Members Newsletter – May 2012
Annual General Meeting
Swavesey Revue & Drama Society
Annual General Meeting
The Committee Room, Swavesey Memorial Hall
Thursday 31st May 2012 at 8:00pm
All members to attend
(If you can’t, please send apologies)
Do you want to direct RADSOCs Pantomime in 2013?
Do you want to direct RADSOCS Pantomime in 2013?
The committee would like to receive submissions for our next pantomime. All you need to do is find a script you would like to direct and send a copy of it to the committee. The committee need to receive all submissions by MONDAY 21st MAY 2012. Please send them to me robin.pearson@talk21.com. If this would be your first “go” at directing, remember the committee will assist you as much as you need.
– Robin Pearson
RADSOC On the Road – Last Tango in Little Grimley
We’re planning something a little different for our summer show – a touring production of Last Tango in Little Grimley, a hilarious one act comedy, to be performed in four venues in our area during the middle two weeks of June. As well as providing us with the enjoyable (we hope!) challenge of setting up and performing a show in one evening, this gives us the opportunity to provide amateur drama in village where it isn’t a regular feature, and maybe to gain some new members, either for RADSOC or for other local groups.
Ticket prices will be kept to a minimum (£3.50) and will include tea, coffee and delicious homemade cakes after the show, with an opportunity to meet and talk to the cast and crew about what we do in this wonderful world of community amateur drama.
Going to villages where we aren’t already known means we’ll have to work hard to get an audience – so we would like everyone in RADSOC to support us by coming to see one of the performances. If you can offer help with setting up the stage and lights before the show, and dismantling them afterwards, or with welcoming audience members, or providing and serving cakes after the show, please let Chris Avery know as soon as possible.
Last Tango in Little Grimley will be performed in
Fen Drayton Village Hall on Friday 15 June
Rampton Village Hall on Saturday 16 June
Swavesey Memorial Hall on Wednesday 20 June
(a Swavesey Festival performance)
Bar Hill Octagon on Friday 22 June
All performances start at 8.00pm.
Please note: this play is not recommended for under 12s
Tickets can be booked online at www.swaveseyradsoc.org,
or by telephoning the Box Office on 07504 552870.
– Chris Avery
‘Gentlement & Players’ at the Sawston and Cambridge Drama Festivals
 |
This production definitely wasn’t without incident – we’d just got Chris Hay fitted for his costume as Will when he broke both arms in a cycling accident. A replacement Will was needed – and the doughty John Pickering was there to step into the breech(es). With only three weeks to go before our first festival appearance at Sawston, John had a huge challenge on his hands – especially as he was also rehearsing Pass the Butler with BaCStage. Astonishingly, he learned the whole play in time (and after that, don’t anyone dare tell me that they don’t know their lines after three months’ rehearsal!) and gave a great performance, matched by Matt Isham as Ben and Bob Bright as John.
On awards night we were all delighted when Martin Avery’s evocative and sensitive soundtrack was rewarded with the new trophy for Technical Excellence. “The best sound I’ve heard in a long time” was the adjudicator’s comment. In addition, Matt received a nomination for Best Actor, so we felt we’d had a successful time. On to Cambridge, where the standard was extremely high, and the auditorium at the Mumford Theatre was well filled on most nights – it just goes to show the power of social networking! This time we received nominations for Best Lighting as well as Best Sound, but lost out on both to a wonderful play presented by Arbury Primary School Past and Present – very well deserved winners.
I’ve really enjoyed directing our Festival entries for the past two years – but how about someone else for 2013? If you know a good one act script you’d like to direct, do let any of the committee know. We’ll be inviting submissions towards the end of the summer.
– Chris Avery
The RADSOC Website
Changes have been afoot (again) on the RADSOC website due to the last webhost causing us more trouble than what it was worth.
I took the decision to slim-down the website into a much more concise, high-impact version of it’s former self. More emphasis is now given to photos and videos on the homepage, with short, snappy pieces of content showing what upcoming shows we have and any relevant news items. The private members section has also been dumped because none of you were using it! Instead you will be presented with different bits of content throughout the website depending on whether you are a RADSOC member or a member of the public, so it would be wise to log in when visiting.
Finally, I’d be interested in hearing any of your views about how we can improve the website and transfer of information between members. Please contact me at admin@swaveseyradsoc.org with any ideas or comments.
– Chris Hay