Grassington Players

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Newsletter - November 08

Welcome to the third newsletter of this year.

Players on the Road

All seven performances have now been given, with great success. A full review is being undertaken, and will be reported back to the main committee, with recommendations for the future. Many thanks and congratulations to Rachel and Keith.

Coffee Morning

This was held on Saturday 30^th August at Church House, and raised in excess of £350. Thanks to Wendy for organising and all the helpers on the day.

Garden Party

The Garden Party was held on Sunday 7^th September and was greatly enjoyed by all who attended. Many thanks to Ann and Andrew.

Quiz Night

This will be held on Tuesday 18^th November at the Devonshire Arms, Cracoe. We have arranged for a separate room so that we can all be together this year, and a hot supper will be provided. There will be various quizzes, and the cost will be £5.00 per person.

I would be grateful if you would let me know if you are coming by Friday 7^th November in order that I can arrange the catering.

Future Productions

Autumn 08

Beryl Bamforth is directing “Love Letters” on 16^th, 17^th & 18^th October in the Octagon Theatre. Please come along and support us.

Dickensian 08

These performances will be on 29^th November, 6^th & 20^th December.

Rehearsals have now been arranged for the following Mondays

13^th, 20^th, 27^th October & 3^rd November in the Games Room

10^th, 17^th & 24^th November on the Main Stage

Dress Rehearsal will be either Thursday 27^th or Friday 28^th November.

All rehearsals will start at 7.00pm prompt for the main play, and 8.00pm for the chorus and other pieces. If you have any suggestions for additional items, please let me know.

Please do come along, we would like as many as possible in the chorus.

Spring 2009

We are presenting “The Crucible” directed by Ed Williams on 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th April, more details in the next newsletter

If you would like anything including in future issues of the newsletter, please contact me.

Best wishes

Bob Duncalf Tel: 01756 730309

email: bobduncalf@talktalk.net

Next Production:

Dickensian Show

£6.00 per adult £3.00 per child

Please send stamped address envelope and cheque payable to Grassington Players stating the number of tickets required and for which performance

Send to:-

Grassington Players Dickensian Shows

c/o Cath Gower

13 Hardy Meadows

Grassington

Skipton

BD23 5LR

Tel: 01756 752644

Email: gower320@btinternet.com

Tickets for the ‘locals’ night performance in aid of charity are available from Helen Midgley’s, Main Street, Grassington. £6.00 per adult £3.00 per child

Reviews

Players on the Road

The summer 2008 tour, Players on the Road was a resounding success. Audiences at the various Dales venues all enjoyed the shows which also helped with fundraising efforts for a number of charities. In total £706.20 was raised, with half of the tickets sales revenue each evening going to the venues choice of charity and half to Grassington Players own chosen charity for the year, Macmillan. Already there are requests from the venues for the Players to return with another show next year. The cast enjoyed participating in the tour, which comprised a series of Keith Bromley’s bitter-sweet monologues and duologues performed by a range of ages, from teenagers to septuagenarians.

Laying the Ghost

When you hear that the stage manager had decided to fly out to Florida immediately after the first night, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Grassington Players’ latest production should have been given a wide berth. How wrong you would have been. It is not surprising that word spread around the village like wildfire – “this is a production not to be missed”. The Friday and Saturday performances were sell-outs, with a queue forming for any spare seats.

“Laying the Ghost” by Simon Williams is set in The Yew Tree Retirement Home on the south coast. It is the current home of two elderly actresses, Margot Buchanan, the witty and acerbic ex-wife of the famous actor Sir Leo Buchanan, and Freda Deacon, an eccentric lady with a love of naughty jigsaws and an unusual tendency to talk to ghosts. Things go haywire on the morning of Margot’s 70th birthday, when she receives a variety of unwanted guests and well-wishers.

The whole cast gave excellent performances without any of the upstaging and over-acting which can bedevil amateur productions. Both leads find themselves unexpectedly, and very amusingly, transported “to the other side” during the show. In Sue Clements and Mark Bamforth Grassington was fortunate to have two of the most experienced and talented actors in the area to handle these parts. They gave sparkling performances. Sue claimed this would be her swan song – forget it Sue !!

They were skilfully complemented by their colleagues, with Margaret Wilson providing the golden thread, tying the production together with an understated portrayal of Freda Deacon. Joan Whitaker contributed an overdue and gifted return to the boards, and Mandy Beckwith and Esme Binns were equally accomplished in taxing roles which easily could have become caricatures. As for Andrew Armstrong , suffice it to say his interpretation of an ageing Italian kissogram Superman will remain etched in the audience’s memories for many years.

The backstage and design team provided an excellent setting and helped to reinforce my view that in every department The Grassington Players are enjoying an exciting renaissance after some challenging years. This would not be possible without directors of the calibre of Jane Ellison-Bates whose intelligent interpretation of this very funny script enabled the audience to come away wanting more.

John Anderson

NODA (National Operatic & Dramatic Association) review:-

Anyone for Breakfast?

The latest production from Grassington Players was a light-hearted comedy by Derek Benfield of the farce genre. Requiring a cast of six, the action takes place at the home of Gilbert (Ed Williams) and his wife Shirley (Rachel Steventon). Shirley has arranged for her friend Jane (Zarina Belk) married to Roger (Chris Matthews) to use her house for an evening of passion with Mark (Keith Webster). Things take an unexpected turn when firstly Gilbert shows up with an amorous German airhostess (Mandy Beckwith) in tow and then Roger arrives with a bunch of flowers intended for someone other than his wife. All become marooned by a thick fog and the scene is set for a series of riotous frolics and hilarious misunderstandings. The cast are to be congratulated on a thoroughly enjoyable experience, good timing and pace made for some memorable comic moments with strong individual performances from the entire cast. Under the experienced direction of Sue Clement and performed on a set created by Rob and Kath Gower which drew spontaneous applause from the audience, this was another tour de force from this talented group.

Irene Duxbury

Steel Magnolias

Grassington Players’ Latest Production was Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias”. The action takes place over a three-year time span in a ladies beauty parlour in a small town in Louisiana during the 1980’s. The play requires six very strong individual performances from an all female cast, which would place high demands upon a professional company. That Grassington Players were able to achieve a most commendable production is a great tribute to the depth of talent available to the players both on and off stage.

The play was directed with great skill and sensitivity by Jane Ellison-Bates, the performers demonstrated a wide range of acting skills both of the spoken and non-spoken variety. The southern drawl of Louisiana was maintained to a large extent convincingly by cast members whilst the dialogue was kept at good pace amid the activities of the beauty salon.

The playwrite dictates that the characters are real and believable. This was certainly achieved by this group; the strong central pairing of M’Lynn and her daughter Shelby played with great skill by Mandy Beckwith and Liz Taylor respectively provided much of the material for the other characters to debate. Strong performances from Margaret Wilson as the cantankerous Ouiser, Ezme Binns as the over-glamorous beauty parlour owner, Truvy, and Wendy Milner as the wealthy widow, Clairee, made for some very humorous moments. I felt the outstanding performance was given by Sue Crosby in the role of Annelle, a shy mousy character at the outset but over the time span of the play changed and grew in self confidence as she matured, this was portrayed with great skill by the actress.

Finally, in the Grassington Octogan in the semi-round, this production was greatly enhanced by a practical and credible set for which stage manager Mary Wilkinson and her team must take great credit.

Andrew Armstrong

The Darling Buds of May

Grassington Players’ latest production saw this versatile group attempt the stage play

version of the popular TV Series “ The Darling Buds of May” by H. E. Bates.

Skilfully directed by Ramon Porter and his very able production team lead by Mary

Wilkinson, the audience was served up a real treat.

Requiring a large cast spanning three generations, the play has little in the way of plot,

success is dependent on good characterisation, strong central performances by Phil

Smith and Bev Cuerden as Pa and Ma Larkin captured the warmth of the TV Series

whilst imposing their own individual stamp on these larger then life characters. Very

pleasing support was provided by the youthful James Rowley as Mr. Charlton

(“Charlie”) and Amelia Anson as Mariette Larkin, both showing great promise for

future productions.

The audience enjoyed an array of off beat characters woven into a colourful tapestry

around the Larkin household. All those participating can take great credit from their

performances including the five youngsters playing the younger Larkin children who

were on stage for most of the two hours, often required to be quiet and demure thereby

displaying real acting skills! Clever use of the stage to create the Larkin house and its

rural environs enhanced the production. Lighting of the set, sound and special

effects were of the very high standard associated with John Jameson and his team.

Andrew Armstrong