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November 2 2002 Newsletter
Current Production: The wait is nearly over, first night is
Tuesday!
For those who havent been following rehearsals, its Trivial
Pursuits by Frank Vickery.
A summer evenings barbeque is the setting for a meeting of the
Trealaw and District OperaticSociety to announce their next
production. However, Nick, the Societys business manager has
promised a different show and the plum roles to different
people. As the evening progresses each
characters foibles and talents are revealed: Joyce, once
talented and well-meaning is a lush;
Teddy is alternatively sweet and strident; Derek is pathetic but
lovable. The complex
relationships between players emerges as moments of pure
slapstick and farce alternating with
ones full of real drama and pathos!
This surely unmissable production begins this Tuesday night at
8pm in the Studio Theatreand continues for five nights until
Saturday November 9. There is even a matinee on Saturday at
3pm. Tickets from the Studio Theatre on 020 8540 0362.
Jeff and the cast have worked very hard for many weeks and
deserve the full support of us all.
Raw! Theatre: This one is not here yet, but auditions are on
Monday 11 November and
Thursday 14 November with the big night being Friday 31 January
2003.
For those not familiar with Raw! Theatre its an opportunity for
participants to hone their acting
skills and an evening of entertainment for those whod rather
just kick back and watch! Big in
Australia, Aubs is bringing it to the Carlton as part of his
world tour!
Drawing on the inspirational work of Keith Johnstone, Raw!
Theatre uses improvisation as a
technique to explore imaginative characterisations, free flowing
narratives and dynamic
interaction.
Essentially its a Whos Line Is It Anyway for the stage!
Structured as a series of improvisational games, Raw! Theatre is
spiced with a sense of friendly
rivalry and competitive fun as two teams perform not only for
the adulation of the crowd, but for
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points awarded by a jury of their peers. The team that
accumulates the most points at the end of
the evening will be deemed Raw! Theatre champions!
In the weeks leading up to a Raw! Theatreperformance, the teams
- and anyone else whod careto join us - are introduced to the
various games (referred to as challenges), which are designed tolet
their imaginations propel the performance. In Raw! Theatre
improvisation is about goingwith the theatrical flow and giving way
to the spontaneous dialogue and actions that a performermight have
been inspired to use if they hadnt been acting at the time
Auditions start at 8pm and will be an energetic affair so please
remember to wear comfortable
clothing. If you have any questions or would like further
information, you can email
[email protected] phone Aubs on 07966 556 272.
Workshops: Just a little reminder that anyone who would like to
be involved in the workshops
we will be starting rehearsals, castings, etc. the week
beginning Monday 18 November.
Please could anyone who has a play in mind (either a director
needing a cast or vice versa!) let
the committee know as soon as possible as we would like to get a
rehearsal schedule together intime for the 18th
If anyone needs information on what the workshops are all about
please give a member of the
committee a shout. The performances will be Friday 28th Feb and
Saturday 1st March with
a dress rehearsal on Thursday 27th February.
Christmas Party: The big date is Saturday 7 December at 7pm at
the Wimbledon Community
Centre. Val is also organising a Carlton Arts Exhibition and
Fair. Scheduled for next Spring.
Details to follow!
May Production: Has been chosen and its Dr and Mrs Faustus
directed by Mehmet Izbudak. A
snippet
In a London suburb, there lives a Dr Adam Faustus, an
unpublished lecturer in Marketing and
Media Studies at the University of North Cheam. He has tried
several times to become head of
department but with no success. His other half, Mrs Eva Faustus,
is a former TV soap star who
hasnt been offered a part for 13 years in spite of having one of
the countrys top agents
representing her. Their lot is not a happy one: no children,
inertia, an indestructible mortgage and
a car that needs constant repair. Moreover, middle age and
middle age spread have installed
themselves permanently into their lives and bodies. The mind
boggles!
Thats it from me. Im off to Australia on Friday November 8.
Thank you to all for your
friendship, your encouragement and your guidance. I leave with
many great memories.
Many months ago I asked Denis Steer, a member since 1946, to
draft a few words as to the
history of the Carlton, what follows are his thoughts and
reminiscences.
Andrew Smith
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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Denis writes:
In response to a request from Andrew I have been constrained to
write a potted history of the
Carlton during the time that I have had the honour to be a
member. Someone once said that timeschange and that we too change
with them. The Carlton is no exception to that rule and many
and
varied have been the changes over the years.
My love affair with the theatre began as a small child, but
probably blossomed toward the end of
the Second World War, when I found myself in the improbable role
of Entertainments Officer to
the RAF in the South East Asia Air Command New Delhi. I have
always believed that listening
to other peoples theatrical reminiscences is probably the
ultimate in boredom. I shall, therefore,
not dwell on that aspect of my career, but rather on the fact
that it led me, on repatriation and
demob to my native Wimbledon, where I looked for some way of
continuing my theatrical
activities. Thus, I was directed in 1946 to the Carlton Dramatic
Society.
Formed by a group of enthusiasts from Wimbledon Park and
Southfields in 1927, the Society was
emerging from its war time recession and was looking for young
actors to swell its membership.
In those days, one had to undergo a stringent audition before
admission. Presumably I must havemet the required standard as I
found myself playing a small part in the Societys first
production
after the war Agatha Christies Ten Little Niggers. Not the acme
of political correctness by
todays standards! That play was performed at St Marks Hall,
Compton Road, which became the
Marlborough Hall and in turn the library annexe.
For the next twenty years or so the Carlton transferred its
productions to the Civic Hall, a
prestigious theatre adjoining the Town Hall. Centre Court
shopping center now stands on the
site. With seating for over 1,200 and a gallery extending
farther back than the upper circle of
Drury Lane, it is amazing to think that the Carlton often played
to capacity at that venue in the
early years. The resident director, at that time was one
Vivienne Hall, a formidable lady standing
five feet nothing in her size two shoes. She taught me the arts
of projection, timing, pointing,
pausing, listening etc.
Another feature of the Carlton season, apart from the three
major annual productions, was entry
into the various drama festivals.
Following a the 1963 production of the morality play Everyman at
various churches around the
South East of England including St Pauls Covent Garden and St
Matthews Slough came an
invitation to perform the play in St Georges Chapel, Windsor
Castle! I well remember the dress
rehearsal, one cold March Sunday and how eerie it was to be
acting in medieval costume among
the ghosts of so many of Englands monarchs. The one performance
was on Maundy Thursday
1963 and the entire Royal Family, who were spending Easter at
Windsor, were present. The castwas presented afterwards and the
Queen told me afterwards that she had been very moved.
Whether there was any ambiguity in this comment I have never
pondered!
From that highpoint, it is sadly true that audiences became more
difficult to attract. Houses were
measured in tens rather than hundreds. Productions have been
presented in almost bewildering
succession at least to me. From my records, I am astonished to
see that my own tally of plays
for the Carlton alone numbers over 160! I am sad of course, that
my participation in the Societys
activities has been very curtailed in recent years. My fault not
the Carltons, but I am delighted
that the Society flourishes with its current membership. They
carry a very illustrious and proud
tradition.
