Performing Arts: News 2004

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GREASE

Colourful, brash and as cheesy as hell, it’s little wonder that it was voted the nation’s most popular musical. To celebrate this fact, The Henley College Theatre Group staged a production last December in Rotherfield Hall. After the more serious musical productions of recent years – last years harrowing “Cabaret” and before that the tale of Claude Bukowski’s drafting to Vietnam in “Hair” – “Grease” was an altogether more feel good, upbeat Christmas treat.

With a cast of almost 70 students, “Grease” was a great night out for all the family. The show was once again directed by Nic Saunders, with David Golby as Musical Director. Juliette Caton who has worked extensively in the West End handled the choreography and technician Sam Scottorn had been having sleepless nights on how to release Kenickie’s legendary Grease Lightning on stage.

BLOOD WEDDING ON TOUR

After a successful run of 'Blood Wedding' at Luxters Barn in May, the production is off to Spain. The Completely Cuckoo Theatre Company have been invited to perform in Tossa de Mar, North East Spain. Under the direction of Liz Yates, thirty national diploma students are involved in the production and the show will be restaged for the new venue - a promenade performance around the old town. If anyone is in the area, performances are Sunday 18th and Tuesday 20th July 2004 at 8.30 pm

BLOOD WEDDING

This year's BND Performing Arts Graduation Show 2004 was 'Blood Wedding'. The play explores the emotional force and passion of instinct fighting against the constraints of tradition. Lorca himself felt

BLOOD WEDDING IN REHEARSAL

an outsider in a society so strongly bound by tradition. He was murdered by Nationalist sympathisers at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and his plays were not performed in Spain until after Franco's rule. This tragic tale, based on a true story, is to be staged in the beautiful Luxter's Barn at Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery, outside Henley.

Performances begin at 7.30pm on Monday 24th, Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th May. The production will then tour to Tossa de Mar in Spain in July. Box office 01491 579988 or in person at Deanfield Reception.

BEAT THIS - EX STUDENTS TAKE THEIR PLACE IN THE PROFESSION APRIL 2004

Its always rewarding when students from the department get places at university and drama school, but its even more rewarding when they begin working in the profession.

Several ex-students are now taking their place in the industry. Michelle Walsh has recently been professionally engaged at The Liverpool Empire in 'Scrooge', alongside Paul Nicholas, after completing her training at Arts Ed. From the same year group, Jamie MacLachlan (pictured) has now graduated from East 15 Acting School and can be seen in the current McDonalds tv commercial. Jamie, who played a variety of roles whilst training at the College (see the Productions section), has also filmed a role in BBC's "Waking the Dead" alongside Trevor Eve.

The department congratulates both of them and wishes them all the best in their professional careers.

If any other ex-students are now working professionally, drop us a line at the College and we'll post your news on this site.

POWERFUL POLITICAL DRAMA: THE COMMON CHORUS

The Completely Cuckoo Theatre Company will be performing a production of 'The Common Chorus' by Tony Harrison between 22-27 March. The play is a mixture of documentary style realism with the stylised poetry of Greek Tragedy. Taking place at the height of the protests, the play centres around the revolutionary actions of a group of Greenham women, led by Laura Green.

In 1981 a group of women, angered by the decision to bring nuclear weapons to the UK, organised a protest march from Cardiff to Newbury. Here they set up the first Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. Despite the efforts of the protesting women, the first Cruise missiles arrived in Newbury in 1983. Despite fierce local opposition, court cases and even imprisonment, the protests remained front page news for most of the '80s. The last Peace Camp closed in 2000 - 19 years after the first opened - and today Greenham Common no longer belongs to the military.

" It's an incredibly powerful piece of political theatre. It vividly recreates a specific moment in time and explores what life was like living on the perimeter fence. The play pulls no punches and is an extremely frank take on events. Ultimately though, it leaves any moral judgements up to its audience." (Director, Nic Saunders)

More information can be obtained from www.henleydrama.co.uk. The venue is Studio One Theatre, Gravel Hill, Henley-on-Thames. Tickets are £6 / £5 and are available from 01491 579988 or from Deanfield Reception in person.

TRIP TO DISNEYLAND A BIG SUCCESS: FEBRUARY 2004

Trip to Disneyland a Big Success: February 2004
The First Year National Diploma students enjoyed a fun filled three days in Disneyland, Paris at the the end of last month. The trip is unsurprisingly one of the highlights of the first year of the course and is always an enjoyable experience. The purpose of the trip is to experience one of the worlds leading performing arts venues firsthand and the students get exclusive back stage seminars with the park's designers and performers. The trip now encompasses the new Film Park.