Summer is finally here and it's time to take out
the picnic hamper, cool the champagne and cut the cucumber for your jug
of Pimms. Perhaps, this year, you will be fortunate enough to be
in, or see, an outdoor production and are hoping that the good old
English weather won't let you down. In all probability you will be
seeing a musical; according to NODA 90% of their members are musical
societies, and for this, our third issue, we have focused on what it
takes to be a professional musical theatre artisan ...Be it as a
technical-design wizard inducing ‘oohs’ and
‘aahs’ at the splendour of those big-budget sets (see our
interview with Tony Jenner), a trained dancer dazzling audiences with
ever more impossible moves (see our interview with CEDT, the Council
for Dance Education and Training), or, if you're very lucky, a star of
the West End strutting and fretting (and singing and dancing) your way
across the boards of London's famous stages (read our interview with
Paul Manuel, star of award-winning Hairspray).
Our summer issue also includes a look inside the
world of Sam Walters, artistic director of 'The Orange Tree
Theatre’ in leafy Richmond as well as a look back at the long and
successful career of Jean McConnell, one of this country's leading
playwrights.
Lastly, and for all the musical societies out
there, see our ‘News’ pages and read about NODA’s
collaboration with The Really Useful Group to release ‘The Likes
of Us’, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1965 debut
musical exclusively to the amateur market. Enjoy.
or call 020 8249 7062.
Orange Tree theatre fan, Raymond Langford Jones,
travels to Richmond
to talk with Sam Walters, founder and Artistic
Director, about life in one of London’s top fringe venues.
Tony Jenner provides Jane Lobb with a fascinating
insight into life behind the scenes building gadgets and gizmos for
some of London’s biggest shows.
Sean Williams and Liz Dale from CDET (Council for
Dance Education and Training) give some sound no-nonsense advice on
what it takes to make it as a professional dancer.
...And What Do The Schools Say?
Following on from CDET’s feature, Imogen
McAlister-Dilks asks four CDET-accredited schools for some important
answers.
Sardines takes to the stage of London’s
‘Best New Musical’, Hairspray, and chats to Paul Manuel about his rise to the dizzy
heights of the West End.
PLUS...
NEWS & FEATURES
The Directory -
Comprehensive listing of amateur societies in and around Greater
London.
New play releases
- Samuel French Ltd brings us newly available titles for amateur
performance. Also featuring the recent releases from Nick Hern Books,
Josef Weinberger and selected others.
Competition -
Win West End theatre tickets.
SHOW GUIDE -
Listing amateur / non-professional productions in and around Greater
London.
THE REVIEW - ‘Annie
Warbucks’
We look at West Wickham Operatic Society’s
London premiere of this relatively unknown sequel to
‘Annie’.
Playwright Spotlight
The first in a regular new section, Jean
McConnell, looks back at her fifty successful years of writing for both
TV and the stage.
click mouse on pages to speed up
