Current Production

Our final production of 2009, marking the 25th anniversary of the group, will be:

Okay, then. Period comedy, not really my usual sort of thing. But this is rather different, in that it has long been an aspiration of the group to take a crack at "...Earnest" some day. And what better time than to celebrate a really big milestone in the group's history?
The only snag with that is that everyone else who might have considered sitting in the director's seat very much wants to take a part, either because it's this play, or because it's a landmark production. Possibly even both. So that leaves me with two (or perhaps three) very, very difficult tasks.
The first is the bit I most hate about producing: picking a cast. It can be easy, with a small group - quite often, it's a case of just picking a play based on who is available to be in it. This time, I already know I have more actors than parts and I'm going to have to disappoint some of them. Not looking forward to that.
The second is somehow making a decent job of a play that just about everybody knows, packed with some of the best-known and most oft-quoted dialogue ever written. Always a challenge, that: it's so much easier to pick a completely obscure script and do it however we please, secure in the knowledge it will never be compared to a more famous version!
The third thing is that it's going to be a whole new experience for me. I've directed period before, and comedy (albeit generally darker comedy involving lots of murdering), but not both at the same time. It's an ambitious target from the technical, staging and costuming point of view - lucky for me, we have some excellent people who can do those sorts of things!
Anyway, that's where we are and what we're doing. Next week, before the start of rehearsals proper, we will be reading the play with a view to filling in the blanks in the cast list. We'll see who's still talking to me after that, just for a start...

In a way, good - the cast is cast (and displayed in all its glory above) and we have begun the blocking process. Plans for stage and set, props and costumes are busily being hatched, or, in some cases, refined. In short, rehearsals have started in much the usual fashion - albeit with a certain amount of unnecessary moisture, given that it was raining torrentially on our first night back.
That's the upside. The corresponding down was, of course, the casting. As said before, we're a small group and the available parts normally go to those who are willing to take them! It is rare indeed to have any serious competition - and although the doctrine of market forces tends to consider that a healthy thing, as a would-be director it's simply not as pleasant as it might seem. Resorting to a semi-formal audition is only helpful if it gives a straightforward result...which it didn't. What it gave me was a selection of quality actresses (the actors kind of worked themselves out, fortunately), all of whom read within a hair's-breadth of equally well and any of whom could easily have stepped into the part they wanted. In the end, it had to come down to a number of indirect considerations, rather than the outright quality of the reading - which is hardly ideal, and far more difficult a decision to justify to those who were disappointed. I hated every minute of doing it and wish I'd simply been able to abrogate the responsibility. Ah, well. Presumably bigger groups have to do this all the time, and maybe that makes it easier - as there is a lower expectation of winning a part - but I, for one, don't envy them at all!

It’s great to be back in the fold after a break from treading the boards, particularly in a play I’ve always wanted to take a part in. I’m not renowned as being the quickest to learn their lines but it’s fundamental to this play so I’m grateful to Mike for having the confidence to offer me one of the leading roles.
A change in holiday plans means I miss one rehearsal rather than two this week but it’s one of those valuable ones on the stage at Findon.
Must remember to pack my script!
Note to self for while I’m away – “learn lines”.
I’ve offered to try and provide some props so when I get home I’ve got to remember to rummage through my cupboards to find them.
The children have offered to help me practice my lines; they usually end up knowing everybody’s parts word for word without any effort – I wish my grey cells still had the retentive capacity of theirs.
I’m looking forward to “putting the book down” during rehearsals. I can stop peering at the others over the top of my glasses and concentrate on the “what shall I do with my hands?” question.
Have I forgotten anything?

Oh yes, LEARN LINES.

One of the things that you do notice, quite quickly, is the way that whenever the current production comes up in conversation and the play is mentioned by name, people will - in about 90% of cases - fix you with a stern glare, take a deep breath and declaim: "A hand-bag?". If one can actually declaim a question, that is. Not that everyone picks the more querulous option, as a number seem to prefer: "A hand-bag!".
Anyway, whichever punctuation is preferred, what is in no doubt whatsoever is that the hand-bag is both significant and memorable. "Hand-bag", that is, as opposed to "handbag" - bearing in mind the use for which it was intended (transportation of a three-volume novel manuscript) and to which it was actually put (storage of a young, but still fairly sizeable, child), we are plainly not talking about your typical sparkly dress accessory. Indeed, the traditional hand-bag - as popularised by Mr William Ewart Gladstone, PM - is a considerable and hefty piece of leatherware rather like the one front and centre of the poster now at the top of this page.
Ordinarily, one might favour a picture being worth a thousand words, but for the purposes of this play it only has to convey the aforementioned two (plus some punctuation marks). Simple, to the point, and - we hope - attractive in its unfussiness.

Speaking of which, and of matters semantic: as this is, essentially, a play centred almost entirely around language and dialogue, I took the slightly unusual step of devoting several rehearsals to words only. Normally, we walk through the actions and juggle various ersatz props and items of furniture throughout rehearsals, perhaps sitting down and going through just the lines once, at the very end. That will quite often be enough to make sure that lines, moves and technical parts are learned simultaneously. In fact, it can be a lot harder to work at just the words, with very little in the way of physical cues to go by - at the same time, though, it does ensure a greater degree of concentration and familiarity with the lines is needed to get through the evening. I have to say that I'm pleased with the results so far. There again, I don't have to learn any of it. The cast may not be quite so overjoyed, although you can see below that they're hiding it well...

Excitingly, the evening ended with the hall boiler letting go in rather spectacular and, frankly, moist fashion. Am-dram, sometimes it's just life on the ragged edge...

Having been forced to miss some rehearsals and time for concentrating on learning lines due to unforeseen circumstances, the “words only” format of recent rehearsals was a perfect way to focus the mind and identify the weak areas.

Conversation in breaks this evening turned to the search for props and the ubiquitous handbag mentioned earlier by Mike. His comments on its capacity reminded me that my current frame belies the fact that, at similar age to the aforesaid child, I was somewhat sizeable myself.

Sorry but no I won’t be submitting photos to prove it!

A weekend of serious study looms and then we’re really into that final phase of rehearsal.

Miss Prism, In Her Own Words - Mary 29/10/09

When Mike decided on "The Importance of Being Ernest " as our twenty fifth anniversary production I thought it a good choice. As the longest standing member of the Cissbury Players I was anxious to be involved so I was delighted to be given the role of Miss Prism.

A lot of people are already familiar with this play and have pre-conceived ideas on the way it should be staged. Mike has for the most part stuck to the traditional style of the piece and has endeavoured to convey a suitable Victorian atmosphere whilst simplifying things to take account of our limited stage facilities.
Having decided on staging we got down to rehearsals. The blocking procedure went smoothly and we then got on with getting to grips with the dialogue. This needs to be learnt properly to bring out the full wit of Oscar Wilde. Accuracy is needed and not paraphrasing (as can be got away with in some plays!). This proved difficult to say the least. Fortunately my role is quite small so my aged brain - not as retentive as it used to be - wasn't too heavily taxed. Unlike Ernest and Algy, who have a mammoth task. Algy now has to learn to stuff himself with cucumber sandwiches and muffins while still managing to speak and not spray the rest of the cast with crumbs. Not easy believe me! Having to eat on stage and maintain a civilised conversation at the same time is incredibly difficult and most actor's nightmare. In spite of this we are making good progress. Characters are now developing. Lady Bracknell (Ann) is superbly overbearing (now who said ' it comes naturally!!' ?) as she throws herself whole-heartedly into the part. Ann is fulfilling a long held ambition in playing this character. Lady B. is a role she seems born to play. Gwendolyn and Cecily (Clare and Carol), sparking nicely off each other, are suitably correct Victorian young women with flashes of spirit. Jack (Gareth) and Algy (Zahir) are suavely frivolous men about town. Whilst Dave as Canon Chasuble is nicely pompously verbose and our new recruits are impeccable gentlemen's gentlemen. I'm having fun with my role as Miss Prism with her secret longing for the Canon and her final revelations about having been responsible for the whole situation by mislaying the baby in an absent minded moment years ago.
All in all we are enjoying ourselves enormously. Rehearsals have been fun, even though we are working hard, but attendance has been patchy at times, Mike however seems able to keep his cool remarkably well in the face of all this and his positive attitude keeps us all going.
Here's hoping for a good audience for this ever popular play as we celebrate our anniversary.

A Publicity Moment - Mike 12/11/09

Somewhat disappointingly, this picture-free and mildly inaccurate release is all we have to show from the local paper:

Considering that we had to organise a considerable number of costumes and have everyone (press photographer included) give up their Saturday morning to drive some miles to a suitable location (in the rain, I might add) - this is not entirely the result one might have expected. And it fails to mention Gareth, who would be the fourth of the three founder members (although, technically, Ann isn't quite...as she joined a whole two plays into the group's career!).

Perhaps it's a particularly big news week in the borough of Worthing and the full multipage photo-spectacular will appear in next week's edition. Perhaps it's simply telling us that our 25th anniversary is about a third as important as a bloke from Durham who pretends to be David Bowie playing at Worthing Assembly Halls. The former would be preferable, but, hey, we don't get a say in what defines the "community" in your "local community newspaper". Still, if you're reading this, we didn't need the newspaper publicity anyway...

Notes On The Rehearsals Of 'The Importance Of Being Earnest' - Nick 12/11/09

More of a blog really, of me joining the Cissbury Players, by Nick Roughton (Cissbury Players new boy).

It was a warm, late summer's afternoon, I was attending the Findon flower-show with my partner Clare, It was a delightful event, transporting us back to an England that is now no more than a distant memory for most. Having done the stalls and laden with bags of plants and a swatch of raffle tickets we retired inside the village hall for a well earned cup of tea and the promise of homemade cake. We were lucky enough to find an empty table and sat down amidst the cacophony of noise, clinking cups and enthusiastic conversation. Our table was very close to the exhibits and every so often as I raised my arm to sip my precious beverage it was given an involuntary jog by someone's bottom as they bent down to admire one wonderful piece of handicraft or other.
It was as I mopped up the spilt liquid slopped down my front that my eye was drawn to a pair of theatrical masks decorating the Proscenium arch, stage tormentors, or whatever they're called, surrounding the quaint little stage tucked at the back of the hall. ' I think there's a local am dram group' I said to Clare. She smiled at me knowing how much I had enjoyed being involved with my local theatre company over the years and she was keen that I should continue my hobby. Being new to the area we were eager to explore and even integrate into the local community, so we searched around the hall's walls looking for a poster or scrap of paper that might give us a clue or even a phone number to this local theatre group. We figured out that the flower club met the last Friday evening of every month but that wasn't a lot of help. An extravagantly bewhiskered old gentleman sporting cavalry twills and a cravat passed our table.
'Excuse me' enquired Clare 'is there a local amateur dramatic society?'
'Why yes I believe there is' he replied.
'Do you know what it's called?' She asked
'Err ... no I'm afraid not' he was about to ask a brother in arms if he knew, when the call came that the raffle was about to be drawn. We all duly stampeded out of the hall like a herd of tortoise on broccoli. The raffle was wonderful, it was organised and run in a true Ayckbourn style and despite the fact that we din't win anything, was worth every penny.
On returning home I fired up my trusty laptop and set about trying to discover the name of this mysterious theatre group: Findon Players ... no, Findon Theatre group ... no, Findon Amateur dramatic society ... no and so on. It wasn't until sometime later that it struck me that everything in Findon is named after that great ramparted mound, mount, knoll, butte or hummock known as Cissbury hill ... of course Cissbury Players!
I found the website, the theatrical masks red velvet curtains were all there, I was back in the village hall! I sent an e-mail and the next thing I knew I was attending a read through of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in somebody's lounge in Angmering. This is clearly a nationwide group I thought, being so widely spread. It was an ugly night, rain was falling heavily and the first leaves were leaving the trees. I was all set for a cosy read through when it slowly dawned on me that this was an audition, the folks there had already read the greater part of the play. I was asked to read Merriman the butler. I think I managed at least two lines then the whole thing was finished. It was time to make decisions, to cast the play. Mike (he was obviously the director) sat on the floor behind a long glass coffee table rolling a cigarette, considering his options. The prospective cast sat all around him arrayed upon soft leather settees, their eyes glued to him, intent and piercing. There was no audition panel with this group, no secret discussions, no letter through the post, no 'Thank you for attending the audition the standard was very high, unfortunately ...' No with this group they cut to the quick there was no messing about. My sympathies were with Mike, he had to pick some and leave out others, there was obviously fierce competition for these coveted roles and there's no easy way to do that. Noses were put out of joint, people were disappointed, others delighted, I got the part of Merriman and I was delighted too.
We started rehearsing shortly thereafter, not in Findon but a hall down in Findon Valley, I was right about this group being nationwide! But seriously, it has been very interesting working (or is it playing) with a new group. They're a friendly bunch of people with a very relaxed attitude. Between rehearsals it's been exciting. We've done a murder mystery, played a skittles evening and even contended with an exploding boiler! It's obvious there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes, learning lines, organising costumes etc. My role in the play is a small one and so it affords me the luxury of sitting down and watching people develop their characters and listen to the play itself, a play which, although I had heard of it, had never read or seen it performed. I have to say it is very funny indeed. Some of the cast seemed to have known their lines from the start, others struggle to learn them, one dear lady said she'd lived with it for twenty five years, I wasn't sure if she meant the play or Earnest! We all travel different journeys when it comes to learning lines. We think we know them but when it comes to delivering them for the first time, they disappear, anybody who has done a bit of am dram will know what I mean!
The performances are not far off now, there's nothing like a live audience to concentrate the mind, that gentle curve we have slowly been ascending now rapidly becomes more and more acute before it suddenly ends and we'll all be tumbling down the other side another performance notched on our belts. So I wish my fellow players well and hope to serve them well.

The Cast, In Full - Standing: Mary, Nick, Martin, Zahir, Gareth, Dave and Ann; Seated: Clare and Carol.

A Further Publicity Moment - Mike 17/11/09

It would seem that I wasn't the only group member mildly disappointed on the local newspaper front. Some of whom, of a more mercurial and persistent disposition, made their displeasure known directly to the editor - a process requiring a number of days and phone calls to accomplish. The result: well, apparently there was a lot of news last week (meaning, perhaps that I underestimated the importance of being a David Bowie impersonator). However, we are assured something more meaningful should be in the West Sussex Gazette this week and - space permitting - a picture in the Worthing Herald. In the meanwhile, thanks to the miracle of modern technology that is the mobile phone, we can provide our own shots from the photocall. Unfortunately not in high-resolution multi-mega-pixel format, but you can't always have everything.

After Words - Mike 12/12/09

Well, in the end it was a rather mixed affair as far as the press were concerned. Both the West Sussex Gazette and the Worthing Herald ran a pretty generous piece to mark our 25 years but didn't have the usual preview of the play itself. And as Eric, the freelance reporter who usually covers our shows, was away on holiday there was no formal review either. A couple of audience members submitted reader's reviews to the Herald, but there's been no sign of them being published.

That being the case, you'll have to make do with my opinion - mildly biased as it may be - on the subject. Which is quite high, all in all. We'd considered doing it, on and off, for a number of years (all 25 of them, in fact), but never really got very far with dealing with the necessary set changes. When I finally read the script in its' entirety, it occurred to me - and to a few other people, having since looked about on the internet - that we could set the third act in the garden instead of the manor house itself. That would only need two sets instead of three, and give enough time to make the changeover in the interval. Theoretical difficulty solved: now to make it work. Which it did, with the purchase of a rather lovely backdrop from Pyramid Visuals as the centrepiece. The idea was to create space to fill with the cast and their costumes: a frame rather than a fully-detailed set, contrasting the austerity of Algernon's flat with the pretty outdoors of Jack's garden.

Of course, that would only work if the actors filled the space with presence and colour, something they did with gusto. An excellent assortment of period costumes and wigs, some hired, some made and some drawn from stock - with appropriate modifications - brought in the necessary visual realism to fill out the scenes. As ever, though, it was the acting that made it really fly. Rightly or wrongly, I interpret the play as being one where symmetry of action and rhythm of delivery are the crucial points: two things which require more hard work from the cast than is often the case. Without exception, they put in that work learning their individual parts and then merged them into the complex social dance that Wilde's observant eye picked out. Yes, I know it sounds pretentiously theatrical put that way, but it's true - the play, at heart, feels more like an exercise in choreography than directing.

The young (as scripted, anyway!) couples swapped seamlessly between their different relationships: Jack and Algy's good-natured, frivolous sparring, Gwendolen and Cecily's sweetly biting rivalry; then Jack and Gwendolen's quiet and formal devotion to each other beside Algy and Cecily's rather more impulsive, unconventional romance. Great work by all concerned - Gareth, Zahir, Clare and Carol - not just on an individual level but as couples and all together. Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble contributed their own perfectly refined and intellectual flirtations, with an undercurrent of passion finally let loose, parts evidently relished by Mary and Dave. Our new members, Martin and Nick, playing the servants Merriman and Lane, behaved with impeccable manners and an excellently-conveyed degree of wry cynicism. And through it all swept Lady Bracknell, as the magnificently stentorian hub around whom everything has to revolve. It is a fantastic part, as written, and was delivered as a tour de force on the nights by Ann, making the absolute most of fulfilling a very long-held ambition.

Back at the start, I wasn't sure that this was my sort of thing. I'm still not, in the sense that I have no desire to begin a run of BBC-esque costume dramas. This particular play, though, is something special. It was a pleasure and a privilege to stage it, especially as an anniversary and landmark production, and to say I was pleased with the results would be a gross understatement. A truly great script performed very well indeed: I would hold it up as being as good as anything we've ever done. My thanks have to go to everyone who participated, in any way, for all their efforts to make it so.

John Worthing, J.P.	....................	Gareth Jones
Algernon Moncrieff	....................	Zahir White
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D.	....................	Dave Holden
Merriman	....................	Nick Roughton
Lane	....................	Martin Lardner
Lady Bracknell	....................	Ann Burfoot
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax	....................	Clare Buckland
Cecily Cardew	....................	Carol O'Connor
Miss Prism	....................	Mary Frost

Mary reads Cecily, while Clare is herself	Nick reads Algy, Gareth is himself
Finally, several people all in the right characters	Mary goes back to being Cecily...
...and as herself. Nick is still Algy, Martin is being the Rev Chasuble and we ran out of Cecilys altogether	Just a brief mention for our loyal audience, Ken. This is he, enjoying every minute of it

Clare M, as prompt, is now on full-time duty. It'll (hopefully) be less work for her as we get nearer the time...	...Probably worth a mention that here we have the real Cecily Cardew (Carol), the real Algernon Moncrieff (Zahir) and the real Dr Chasuble (Dave).
Nick and Mary show the fine art of concentration...	...while Dave apparently takes a well-earned nap and Gareth, ahem, revises his next bit in the background.

With thanks to Slindon College for the grand staircase...	...and to our wardrobe and costumes department (which consists of just about every female member of the cast, plus Linda) for the stylish outfits.
The pumpkins, by the way, are not an integral part of our production. 'Twas the day of a Halowe'en party, I believe.	Yes, it is a hand-bag.

Archives - November 2009