FRIENDS OF THE EVERYMAN THEATRE

WELCOME TO THE EVERYMAN THEATRE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2020 NO: 277

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT The Everyman Theatre is currently Thomas, Chairman of the Everyman buzzing with activity as I write this, Theatre Board, our ETA cheque since the pantomime is in full swing. for £7,500. Our members enjoy Coaches bring groups of excited these occasions and welcome the children who, as always, are enjoying opportunity to meet cast members. the magic of the show. Sales of tickets The cast, too, seem to appreciate the have reached more than 50,000 this warm welcome they always receive at year (a record) and congratulations the Everyman. Our next Meet the Cast are in order to all those who are party will be after the performance involved – cast, musicians, production with Janet Limb and of the in-house production of Shirley Clive Thomas. team and front of house staff. Tickets Valentine on Thursday 13th February. are already on sale for next year! theatre. The front of house facilities We shall also be arranging Meet were modernised and the interior of the Cast parties after Paul Milton’s Our theatre is a very welcoming place the building was refurbished. On 6th production of Harold Pinter’s The and perhaps a visit to the pantomime December, 60 years ago, the theatre Birthday Party in April (which will be may be the start of more theatregoing opened its doors again. The following the 100th event on the ETA website), for some of these young people. year it was renamed The Everyman Priscilla Queen Of The Desert with As always, Tweedy, as Buttons, is Theatre, and the Cheltenham Theatre Joe McFadden and The Dresser in popular as ever! We were delighted Association became The Everyman September. that during the performance on Theatre Association. The ETA now December 6th he included us in his has more than 1200 members. This year we have also organised announcements and he congratulated our customary Christmas events. the ETA on its 60th Anniversary that Since our last Newsletter there have The Christmas dinner was preceded day. Look out for details of our special been several ETA events. In October by drinks in the Circle Bar and a Birthday Lunch on stage next May. we enjoyed a fundraising dinner with festive entertainment in Matchams a Turkish theme at Daphne Restaurant by an enthusiastic group of Jenny In June 1959 the Theatre and Opera where the friendly Turkish staff made Cameron’s BTEC Performing Arts House had closed, but a public us very welcome. In November, students. Sally, the Catering Manager, outcry resulted in the foundation of after the first performance of John then carved the turkey and we The Cheltenham Theatre Association Osborne’s The Entertainer, Shane enjoyed our Christmas meal! We were which secured financial backing from Richie and the cast joined us for a pleased to congratulate and thank the Arts Council and negotiated with lively Meet the Cast party. On our the chef for an excellent dinner, and the Town Council to re-open the behalf Shane presented to Clive we always appreciate the trouble

EVERYMAN THEATRE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER • JANUARY 2020 1 which catering staff take to decorate receive financial support from us but Matchams on these occasions. I’d like we know that they have welcomed to thank them all for the help which the opportunity to perform for us at they give us at our events. some of our events and we thank them for their willingness to give us Our second Christmas event was our their time. customary Studio evening. This year it was Hammerpuzzle’s performance of Our Newsletter will be sent out by Under The Greenwood Tree, followed Christmas Dinner. e-mail this time. I know that some of by festive refreshments and an you have asked to have a copy sent opportunity to meet the Director from our own fundraising income to you by post. If you know of any and cast in Matchams. to activities for young people. We members who might wish to have a contributed, as you know, towards the copy posted to them either because Details of all the events planned for Summer Library Project which toured they do not use e-mail or because the early part of 2020 can be found an Everyman children’s play. We were they have not given an e-mail address overleaf in Dates for your Diary and pleased to hear that more children to the theatre, please ask them to are available on our website. We look were attracted into the libraries during contact David Allen. forward to seeing you at some or all the summer holidays this year. We of these. also again provided five bursaries for I hope that you will all enjoy your visits the Everyman Summer School. We to the Everyman in 2020, and I look The ETA’s income from subscriptions were touched by the letters of thanks forward to seeing you at our events. during our financial year ending 31st which we received from some of the Thank you so much for your support October amounted to almost £27,000 participants, and these confirmed our of the ETA in this, its 60th year. which has been presented to the belief that this is a worthwhile use theatre at our Meet the Cast parties. of the money which we raise. The Janet Limb We continue to give financial support BTEC Performing Arts students do not Chairman

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MARK GOUCHER Firstly let me wish you all a very Happy New Year and thank you all for your support during the past year.

Secondly, I would like to thank your of shows, including Peter Pan Goes ETA Committee. Janet and her team Wrong, The House on Cold Hill, do an excellent job in making sure Club Tropicana, Fame and many you are offered an exciting and varied more, ending with our most successful programme of events and we at the pantomime ever. As I write this, theatre are very grateful for their more than 50,000 people will have support. watched Cinderella, a record for the theatre. We also welcomed 2019 has been another successful back prestigious companies such year for the Everyman and we have as Kneehigh and The Watermill gone from strength to strength. We Theatre and we were able to produce attracted full houses for a number our own in-house production of The Dresser. Samuel Beckett’s rarely performed and critically acclaimed Waiting for collaboration with The Barn Theatre Godot with Tweedy. This year we are in Cirencester, The Mozart Question, producing more of our own shows, which will go on tour after its run here. including Shirley Valentine with Claire Sweeney, The Birthday Party with I am delighted with the support that Michelle Collins and co-productions the Association continues to provide including The Dresser, starring Julian to the theatre, including bursaries Clary and Matthew Kelly and a new for young people to access our

2 everymantheatre.org.uk • Box Office: O1242 572573 Summer School and last year’s both of these projects again this year ETA lunch on stage with a celebrity We Are Not Aliens, a show we for which we are extremely grateful. guest speaker (details to follow) and produced for young children to mark I do hope that you will enjoy looking the 50th anniversary of the moon Looking ahead, I have tried to make through our new brochure and that landing. This was provided free of the new season as diverse and you will continue your support of our charge and we toured it to libraries entertaining as possible and one beautiful theatre and visit as much as around the County in the Summer which you and your families will possible in 2020. holidays as part of the Library appreciate. There are many other Service’s Summer Reading Challenge. exciting plans and shows in the Very best wishes The ETA has committed to supporting pipeline, including a 60th anniversary Mark Goucher

We caught up with Ashley Elbourne, our new Education and Youth Theatre Manager, to tell us about his first 6 months at the theatre and to hear his exciting plans for the future.

“Almost 6 months in and its starting to feel like home!” Ashley also oversaw the Our Education & Youth Theatre Manager, Ashley Elbourne, running of the Summer has been with the Everyman for almost 6 months now and Schools in 2019 and he has been a busy bee in that time. Here are a few of the would like to say a huge changes he has implemented along with a few things to thank you for the ETA look forward to: sponsored bursaries, • The entire Youth Theatre offer has been redesigned, which helped young putting the power into the young people, giving them people engage who a real choice in what they want to work on across the may not have been able academic year. to take part otherwise. Here is what a few of • National Theatre Connections. This is an opportunity them said: run by the National Theatre, , which allows young people to work on a new play, performing it here in “My Dad has Crohns Disease and 18 months ago was Cheltenham and then transferring it to Old Vic. diagnosed with Liver Cancer. My Mum gave up work to • Continuing with our national reach, we have joined look after him, so I didn’t think I would be able to come forces with 5 other regional venues (Chichester Festival to Summer School again. Summer School is the highlight Theatre, Derby Theatre, Edinburgh Lyceum, Leeds of my year. I look forward to it every day. I can really be Playhouse & Norwich Theatre Royal) to commission a myself and get to do what I love best, plus I have so writer to write a brand-new play with our Youth Theatre. much fun, make lots of new friends and meet lots of old • We have confirmed the Summer Schools for 2020 – we friends. Coming to Summer School has not only given will be producing Matilda The Musical (In 20 minutes) me confidence on stage but confidence as a person.” for ages 7-12 which will be performed in the Irving Studio, and for ages 13-20 we will be producing “I have Dyspraxia and I used to find being in new situations Into The Woods Jr. performing on our Main Stage. and meeting new people very stressful and when my Mum booked me into the Everyman Summer School I was really unhappy about it! Right up to the door on the first day I told her I wasn’t going! By the time I came out I had made new friends and had a fun day. I have gained more confidence in myself and my abilities… As my Dad is chronically ill and my Mum has given up work to care for him, I am so grateful that the ETA has continued to support me to attend Summer School as it’s the best thing I do all year.”

Now Ashley is planning on putting his energy into strengthening and developing our Education offer – watch this space!

EVERYMAN THEATRE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER • JANUARY 2020 3 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Full details about all of these events can be found on the ETA website

Thursday 2nd April Thursday 10th September Post show Meet the Cast of our in- Post show Meet the Cast of The house production of Harold Pinter’s Dresser, starring and The Birthday Party. Matthew Kelly

Sunday 3rd May 60th Birthday Lunch on stage with guest speaker and entertainment. Thursday 13th February See the brochure for full details. Post show Meet the Cast party with Claire Sweeney, star of Willy Russell’s delightful comedy Shirley Valentine

Tuesday 3rd March, 2pm Matchams 50 Years at the Everyman – Talk by Roger Hendry Roger Hendry has worked at Monday 18th May the Everyman Theatre for 50 Post show Meet the Cast of the years, working backstage in a hit musical Priscilla Queen of variety of roles, most recently as SPECIAL OFFER! WE ALL the Desert starring Strictly Come Theatre Services Engineer. He NEED A FRIEND! Dancing winner Joe McFadden has seen a multitude of changes Introduce a friend to the ETA and and developments over the years we will give both you and your Sunday 7th June and has an amazing wealth of friend (once they have joined An exclusive Sunday afternoon visit knowledge, along with some very the ETA) a FREE pair of tickets of Brockworth Court, to include a funny and amusing anecdotes. You as a thank you. Choose from the guided tour of the house by the are welcome to bring friends along. following top class shows: The owner and time to explore the To book, please send cheques for Croft starring Gwen Taylor, Alan garden, followed by a substantial £10 per person payable to the ETA to Ayckbourn’s Ten Times Table with buffet tea in the Tithe Barn. Janet Limb, Springfield, Talbot Road, Robert Daws, Kay Mellor’s Band Brockworth Court is a Tudor house, Cheltenham, GL51 6QA of Gold with Gaynor Faye and rich in history and boasts numerous Tel: 01242 237484. Kieron Richardson, Alan Bennett’s famous visitors, including King Henry The Habit of Art starring Matthew VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn Kelly and David Yelland and The in August 1535. To book, please send Birthday Party. Call the Box Office a cheque for £25 per person, by and mention this special offer. Tuesday 26th May, payable to the ETA Your friend will need to give your to Janet Limb, (address listed earlier). name and ETA number when Call Janet on 01242 237484 or email joining to identify you, so that we [email protected] for more can arrange your complimentary information. tickets.

everymantheatreassociation.org.uk facebook.com/EverymanTheatreCheltenham : @EverymanFriends Instagram: everymanfriends The Everyman Theatre Association is a registered charity number 240273

4 everymantheatre.org.uk • Box Office: O1242 572573