Spotlight of Drama May 2013

The magazine of the Somerset Fellowship spotlight of Drama May 2013 Charity Changes announced for the David No.1084863 Beach Competition the year, reading every The SFD committee is sending a letter to adjudication, assessing all musical societies to advise them of some changes the relative merits of in the team for the David Beach Competition. each production and Moderator Ros Roderigo and Coordinator Sandra putting together all the Pittwood will be stepping down from their roles. Ian information for the final Hurdman, who many of you will know because he is presentations. At long one of the competition’s existing adjudicators, will last she and her husband be taking over as moderator and Ron Roberts, who Richard will be able to New David Beach adjudicates for this competition as well as enjoy some holidays Moderator Ian moderating for the Cinderella pantomime copetition, together! Ros said, “I am Hurdman will provide continuity throughout the changes. SFD sorry to be stepping vice-chair Di Dean will be the new coordinator. down and I would like to The committee’s letter is printed on page 5 thank my splendid team for all the good work that they did.” Ros Roderigo expressed regret at standing down from a role that she says she “loved, and was Meanwhile, it has not taken Ian Hurdman long to honoured to do.” But she will undoubtedly welcome get into his new role and he is looking forward to a break from travelling round the county throughout seeing some very exciting productions this year. Joe Egg through to semis Troupersʼ production wins In this month’s Spotliight Wessex Division Well-Trained prizes by Performed over two sessions on a rainy Richard Derry 2 Saturday in April, the Wessex Division Quarter Final What Did They Say? by of the All-England one-act drama festival provided Sam Allen 2 some first-rate entertainment. Of the four All-England Drama presentations, two were from societies associated Festival 3 Barrie Palmer, with the SFD, St Gregory Players and Troupers from Fundraising Outside the whose story is Frome who were declared winners, going through to Box by Sue Pomeroy 4 featured on the semi-finals. For those of you who have not had a Committee Cuttinngs 5 pages 11 & 12 chance to see this excellent production, the Western What’s On 6 Area semi-finals are in Warminster on 18th May. Auditions 7 Full details of the festival quarterfinals are on page Minehead’s Barnstormers by Doug Ross 8 The secret of the panto horse 10 3. From the Brewhouse to the RSC, the story of Donʼt Forget… Barrie Palmer 11 The deadline for submissions to Spotlight is 21st of the previous See the first of Sue Pomeroyʼs regular month. columns on Page 4 Email: [email protected] 1 Well-Trained Prizes! What did they say? By Richard Derry By Sam Allen Spotlight editor Sam Allen is seeking more contributions to the magazine. Anyone who thinks that amateur drama is only for luvvies and airheads should think again! I was interested to see a quote in a recent edition of the Radio Times. In it, Photo: Geof Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Sheppard Web, talks about his role in the fantastic London Olympics Opening Ceremony. He said, “I always SFD Treasurer Richard Derry shares one of his more unusual experiences enjoyed amateur drama in my youth and in as he recounts his cunning plan to many ways it was like a massive amateur make sure that the show goes on! pantomime.” Indeed, the great thing about amateur drama is A few days before the Original that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you do for a living. The only thing that matters is Playwriting Competition I was asked for the that you love entertaining people and that you cheques for the winner and the two runners up. are good on the stage. Am Dram brings together Well, as the West Somerset Railway had its people from all walks of life. We try to reflect Annual Spring Gala running that weekend and I that in the pages of Spotlight. As well as had a close friend staying for a week and other reporting amateur drama throughout Somerset friends staying locally I could not attend the we endeavour to cover all aspects of the theatre competition. Anyway these plans had been made from high drama to farce to panto to musicals to back last October. you-name-it. We also seek to include everyone But how to get the cheques to Jane Edwards? who is involved, not just those treading the Well it was a combination of modern technology boards. That is why we have our Unsung Heroes and steam technology. The arrangements were section and why we encourage readers to send made by email and there was no way I was in their funny recollections for our And Then chancing these cheques to the GPO with little There was the Time… section. guarantee of them arriving in time for the It is great this month to have contributions from competition. So, as I live in Minehead and Jane Richard Derry and Doug Ross and I am lives in Bishops Lydeard, and having written the particularly pleased to have Sue Pomeroy on cheques out I sent them via the West Somerset board writing a regular column. But I would love Railway. The envelope containing the cheques to receive more, to make this a truly communal had OCS (on company service) written on it and publication, reflecting amateur drama in all its Jane's name care of Bishops Lydeard signal box. I guises right across Somerset. took it to Minehead station and handed it to the guard on the next up train which luckily was my So if you have a story to tell please get in touch. friend Ted who also acts as front of House at the In the last year we have covered anniversaries, Regal Theatre, Minehead. Then I rang Bishops start-ups, training sessions, jolly japes, rehearsal Lydeard signal box (I know the majority of the reminiscences, as well as all the SFD signalmen having just 'retired' after 25 years competitions and committee musings. But there doing said job) and luckily Nick Budd was on is always room for more. duty and realised what needed doing. We have had no recent recommendations for So when Jane called in to BL signal box later in Unsung Hero. Is there nobody in your society the day the cheques were there to be collected. I who you think deserves a bit of recognition and must place on record a thank you to the staff and thanks? This month there are no letters and no volunteers on the WSR. reviews. So, come on, get pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), get that story to me and let’s make this a monthly publication for everyone. Even inventors of the Word Wide Web! 2 All England Drama Festival One Act Quarter Finals The Wessex Division Quarter Finals of the All-England One Act Play Festival were held this year in the Merlin Theatre, Frome. As hosts, Somerset were invited to enter the top two plays chosen by the adjudicator at the Somerset heat from a total entry of eight plays. The two plays going through were Limb of Snow performed by the St Gregory Players directed by Liz Brown, and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Act 1 performed by Troupers from Frome and directed by Philip de Glanville. In the quarter finals, held on Saturday 13th April, they were up against Hang Lenny Pope by Chris O’Connell performed by Blakehay Actor’s’ Company from Weston-Super-Mare and and Melody by Dierdre Kinahan performed by St Ursula Players from Westbury-on-Trym. If the Merlin Theatre was sparsely attended for Holly McPhee-Clarke, Richard Thomas and the afternoon session, it was certainly bustling Tina Waller in Troupers production of A Day for the evening session when, of course, the in the Death of Joe Egg. results are announced. There were two awards. The Adjudicator’s Award (which, according to adjudicator Mike Kaiser can be “for anything, killing of his girlfriend. The relationship between really) went to Peter Nicholl of Blakehaye the dead son (both as a ghost and in flashback) Actors’ Company for his very fine portrayal of and his father was brilliantly depicted Ray in Hang Lenny Pope. deservedly earning the Adjudicator’s Award for The overall winner, going through to the semi- Peter Nicholl as the father. But the key finals, was A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Act 1. As relationship was that of the mother and father in the heats, the two main protagonists put in whose whole life was falling apart as we splendid performances which had the audience watched. enthralled from the beginning. Despite its deep Melody, the first of the evening performances, and dark themes, this play provided many laughs was about the burgeoning relationship between and the two main characters played by Richard two workers in Dublin who meet at lunchtime on Thomas and Tina Waller, as well as the 10-year- a park bench while listening to the music in the old Jo played by Holly McPhee-Clarke, put in bandstand. The play takes both comic and brilliant performances. poignant turns with as these two likeable The four plays all had small casts of two, three or characters’ relationship develops and then four and, although the settings were very varied falters before being happily revived.

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