A Play About Amateurs
Another show which has fallen victim to the current health crisis is the first-ever UK tour of Ian Hislop & Nick Newman’s comedy, A Bunch of Amateurs. Sardines sat down with the pair at Ian Hislop's Private Eye HQ just as the Coronavirus was gathering pace. Two weeks later, the tour may be postponed until later in the year but the following conversation is well worth reading, and is a real tale of life imitating art...
Nick N:
“Of all the things we’ve done it’s been the most surprising; it just keeps going on and on and on. We suddenly became aware that so many amateur groups were doing it – and it’s been done all over the world, as far as Alaska and New Zealand…”
Ian H:
“…And I think the professional company that’s putting this on had a good look at the fact that it was on all the time and filling up local theatres and thought, ‘Hello, perhaps it’s time to do it professionally.’ I think it’s now out of licence for the duration of this tour, but it’ll definitely be back.”
Nick N:
“The thing that’s really impressed me is how imaginative all of the groups are, I mean much more imaginative than professional theatre. One group sent us a programme where they had their own version of The Stratford Players’ programme including biographies of all the leading characters. That’s far more than we’ve ever gone.”
Ian H:
“We’ve seen lots of posters and promotional material from amateur productions and have often said to each other, ‘Bloody hell, this is really good!’ Ha ha!”
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Am-DramAmateursBurt ReynoldsComedyDerek JacobiIan HislopImelda StauntonNick NewmanPrivate EyeSamantha BondSamuel French
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