July/August 2009 Emeritus Life President: Vice President: Dr Wendy Toye CBE, Hon.D.Litt
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No. 467 - July/August 2009 Emeritus Life President: Vice President: Dr Wendy Toye CBE, Hon.D.Litt. Mr Nickolas Grace FCSSD, CLIPA 50p when sold Outings with the Vic-Wells 16 July 2009 at 3pm: Bank of England: forms of live entertainment. Theatre and Tour of Museum Performance galleries dedicated to the performing arts display works of art, costumes, ephemera, video recordings, The Bank of England Museum is located 30puppets,September posters 2009and photographs.at 10.30am: Royal within the Bank of England in the heart of the Hospital Chelsea – Private Guided Tour City of London. The museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central There are few institutions in the UK with an bank.The historical displays include material unbroken three centuries of service and none drawn from the Bank’s own collections of of them is so close to the heart of the nation books, documents, silver, prints, paintings, as ‘The Men in Scarlet’, the Chelsea banknotes, coins and photographs. There is a Pensioners, and their home the Royal display of gold, including Roman and modern Hospital Chelsea. Founded in 1682 by King gold bars, alongside pikes and muskets once Charles II and intended for the ‘succour and used to defend the Bank. Computer relief of veterans broken by age and war’, the technology and audio-visual displays explain Royal Hospital, with its Grade I listed 13the AugustBank’s present2009 at day 3pm: role. V&A: buildings, still serves its original purpose. Guided Tour of the New Theatre Gallery. Visitors are able to see the Great Hall, Octagon and Chapel, walk around Figure, College and Light Horse Courts and visit the The V&A’s Theatre Collections hold the UK’s BOOKINGS:Museum and Please Shop.book at least one month in national collection of material about live advance of the visit date, if possible. For each performance in the UK since Shakespeare’s visit, please send a cheque for £5 per person, day, covering drama, dance, musical theatre, indicating clearly which visit(s) you wish to circus, music hall, rock and pop and other attend, together with an SAE to Tim Rooke, 314B Park Road, London N8 8LA (0208 352 0492) SUBSCRIPTIONS Albert Finney as Hamlet, 1975 Annual members are reminded that theirst Photography: Antony Crickman (V&A Theatre Collection) subscriptions are due for payment on the 1 July. A renewal form is enclosed and further details may be found on the back page. Founded in 1923 by The Vic-Wells Association LILIAN BAYLIS CH., M.A. (Oxon) Hon., LL.D. (Birm) Hon. The OLD VIC, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8NB Incorporating The Old Vic Association, SADLER’S WELLS, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN The Old Vic Circle, The Old Vic Club, (also at the PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street, Kingsway, Sadler’s Wells Society, Sadler’s Wells Circle London WC2A 2HT) Shakespeare’s Birthday Party th The party was held on Saturday 25 April in the second circle bar area of the Old Vic. Members enjoyed the usual excellent refreshments as well as wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee.Dancing The atToastLughnasa this year was proposed by Niamh Cusack who was appearing in at the Old Vic. Members were enthralled by her speaking so James Ranger talks to cast members passionately a b o u t Venice Shakespeare’s plays, saying and concluding with ‘God save the how relevant King’. The third verse was, ‘God save our t h e y w e r e splendid men, Bring them safe home again, today to people God save our men, Keep them victorious, in all walks of patient andTwelfthchivalrous,NightThey are so dear to life. The plays us, God save our men’. On the evening of the have certainly same day, . The theatre then st th inspired her held a Shakespeare Birthday Festival from over the years April 21 to May 4 performing several w h e n s h e different Shakespeare plays and with Sybil andPhotosRussell by NickThorndike Panagakisand Ellen Terry in Niamh Cusack toasts the Bard performed as J u l i e t , the cast. James Ranger As You Like It, D e s d e m o n a and Rosalind in Note from the Hon. Secretary her favourite part, and other great roles. Most of the cast attended the partyand Members enjoyed talking to them. Many of you will who are e-mail users are Our thanks to both the Old Vic and the probably only too aware of the problem of ‘spam’, those messages you do not care to receive from people you do not know offering things you do not want. Even with a ‘spam filter’, (which is supposed to eliminate most of the unwanted messages), my e-mail address [email protected] is currently receiving from 30–40 spam messages per day. Having found no way of stemming the tide Sir Peter Wright and Members enjoy the speech of rubbish, I have decided to close the nunsacre e-address. In future, all e-mails concerning The Vic-Wells Association will Committee members who provided the be sent from a new e-address vic- refreshments. [email protected] has been specially Members will be interested to hear that, in set-up for this purpose.The BroadYousheetwill find the 1917, the Friends of the Old Vic hosted rda new address on the back page of this and performance in the theatre onAsMondayYou Like23It, future editions of with the atJulius2.30Caesar, pm KingwithJohn scenesThe fromMerchant severalof other officers of the Association.RichardPlease Reavilluse Shakespeare’ plays including it for any future communications you wish and 2 to make. Lilian Baylis Theatrical Excellence Awards they start to rehearse and the 7 plays are presented in the evening. The Association will make a Lilian Baylis The Old Vic New Voices club offers an Theatrical Excellence Award of £250 to one unrivalled professional development writer, one producer, one director and one programme of workshops and master actor. Subject to their professional classes for 18-25 year olds who are engagements, our judging panel will consist committed to a career in the theatre. The of our Vice President, Nicholas Grace, Honor highlight of their year is the 24 hour play Blackman, Joy Ranger and Steve Winter, cycle to be presented at the Old Vic on the who organises the event. The award is for evening of Sunday 25th July. Auditions are the recipients to widen their arts knowledge carried out in June with the final audition by attending art galleries, concerts, plays weekend at the end of the month. From the and other theatrical events and when the verymanyapplicantsthey choose 7 writers, money runs out they are asked to present a 7 producers, 7 directors and 30 actors. In a short report saying how the money was bonding weekend they form themselves spent. Members will be able to attend the intoseven ‘companies’. They all arriveth at the evening performanceth and tickets go on sale theatre on the evening of the 25 July for at the Old Vic on 24 June (ask for 24 hourth the companies to choose the subject of their plays, Old Vic New Voices, on Sunday 26 15 minute play. The actors go home and the July on 0870 0606628). WeJameshope to Rangersee as writers start to write during the night. Each many Members as possible in the audience. director is allowed 3 lighting and 3 sound cues. When the actors return in the morning NEWS from Sadler’s Wells Grammys and Tony awards for his SUMMER AT SADLER’S WELLS unforgettable show tunes), the production took almost three years to develop – alone the task of choosing music from the composer’s huge oeuvre proved The weather experts have promised us a monumental. Adam Cooper decided against beautiful summer this year – and Sadler’s involving singers in the show, convinced Wells promises you a luscious summer that a pure orchestral arrangement of the programme of dance, both in the theatre famous melodies would offer more dramatic and out of doors.ReturningAdamtoSadler’sCooperWells range and freedom, as well as the chance to in July isShallBritain’sWe Dancefavourite ballet dancer create a different kind of narrative. The and all round talent . He magical journey around the world will be presents , a spectacularRichardnew realised throughAdam sweepingCooper projections and Rogersdance show celebrating the most well- lavish costumesSarah for aWildor large cast whichEmma is known music from some of Simmsheaded by himself, his long- ’ best-loved musicals. Be transported term partner , and from the Orient to the Wild West by way of (who like them, attended the Royal Russian folk dance, New York Jazz and the Ballet School when she was young). He says delirious waltzes of a Viennese ballroom – it is ‘a spectacle’, a show that has dance at you’ll experience a trip around the world Shall We Dance its very heart and is defined by the different without ever leaving your seat! styles he has enjoyed dancing in a long and Lesis LiaisonsAdam Cooper’s Dangereusesfirst new prodigious career spanning principal roles production at Sadler’s Wells since hisRicharddance at the Royal Ballet and Billy Eliot, the film. Roadaptiongers of in Expect a summer spectacular, with lyrical 2005. Created as a tribute to classicism, tap dancing, Jazz, and big (who died in 1979, a Broadway numbers inspired by classic Broadway and legend, having won several Oscars, Emmys, 3 West End shows. SADLER’S WELLS – ON THE LAKE wild outdoors at Latitude. It’s absolutely the right time for these dynamic artists to be For the last few years, Sadler’s Wells has part of such a rich festival, especially in such Waynebuilt upMacGregora presence |a tRandom the hippest, Dance most a setting.