Category: News

THE HISTORY OF AMATEUR DRAMATICS

August 26, 2024

Have you ever thought of joining an Amateur Dramatics Group?

The history of amateur theatre in Britain begins in the Middle Ages, when enthusiastic storytellers rose from their seats and gathered friends to help them bring their stories to life. This developed into the mystery and miracle plays of the fifteenth century, which were designed to teach the general public, who typically did not speak Latin, stories from the Bible. These plays were performed by troupes who travelled around the country, and by 1500, many towns and villages had designated theatre spaces. After the Reformation, religious plays were no longer allowed, and troupes of actors had to get patronage from noblemen to perform.

Throughout the ages theatres were built around the country until Oliver Cromwell ordered their closure. This led to a rise in private theatricals, where wealthy people would perform plays etc for friends in their houses. These performances are largely considered to be the beginnings of amateur theatre as we know it today.

In 1801, the first amateur dramatic society in Britain was formed. Called the Pic-Nic Society, it was a group of upper-class amateurs who performed in the Tottenham Street Theatre. They put on variety shows, with short plays, parables, and singing, and a large picnic at the end. These were sociable affairs, where actors and audiences mixed together, and performances would often happen within the audience space rather than on a stage. Whilst they were popular among the public, professional actors were not fond of them, and in 1802 a Pic-Nic performance was interrupted by a group of professionals holding a protest against them. This is our first example of negativity towards amateur theatre. Towards the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, various amateur theatre associations were formed, The formation of these associations demonstrates that amateur theatre was a valuable part of British culture at this time.

. In rural areas, amateur was the only type of theatre that was easily accessible, so many small towns and villages formed their own amateur groups.  The growing number of amateur theatre groups did not go unnoticed. In 1940, the Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts (now the Arts Council) was formed to help maintain British culture during the Second World War. Initially, CEMA were positive about amateur theatre and recognised that it was an important part of British culture, and that it offered great social and therapeutic benefits for those who took part. However, the biggest blow to amateur theatre was dealt in 1956, when CEMA decided to stop funding amateur theatre productions. Since this decision, amateur theatre has been left to fund itself – which may explain why people have this image of amateur theatre being rough around the edges. 

The decision to stop funding amateur theatre productions really was the beginning of the end for amateur theatres’ reputation. It appears that during this time, amateur theatre was not worth writing about. Despite this, groups were still popping up around the country, and performing regularly to audiences, though we do not know much about the nature of these performances.  It seems that those who take part in amateur theatre tend to be very passionate about it, and those who do not take part, if they think about it at all, consider it to be a shoddy mess. The word amateur itself has changed meaning, beginning its life as a term of endearment – coming from the Latin amare, to love – to now being seen as an insult
 call a professional actor an amateur and see how they react!

The rivalry between amateurs and professionals seems to be one of the main drivers for amateur theatres’ bad reputation, as does the decision to stop funding amateur theatre productions. Both of these things together have created a culture of snobbery towards amateur theatre, but this snobbery does not seem to bother or discourage those who take part in it. Many people to whom amateur theatre is their life,  will not accept any negative talk about it. Amateur theatre has survived throughout the centuries – even when professional theatres were closed. No one can deny that amateur theatre is deeply entrenched in British culture, and hopefully will be, in whatever form, for many centuries to come.

Lucy Henderson

THE STAGE IS SET

May 4, 2024

“If music be the food of love, play on “

 

“If music be the food of love”, as Orsino proclaims in the opening lines of Twelfth Night, why not set the play in an era set in the greatest decade for music, the 60’s.

Audiences will be treated to an entirely new perspective of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Nigh as Abbey Foregate Drama Group’s version takes the play’s original setting and brings it into the 1960s.

Shakespeare’s plays often conjure up images of men in tights and women in corseted dresses, but this production of Twelfth Night will look different than your typical Shakespearean play. It will still feature jealousy, mistaken identity, cross-dressing, duels, and love, but imagine Twiggy, Mary Quant – and a whole load of THE KINKS

The play focuses on the shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian, who each believe the other died in the wreck, and follows their separate adventures around Illyria. A playful entanglement of music, love, mistaken identity, and trickery ensues.

So, if you are ‘TIRED OF WAITING’ for one of our productions you will be able to purchase tickets from

01743 247450

07951 862881

info@abbeydrama.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

REVIEWS

April 26, 2024

The Bard at SURC- June 2024

The latest Abbey Foregate Drama Group production of Twelfth Night was certainly different. It took place in church on a deceptively simple set of which the cast took full advantage. Rather than have a lot of prop changes the presence of different characters indicated where the scene was set. This very clever device worked well. Although by Shakespeare the drama was set in the 1960/70s as indicated by the CND logo and picture of Twiggy. This made the costumes so much easier to arrange as it did away with the need for complicated Elizabethan garb. The main provision was much easier however I am not convinced that putting the original songs into the 1970s quite worked.

It was nice to see many old friends in the cast, but the master stroke was Jo Bullock as Viola, and Caroline Hamer as her twin Sebastian. They are of similar height and build, and with identical costumes and wigs they could easily be mistaken for each other, as they were. We were tricked into thinking that Lady Olivia was marrying Viola! Shakespearian iambic pentameters do not fall easily on the modern ear, but everyone was word perfect, and it was easy to follow the plot. The entire cast and production team are to be congratulated on pulling off a resounding success on what could so easily have missed the mark.
Lesley McNeil

Review of ENCHANTED APRIL –November 2023

April in November

The Abbey Foregate Drama Group production of Enchanted April at the beginning of November was another resounding success. Set in the 1920s, it is a story about self-discovery and renewal. The stage sets were very clever. The first act had nine scenes, and all were achieved using two tables and four chairs. The second act had one set, and the backdrop was the one used in their Agatha Christie production. The casting was excellent with the characters true to the script, starting off very constrained and gradually relaxing. Caroline Hamer playing Constanza the housekeeper must get a special mention as her entire part was spoken in Italian. But seeing Andrew Sandilands in a towel after the boiler blew up was worth the entrance money on its own. This was a wonderful evening out. Long may the Drama Group continue to give us quality productions.

Lesley McNeil

Review of ‘Quartet’

What a fabulous evening! It was hard to remember that this was actually Sue Hughes’ directorial debut; it was such a polished show and the comic timing was superb. The backstage team had ingeniously created the world of a retirement home for professional musicians.

The play itself told us that, ‘Art isn’t Art if it doesn’t make you feel’, and indeed, we felt the joy of recognition; we laughed; we felt so moved by the gradual revelations of the truth each character had been trying to hide.

Helen Bryant’s gentle Cissy and Robert Currie’s mischievous Wilf earned our affection as they helped us to ‘see the best’ in Ian Musty’s repressed Reggie and Lesley Strachan’s sharp-edged Jean; each of the four actors was completely on point. Our intimate theatre space was made for them: every flicker of the eyebrow or twitch of the lips told a story. They all landed every moment in a clever, clever script, and made the silences talk too.

There was something rather magical about seeing the characters grow younger before our very eyes. We saw the ‘lovely young’ men and women in all of them, and a lump came to more than one throat as they turned their backs on us, the audience, to remember audiences of the past.

Thank you – watching the play made ‘the future’, whatever age we are now, glow brighter.

Lesley Drew

Don’t Get Your Vicars in a Twist

‘Oh, My Aching Ribs!

The Abbey Foregate Drama Group production of “Don’t Get your Vicars in a Twist” sold out in two weeks, so a Saturday matinee was added to the run. We must admire the stamina of all concerned.

The play started slowly as the situation that would lead to all the confusion and misunderstanding that defines a farce was set out for the audience. But then the pace picked up as all the characters arrived and started making assumptions. Farce also demands over-the top acting, and this was we got. Paul Rushworth as a pseudo Bishop and Stephan Meredith as the Murder Mystery event arranger were superbly OTT, especially when they were drunk and dressed as a maid respectively. Enfys Jenkins and Lesley Drew/Carol Wolfe were two uptight ladies who had been given the weekend (I suspect as a prank) and thought the entire goings on were real. Ian Musty as the real Bishop was suitably bewildered – perhaps still coping with his translation from a vicar in the last production!

This was an evening of laughs, and Rob Hutchings is to be congratulated on a difficult job well done. It was worth the ticket money just to see Brian Bentley and Richard Breakell wearing skirts!

Lesley McNeil

A Christmas Carol

Over Christmas I saw four productions of A Christmas Carol, three professional and one amateur. There was the “Shrewsbury” film with George C Scott, The Muppets with Michael Caine, and a carol that went wrong with Derek Jacobi. Each was good in its own way. However, the best production by far was the one put on by the Abbey Foregate Drama Group with Brian Bentley.

The church provided a perfect space for this production, and was used to maximum effect with imaginative staging. The scene shifted from one area to another with minimum fuss so that the flow of the story was not interrupted. Praise must go to the design and construction group. Even more amazing was the speed with which the stage area was cleared for the Sunday service.

The cast for this production was much larger than that required for the usual plays, which must have involved a lot of organization. But the performances went smoothly, even if there was a lot going on backstage!

Top of the list for commendation is Brian Bentley who was on stage for the entire time. He also had long monologues, which are more difficult to remember than conversations. He was ably supported by some of our favourite actors: Robert Currie, Andrew Sandilands, Lesley Strachan, Rob Hutchings, and Carole Newcombe to name but a few. However, it was also nice to see the newer cast members coming to the fore. As usual the standard of the acting was superb, and each character was true to their part. I sat next to the prompt who was not required.

The choice of this play was inspired. Not only did it honour the very start of the Drama Group, but also it came at the beginning of Advent, which set the scene for our Christmas worship.

Lesley McNeil

The Importance of being Earnest-Audience comments

Debbie–

Kev and me came along on Friday night to see ‘Earnest’ and had a great time. Really excellent performance – cast was awesome, set was beautiful, costumes stunning, crew slick and professional, front of house welcoming and friendly. All round perfect end of the weeknight out   Thank you everyone

Jan-

I went last night. Brilliant! It is one of my favourite plays and they did not disappoint! One thing I really wanted to applaud the set changers. Well done the whole team.

The Importance of being Earnest

The Importance of being Earnest is one of the best known and most often staged of the plays by Oscar Wilde. It takes a wonderfully sideways look at the niceties of Victorian social behaviour, yet in some ways is remarkably modern with misunderstandings galore.

As the stage is small, it requires careful setting. The transformation from a morning room in one flat, a garden, and the morning room in another home was very cleverly done. While one scene change took place during an interval, the second was in full view of the audience, so we were able to see and appreciate the slick performance of the back stage staff that is normally out of view.

This is very much an ensemble piece, and the entire cast worked together to give us their usual high standard entertainment. Malcolm Castle as Algernon and Adam Giblin as Jack/Ernest sparked off each other as the unsuspecting brothers, their love/dislike relationship in full view. Likewise, Symantha Simcox and Lucy Hagen beautifully demonstrated the relationship between Gwendolen and Cecily, with their constant changes from love rivals to sisters-in-arms.

If I had any concerns prior to the performance it was the crucial casting of Lady Bracknell and the famous handbag comment. For many people the Dame Edith Evans rendition in the 1952 film is the definitive delivery, and can overshadow any other performance. I need not have worried. Lesley Reynolds made a splendidly haughty Lady B, and gave her own twist to THAT line. She managed to combine horror with contempt through both delivery and facial expression. Full marks Lesley.

A word of praise goes to the director, Helen Bryant, set designers and builders, the costume department, lighting and sound, as well as the front of house meeters and greeters.

The raffle in aid of ‘Jigsaw’ taken at the performance of A Christmas Carol was £570. The raffle at this performance was for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust as a tribute to Maureen Sandlilands who sadly died last January.

Lesley McNeil

Absurd Person Singular-Audience comments

Teresa-

Hilarious – I laughed so much my face hurt!!Some great characters and so well played. Well done to all involved and thanks for a great night out.

Victoria-

An absolutely fantastic performance by all! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and haven’t laughed aloud this much in a long time! Thank you. We will be coming to see your next performances in the future

Perfect Murder-Audience comments

Oh my goodness we just have to write and offer our sincere Congratulations. Please congratulate all the cast for such a Professional performance and as usual we can’t wait for the next one. Many Many thanks to you all for such a superb performance.

Just to say what a great night we’ve just had @ a perfect murder. We thoroughly enjoyed the play and everyone should be very proud of their performances.

It was so intimate being close to the scenes especially act 2 in the courtroom. It felt so realistic. Please pass on our congratulations to everyone and good luck for your final performance.

We both came to the opening night. It was fantastic – Absolutely brilliant. Very polished, very professional. I was so absorbed that during the second act in the courtroom, I actually felt I was there. You could tell by the gasp of the audience that no-one had anticipated the twist and turn at the end. Very well done, Congratulations to you all.

What a wonderful performance we all enjoyed at the URC last night. The casting and directing were inspired—all the actors were superb, seemingly transformed into the characters they were playing .The audience was in the sitting room or courtroom with you. The scenes in the courtroom were particularly good. Sitting in the front row, I felt as though I was a juror, and concentrated on listening for clues!

Sincere congratulations are due to everyone, including the clever young people in the corner.

An Ideal Husband-Audience comments

I am taking this opportunity of sending you lots of congratulations on your latest production of “The Ideal Husband”  My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed it – great casting, super set and costumes and we could hear every word! (Very important when listening to Oscar Wilde!) Not a weak link anywhere. Knocked spots off many professional productions we have seen. Congratulations!”

“Brilliant production, excellent set, terrific acting and fabulous costumes – thoroughly marvellous all round. Congratulations all”

“Well done on a superb production of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband”; I attended your dress rehearsal last night and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Having been transported by the superb acting, beautiful set and wonderful costumes, I completely forgot to leave the slip with my email address on. Please add me to your email circulation list as I would love to see future shows”

“It was fabulous. They all had so many lines to remember and all word perfect Look forward to the next one”

Ideal Indeed

Lavish is the only word to describe Abbey Fore gate Drama Groups production of An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde. The set was simple but effective, and Ian Musty and Malcolm Castle changed the sets with a butlery dignity that earned them a round of applause, for which they took a very dignified bow. The costumes were a delight and were worth every penny of the hire fee.

It was good to see familiar faces as well as newcomers in the cast. Everyone was totally convincing in their characters, and the evening was pure joy!

As this does not happen by accident, it was clear that a great deal of hard work went into achieving such a polished performance. Praise is due to Helen Bryant who had ensured that every detail was right.

This production has further enhanced the already high reputation of the Drama Group.

Lesley  McNeil

Abbey Foregate (Shrewsbury URC) Drama Group strikes gold again

“All My Sons” by Arthur Miller is the latest production of the Abbey Foregate (S URC) Drama Group.  This play is not a barrel of laughs, and needs careful handling to avoid either being dreary or being melodramatic.  Under the sure direction of Helen Bryant the Group rose to the challenge superbly.  The 1946 American ambience was re-created with great attention to detail.  The set was functional and attractive; the clothes were right, even to the ladies wearing seamed nylons, and the music played before and after the production and during the interval was vintage American 40s.  Secure in their setting, the cast delivered the piece with power and integrity.  The minor characters, including a delightful cameo from bright young Chris Davies, added necessary light relief that served to highlight the terrible predicament of the core family.  Dana James and Robin Cooper, playing Ann and George Deever, were the bringers of bad news, and stepped in and out of the action with sensitivity.

Robert Currie carried the weight of Joe’s guilt with skill, and his gradual disintegration as truth cut through the web of lies was truly moving.  Paula Bayley as Joe’s wife delivered a wonderfully understated performance.  She cleverly avoided overt hand wringing, and instead allowed her obsession to loom like an iceberg in fog.  However, the star of the evening was Andrew Sandilands playing the idealistic Chris. This demanding role runs the gamut of emotion, Andrew gave us the pleasant American, the tender and romantic lover, irritation, the searing heat of anger, and final collapse in tears as the play ended.

Once again this talented Group raised am dram to professional levels.  I am booking my ticket for their next production already!

Lesley McNeil

Shaw’s Pygmalion at Abbey Foregate

To mark its 60th Anniversary the Abbey Foregate (SURC) Drama Group staged a magnificent production of Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, the theatrical source of MY FAIR LADY, from Thursday- Saturday of last week.

Three sets- both indoor and outdoor were skilfully created in the Church itself, and the acting was of the uniformly high standard we have come to expect from this company. The subtle and thought provoking mixture of comedy and serious drama was well conveyed through individual performances-especially Jo Bullock as Eliza Doolittle, Rob Hutchings as her opportunistic Father and Andrew Sandilands as Phonetics Professor, Henry Higgins- as well as by the verve and coherence of the whole. The society scenes were vigorous too, communicated with real charm but also with the critical edge of Shaw’s ironical view of class-conscious Edwardian London.

This was a worthwhile play given worthy treatment. Audience comments such as” better than professional” could be heard at the end of the evening. Helen Bryant, Director and Sue Hughes her assistant, are to be warmly congratulated along with their whole team.

Cameron Wilson

 

HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

April 5, 2023

Throughout the years Abbey Foregate(SURC) Drama Group has donated to various charities by means of money raised through the nightly raffle at productions. The group is extremely grateful for the generosity of our audiences and since 2010 we have raised ÂŁ13,518 for charities.

TWELFTH NIGHT  was the groups June 2024 production and our chosen charity was Prostrate Cancer. This is a charity that that is extremely important to the group and due to the generosity of our audiences we were able to raise £495.

Our  production in November 2023 was ENCHANTED APRIL  and  our chosen charity was  MIND Due to the generosity of our audiences we were able to raise £589 for this very worthwhile cause.

The chosen charity for our May 2023 production of  AND THEN THERE WERE NONE was the Migraine Trust and we were able to donate £522 to this wonderful cause.

Our November 2022  production of  STEEL MAGNOLIAS had the subject matter of Diabetes and the group decided that Diabetes UK, Shrewsbury Kids Group would be our chosen charity. They are a small group of volunteers who aim to provide an opportunity for families of young children with diabetes to network with each other through various events held throughout the year. These events provide a relaxed and fun environment in which young people living with Type 1 diabetes and their families can get together, share experiences and learn from each other.
They have held fundraising events in the past and have some funds available going forward and will hold more events now that Covid-19 restrictions have eased. But if they are to achieve all their aims they can only do this by raising funds and by the generous support of organisations and individuals. The amount that was raised at the STEEL MAGNOLIAS raffle was ÂŁ604 which will be greatly appreciated by the group and we thank you all for your support. We presented a cheque for this amount at the children’s Christmas party on 4th December 2022 at Pontesbury Village Hall.

WAITING IN THE WINGS

April 20, 2022

This expression alludes to the theatre.

It is an area unseen by the audience, where actors wait for their cue to come on stage. The wings are areas that are part of a stage deck but offstage (out of sight of the audience). The wing space is also used for storage of sets for scenery changes , props and as a backstage work area.

WAITING IN THE WINGS can also mean

Close by in the background; available at short notice, ready to do something or to be used at the appropriate time and to take the place of another person.
i.e.: My assistant is waiting in the wings to take my job once I retire.

Many actors have a nightmare close to a performance and the one below is no exception









It is a scene that has often come into my mind, both sleeping and waking — I am standing in the wings of a theatre waiting for my cue to go onstage. As I stand there, I can hear the play proceeding, and suddenly it dawns on me that the lines I have learnt are not in this play at all but belong to quite a different one. Panic seizes me; I wonder frenziedly what I should do. Then I get my cue. Stumbling over the unfamiliar scenery, I make my way onto the stage, and then look for guidance to the prompter, whose head I can just see rising out of the floorboards. Alas he only signals helplessly to me, and I realise of course that his script is different from mine. I begin to speak my lines, but they are incomprehensible to the other actors and abhorrent to the audience, who begin to hiss and shout: “Get off the stage!” “Let the play go on!” “You’re interrupting!”

Malcolm Muggeridge

Thank goodness it is just a nightmare!

ENTERTAING AUDIENCES SINCE 1947

November 18, 2021

The year 2022 marked a tremendous milestone for the Abbey Foregate (SURC) Drama Group as it celebrated its 75th Anniversary. The group traces its roots to 1947, when performances began at the Abbey Foregate Congregational Church. In those early days the members were from the congregation, and the plays had a religious theme. It was in 1950 that the group looked to perform mainstream plays and their first production was “The Importance of being Earnest.” The Church joined with the St Nicholas Presbyterian Church in 1975 and became known as Shrewsbury United Reformed Church (SURC).

The Abbey Foregate (SURC) Drama Group is well loved by locals with a passion for amateur dramatics, whether that be soaking up the limelight onstage or enjoying the performance from the safety of the auditorium. St Nicholas Hall is where the majority of productions are staged and the introduction of raked seating on three sides places the audience close to the action, which provides an intimate theatrical experience

From its early modest beginnings the group has continued to grow and welcome new members both from within the church and from outside. Throughout the years the group has garnered many awards and festival prizes, has earned rave reviews, and now has a membership of well over forty, acting and non-acting. Up until the start of the pandemic at the beginning of 2020, we regularly performed two productions a year.

Profits from early productions were modest, which contrasts to today’s healthy financial situation. The group is now able to donate to a range of charities due to the kindness of the audiences and since 2010 has risen over £9,000.

In 2012 An indication of the group’s reputation was illustrated by being one of the few amateur organisations nationally granted the licence to perform “Calendar Girls”. We stepped out of our comfort zone and into The Walker Theatre at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn to put on a highly successful and sell out production. It is hoped that we might venture there again next year with a production, albeit a year late, to celebrate our 75th Anniversary. It is yet to be decided what the play will be, so watch this space!

Loyalty and continuity have ensured that the group has survived the fluctuating fortunes that challenge Societies up and down the country. If you would like to be part of our continuing illustrious history, as we celebrate this magical milestone, you can find out how to join by getting in touch by our Contact page.

 

 

TO PROMPT OR NOT TO PROMPT ?

August 31, 2021

Like a tightrope walker who knows he may not need the safety net, but feels safer in the knowledge that it is there, so some actors feel the need have a net of their own. It is not one the audience will see, but it is one that, if used, they will hear.

It is, of course… er…’

The prompt……………..’   

‘What?’

  (Louder)                 

‘THE PROMPT’………….!!

The prompter (sometimes prompt) in a theatre is a person who prompts or cues actors when they forget their lines or neglect to move on the stage to where they are supposed to be situated.

In truth, there is nothing better than knowing your lines. I do not just mean in an ‘Oh, I knew this yesterday,’ kind of way, but an ‘I know these lines so well, they’re almost part of me’. For an actor, learning the lines is where you start not where you finish. It is the least a paying audience deserves. It is only when books are down, faces lifted out of scripts and eye contact made that  the real work can begin with your fellow actors, and relationships built.

A 19th-century prompter at work.

If you have ever taken a prompt, you will know the feeling. The lurch of the heart as the words fail you and the seemingly eternal wait for the prompt to notice. The look of panic in the eyes of your fellow cast members. What do they do, cover for you, and wait for the line to come? The scene becomes a frozen tableau of inaction, everyone waiting for something to happen.

An audience may tolerate a prompt or two ( it happens to the best of professional actors). They feel embarrassed for you, nervous that you will do it again. Perhaps even, dare I say it, disappointed? Far better to know your lines so well, that you can recite them in your sleep (actually, reciting them as you fall asleep is often a good way to make them stick – you will be surprised by how much is retained in the morning). Far better for you and your cast members to know the play so well that, should the worst happen, you can get back on track. The greatest thing a rehearsal process can bring to a cast is the feeling of trust.

Directors; be brave. Tell your cast from the first rehearsal, that they will be performing without a prompt. Tell them they will not need it, and then see how hard they work to fulfil your prophecy. They will amaze themselves.

Remember, your audience want you to succeed.

Why not reward them by doing just that?

Richard Nicholas James

 

BREAK A LEG DARLING, YOU’LL BE FABULOUS!

August 11, 2021

THE ORIGINS OF ‘BREAK A LEG’

Why do they say, “Break a Leg “in Theatre?

If you have been to a theatre performance, odds are you have heard the term “break a leg,” and maybe even used it to wish performers good luck. It may seem odd, but in the theatre world, saying “good luck” is considered to bring bad luck. There are numerous ideas about the origin of the phrase. One story says spirits wreak havoc on your wishes and make the opposite happen. Another comes from ancient Greece, where the audience did not clap but instead stomped their feet to show appreciation. If the audience stomped long enough, they would break a leg. Some say the term originated during Elizabethan times when, instead of applause, the audience would bang their chairs on the ground — and if they liked it enough, the leg of the chair would break. 

Bowing or Curtsying

The term “break a leg” may refer to a performer bowing or curtsying to the audience in the metaphorical sense of bending one’s leg to do so. The saying could originally express the hope that an enthusiastic audience repeatedly calls for further bows or encores. This might cause a performer to “break” the leg line. Much earlier in stage history, when superstition had a less frightening hold on the craft, actors and their followers used a more gracious greeting: “May you break your leg,” by which it was meant that the evening’s performance would be of such grandeur that the actor would be obliged to break his leg – that is, bend his knee – in a deep bow acknowledging the audience’s applause.

The Performer Breaking the Leg Line

The most common theory refers to an actor breaking the “leg line” of the stage. The edge of a stage just beyond the vantage point of the audience forms a line, imaginary or actually marked, which is called the “leg line,” named after a type of concealing stage curtain: a leg. For an unpaid stand-by performer to cross or “break” this line would mean that the performer was getting an opportunity to go onstage and be paid; therefore, “break a leg” might have shifted from a specific hope for this outcome to a general hope for any performer’s good fortune.

Evidently, in the days of early vaudeville, the producers would book more performers than could possibly perform in the given time. In order to ensure that the show did not start paying people who do not actually perform, there was a general policy that a performer was NOT paid unless they actually performed on-stage. Nowadays the term is used to wish an actor all the very best for a good performance and a successful run. No matter which version you choose to believe well wishes are always appreciated and as amateur performers, we still use the term. Invariably, producers, directors and fellow cast members pop their heads around dressing-room doors for a quick chat and a cheery,

“Break a Leg Darling, You’ll be Fabulous”

ZOOM WITH A VIEW

July 17, 2021

March Madness

Abbey Drama were mid-rehearsal when the first lockdown was announced. The news headlines were reporting a new SARS-like virus that reportedly came from the livestock meat markets of Wuhan .

In mid-March 2020, our group along with the rest of the UK , were legally obliged to commit to lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus. “Hands, face, space” became the mantra as we rubbed our hands raw with alcohol gels and donned smile-hiding face masks to attend to the only permitted activity of buying essentials. We stopped hugging, and helping strangers out, and even shaking hands was disallowed. It became an alien world, like something from the movies. Except that it wasn’t, it was our lives, our community, and our Drama Group.

Of course, we all took it all in our stride, thinking that worst case scenario, the production dates might be pushed back a tad.  Personally, I plunged myself into this altered reality with more than a pinch of disbelief at what was happening, little knowing that 16 months on, I would still be unable to meet up with friends in the rehearsal space, or any other space for that matter.

Embracing The New

As it became crystal clear that everything was going to be anything but clear for the foreseeable, a collective from Abbey Drama decided to reconvene on a Monday evening to oxymoronically “meet remotely” via Zoom or Skype (other video conferencing software is available). In addition to the popular productions that the group are so well known for, the Ab Drams have always enjoyed regular play-readings as a group and of course, this lends itself well to video conferencing. In a heartbeat, we were off, and we started with David Muncaster’s Community Spirit.

“You’re Still on Mute!”

Everyone was new to video call meetings back then and much hilarity ensued as we tried to log on, puzzled over strange camera angles, and failed to take ourselves off mute again, and again, and again. But we soon left the technical hitches in the ditches and what joy to see those familiar faces and hear the tones of those voices we knew so well. Not every Ab Dram member has joined in, but everyone is welcome and in fact, we have embraced fellow thespians from other drama groups who now make up a vibrant part of our happy throng. “Monday evening play reading” sounds clichĂ©d, perhaps Alan Bennet would like to produce a script bearing the title.

The Zoom Womb

Since that first Zoom play-reading in March 2020 we have read upwards of 30 scripts including The Constant Wife (W Somerset Maugham), The Cherry Orchard (Anton Chekhov), Steel Magnolias (Robert Harling) and The Vicar of Dibley (Richard Curtis, Paul Mayhew-Archer) naming a few to illustrate that the plays are wide and varied. We also read a script that one of our members had written.

But more than getting to know the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of plays that are out there we got to connect with others. During the unsettling and ever-extending days of social restriction, we created a virtual space that was warm, welcoming, nurturing and nourishing. A Zoom womb if you like.

It has been a difficult time for many, but Ab Dram has continued to see and connect with its members albeit through the portals of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computer screens. We have laughed, shared, checked up on one another and managed to maintain some sense of normality in these unprecedented times.

We have shared our thoughts on the plays we read and how they relate to today. We have giggled at and embraced dodgy accents and mispronunciations. There is no judgement in our group, the laughter is shared. This is a safe space to try out early attempts at an accent or dialect and sometimes the outcomes are truly hilarious but there is no malice and absolutely no pressure on anyone to attempt any accent. You read as you want to read. Or you can choose to tune in as a silent member and enjoy the experience of what is a rough approximation of an unedited Radio 4 drama. We have debated the merits (and otherwise) of various plays and pondered the potential of putting them on as a group in the future. We have also shared in passing what is happening in our own individual lockdown lives and smiled at the on-screen faces of those we haven’t seen in person for over a year. It has been so much more than a regular play reading group.

Future Freedoms.

I wonder if our current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will allow us into the rehearsal space and welcome our lovely audiences back into the less-than-socially-distanced seating area of our theatre any time soon?

I hope so.

Oh, but I shall so miss our Zoom play readings when they come to an end.

Perhaps it is the languid, lazy part of me that enjoys barely having to move two feet to plug in, recline in my own chair with my current drink of choice, slippers on and script to hand. There really is something quite comforting about engaging with the Ab Drams whilst faintly hearing my family in the next room watching TV and then having the dog wander up occasionally for a quick tummy tickle. Social convention falls by the wayside during unprecedented times and whilst I have not logged in wearing hair curlers yet, I am very relaxed about what I’m wearing and there has been at least one incident of members wearing pyjamas. You see, despite being remote, our play-readings are homely, warm, and intimate.

Perhaps Zoom will continue to be part of the organisation in one form or another.

That said, I can’t wait to see everyone in the flesh again, to move in the space and see great writing in action.

So finally, whilst reflecting on our Zoom play-readings with great affection, as we approach the end of the third and hopefully last lockdown, I am looking forward in great anticipation that maybe, just maybe, we will be back strutting the SURC’s boards very soon.

Symantha Simcox   July 2021

 

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