New play… and more award nominations.

Celebrations are the order of the day at recent rehearsals from the Too Friendly Theatre Company. The cast have just been informed that they have received multiple nominations in  this years National Operatic and Dramatic Association annual awards. The awards celebrate the best of the North West’s theatre and they have been nominated for their play ‘It’s Now Or Never’, performed in the Little Theatre in Southport last Summer. They have been nominated as ‘Best Supporting Actor for Mark Haygarth, ‘Best Actor’ for Cliff Gillies, ‘Best Director’ for Cliff Gillies, ‘Best Staging Of A Play’ and for the ‘Best Play’. Cliff has also been nominated for ‘Best Mortal In A Pantomime’ for his role of the Dame in All Soul’s production of Peter Pan!

This amazing news comes as the company puts the final touches to another show at the same venue. ‘Time Of My Life’ opens at the the Little Theatre on May 27th and tickets have just gone on sale. The play, written by Alan Acykbourn is considered one of his greatest plays and should prove a real treat for local drama fans. The story follows Laura Stratton’s fifty-fourth birthday. She is out for the evening to celebrate at her favourite local restaurant. The other guests include her businessman husband, Gerry, her two sons Glyn and Adam, Glyn’s wife Stephanie and Adam’s new girlfriend, Maureen. Three couples celebrating a happy family outing. Yet is it all as harmonious as it appears? What secrets lie buried in the past? What hidden tensions lurk beneath the present surface? What awaits them all in the future? What do the waiters make of it all?

Alan Ayckbourn’s dark comedy explores the family’s lives, past, present and future in a three way journey through time. It has been described as ‘completely timeless, a masterpiece of theatre’ and ‘dark, funny, a soul searching

The production opens on May 27th and runs till the 29th at the Little Theatre in Southport.

You can get information on the theatre’s website www.toofriendlytheatre.com. Tickets are priced at £7.50.

BOOK TICKETS NOW! YOU NEVER KNOW YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR’S ‘BEST PLAY’!

To book tickets in advance call 01704 541306

in a three way journey through time. It has been described as ‘completely timeless, a masterpiece of theatre’ and ‘dark, funny, a soul searching

The production opens on May 27th and runs till the 29th at the Little Theatre in Southport.

You can get information on the theatre’s website www.toofriendlytheatre.com. Tickets are priced at £7.50.

BOOK TICKETS NOW! YOU NEVER KNOW YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR’S ‘BEST PLAY’!

To book tickets in advance call 01704 541306

 

Les Miserables, NODA review

A review of Les Miserables has appeared in the NODA magazine, This is a cut down version of it. The full version can be seen on their website here.

This was a brave choice. It is a long play and could have done with starting earlier. Staging the play just using lights and blacks worked well as we moved through the many scenes.

The less the scenery, the more prominent the costumes became and on the whole it was well staged. …there was a large cast of 14 and, in no particular order, Mark Haygarth (Marius/Paul) played both parts well with a nice distinction between them. Sister Suplice was played well by Lisa Morgan .Tom Hancox’s Fauchelevent and John Hardiker’s Quink were both nice cameos. The Main roles of Javert and Valjean were in the safe hands of John Windsor and Cliff Gillies who both gave strong performances.

The masters of the house were just as nasty as in the musical with Peter Roney and Sue Thomas filling the roles – black teeth and all. Joanne Wasilew grew into her role and Helen Haygarth, once again, gave an impressive performance as Fantine. I would also mention a lovely cameo from Andi Culkin who was Eponine. These were well supported by Simon McCarthy, Rob Darby and Dott Scott.

This was a long, but extremely good piece of drama with some superb individual moments.

 

 

 

Blackpool… the morning after.

Well it was a good night in Blackpool for the NODA awards… but I’m sad to say we didn’t win on this occasion. However well done to all the cast and crew of All Soul’s Dramatic Club as just getting that far was a great achievement.

Before the show I went for a walk along the seafront. Sadly the tide was in so I didn’t get to see any beach but the place itself was lovely and the sky was extremely blue. I just might have to go back there again soon.

 

‘The Countdown’ Review

Here’s another old review… this time for ‘The Countdown’

EASY STAGES / THE COUNTDOWN
Too Friendly Theatre Company
Director: Cliff Gillies

..much better written and one with a nice twist at the end this a four hander and all four parts must count and they did. Basic set but adequate, Both Sue Thomas as Victoria and John Windsor as Sir Geoffrey painted the scene. I enjoyed the questioning of the prisoner and the interchanges between them. Helen Haygarth as Julle had more to do in this play and did it well but the best performance of the evening was that of Cliff Gillies who portrayal of Eddle the prisoner was of an high order, and although he directed it as well it did not seem to weaken either production or his own performance which is normally the case. My congratulations to both him and the group for a very interesting evening, I hope the first of many.

 

NODA Awards tommorow.

Tomorrow is the NODA awards in sunny Blackpool and I’m looking forward to it greatly. (Not to be confused with the main awards (as far as we are concerned) in Southport in August). All Souls Dramatic Club are up for an award, that being the title of ‘Best Pantomime’ for their production of ‘Cinderella’. I’m really hoping we do well as it’s All Soul’s first nomination and the production staff (and cast) really, really deserve it. I was lucky enough to play Buttons in the production and enjoyed myself immensely. It was nice that we got a good review because I was SOOO sick during the show that I was scared that I might let the others down.

The NODA review was quite good at the time… I’ll copy it below for you.

The music, although mainly modern pop, fitted the show. My only criticism would be that the numbers were a little too long.The staging was adequate and we had some very good performances.Karen Meadows was a very pretty Fairy Godmother. We also had a very pretty Cinders played by Stefanie Verite. The Baron was Peter Roney and the two bailiffs, Bill and Ben were played by Sue Marquiss and Kayleigh Walkden. I particularly enjoyed the two Ugly Sisters played by Rob McGregor and June Weights. Congratulations go to both and to the costume department for some wonderful creations.

The Prince and Dandini both gave spirited performances: well done to Joannne Stafford and Katie Watkinson. John Hardiker gave us an acceptable King but his Queen, who was played by Sue Thomas, was superb. Not to be out-done, the gentlemen had their star in the form of Buttons. This was Cliff Gillies first show with All Souls but something tells me that it will not be his last.

Well done to all the cast and once again, welcome

I will of course update you on Monday on whether we have won and on all (well maybe not ALL) of the goings on from the event.

 

And The Nomination Goes To…

I got a phone call this week from Helen, her having just taken delivery of a letter from the National Operatic Drama Association. It seems we have been nominated in this years NODA awards. The nominations are for our production of Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’ and we are up for the following:

• Best Supporting Actress (drama) for Andrea Culkin.
• Best Actress (drama) for Helen Haygarth.
• Best Actor (drama) for Cliff Gillies.
• Best Staging.
• Best Play.
• Best Actress (pantomime) For Sue Thomas.

It goes without saying that I am really, really pleased. You know, dear reader, that I had some difficulty getting this show on; particularly in terms of the staging so to be nominated in that category was most pleasing of the lot!

Added to this I have been nominated for ‘Best Mortal in A Pantomime’ for my role of ‘Buttons’ in last years All Souls production of Cinderella.

The awards evening is in the middle of August and I of course will let you know after the event whether we were lucky enough to win any of the categories. In the meantime I am to get prepared for two events..

Coming up quickly (too quickly) is our next production, Peter Gordon’s “Murdered To Death” in opening in June. I want to take a moment to let you know how funny this script really is… If you are a theatre company looking for a script then check this out (Peter’s Website). Whilst the play is really funny it’s taking a while to get together and we seem to be running out of time…. but don’t I always say this sort of thing every show??

The other event is at the end of April and is yet another awards evening. I will be heading to Blackpool along with many of the cast of Cinderella; for it too has received a nomination in the regional NODA awards for Best Pantomime.

It seems I will have to be ‘suited and booted’ a few times in the coming months!

 

Saving Grace Gets Great Reviews

I am very, very please to say that my play ‘Saving Grace’ has been getting great reviews since it’s release and I have attached a few below.

“A well constructed play that has a real sense of power and tension; it is obvious that a considerable amount of time has been spent developing the plot and structure of the scenes. The character of Charles is all too believable and real. Grace constantly strives to reconcile her own needs with surviving her husband’s instructions and it was good to see a development in the relationship between Grace and David… The play manages to tread the right line between sentimentality and real emotion…”

Andrew Brereton, Watermill Theatre, Newbury.

” Saving Grace is indeed a triumph… gripped you until the end with a roller coaster of emotions…”

David Kay, National Operatic and Dramatic Association.

“…could not believe how thoroughly the audience enjoyed the play, which is of course half the battle… an interesting balance between drama and sentimentality… some inventive moments in the drama which really bought it away from any cliché… a very, very enjoyable night at the theatre.”

Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.

“A fantastic play and one which I’m not embarrassed to say made me cry.”

Kelly Arrowsmith, TLP

 

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