posted 01/06/08
This was the theme for the Little Theatre Guild
of Great Britain’s 2008 Conference and AGM, hosted in Ealing at
The Questors Theatre. Over 100 delegates attended the conference and
were honoured that the new LTG Patron, Sir Ian McKellen, and The
Questors’ Vice Presidents, Oliver Ford Davis and Amanda Redman,
also attended.
The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain (body to
which independently-controlled amateur theatres belong) held its annual
conference and AGM from the 25th - 27th April, hosted this year at the
spectacular QuestorsTheatre, Ealing.
The theme for the weekend, ‘MindThe
Gap’, intended to explore the increasingly narrow gap in
standards and practice between amateur and professional theatre, and to
reflect upon the contribution made by the former in championing plays
which either don't make it to the West End at all, or which premiere
there and might otherwise disappear for good.
Sir Ian McKellen was present on all three days,
indicating his intention to be hands-on in his capacity as new Guild
patron. A theatre-lover as a boy he attended Wigan Little Theatre, and
continued with his hobby whilst studying at Cambridge appearing in 27
productions there. These experiences gave him the encouragement to turn
professional in 1961 without going to drama school, and his belief that
amateur theatre is the bedrock on which all of British theatre rests.
Of the 100 theatres in the Guild, 29 are in London
and the Home Counties, although there are others in existence which
would qualify for membership should they apply (being organisations
running regular programmes of plays in theatreswhich they have control
over).
