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The Newsletter of the Edward Alderton Theatre

SPECIAL EDITION #8

NEWS

KEEPING IN TOUCH - EAT NEWS - SPECIAL EDITIONS

At last our wonderful theatre is able to open in October for our first performance in over 16 months. As a celebration the Management Committee would like to invite members of EAT to a BBQ / Meet and

Greet during August, full details will have been sent previously to our members. We will be providing the meat etc but would appreciate if you could bring a salad of some sort or a pudding to share. And of course, the bar will be open!

This will be a great opportunity to meet past and present members of the Edward Alderton Theatre, and members of both the Management and Drama committees. We would be delighted if you are able to join us, if so please drop a line to: edwardalderton@hotmail.co.uk this will enable us to calculate numbers for catering.

Moving forward, to welcome you all back to the EAT, we are very proud to present our first production in our 2021 / 22 Season:

‘Lady Bracknell’s Confinement’, written and produced by the very talented Mr Paul Doust (seen above left) is a fabulous one-act, one-man show coming in at just under an hour. Described by TIME OUT as ‘Funny, touching, above all different. Go!’, Paul’s show provides ‘The sensational revelations of Oscar Wilde’s pulverising matriarch…’

To celebrate the reopening of the theatre and the launch of our new season, the ticket price for the event is only £8.00

Book your tickets now via the eat website ( www.edwardalderton.org ) to ensure your place at this wonderful show. The bar will be open before and after the performance.

More details of this and all the other productions in our new 2021 / 22 Season can be found on pages 3-5.

Paul Doust is also hosting ‘Awake and Dream’ a four one-day acting workshop - each led by course tutor Paul Doust. Full details can be found on page 6.

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THE EAT IS OPEN-WELCOME BACK!

AUG/SEPT2021

A MESSAGE FROM DENIS DARVILL, EAT CHAIR

COVID SAFETYAT THE EAT:

The safety and security of everyone that visits our theatre is always a priority of the EAT Theatre and Drama Committees. In the on-going Covid situation, Hand Sanitizer will be available upon entering the theatre, face coverings are optional. Full cleaning of all work surfaces and the theatre interiors will be carried out on a regular basis.

Paul Doust as Lady

Bracknell

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THE EAT IS OPEN-WELCOME BACK!

Tony Donnelly has decided to take a back seat from his role as Bar Manager. Tony has been a long serving member of the theatre spanning over 40 years. Along with his sterling work running the EAT bar, Tony has appeared in numerous productions at this and other, amateur theatres and has won the Bexley Art Council’s Best Actor award twice. However, I understand that Tony will be back to help behind the bar on the odd occasion! Our sincere thanks to Tony for all the hard work he has put into the Edward Alderton Theatre over these years.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT THE EATLike most small theatres we do rely on volunteers and just as a reminder, as a member of EAT, you have agreed to cover an occasional Front Of House Duty - FOH, Bar and Box Office, especially if you have been lucky enough to be cast in a play this season. You will be trained in any given role and get a free drink! But, more importantly, your assistance will ensure the smooth running of our productions. Your help would be gratefully appreciated. Please contact Lesley Bauckham on: lesley.bauckham@linklaters.com for more information.

THANK YOU TONY

KEVIN ONLEY - RENAISSANCE MAN!

Tony performing alongside Fiona McGahren, Kai Corsack and Kevin Coward in the wonderful production of Conor McPherson’s The Weir, directed for the EAT by Nick Hewitt in February, 2014

The EAT Bar: Before… … and after Kevin’s Make-over

I am delighted to announce that the ridiculously-talented Kevin Onley has agreed to take on the role of Bar Manager from Tony. This is in addition to his role as Lead- Set Builder at the theatre. Kevin is also one half of The Cockney Knights - providing ‘Old Time Knee’s Up Music and Comedy Entertainment’. And, if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Kevin has just finished a ‘make-over’ of the EAT bar! Thank you Kevin from me and all of us at the EAT Theatre and Drama Committees.

Finally, I very much look forward to seeing you all back at your favourite little theatre very soon. In the meantime, over the next pages you can find full details of the new, 2021 / 22 EAT Season…

Best wishes, Denis, EAT Chair.

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THE BEXLEYHEATH THEATRE Edward Alderton Theatre

PROUDLY PRESENTS:

OUR 2021-2022 SEASON21st - 23rd and 28th - 30th October, 2021LADY BRACKNELL’S CONFINEMENT (A Wilde Comedy Monologue)Written and performed by Paul Doust

The sensational revelations of Oscar Wilde’s pulverising matriarch.

What is the truth about Lady Augusta Bracknell’s unlikely origins? How exactly did she achieve her ascent into Society? And what, most importantly, is the grotesquely astonishing secret that she has kept so carefully hidden for so very many years?

All of this, and much, much more, is revealed in Paul Doust’s hilarious, jaw-dropping tour de force as the Lady herself. Absolutely not to be missed. We rest our case (or handbag?). Tickets for this show are only £8! Book now!

Description / Tagline:

A Christmas play to make you laugh out loud.

There are out-of-tune carol singers, the mad neighbours, relatives visiting from Australia, the daughter’s new boyfriend, awful presents and an hilarious game of charades. There is a turkey last seen being dragged away by the dog, 12 stick insects which get mixed up with the twiglets and two cats who have pooed during the whole journey in the car!

11th - 18th December, 2021COMFORT & JOY(A Christmas Comedy) Written by Mike Harding

Directed by Suzanne Harris

Suitable for ages 10 years +

CAST:

Goff ........................... Paul GrimshawMargaret .................. Carrie BreedMartin .......................Dave TurnerHelen .........................Alex MeasonFiona ......................... Caroline SmithJimmy ....................... Tom Masters

Kathy ........................Hannah MurphyCrispin ......................Matt WebbChapman ................ John WilsonMonica...................... Sallie CrossPat .............................. TBC Hughie ...................... TBC

Continues on next page…

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Description / Tagline: A middle-aged Irish-American couple bring a young couple they have just met to their suburban Boston home. They were ap-proached whilst on a date due to the girl’s resemblance to the dead former owner of the house, Veronica. It’s explained that Veronica’s elderly, senile sister, Cissie, lives with the older couple, and they convince the girl to dress up as Veronica in an effort to bring Cissie a sense of closure.

The year is 1973, but Cissie believes it to be 1937. Susan is left alone in the room to change into Veronica’s old clothes. Then the older woman returns. But now she’s younger. And now it’s raining.

Actors multi-role, changing clothes, accents, ages, memories even, as the audience is drawn into the Girl’s nightmare where no one can be trusted, and chances are nothing is as it seems.

12th - 19th February, 2022VERONICA’S ROOM(Thriller / Mystery) Written by Ira Levin

Directed by Matt Frieacre

CAST:

Man ............................ John TurnbullWoman .................... Eileen WarnerBoy ............................ Tom MastersGirl ............................. Charlotte Jacobs

Description / Tagline:

A new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella,

proving that ‘evil has many faces’

A new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror. On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London. Henry Jekyll’s experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” have brought forth his other self—Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend.

When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave.

9th - 16th April, 2022DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE(Classic thriller) Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher From the novella ‘Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson

Directed by Richard Self

CAST:

John ChristopherBen DonovanMartin GilbyPaul GrimshawAysev IsmailGeraldine LingEleanor McEneryAlex MeasonHannah Murphy Continues on next page…

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Description / Tagline:

The Distance was first published in 2012, the play was a finalist for the 2012-13, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. It was first performed in October 2014 at the Orange Tree theatre and starred Helen Baxendale.

The play explores the limits of friendship as well as the theme of parenthood, it is a show that pushes boundaries and goes against the conventional family etiquette. Good friends should be there for one another, no matter what. But when Bea returns home after five years abroad, having made a bold choice about her life, old friends struggle to support her, or even to understand. One night in Brighton, things threaten to slide into chaos.

This is a bold new play that touches on taboo subjects.

28th May - 4th June, 2022The Distance(Modern day Drama) Written by Deborah Bruce

Directed by John Christopher

The Play contains some strong language

CAST:

Bea.............................Aysev Ismail Vinnie ....................... Rick Toynton Kate ........................... Clare Mcnamara Dewi .......................... Ben Donovan Alex ........................... Jennifer Walker Simon ....................... Tom Masters Liam .......................... Callum Lyons

Description / Tagline:

Set in England in 1959/1960

Hi De Hi campers! It’s the start of a new season and founder Joe Maplin announces he is setting up a camp in the Bahamas. He needs female yellow coats to go and work there, Imagine the rivalry! Peggy wants to be a yellow coat, Ted is forced to employ money making schemes when his ex-wife turns up and Yvonne and Barry Stuart-Hargreaves send the camp into a frenzy when they get the wrong idea about Gladys and Jeffrey. Ho De Ho!

23rd - 30th July, 2022Hi-De-Hi!(Comedy) Written by Paul Carpenter and Ian Gower - Adapted from the original TV series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft

Directed by Viv McQuillan

CAST:

Jeffrey ............................................................Matt WebbGladys ............................................................Caroline SmithPeggy .............................................................Helen MacDonaldTed Bovis ......................................................Keith DunnHilary Bovis ..................................................Caroline BreedSpike Dixon ..................................................John ChristopherSylvia Garnsey ............................................Jennifer Walker

Barry Stewart-Hargreaves ....................John WilsonYvonne Stewart-Hargreaves ................Claire DingleyMr Pritchard .................................................Keith HarperTracy Bentwood ........................................Hannah MurphyPritchard/Bailiff .........................................Kevin OnleyFred Quilly ....................................................Paul GrimshawBetty Whistler ............................................TBC

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AWAKE and DREAM is made up of four one-day workshops - each led by course tutor Paul Doust. These workshops are to be held at the EAT during September and October this year. The course is progressive in its effect - with the skills and techniques that you learn in one workshop having a direct impact on those you develop in the next.

In this way you’ll build a detailed understanding of Stanislavski’s key ideas and insights - allowing you to bring a whole new depth of truth and reality to any character you play; to truly “live” a part, rather that just “act” it.

The workshops are very practical. You’ll learn through hands on, get-up-and-do-it activities and exercises. There’ll be improvisation, games, group discussion and script work. This is just the way that Stanislavski himself worked with his actors and remains the most enjoyable and productive approach to his ideas.

So, if you’re interested in becoming more compelling and magnetic in the parts you play, to have a closer and more powerful impact on both your fellow actors and your audience, then this focused, demanding but exciting course could be exactly what you’re looking for.

To hear what students say about Paul, please click on the video link below:

CONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI1863 to 1938

Constantin Stanislavski, the legendary Russian theatre director and teacher, is considered by many to be the greatest influence on modern acting that the world has known. His ideas have been fundamental to the

work of a host of great actors from the astonishing Italian tragedian Eleanora Duse, through Marlon Brando and Stella Adler of The Group Theatre of New York, to Dame Judy Dench, Sir Ian McKellen and many more.

In 1898 Stanislavski, and a company of closely knit contemporaries, founded the Moscow Art Theatre.

Under Stanislavski’s inspirational leadership the MAT was tireless in its pursuit of a new, breath-taking kind of naturalism and truth on stage.

This enabled Stanislavki to a champion and produce the beautifully nuanced, delicately patterned work of playwright and fellow Russian - Anton Checkov.

To watch a short video giving more details on Stanislavski and his work, just click on the link below:

Course Tutor - PAUL DOUST

Paul trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. At the Guildhall he was steeped in the ideas of Stanislavski - and took to them like a duck to water; he was lucky enough to be taught by the remarkable actor

and director Ginny Schneider (who both studied and worked at the Moscow Art Theatre in the 1950s). Paul is a recognised and very experienced adult tutor - holding both the DTLLS qualification in adult learning and The Certificate in Training Practice (distinction) awarded by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Paul Doust - Stanislavski Boot Camp - November 2019 - Video testimonials

Stanislavski and the Moscow Art Theatre

EAT COMMITTEE:Chair: Denis Darvill Secretary: Karen Friett Treasurer: Maureen Hardwen Technical Director: Michael Taylor Bar Manager: Kevin Onley Publicity Director: Kevin Coward Theatre Maintenance: Peter Breed

DRAMA COMMITTEE:Suzanne Harris (Chair), Richard Self, Rachel De Silva, Keith Neville, and Geraldine Ling

OTHER THEATRE SENIOR ROLES:

Chris Manning-Perry: Membership SecretaryKevin Onley: Set Building Lead

If you have any tips, stories or news that you would like to share with us all, please email Kevin Coward, who is producing the newsletters at:

coward.kevin@gmail.com and we will look to include them in future editions.

EAT MEMBERS NOTICE BOARD:

DM DECORATORSPainting & Decorating Services -

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E-mail: dmdecorators20@gmail.com

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