Five Kinds of Silence by Shelgah Stephenson started its life as an award-winning radio play that first aired in 1997. She then adapted it for the stage, and in May 2000 it had its debut at the Lyric Hammersmith in London. The cast included Gina McKee, Lizzy McInnery, Linda Bassett, Dione Inman, Gary Whitaker and the wonderfully immortal Tim Pigott-Smith in the cast. The tone of the piece is often lyrical, particularly from the revenant ‘animal Billy’ ('the tarmac road made my dog teeth tingle")
It’s hardly surprising that in these difficult times when people are trying all sorts to keep themselves entertained, we theatrical types are turning to the theatre to help us. In fact, we have found that engaging in play readings over video call is so helpful, so much fun and such a nice way to spend time together while apart that we wanted to recommend it to our followers as a great lockdown activity.
Here are the things we think are so good about it:
Not only is play reading great fun, because you really have to concentrate on it, it means you can’t think about anything else so it provides a great escape from everything that’s going on. Our gang have had a great time reading comedies to make them laugh but also very absorbing serious plays that give them something different to think about.
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’ *****’
When I look at the props list of a forthcoming play and I see that it has some rather unusual props on it, I actually get quite excited about the challenge. However, Steve Darvill - a member of our company who quite often helps to source the props - will probably say his heart sinks! Over the last two or three years it seems that a number of our productions have contained unusual props. We have had to hunt for some quite bizarre items - but more of that in another blog. Our next production, Breeders (What’s On in Eastbourne), certainly has some ‘weird and wacky’ props. The play centres around Santa Lucia Day and I was intrigued to see that Saffrons Buns were included on the list. Having no idea what they were I hopped over to Google to find out more and ended up delving further into the subject than I first anticipated. So, for all you bun lovers out there (said the actress to the bishop) read-ahead!...
Theatre was invented in Greece, and so naturally there are many theatre-related words that find their origins in Greek. Our blog today looks at 6 of these words and where they began.
THEATRE
Greek Word: theasthai
Greek Meaning: to behold
The Greek theatres were large, open-air structures constructed on the slopes of hills. They consisted of three principal elements: the orchestra, the skene, and the audience. Behind the orchestra was a large rectangular building called the skene (meaning "tent" or "hut"). The skene was literally a tent or hut, put up for the religious festival and taken down when it was finished. Later, the skene became a permanent stone structure. These structures were sometimes painted to serve as backdrops, hence the English word scenery.
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?
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.
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE TEATOWEL
Come Christmas there are always those cynics who decry infant nativities as pointless charades, championed only by hypocrites seeking to inoculate themselves against hedonism with a brief intravenous of 'meaning'. What lessons, they ask, are to be learned in the modern age from plodding formation of a tableaux by kids trying to work out what a 'virgin's womb' is and how not to 'abhor' it. The answer is 'numerous and trenchant' lessons for all concerned; not in the table itself but rather in the telling.
Meeting Holocaust survivor Dorit Oliver Wolff was a fascinating but shocking experience for everyone at Green Room Productions. Dorit was a wonderful character and speaker who considered herself to be a survivor of the Holocaust rather than a victim. Despite her strong European accent, when people ask her where she is from, she says ‘Eastbourne’ and has the attitude that when her phone beeps at night and wakes her up, it is a good thing because it shows her she’s not dead. Here is her extraordinary tale.
