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
Tag Archives: Theatre
New play… and more award nominations.
Murdered To Death, Reviewed By Champion Newspaper
The Champion Newspaper has run a review of Murdered To Death.
You can read the full review here (www.champnews.com)
However below I will copy excepts from it, mainly the bits than correspond to me (after all this is my site) and maybe make some comments myself.
“The play is just one of a popular trilogy featuring the imbecilic Inspector Pratt and director Cliff Gillies took centre stage as the manic policeman, a comical interpretation which owed much to Tony Hancock. He did it so well that it was a pity some of the dialogue he was forced to speak was cringeworthy in the extreme.”
“The actors all acquitted themselves well and the audience laughed constantly throughout the evening, even breaking into applause at some of the lines, making the night a great success.”
So far so good really… being compared to Tony Hancock… wow!… And the audience laughed constantly too. Great!
However the final paragraphs made me think…
“For myself, I have trouble with farces. There are no characters, just caricatures. Plots are meaningless so who cares what happens anyway? The audience around me may be convulsed with mirth, and the cast onstage look like they are having great fun, but I sit there thinking how ridiculous the whole thing is.
I would much rather see this talented company perform a serious play rather than infantile dross like this…”
Infantile dross? Really? Farces may be ridiculous, it’s in their very nature… and whilst some may well be dross (as I producer I have read many that are) I simply do not believe that can be said about Peter Gordon’s script. The script (as the review states) has had over 500 productions… were it not a well written, well paced, farcical comedy I cannot imagine it would get more than one!
Anyway to dismiss something as infantile dross in this way is ridiculous. You cannot dismiss something for being silly when that is it’s expressed purpose! Would you dismiss speed racing for being too fast? The same phrase could, by extension, be applied to the works of Monty Python or the ‘Carry On’ series of films… both are chock full of silliness and cheesy puns, however that doesn’t mean they are any less relevant or any less enjoyable… whether I’m a fan of the genre or not I can see that.
However this is an excellent point to debate… let me know your thoughts:
Did you see the production? What did you think of it?
Do you like this type of comedy? Is the reviewer right?
When you go to the theatre do you want to be challenged, have your thoughts provoked, be entertained or just made to laugh?
Sometimes your in the mood for ‘War and Peace’ sometimes you just wanna sit in front of the television and watch Big Brother… Should theatre and plays always have to “about” something… or can they simply be there to entertain?
Interesting isn’t it.
For my point of view it should be a bit of both. When we set up TFTC, Helen and I decided that we would look to do both ‘deep’ character driven or message plays like Les Mis or Countdown or Wuthering Heights mixed in with more ‘fun’ plays like Stags And Hens or Girl’s Night Out or Comfort & Joy.
Set Building
We have been building the set for our next production which opens tomorow. I must admit I really like this bit of putting on a show as it’s exciting to see it come together and it’s really fun in terms of the comaradie it creates. The set looks good… a dingy old manor house just as we envisaged. We will spend tonight adding some final touches and then it’s dress rehersal time! No going back now…. mind you, as anyone who has ever been directed by me will tell you, I will probably change chunks of movement and actions tonight… but hey it keeps us on our toes!
Les Miserables
Tomorrow is opening night for our next production; the Victor Hugo classic Les Miserables. In case you have never heard the story it follows the life of one Jean Valjean.
Hunted to the ends of the earth by Inspector Javert fugitive Jean Valjean reforms to become, under the name of M. Madeleine, a successful businessman, benefactor and mayor of a northern town. But to save an innocent man, Valjean must give himself up and is imprisoned in Toulon. He escapes and, after making a promise to Fantine on her deathbed he adopts her illegitimate child, Cosette. With Javert once more on his trail they escape only to get caught up in the French revolution.
The play is something completley different for us both in terms of content (although we did do Wuthering Heights before) and style. I encourage you to check out the website www.toofriendlytheatre.com for more info and book your tickets.
Technical Rehersals
We are just two days away from the opening night of the theatre company’s next production. We are putting on a production ‘Les Miserables’, the Victor Hugo classic. It’s best known as the musical version but this is the stage play . I have to say that this production has been particularly hard going as the play is both very long and very wordy, but its been most enjoyable all the same (so far). Tonight was the technical rehearsal. Technical rehearsals are a peculiar evening as they seem to be incredibly boring for the cast but full of stress and tension for me.. I should explain that I am directing the piece… but the lights have been programmed, the sound effect prepared and the explosions tested and its onwards toward tomorrows dress rehearsal.
Writer’s Block
I hope you like the new website design. I decided to change the design as some form as procrastination; as I seem to be suffering from some sort of writers block. I have a play, tentatively called ‘Blood Ties’, which I really should have finished by now but I simply cannot find the time to finish. I say that I cannot find the time but I clearly have time to play with the website design… and therein lies the problem.
I know I should be working on the play but I seem to be finding every excuse to not do so. So I’ve been telling myself “Don’t just sit staring at the blank editing screen: it will only make you feel worse. Do something else, then come back to the task.” So that’s what I’ve done… I’ve changed the design… I written this blog… I’ve made a cup of tea… I’ve surfed the web and so one. The problem I’ve come across is these diversions are far too… ermm… well… diverting! So I get engrossed in them (well maybe not making the tea) and this gives me some new ideas… and I start on them while they’re hot in my mind… and the play I’m supposed to be working on slips further and further away.
I’m going to check out the web for some solutions to writers block and see if I can cure myself… I just hope I don’t see anything that sends me off on another tangent.
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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