Stage2 Summer Bonanza!!!
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Stage2’s Towerblock Trio
Stage2’s Towerblock Trio
By Philip RidleyWed 17th - Sat 20th July 2013 at 7.30pm
at The Crescent Theatre, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B16 8AE
After a swift changeover from Stage2’s The Tempest, (‘an exceptional piece of theatre.’ Behind the Arras), Birmingham’s busiest youth theatre is now working on an exciting new project - Towerblock Trio by Philip Ridley (‘the master of modern myth.’ The Guardian), where fairytales come to life before our eyes.
This is the first time that these three plays from The Storyteller Sequence will be performed together, intertwining and interweaving throughout the evening! The three plays - Sparkleshark, Fairytaleheart and Moonfleece - all centre around young people in East London who find storytelling an escapist route to project their true selves.
Rewritten and reworked especially for Stage2 in conjunction with Philip Ridley himself, this production will be a powerful piece of theatre about and for the next generation. Ridley’s writing is powerful and hard-hitting and this will be a blisteringly contemporary piece.
‘The best British Playwright of the last twenty years.’
Aleks Sierz Author of In-Yer-Face Theatre
Stage2 prides itself on the range of plays that we stage, though always with consistently high production values and standards. For any member who stays with us for a while, their varied experience is unparalleled! For more info on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, please see over.
‘Forget this is youth theatre, forget it is an amateur production this is first class theatre full of fine performances with not a single weak link…’ Behind the Arras on Jim Cartwright’s ROAD, 2012
Tickets are £9 on sale now.
Box office: 0121 643 5868 Online: www.crescent-theatre.co.uk
Please contact info@stage2.org or visit www.stage2.org or @Stage2YT
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Autumn Production Announced!
Stage2 presents
By Alan Ayckbourn
Wed
8th – Sat 11th January 2014
At 7.45pm (+ Sat 2pm)
The Crescent Studio, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B16 8AE
Nothing
if not ambitious, the Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society (PALOS) is taking
on The Beggar’s Opera. And The Beggar’s Opera is definitely winning . . . until, that
is, a personable but shy widower, Guy Jones, joins the team . . .
Despite
being an instant hit with the company’s energetic, excitable director, Dafydd
Llewellyn, and an even bigger hit with PALOS’s female members (including, unfortunately Dafydd’s wife,
Hannah) the inexperienced Guy seems destined for a spot in the chorus. But then
a series of casting mishaps propel him up the PALOS ladder - on and off the
stage. Everyone wants to get to know him but ulterior motives abound. As he
climbs closer and closer to the top, from part to part and actress to actress, Guy - a man all too susceptible to
wine, women and song - discovers that there are definite downsides to being a
big fish in a small pond . . .
‘..a serious comic masterpiece:
brilliantly constructed, ruthlessly observant,
hilarious and hard as nails.’
The Sunday Times
After
epic Shakespeare (The Tempest), stylized physical theatre (Steven Berkoff’s Graft)
and pioneering premieres (Philip
Ridley’s Towerblock Trio) we now present an amateur theatre company,
performing standard repertoire, in a studio theatre… The Crescent space will
be used to the max, with scenes happening anywhere in the audience’s earshot,
as the rehearsal process is brutally exposed.
‘Deliriously funny. Director Liz
Light makes ingenious use of the Bedlam Theatre space.’
The Scotsman on Stage2’s previous production of this play at The
Edinburgh Festival 1997
One
of Britain’s most acclaimed playwrights, Ayckbourn is renowned for his
hilarious observations of human idiosyncrasies and here he excels himself with
a blistering expose on the world of amateur dramatics.
‘It is delightfully done. The evening's success is due to
Ayckbourn, whom we consistently underestimate. He is as funny as any of the
classic comedy writers and, in this early piece, showed how prolonged
misunderstanding can become a source of painful truth.’
Michael
Billington The Guardian, on Relatively Speaking at Wyndhams Theatre Summer 2013
Tickets £9 crescent-theatre.co.uk 0121 643 5858
For further information on Stage2
www.stage2.org
info@stage2.org 07961 018841
|
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Towerblock Trio
Stage2 invite YOU to…
Towerblock Trio
Wed
17th – Sat 20th July 2013 at 7:30pm
@ The Crescent Theatre,
Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B16 8AE
Towerblock Trio combines one
act plays written by the highly acclaimed playwright Philip Ridley. With
special permission from the writer himself, the young dynamic company puts a
brand new spin on Fairytale Heart, Sparkleshark and Moonfleece! All set in East London, they use of fairy tales to help
the characters express their true feelings and desires.
The play follows the lives of characters living on an inner
city estate. There are a wide variety of contemporary themes explored through
hilarious action sequences and ‘blistering’ subtext. Stage2’s exciting and energetic cast bring life and dynamism to
each play and will leave the audience feeling entranced, enthralled and amazed
by this brand new and unique piece of
theatre.
Tickets for this brand new production are £9 and are on sale NOW!
The Crescent box office: 0121 643 5858
For more information on Stage2,
Visit us www.stage2.org,
Email us info@stage2.org
Call us 07961 018841
Follow us @Stage2YT
Friday, 19 April 2013
Tempest Review
Youngsters work up a storm
The Tempest
Stage 2
The Crescent Theatre
*****
IF this production had found itself at Stratford rather than The Crescent it would not have looked out of place. It is that good.
Director Liz Light has taken a couple of liberties with the script. In Shakespeare’s day the female parts would have been played by men, in this version key male parts are played by women.
Prospero the overthrown Duke of Milan has become a widow and a duchess while Antonio the usurping brother has become Antonia the usurping sister. Even the king’s drunken steward Stephano has had a sex change to become drunken cook Stephana.
Not that that detracts unduly, indeed Chloe Jones in the lead role of Prospero towers over the production , she is just magnificent while Jacoba Williams is outstanding as the drunken cook, which is not to diminish Bryony Lovell’s performance in the less commanding role of Antonia.
The play opens with a storm, let’s call it a tempest, which is whipped up by Prospero and her band of sprites and fairies, to bring Alonso, the King of Naples, Andrew Brown, his illegitimate brother Sebastian, Jonathan Dowsett, along with servant Adrian, Matt Childs and sister Antonia to Prospero’s island.
With them is Gonzalo, a kindly courtier, who secretly helped Prospero and her daughter Miranda when they were banished out to sea, who is nicely played in another of the play’s comic characters by Rowan Turner-Powell.
Also shipwrecked is Alonso’s son Ferdinand who thinks has father is dead while his father thinks his son is dead.
It is no surprise that the plot is designed first for Prospero to right the wrongs done to her and then for the prince, played by Gabriel Hudson, to get hitched up with Miranda, played with all the innocence of youth by Sarah Middlemiss all helped along by Prospero’s fairies led by Ariel, played with enthusiastic style by the young and diminutive Roni Mevorach
Shakespeare is not easy for youth theatre; even seasoned professionals see it as a challenge. The language is poetic, inventive and beautiful, flowing like music – but it is the language of Shakespeare’s time, early 17thcentury English, with words, nuances, phrasings and meanings which are alien to modern speech.
Not easy to learn or deliver but this young cast did not, noticeably, make any errors and even finished five minutes earlier than advertised, which gives an idea of the natural rhythm they created to keep everything moving along.
And as this is Stage 2, the cast is of Ben Hur proportions, but no one steps out of the wings just so they could say they were in it in a Stage 2 production – even the spear carriers have to act and look animated, indeed it was noticeable that everyone looked confident, playing a part and at ease - even with 60 people on stage
Stephana is joined by the court jester Trinculo, played with timing and a light comic touch by George Hannigan in a sort of cross between Joe Pasquale and Bluebottle with plenty of visual humour to boot, both shipwrecked who team up with the scruffy, bear of a man Caliban, Prospero’s slave, who wants to get his island back.
The trio are a comic diversion and very funny with Sam Hotchin giving us an angry, bitter slave offering devotion to anyone who helps him get his island back – which involves killing Prospero just in case we start to feel sorry for him.
The opening is spectacular and a lesson in how to create a shipwreck with little but a few lights and noise. If there is one thing that young girls are good at it is screaming and scream they did racing about in controlled panic along with the crew and mariners running around the auditorium like – well rehearsed - headless chickens, as we heard muffled shouts and orders as the ship was lost in a fearsome storm, or so we thought. Very effective and proving the imagination of the audience are all the special effects you need.
Director Light also uses every inch of the Crescent with action at the back of the auditorium, in the aisles and on the balconies
The clever set with a rock, bridge, platform or whatever is needed at the back has no designer listed which is a pity. The costumes by Sarah Kemp, assisted by Emma Thompson and Sarah Middlemiss, were excellent as was the music composed by Richard Williams.
We have come to expect a high standard from Stage 2 but this is an exceptional piece of theatre To 20-04-13.
Roger Clarke
Audience Opinion
One striking and recurring feature of each Stage2 show that I see is that each consecutive one I see, sets the bar a little higher. For Stage2's 'The Tempest' 2013, I think we'll need a ladder for this bar's new and dizzying height! This spectacle took me on a, maybe no longer strictly magical (with the smoke and mirrors concept) but nonetheless enchanting journey. Immediately upon seeing the set the audience saw that they were in for a treat. This could never have prepared us though for the wonders that were the costumes. The line between RSC hired costumes and Stage2's own hand-made costumes was indistinguishable, with notables including everything from Caliban's hulking structure of rubbish and charms to my personal favourite, Trinculo's jester outfit. Other remarkables included a stunning harpy head and wings, Ariel's gang (all bedecked in complimentary and eye-catching garments in the colour of the sea). I also thought the blacks worn by Antonia and Sebastian clearly represented their characters, intentions and relationship, contrasting sharply with the rest of the stage and highlighting the villains. This pairing though is just an example of the real care, attention to detail and love that went into the choice and design of every single costume made the play look truly beautiful. Credit is most definitely due to both Director Liz Light and costume assistant, Sarah Kemp, along with every other member who worked on these fabulous costumes!
Another key feature of the show was the amazing use of live sound. The combination of tribal drumming and banjo-playing along with highly polished singing added an incredible extra dimension. It is not often that with a play that has acting of the standard shown here, that you also see an entire cast not only confidently singing their hearts out, but in intricate cannons and inter-weaving melodies that were, quite literally, 'music to my ears'. I did not see a single person hesitate or move on to a wrong verse, and every note was in tune and harmonious. It was a real pleasure to listen to!
It's a testament to the quantity of extra interest in the show that I have only now come onto the acting itself, what we were there to see after all! It really was a joy to watch. Comedy from George Hannigan, Jacoba Williams, Rowan Turner-Powell and Matt Childs, as Trinculo, Stephana, Gonzalo and Adrian, had me in stitches. Their comedic timing and teamwork was the source of utmost hilarity and had me belly-laughing on multiple occasions. Many other characters also revealed the nuances of Shakespeare's language to give elements of humour elsewhere (exemplifying the cast's perfect understanding of the language!), but this group in particular caused an uproar! Accompanying Stephana and Trinculo, came the lumbering figure of Sam Hotchin, perfectly cast as Caliban. This performance was truly fantastic and would have easily been at home in the Globe itself. He revealed every facet of despair and outrageousness that the character deserves; a fantastic performance! Mirroring this creature with an almost opposite character, but played with equal skill and finesse came Chloe Jones, portraying Prospero. This is one of the most daunting undertakings possible throughout Shakespeare, but it was tackled head on and turned into one of the single greatest performances I have ever seen; certainly my favourite Prospero. Coming to assist her every beck and call was a synchronised and perfectly polished team consisting of Ariel and her gang (Ronni Mevorach, Laura Dowsett, Luca Hoffman, Aiden Richards, Alex Earle, Mark James, Priya Edwards and Rosie Nisbet). This group was backed up by an ensemble of minors. This crew brought fantastic and daring physical theatre into the fray, with unparalleled dynamism and energy that seemed to invigorate the whole show! Bringing the elements of deceit and treachery though, were the characters you love to hate; Sebastian and Antonia (Jonni Dowsett and Bryony Lovell) This duo worked together sublimely and wove their evil schemes throughout. Journeying with them, came King Alonso, whose regal power conflicting with the wrecking loss of his son made it a difficult part to play, but one taken on with aplomb by Andrew Brown giving the audience a touching performance. Memorable cameos arrived in the form of the goddesses (Sarah Kemp, Helen Carter and Ella Otemewo) bringing serene grace and calm to the storm, and boatswain Ethan Tarr, comanding the mariners added further backing and interest to the story. Finally, the perfect couple of Gabriel Hudson and Sarah Middlemiss as Ferdinand and Miranda, showed a beautiful portrayal of the famous love story. This couple gave a wondrous performance that had the audience melting in front of them!
This whole show however, whilst relying on a strong cast, would have been impossible without the massive chorus. They truly brought the isle to life, lending their numbers to massive group scenes that were a marvel to watch.
Furthermore the fantastic lighting and sound effects created the perfect ambience and setting and the hard work of the technical team was evident and appreciated throughout.
This was easily my favourite Stage2 show that I have seen, and thoroughly deserves any and all praise afforded to it. A hearty congratulations to all involved!
-George Bandy age 16
Thank you for such a wonderful show; I can't wait to see it again!
Another key feature of the show was the amazing use of live sound. The combination of tribal drumming and banjo-playing along with highly polished singing added an incredible extra dimension. It is not often that with a play that has acting of the standard shown here, that you also see an entire cast not only confidently singing their hearts out, but in intricate cannons and inter-weaving melodies that were, quite literally, 'music to my ears'. I did not see a single person hesitate or move on to a wrong verse, and every note was in tune and harmonious. It was a real pleasure to listen to!
It's a testament to the quantity of extra interest in the show that I have only now come onto the acting itself, what we were there to see after all! It really was a joy to watch. Comedy from George Hannigan, Jacoba Williams, Rowan Turner-Powell and Matt Childs, as Trinculo, Stephana, Gonzalo and Adrian, had me in stitches. Their comedic timing and teamwork was the source of utmost hilarity and had me belly-laughing on multiple occasions. Many other characters also revealed the nuances of Shakespeare's language to give elements of humour elsewhere (exemplifying the cast's perfect understanding of the language!), but this group in particular caused an uproar! Accompanying Stephana and Trinculo, came the lumbering figure of Sam Hotchin, perfectly cast as Caliban. This performance was truly fantastic and would have easily been at home in the Globe itself. He revealed every facet of despair and outrageousness that the character deserves; a fantastic performance! Mirroring this creature with an almost opposite character, but played with equal skill and finesse came Chloe Jones, portraying Prospero. This is one of the most daunting undertakings possible throughout Shakespeare, but it was tackled head on and turned into one of the single greatest performances I have ever seen; certainly my favourite Prospero. Coming to assist her every beck and call was a synchronised and perfectly polished team consisting of Ariel and her gang (Ronni Mevorach, Laura Dowsett, Luca Hoffman, Aiden Richards, Alex Earle, Mark James, Priya Edwards and Rosie Nisbet). This group was backed up by an ensemble of minors. This crew brought fantastic and daring physical theatre into the fray, with unparalleled dynamism and energy that seemed to invigorate the whole show! Bringing the elements of deceit and treachery though, were the characters you love to hate; Sebastian and Antonia (Jonni Dowsett and Bryony Lovell) This duo worked together sublimely and wove their evil schemes throughout. Journeying with them, came King Alonso, whose regal power conflicting with the wrecking loss of his son made it a difficult part to play, but one taken on with aplomb by Andrew Brown giving the audience a touching performance. Memorable cameos arrived in the form of the goddesses (Sarah Kemp, Helen Carter and Ella Otemewo) bringing serene grace and calm to the storm, and boatswain Ethan Tarr, comanding the mariners added further backing and interest to the story. Finally, the perfect couple of Gabriel Hudson and Sarah Middlemiss as Ferdinand and Miranda, showed a beautiful portrayal of the famous love story. This couple gave a wondrous performance that had the audience melting in front of them!
This whole show however, whilst relying on a strong cast, would have been impossible without the massive chorus. They truly brought the isle to life, lending their numbers to massive group scenes that were a marvel to watch.
Furthermore the fantastic lighting and sound effects created the perfect ambience and setting and the hard work of the technical team was evident and appreciated throughout.
This was easily my favourite Stage2 show that I have seen, and thoroughly deserves any and all praise afforded to it. A hearty congratulations to all involved!
-George Bandy age 16
Thank you for such a wonderful show; I can't wait to see it again!
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Making the Tempest Front of House Board
1) Interesting
2) Eye-catching
3) Relevant
4) Detailed
5) Personal
6) Textured
7) Clear
8) Presentable
9) Creative
10) Engaging
Do you agree? What do you think is key for a front of house board?
After a long, hard, rewarding day of cutting, sticking, painting, folding, creating and experimenting, Sarah Laura and I have completed the Front of House Display Board for The Tempest.
We have matched the colour schemes to costumes, after visiting the RSC a few weeks ago to look at hire costumes, I realised how important linking characters to colours are and how to really create themes to make it clear to the audience. We wanted to use that same thought process when creating the board, deciding which areas need to be what colours and if they match the colour scheme of the character whose photo we put up. 
We collected in our ideas that were surprisingly similar and together created a map of the island.
Initially we tea stained white paper to give a worn and aged map and then added to the outline of the island on the panels of card.
The different textures key to add depth to a display, here we have used ribbons, felt, paint, tissue paper and card to create different elements.
Tissue paper for the sea, crate paper forest, Prosperso’s cell made from a bath sponge and felt for the land. These are only teasers come and see our finished product and our brilliant show 17th-20th April 2013 at the Crescent Theatre tickets available from
http://www.crescent-theatre.co.uk/ at only £9.
Or visit www.stage2.org for more information.
Jacoba Williams
Jacoba Williams
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