Friends of the Belgrade Theatre benefi t from receiving 20% off individual tickets.See back page for season diary.BOOK NOW 024 7655 3055 or via www.belgrade.co.uk

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Firstly, I’d like to wish our Friends a very happy New Year and also thank you all for your support over the years.

As you may know we’ve recently launched our Spring Season, which includes two of our very own Belgrade productions; Marriage and Sons without Fathers.

Our production of Nikolai Gogol’s comic masterpiece Marriage will be running in B2 from 2 to 23 Feb and it’s the perfect cure for banishing any post Christmas blues. I will be directing the play and we’ve got a great cast, which includes Janine Mellor, who many will recognise as Kelsey Phillips from BBC One’s BAFTA Award-winning drama Casualty.

Following our hugely successful production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya in 2011, we’re teaming up with director Helena Kaut-Howson and London’s Arcola Theatre once again to produce Sons without Fathers, a new version of Anton Chekhov’s fi rst play Platonov. This classic tale of sex, vodka and shattered dreams will be running in B2 from 13 April to 4 May.

As ever we have some great touring productions visiting the Main Stage this season including Driving Miss Daisy from 11 to 16 Feb, Birds of a Feather from 26 Feb to 2 March, Boeing Boeing from 19 to 23 March and 39 Steps from 22 to 27 April. Families can enjoy Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom on 22 & 23 Feb and Horrible Histories from 2 to 6 April and Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach from 11 to 15 June.

I am also delighted to announce that in the Autumn Season I will be directing our smash hit Coventry Blitz play One Night in November on the Main Stage from 28 Sept to 19 Oct. We also welcome the return of director Joe Harmston, who we recently worked with on our production of The Father, as he brings his new musical The Prodigals to the Main Stage from 30 Aug to 14 Sept.

All the best for 2013!

Hamish GlenArtistic Director, Belgrade Theatre

Exclusive Friends of the Belgrade Theatre Events

Firstly, I’d like to wish our Friends As ever we have some great touring

Welcome to the Spring 2013 Season

Exclusive Friends of the Belgrade Theatre EventsAs part of your Friends of the Belgrade Membership, you are entitled to 20% off the following shows. * Discount is valid on 1 ticket if you have a Single Membership and 2 tickets if you have a Joint Membership.

Issue FifteenSpring 2013

Check our What’s On guide or visit www.belgrade.co.uk for more details.

Marriage Press NightDate: Tuesday 5 February 2013 Time: 7pmMeeting Place: Box Offi ce

Summer’s coming in St Petersburg and blushing bride-to-be, Agafya, has a string of suitors lined up for her by the local matchmaker – but how can she decide which one to pick? Ivan wants to get married – but how long will he take to pop the question once he’s made up his mind?

Backstage TourDate: Monday 18 March 2013 Time: 11am Meeting Place: Box Offi ce

Ever wanted to see what’s behind the scenes at the Belgrade Theatre? Come on our backstage tour exclusively for Friends of the Belgrade Theatre.

To book a place on these events please contact Lexy Rooney on024 7684 6758 or email friends@belgrade.co.uk. Please note, there are limited places available.

The Belgrade BulletinNow you know about everything that’s happening on stage, here’s an insight into what’s going on behind the scenes.

Production Department & Belgrade Production ServicesFor the start of 2013 the Production Department will be transporting us to 1830s Russia for Marriage. The set resembles an intricate birdcage and the scene changes from a scruffy bachelor pad to a luxurious apartment complete with beautiful décor and even a room for a band.

Community & EducationThe Young Company will perform Playlist in B2 in early March; this will be a piece of physical theatre directed by Neil Bettles (Artistic Director of ThickSkin). Acting Out Year 11 will perform their production of Journey to X later in the spring and as part of the Silver Arts Awards the Youth Theatre groups will also be creating their own projects.

DevelopmentThe Development Team are increasing the number of applications that are sent to Trusts and Foundations in order to secure funding for the work

of the Community & Education Company. The team will also be working on a campaign to raise funds for the building improvements of the BPS workshops.

CommunicationsWith the new brochure completed and the new season now up and running, the team is busy promoting all of the great shows that we have coming up. They have also been working closely with Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry Cathedral and other venues in the city to try and encourage groups and individuals to visit Coventry and see what the city has to offer.

OperationsThe Front of House Team has been extremely busy with our panto Sleeping Beauty. Board Member Dianne Williams has been volunteering and working alongside the ushers on some performances; we would like to thank her and all of our volunteers for their time and support.

Show Dates Description

The Night Queen Fri 18 – Sat 26 Jan Inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, The Night Queen is a magical blend of music, mystery and adventure.

La Bohème Tues 22 Jan This classic opera follows the ups and downs of idealistic students Rodolfo and Marcello and their girlfriends Mimi and Musetta, as they bicker, party, try to make ends meet and follow their dreams.

Birdsong Tues 29 Jan – Sat 2 Feb

A mesmerising story of love, courage and sacrifi ce is now brought to the stage in this critically acclaimed version of Sebastian Faulks’s bestselling novel.

Marriage Sat 2 – Sat 23 Feb This brand new adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s comic masterpiece is a timeless tale of matchmaking and missed opportunities.

A Viennese Strauss Gala Weds 6 Feb A Viennese Strauss Gala recreates the romance of the Viennese festive season, reminding you of a bygone age of

glamorous soirees and Strauss waltzes.

Hats off to Led Zeppelin Fri 8 Feb Travel back in time with these four top class musicians recreating Led Zeppelin’s magical concerts.

Swinging at the Cotton Club Sat 9 Feb Live show celebrating the music, dance, and songs of the Cotton Club – New York City’s famous nightclub of the 1920s

and ‘30s.

Driving Miss Daisy Mon 11 – Sat 16 Feb

Driving Miss Daisy is the charming tale of the unlikely friendship that blossoms between a prickly, elderly southern matriarch and her kind-hearted chauffeur.

The Soldiers Tues 19 Feb The Soldiers created history by being the fi rst group of serving soldiers to hit the British pop charts.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom

Fri 22 – Sat 23 Feb

Join Ben & Holly on an exciting musical adventure packed full of games, songs and laughter on an enchanting journey through the Magical Kingdom.

The Dolly Parton Story Tues 5 March Andréa Pattison performs Dolly Parton’s early country classics such as Coat of Many Colours as well as the later hits Islands in

the Stream, Jolene and 9 to 5.

One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show

Tues 12 – Sat 16 March

The Cosby Show meets Restoration Comedy in this hilariously outrageous play about how hard we try to hide who we really are.

Boeing Boeing Tues 19 – Sat 23 March A new production of the classic French farce which has seen recent success both in the West End and on Broadway.

Call Mr. Robeson Fri 22 March The story of Paul Robeson, a world famous actor, singer and civil rights campaigner whose radical activism caused him to be disowned and disremembered.

The Irish House Party Mon 25 March Featuring All Ireland Champion musicians, fantastic presenters and Irish dancing, this show delivers the best entertainment

the Emerald Isle has to offer.

Gilbert and Sullivan Abridged Tues 26 March This show brings you as much fun, zaniness and humour as can be found while performing all fourteen Gilbert and

Sullivan operettas.

The Arrival Tues 26 – Thurs 28 March Based on the illustrated novel by Oscar winner Shaun Tan, this tale weaves together theatre, circus and music.

And Finally…Phil Collins Weds 27 March And Finally... Phil Collins bring their recreation of Phil Collins’ 1997 ‘Dance Into The Light Tour’.

80’s Mania Thurs 28 March Let 80’s Mania immerse you in the music of Adam Ant, The Human League, Madonna, Duran Duran, Boy George, Cyndi Lauper and more.

Horrible Histories – Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians

Tues 2 – Sat 6 April In Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians historical fi gures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fi ngertips.

Nikolai Gogol’s comic masterpiece

“there’s a lot to be said for marriage.the opposite also applies.”

SONS WITHOUT FATHERSA NEW VERSION OF ANTON CHEKHOV’S PLATONOVA TALE OF SEX, VODKA AND SHATTERED DREAMS

What is your role at the Belgrade Theatre?

I’m a Theatre Operative, which in my opinion is one of the most diverse jobs that you can probably have in the theatre. It involves many different responsibilities, which for me also makes it a very rewarding job to do.

One of my main responsibilities is to look after the staff and cast members of the touring productions that visit the theatre and organise their visit from start to fi nish; this means I get to meet all sorts of people and I very rarely have one day that is similar to another.

How long have you worked here?

I have been part of the team in various roles since just before our re-development in 2007 and in my current role since around 2010.

How did you get into your job?

I have been part of the Belgrade since I was nine as I was part of the original Belgrade Youth Theatre. After an on and off career as a full time actor I came back to the theatre and was employed as an Usher and from there have moved through different roles.

What are the most exciting and challenging parts of your job?

One of the most exciting parts of my job is the people that I get to meet. With the large number of shows we invite to perform here comes some great cast members - all with very interesting stories!

One of the most challenging things about my job is being able to fi nd very quick solutions to potential problems. We host a lot of conferences and events here at the theatre and sometimes we have to really think outside the box and onour feet to meet people’s needs and to create an event that runssmoothly in an environment that wasn’t necessarily made forit. Although, this has led to some great achievements and great satisfaction once events have been accomplished!

Have you ever experienced any real disasters?

Unfortunately yes… When I was Front of House Duty Manager I was part of the team in control of a large event with lots of guests – this was also during quite a busy day in our bars and with other meetings so the theatre was buzzing with people. The event had got up and running and just as we were all starting to relax into it we got word from the building site just across the road that they had found an unexploded WW2 bomb and we would possibly need to evacuate.

After getting everyone into our main auditorium (which interestingly, is apparently one of the safest places to be in this situation because of the solid construction of our Circle) we explained the situation and then had to evacuate the whole building onto the streets. Not content with that the word was given and we all then had to evacuate the City Centre and could not get back into the theatre until the next day. Suffi ce to say this did cause just a little disruption.

What are your favourite shows that you have seen at the Belgrade Theatre?

Our telling of The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain was great, it’s even gone on to win a few awards. I also really enjoyed Cat and Mouse, which was the story of the concentration camps during the war told using characters as cats and mice.

What shows are you most looking forward to seeing in the new season?

I’m really excited to seeing The Prodigals in the Autumn Season as it looks very current and I have heard many good things about it.

Can you tell us something we might not expect about your job?

Having to look after different artists throughout the year there may be times when we are asked for special requirements for certain cast members – nothing too outlandish has ever come up but we have had a few things thrown at us! But this is all part of our job to keep them happy and do the best we can!

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Meet the TeamA Sneek Peek at the Marriage Set Design

You may have noticed a few changes to the Friends’ scheme. We have added two new tiers of membership. These are called Producers’ Circle and the Writers’ Circle. Consequently the existing level of membership will be referred to as the Actors’ Circle. But don’t worry, there will be no changes to the benefi ts you receive.

You may have noticed a few changes to the Friends’ scheme. We have added two new tiers of membership. These are called Producers’ Circle

Recent changes to the Friends of the Belgrade Theatre scheme

Richard Boland – Theatre Operative

Details about the new tiers can be found at www.belgrade.co.uk/support-us/individual-giving/friends-scheme

Rehearsals for Marriage are now well underway, but as a Friend of the Belgrade you get an exclusive fi rst look at Libby Watson’s set design in this update from Belgrade Production Services.

The Model BoxThe set will incorporate both a bachelor pad and a luxurious apartment and its main featurewill be an imposing birdcage that will sit atopit. There will also be a room on the right whichwill house live musicians.

Libby said, “There are some references to birds being trapped in cages throughout the play, so the design is a reference to that, but it also represents the concept of marriage, which some characters in the play deem a form of entrapment. The design also refl ects the Russian domed roofs that you see on buildings, particularly in Moscow.”

The BuildThe talented team at our BPS workshop are busy building the set and these photos show part of the birdcage and the main structure in its early stages of development and also some wall panels, which have been hand painted by our scenic artists.

The CostumesLibby said, “The costumes are quite exuberant and we’re going for a slightly over the top style with hair and makeup. Some of the characters in the play have names that describe their personality or physique, so for instance, the costume for the character Omletsky will be yellow and Mark Extance, who plays him, will probably wear padding so he looks egg shaped.”

For more behind the scenes info, interviews and images visit www.belgrade.co.uk/news-and-blogs/