leading professions. It would be such callings themselves. impossible to extract even a small proportion of these from the world of Music and Theatre and Film. The Arthur Sullivan Lodge 2156 was summarily consecrated in June 1886 with the blessing of Sir Arthur Most are aware of the involvement of Mozart and Sibelius.