The Compton Players' NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2001

Contents

Editorial
Dracula Spectacula
Play Readings
The autumn production - Katherine Howard
Voice coaching workshop, 8th September
News of members
Next issue

Welcome to the start of a new season. We start with a production of Katherine Howard by William Nicholson, directed by Enid. Rehearsals have already begun and the performances will be on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of November. As part of the preparation there will be a voice-coaching session on Saturday, 8th September, from 2.00-4.00pm in the Village Hall. The session will be led by Stuart Peterson. The workshop is intended chiefly for members of the cast of Katherine Howard but all members with acting ambitions are invited to attend. More about the play, and the coaching session, follows elsewhere in the newsletter.

Information about the remainder of the season is still somewhat sparse but, as is usually the way with Compton Players, there are suggestions in the air and plans are rumoured to be taking shape in the background. One of the suggestions is said to involve the use of very bad French and German accents and a café - so you may draw your own conclusions. But nothing definite as yet.

Since the previous newsletter the annual drama festival at Wallingford organised by the Sinodun Players has come and gone. Eric and Liz filled their usual role as advisors to the adjudicator and several of our members attended all or some of the performances. It was unfortunate that we were not represented on the stage this year as it meant that some of the buzz was missing so far as we were concerned - and so far as others were concerned as well. Regret was expressed by many regular attenders that we were not taking part. It is, however, our intention to participate again next year.

Many of us were at Wallingford again a few weeks later to see Dracula Spectacula by the Young Sinodun Players. It was a splendid, fast-moving production which we all greatly enjoyed. Paul has kindly written a review of the production which can be found below.

You will see, in fact, that half this newsletter is by Paul, interesting and well-written as always. Just the sort of contributor to have. If could find someone to write the other half each time I'd be in clover. [Tell you what, Rob - I'll do the other half as well, if you take over the web site - Ed]

Dracula Spectacula

After this year's Wallingford Festival, Enid suggested that we should have a group outing to see the Young Sinodun Players do Dracula Spectacula, so about ten of us trooped along to Wallingford in July.

It was spooky even before the curtain opened. We went on Friday 13th (naturally), and the audience was full of people - how shall I put this - who you wouldn't want to meet on a dark night in Transylvania. (For Compton Players, black was our chosen costume colour.) When the curtain did go up, the production really started with a bang. In a musical, the opening number sets the tone for the whole show - get off to a good start, and you've got the audience with you. This was a great opening number, and it soon became clear that what we had here was a very classy production; the combination of director Marilyn Johnstone, set designer Chris Stammers, and choreographer Catherine Futcher gave a professional feel to the whole thing.

The story starts with a teacher and two children from Pennsylvania taking a trip to Transylvania, and their inevitable encounter with Count Dracula. They are saved by the goodies, Herr Hans, Frau Gretel, Nicholas Necrophiliac and Father O'Stake, and just as we think we are getting a saccharine happy ending, the baddies resurrect and triumph.

It is a good tongue-in-cheek take on the original, and the tunes are catchy. In places, the script veered towards spoof melodrama, reminding me of Klondike Kalamity. We had some excellent acting too. I particularly liked Victoria Leonard as Dracula, and Skip Saunders and Kate McNiven, as Drac's servant and mum, gave us some really good slapstick comedy in Act 2. Matthew Griffin, as Hans, gave a very mature acting and singing performance, and Kathryn Lee as Nadia and either Polly Gibson or Jessica Linton (the programme doesn't show which nights they performed on) as Nick provided the strong love element.

The only problem I had with the production was that I couldn't hear them very well. Although many of them had microphones, the voices just didn't carry to the back of the auditorium, particularly when they had to compete with the band (and the American and Irish accents didn't help). I know my hearing isn't very good, but others said the same thing.

The production was very well rehearsed and slick, and there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm from these young people. All in all, a most impressive performance.

Paul Shave (this is a slightly modified version of the review I wrote for the Sinodun Players page on the web site)

Play readings

During the early summer, we had a weekly session of play readings at the Scout Hut. I'd trawled through French's recent release catalogue and bought a few plays that looked promising. Then I went to Reading library, and was pleased to find that they had sets of almost all of them in stock. Here's a brief run-down of them.
Gym and Tonic by John Godber. About people at a health hydro (remember H's Happy Acres?). It was amusing but not hilarious, and had a dark side which some of us were uneasy with. On the whole, we didn't like it.
Heatstroke by Eric Chappel (author of Natural Causes, that we put on a few years ago). Two couples on holiday in Spain, and mistaken identities. Very funny - we enjoyed this one, and we could do it.
Disposing of the Body by Hugh Whitemore (author of Pack of Lies, which we did recently). Middle-aged man has an affair. Clear similarities in style with Pack of Lies, with speeches to the audience. I liked it, others weren't so keen.
Sweet Panic by Stephen Poliakoff. One woman stalks another. Unusual style, again with speeches to the audience. Weak ending. We mostly liked it.
In Need of Care by David E. Rowley. One-act play for young people. We quite liked it, but it was rather dated.
A Dogs Life by Pam Valentine. One-act play with a cast of four dogs and two humans. Good fun, but with a sad side. Generally liked.
Liz also provided three one-act plays written by her brother, but we didn't have time to read these. In fact, we generally ran out of time as the autumn production nudged us out of the Scout Hut. So I've got some stacked up for a future play reading season.

Paul Shave

The autumn production - Katherine Howard

This play by William Nicholson explores the relationship between a middle-aged Henry VIII and his fifth wife, Katherine Howard. This being the Tudor court, religion and politics are inextricably linked with the relationship and the royal marriage bed is seen by courtiers and officials alike as a place of influence and power. Chief among the protagonists is the Duke of Norfolk, as leader of the Catholic faction, matched by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Protestant faction.

It was a dangerous game to play. In real life Thomas Cromwell, Henry's chief minister, fell from power because he arranged the marriage with wife number four, the German and Protestant Anne of
Cleves, in order to strengthen the Protestant cause at court and thus in the nation as a whole. Unhappily for Cromwell, Anne proved to fall far short of Henry's expectations in every way. Six months later the marriage was annulled on the grounds of non-consummation and Cromwell was executed on charges of treason.

The play opens with Henry reluctantly embarking on his wedding night with Anne of Cleves, a situation which provides the playwright with an opportunity for some humour, as does the following morning. There are, however, very dark undertones. Aware of the king's dissatisfaction, Norfolk seizes the opportunity to insinuate his young niece, Katherine, as a replacement for Anne and thus promote the Catholic cause.

Katherine (or Catharine, the spellings vary) is an attractive young woman in her very early twenties. Henry, in contrast, is by this time, fifty, fat and diseased with a running sore on his leg. In spite of this the playwright is able to show convincingly a loving yet mutually challenging relationship developing between them. But however strong that relationship might be they are both, in their different ways, victims of the machinations of the various plotters who surround them and tragedy lies in wait.

Good, meaty stuff, then, but also a tightly and elegantly written play which doesn't waste time as it recounts the story.

Those familiar with Robert Bolt's play, A Man for All Seasons, will recognise some of the characters - the King, Norfolk, Cranmer - but we are now several years further on. Dave Hawkins is again Henry VIII but older and fatter. Tracey is taking on the role of Katherine. Mike Long will be Norfolk and Eric a devious and surprisingly ruthless Cranmer. Liz is playing Lady Rochford, one of Norfolk's fellow plotters, if a somewhat reluctant one. It's good to see her back on stage again. Jasmine, of Klondike Kalamity fame, is taking on the role of the unfortunate Anne Of Cleves. We also have the pleasure of welcoming three newcomers to the cast: Michael Sheperia is playing Katherine's sometime lover, Thomas Culpeper, and we have Becky Palmer and Natalie Smith as maidservants.

It's a large cast so most of the usual suspects, Ian, Nick, Brenda, Peter and others are also involved. Because the cast is so large Enid believes that there may be some difficulty in finding sufficient people for backstage and front-of-house so she will be casting her net wider than usual in order to find helpers. You have been warned.

This production will be in the round, as was A Man for All Seasons. Alec and Enid are designing the set.

Tickets will be available nearer the time and Norma Smith will once again be doing box office. Norma's telephone number is 01635 578821.

This is a big production by our standards and the help of as many people as possible in the different areas of the production would be greatly appreciated. Should you wish to contact Enid the rehearsal nights are Tuesday and Thursday in Compton Village hall and Enid's telephone number is 01235 820481.

Voice coaching workshop, 8th September

This will take place in the afternoon from 2.00 until 4.00.

Stuart Peterson, who will be leading the workshop, is a professionally trained singer so one can expect his expertise in voice training to be considerable. He will be known to many of you as Caiaphas the high-priest in the passion play last year. As someone said to me recently, 'I can't remember what part he played but I remember the voice!'

We're very fortunate that Stuart has volunteered to help us in this way and in order to justify his faith in us we should like as many people as possible to attend. Please come along if you can.

Contributions for the next issue to R.Bell, 4 Howard Avenue, Grove, Wantage. OX12 7PS, Tel: 01235 763469, by 15 October for publication 1 November. Thank you.

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