The Guildhall School Magazine Spring/ Summer 2016 4 Behind the Scenes 26 The Interview Playing in Rep Athole Still 6 Your latest School 30 Then & Now news and stories Debbie Wiseman PLAY32 Class Notes 35 In Memoriam Sir George Martin 12 Guildhall to the World New York, New York 14 My Legacy Gift Kevin Webb 16 Where art meets business 22 Doctor in the House 38 A Day in the Life Philip Venables Sara Lee Editorial Group Welcome to the latest edition of PLAY Short Courses Deputy Head of Development (Alumni & Supporter Relations) Recently, I spent two days meeting with current students who Rachel Dyson 2016 had applied to be involved in our Easter telephone appeal. I Head of External Affairs Jo Hutchinson asked them all the same questions and their responses, regardless of subject or level of study, were astonishingly consistent and Head of Development Summer Arts Camp Duncan Barker often quite touching. New Summer Arts Camp for 11-14 years (in association with the Barbican) Marketing & Communications Officer When asked ‘Why did you choose to study at Guildhall?’, many Drama Summer School Rosanna Chianta students spoke of loving the ‘easy-going’, ‘friendly’, ‘progressive’ Acting in Shakespeare & Contemporary Theatre Writer & Editorial Consultant Acting in Musical Theatre environment at Guildhall; how they felt at home as soon as Nicola Sinclair Drama Summer School for 16-17 years they walked in for an open day, an audition or to visit a friend Art Direction & Design who was here before them. They talked of the collaborative Music Summer School Pentagram New Brass and Percussion Week Jessie Earle opportunities that arise from the combination of conservatoire Advanced Saxophone and drama school, and from the School’s partnerships with New Advanced Viola and Performance Health Contact external organisations such as the LSO, the Barbican and the New Advanced Oboe New Oboe and Cor Anglais Artistry Email Royal Opera House. Jazz and Rock Week [email protected] Jazz Singers’ Weekend Twitter Advanced Jazz In answer to ‘What do you most enjoy about your course?’ the @guildhallschool Singing Taster common replies were ‘the great teachers’ (naturally), ‘freedom’— A Cappella Choral Facebook the freedom to experiment, to take risks in a safe space and to Essential Music Theory GuildhallSchoolAlumni be entrepreneurial – and the ‘variety’ of projects, electives and Music Theory: Beyond Grade 5 Post New Essential Aural Skills Development & Alumni performance opportunities available. It is fitting, then, that New Aural Skills: Beyond Grade 5 Relations Office this edition of PLAY features some truly enterprising students, Guildhall School Technical Theatre Summer School staff and alumni. of Music & Drama Stage Management Skills Silk Street, Barbican Opera Stage Management London EC2Y 8DT Over the years, I have spoken to many alumni about their time at Stage Lighting Skills Practical Theatre Sound Skills Guildhall and, while the specifics of the courses and opportunities Video Projection Mapping Photo Credits on offer have changed, the essence of Guildhall seems to have Prop Making Skills Clive Barda, Tom L. Blau, Introduction to Costume remained the same. Our student callers look forward to hearing Carnegie Hall, Paul Cochrane, about, and learning from, the experiences of those who came Company Pictures/Playground Continuing Professional Development Entertainment for BBC2, before them as well as – in years to come – talking to the next New Training in Classical Voice Lizzie Coombes, Rachel Mindfulness for Performers generation of Guildhall students in their turn. Dyson, Guy Levy, R. McElroy, Creative Music Training Juan Carlos Orihuela, Laura Introduction to Automation for the Entertainment Radford, Morag René, ROH/ Industry (in association with Stage Technologies) Lyric, Susana Sanroman, Clive Totman, Felipe Tozzato Booking now open. Find out more at gsmd.ac.uk/summer Rachel Dyson, Editor P.S. As ever, I look forward to receiving your comments on this edition of PLAY. 2 3 BEHIND THE SCENES This February saw where they do up to seven shows in one night poker game takes place, and is rep, so it was great to put that experience under pressure to join the game. He tries Guildhall stage its first to use here. For this double bill we have to resist because he needs to keep his ‘rep’ season in over a two separate directors but one designer money for his daughter’s birthday day decade, scheduling and one lighting designer, plus the video out, but ultimately ends up joining in designer for Pinter. You have to schedule and gambling it all away. It’s the journey alternating performances everything very carefully, with a technical of someone trying to do the right thing of Patrick Marber’s rehearsal then dress rehearsal for each, but being unable to defeat his own Dealer’s Choice and a but it all works in reverse so the last show addictions. In many ways it’s an ugly you checked is the first show you open. role, but a really interesting part to play. Pinter triple bill in the Then there’s the lighting rig. You either Studio Theatre. The format have to set up one rig and refocus it for Dealer’s Choice is a joy to perform in provides a great challenge the next show, or design one solution that because the writing is so rich, and Mike works for both. In this case you have two Alfreds is a brilliant director. I’m in my for all involved, so shows with two very contrasting briefs. third and final year at Guildhall, yet PLAY took a peek at the Dealer’s Choice is quite naturalistic as it despite having had this amazing training backstage drama takes place in a restaurant, whereas Pinter I felt surprisingly nervous about taking is more abstract and off the wall, with on the modern text. I needn’t have lots of big shafts of light and abstract worried. What I found is that my natural angles. It’s logistically challenging but instincts are still there but now I have Mike Alfreds good fun. In our third year at Guildhall this new technical ability from training Director, Dealer’s Choice most of our time is spent managing on totally different plays, like Shakespeare Dealer’s Choice is a naturalistic play about shows and dealing with new challenges and Chekhov. All that training comes six men whose main occupation in life is like this, and it’s a great opportunity to to the fore and actually feeds the modern poker, and it destroys them. The play is set get out there and learn through osmosis. text. Suddenly this big scary role comes in a restaurant and we are trying to make to you quite naturally, and you discover it feel as realistic as possible, especially Kathryn Mercer you can trust in the training that’s got you the actual poker games. Technical Manager here. That’s a great feeling. As Technical Manager I take charge of Reps can be difficult for the technical the set, making sure it can be assembled Jo McInnes staff, because the performances are more and dismantled quickly in the turnaround Director, Pinter triple bill PLAYING spread out. As a director, you’re not sure and that everything is safe. It’s important I don’t have the opportunity to direct whether the cast will return from the to make sure everyone knows what students very often, but I do work with two-day break feeling refreshed, or if they’re doing, and to find solutions that Guildhall once every couple of years. the show will have lost some of its keep everybody happy. Part of that is It’s a process I find really nourishing. momentum. In fact it’s going very well making sure the designer, lighting You learn a lot by going back to a place so far, and it’s proving useful to have technician and director are talking to of learning and working with people IN REP more time to refine things. each other about what they want, and who are just starting out. Because their finding compromises that meet everyone’s learning process is much more visible This isn’t my first time directing needs. It can require a lot of tact! You you gain so much as a practitioner, Guildhall students (I directed Twelfth have to be ready to change things every and become more aware of your own Night here last year) and I’ve found the day and not take it personally or get working practices. cast excellent once again. They’re well precious about it. That’s the thing about trained, skilled and talented performers. working with creatives! Doing Pinter feels particularly important In fact, I don’t see much difference because he strips his writing to the core, between working with Guildhall students I think reps are a great opportunity to which forces the actors to be economic and seasoned professionals. What they teach us a different way of working. in their choices. It’s a great challenge for lack in experience they make up for in Guildhall has such high professional the actors, and the rep format also allows commitment. Egos can be challenging standards but when we graduate we them to work on a shorter text as part to deal with for a director but these won’t always be working in venues that of a smaller cast. So far the actors have students have a very healthy attitude and have the resources to put on a really slick been fantastic to direct: very open, strong, are eager to learn. It’s been particularly production. The rep has a nice fringe feel: talented and creative. This industry can impressive to see them staying late after we call it ‘scissors and glue management’ be depressing because at times you feel rehearsals to master the art of poker – I because you use whatever you can, it’s driven as much by fashion as talent, hope we’re not encouraging bad habits.