Spine by Clara Brennan

WE HAVE HOPPED, SKIPPED AND LEAPT INTO 2020

WE HAVE HOPPED, SKIPPED AND LEAPT INTO 2020

Happy New Year!

2019 was a big one for The Green Room Productions. Being our 10 year anniversary we chose to start our season with the amazing (world premiere!) play Someone, Somewhere by Pat Davis. This was the true story of 22- year old Jessie Earl, who disappeared from her flat Eastbourne in 1980. She was a 'missing person' until 9 years later when her body was discovered hidden in dense undergrowth on Beachy Head. We worked with Pat and Jessie’s parents, John and Val, to bring this story to the stage. We all invested our hearts and souls into this production and we are incredibly proud and honoured to have produced a piece of theatre that impacted so many people in so many ways. It was a very moving experience for those onstage and off, and I know that those of us who were involved in the play will ever forget that time. When we collated all the emails, comments and letters we had received to give to John and Val, there were 10 A4 pages! We are hoping for some more news about Someone, Somewhere in 2020 so watch this space.
***** ‘Simply stunning’ *****’

You Never Forget A Good Teacher – And One Of Mine Has Shaped My Life.

You Never Forget A Good Teacher – And One Of Mine Has Shaped My Life.

When I started secondary school my drama teacher immediately recognised my passion for the theatre and acting. During my time there she allowed me to take part in school productions (earlier than I should have done), she opened my young eyes to live theatre, she encouraged me, pushed me and let me hang out in the drama department.  When I was 14 she took us to the National Theatre and I fell in love with the place - a love affair that still continues today. We returned there frequently throughout my school years and I saw some wonderful plays.  Forty years later I still have clear vivid memories of some of those productions.  She even arranged for us to interview some of the actors - no idea how she managed that!...

Interview With 'Spine' Actress Beatrice Frias Del Rio

Interview With 'Spine' Actress Beatrice Frias Del Rio

Why do you like acting and what do you think you gain from it?

Theatre has always been one of my biggest loves. Being on stage and telling someone else’s story to an interested audience is an amazing experience.  Observing the impact after the end of a play really solidifies in my head why I love acting.  It can have such an effect and really brings people together.  I have made so many amazing friends through acting over the years.

How do you feel taking on a one-woman play, and what do you think is the biggest challenge?

Community Libraries and their value to our town ... Part II

Community Libraries and their value to our town ... Part II

Following on from our blog in May here is part two of our interview with Kate Daly from Old Town Community Library in Eastbourne. This second part reiterates why these services are so vital to our community and how the role of volunteers in our society, who so generously donate their time, quite literally change people’s lives.

How do you feel the library makes a difference to people's lives? You’ve said that it isn't just about books?

Oh no, it's not. It's not just a reference service.  I've got this wonderful quote that Angela Clark wrote (she's one of our supporters, and she's also an author) ‘I think a library is a place for the vulnerable.’ And that's exactly what our library is.  You might get an elderly gentleman who comes in, and his only remaining human interaction will be with us in the library, he might not have anybody else, and men are much more difficult to get out doing things.  Women, when they're widows, tend to go out and get involved. Men don't.  We've got a few that come in. They'll get their books and then spend a while chatting with us and have a cup of tea. Then you might have young mums who want friendship or Rhyme Time. I think it's really important we do that, because there's a lot of young mums who relish that friendship.

Community Libraries and their value to our town ...

Community Libraries and their value to our town ...

Researching for our next production Spine by Clara Brennan made us wonder what exactly a community library is, and what value do they bring. We set up an interview with the lovely Kate Daly from Old Town Community Library in Eastbourne (only a stones throw from our theatre) and were quite humbled at the answer. We are going to split this blog into two, as every word is worth a read.

How does a community library vary from a council library?

A community library is either a registered charity or a community interest company, or even a charitable incorporated organisation. We don’t get any funding so we had to become self- funding.  In 2002, we were one of the first community libraries in the whole country. So we've been doing it a long time.