Opening Night!

Codsall Dramatic Society Presents The Memory Of Water

Hey readers, I'm not going to be telling you more funny and heartwarming tales from amateur theatre. Tonight my new play opens! I would love to see as many people there as possible, so if you can be there, come and see it, it promises to be a fun night!

Want to come and see this maniac in action? Come and see Codsall Dramatic Societies latest offering, The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson!

Weds 25th – Fri 27th September 7:30pm tickets £7.50, Sat 28th September 2:30pm (Matinee only) tickets £6.50 at Codsall Village Hall.  

Not suitable for those under the age of 16 years.

Tickets available from Knit & Stitch, Codsall and Ian Rigby Jewellers, Birches Bridge. You can call our Box Office 07792784908, or reserve online at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk.

For more information check out our website at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk or find our Facebook page and click on ‘Like’ to be kept up-to-date with the latest news at CDS

Memory Of Water Tomorrow

Theatre Fans!

My amateur theatre group, Codsall Dramatic Society, will be presenting "The Memory Of Water" by Shelagh Stephenson tomorrow night, and all week. Come and see the show! Here's some pics to wet your appetite!

Want to come and see this maniac in action? Come and see Codsall Dramatic Societies latest offering, The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson!

Weds 25th – Fri 27th September 7:30pm tickets £7.50, Sat 28th September 2:30pm (Matinee only) tickets £6.50 at Codsall Village Hall.  

Not suitable for those under the age of 16 years.

Tickets available from Knit & Stitch, Codsall and Ian Rigby Jewellers, Birches Bridge. You can call our Box Office 07792784908, or reserve online at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk.

For more information check out our website at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk or find our Facebook page and click on ‘Like’ to be kept up-to-date with the latest news at CDS

Amateur Theatre Home Straight! - Tech and Dress Weekend

And now the end is near, and so I face the final curtain...

I have no intention of quoting all that song, but for Codsall Dramatic Society's next production, the end is indeed near, as we have reached the tech and dress weekend!

You have GOT to be kidding me?

There is no one in amateur theatre who will tell you this is easy. It isn't. It's a none stop slog, getting the set up, the lights up, the seats out, etc etc etc.

I've been noticing a theme with a lot of my blog posts (as you might have, if anyone actually reads these, if so let me know. I get so lonely...) that my opinion on amateur theatre seems to be long, hard slog followed by huge success. Which you might now expect me to do here, talk about the giddy high of performance!

Only excuse for this surely?

Now I am going to surprise you readers! Here is a tribute. To the people who can so often be forgot in favour of the ponces up on stage in amateur theatre...

Just a little more blush I think dear...

Tech, Lighting and back stage

Did you see that eye shadow...

I have a huge amount of respect for these people. They work so hard and they hardly get any credit. Sure those on the sound and lighting desk at the back are almost always thanked in a play. Yet there are so many more people, who turn up week in and week out, who don't get credit. They work tirelessly, so the cast can learn lines, make sure they're ready. 

So here's to you, those who make amateur theatre possible!

Want to come and see this maniac in action? Come and see Codsall Dramatic Societies latest offering, The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson!

Weds 25th – Fri 27th September 7:30pm tickets £7.50, Sat 28th September 2:30pm (Matinee only) tickets £6.50 at Codsall Village Hall.  

Not suitable for those under the age of 16 years.

Tickets available from Knit & Stitch, Codsall and Ian Rigby Jewellers, Birches Bridge. You can call our Box Office 07792784908, or reserve online at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk.

For more information check out our website at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk or find our Facebook page and click on ‘Like’ to be kept up-to-date with the latest news at CDS

The Darker Side Of Amateur Theatre!

Where there's muck, there's brass!

I'll introduce this with a little about myself. I'm northen. That to you either means I'm hard working, dedicated, salt of the earth. Or it means I moan a lot and can't pronounce a lot of words correctly. However, no matter what you think, I know when hard work is important. Nowhere more so than in amateur theatre!

Would you believe one garage could hold this much? Only in amateur theatre...

Codsall Dramatic Society members over a couple of Saturdays recently sorted out the costume store, basically a garage that the society uses to store all the costumes that have been used in the past to entertain, sadden and baffle audiences in our many amateur theatre productions (not to mention embarassing every member of cast we've ever had...)

Trust me this isn't even the worst one...

Yet out of these strange and indeed entertaining experiences, there is so much to be gained. No longer is the dragons head that was once used so magnificantly for that one play 10 years ago lost (though on reflection it could use some febreeze), returned are those somber army uniforms, that made many an old lady weep in our last great war epic and rest assured, no ugly sister will ever be without a costume again...

Trust me, this isn't even the worst thing we found...

Without this kind of effort, amateur theatre would never get off the ground, we'd be languishing in barren rooms, with no props (since when does orange juice even look like whiskey) and no costumes (we've still got clothes, steady on!) Amateur Theatre globally relies on people mucking in. So to all you people, I salute you!

Want to come and see this maniac in action? Come and see Codsall Dramatic Societies latest offering, The Memory Of Water by Shelagh Stephenson!

Weds 25th – Fri 27th September 7:30pm tickets £7.50, Sat 28th September 2:30pm (Matinee only) tickets £6.50 at Codsall Village Hall.  

Not suitable for those under the age of 16 years.

Tickets available from Knit & Stitch, Codsall and Ian Rigby Jewellers, Birches Bridge. You can call our Box Office 07792784908, or reserve online at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk.

For more information check out our website at www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk or find our Facebook page and click on ‘Like’ to be kept up-to-date with the latest news at CDS

Amateur Theatre And Learning Lines 2 - The Script Strikes Back

I left you all last time pondering the best way to learn lines. I'd looked at using a Dictaphone, getting to whole cast to record it, or even using Que cards. So what other ways are their to learn lines? Anyone in amateur theatre knows how important it is.

4.  Mind Mapping - Walking it through, Roman Style!

This suggestion made me think a lot. Amateur Theatre requires similar levels of professionalism to professional theatre (if it is to be successful). So employing such a technique, with proven scientific pedigree (yes I know wikipedia isn't THAT scientific) would make sense. It involves using spacial awareness to help you learn lines. Like, walking through a garden, and associating your lines with different points in the garden. By unlocking an otherwise unused part of the brain, more mental capacity is used.

It's great in theory. However, if my last paragraph hasn't given this away, I must admit I don't quite understand it. I saw the technique used on TV, and I still didn't understand it. It does seem to work, but in order to put it into practice in amateur theatre seems a little extreme. By all means, try it, but I think there must be a simpler way.

5. Little by Little

This is another tried and tested method, practically written in the bible of amateur theatre. Learn your lines just a little bit at a time. Do a scene, part of a scene, or even a page, make sure you get it right, then move on to your next objective. Perfect, you learn the lines, and you will have confidence on opening night right?

It is  a well thought out idea. Yet I know many in amateur theatre will be thinking, "How long can this take?" There's the problem. Time is a problem people in amateur theatre are all too aware of. If you have a big part, learning lines in this way may leave you rushing to the end. The ending of the play being the bit people will remember. It's a worthwhile technique, but do require a time commitment that not everyone can give.

6. During Rehearsals

I must admit that this is the method I usually use to learn my lines. I find that lines flow more organically within the setting that is the stage. I worry before any amateur theatre production because the lines aren't always readily there. Yet when i get on stage, I find it easier, because I'm in the situation those lines were meant for. Maybe its to do with spacial awareness again (those Romans might be cleverer than I thought...)

However, it's risky. If you aren't sure going on, how can you be sure it will be alright on the night? How do you know you will remember them? There are hundreds of words to learn, if you paraphrase even one, how much could you throw your fellow cast members? I've dried on stage before. Could this be half the problem? Do I leave my lines too late?

.....Does It Really Matter?

The final sticking point. In amateur theatre, how dangerous is dropping the odd line? Answer? Not a lot. You and your fellow cast members have been doing these scenes time and time again. With a strong cast round you, you can get away with it. When I've dropped lines in the past, I've asked people I knew in the audience and they never notice. So enjoy the thrill of amateur theatre. Learn your lines, but above all, enjoy it!

Want to get involved in amateur theatre in Wolverhampton and Codsall? Visit Codsall Dramatic Society or like us on Facebook. Come see our next amateur theatre production in Wolverhampton and Codsall, The Memory of Water, by Shelagh Stephenson, 25th-28th September at Codsall Village Hall.

Learning lines - how do you do it...(part 1)

As the play has progressed, the realisation has dawned on many of the cast. We now have to learn outlines!

This always attracts debate. What's the best way to learn lines? In amateur theatre, this is a whole other predicament compared to professional theatre. In general, professional actors have all the time to learn their lines. That is their job. In amateur theatre however, people have jobs which tend to take up most of their time (pesky things). So how do people in amateur theatre learn lines?

Whats my line again?

 In order to get to the bottom of this problem, I questioned members of Codsall Dramatic Society. They all had their prefered ways (as we all do) so here is the first half of a two part blog (oh look at me being all professional) with Top Tips from CDS Members when it comes to learning lines in amateur theatre.

1. A Dictaphone

A tried and tested method, get yourself a trusty dictaphone, and say your lines into it. Then amuse yourself for hours replaying key scenes, trying to get those lines exactly right. This method definetly has a number of pros going for it. The main one being, once the lines are recorded, you can listen to them in the car, while at work, walk the dog and practice your lines. How much more perfect could it get?

As with any method, this does have it's drawbacks. I find listening to dialogue very distracting, more so when you're actually trying to learn some of the dialogue! How can you drive a car while trying to remember what was said two minutes ago. I realise that part of this is about just listening to the scene and engrosing yourself in the character, but that comes to a bigger sticking point. You're not just recording your own part. You need to read ALL the parts. Which can reach particular levels of hilarity when it comes to actually men reading in for women and vice versa. 

A good start, can we improve on this. Well, how about the next solution...

2. A Whole Cast Recording

Ah now surely this is ideal for amateur theatre fanatics everywhere! Get the whole cast to sit down and record the script together. Everyone gets the benefit, and you get the whole play to listen to, with everyone reading the right parts! No men reading in for women (unless it's that sort of play, am I right fellas?) and no hilarity of trying to tell who's voice you're immitating this time!

In theory yes this sounds like a great idea! However, the CDS member who remembers using this technique did point out that they did this with a close knitt cast of 3. Which is fine, but most productions have an average cast of about 5, usually more, and it's hard enough getting rehersals on with the whole cast, never mind recording the whole play! You could argue this could be done during the first read through, but people make mistakes in early read throughs, so this isn't ideal. Another great suggestion, but not perfect. We need to dig deeper, maybe get away from recording...

3. Que cards

An old technique from my school days, when you need to learn chunks of information really fast. They're easy to set up (usually) and can be a very effective way of learning your lines. A tried and tested method, so surely it's one of the best?

You'd think that, but no. Que cards are good for short, snappy snippets of information. Like, whats the capital of Botswana (Gaborone in case you were wondering). Scripts aren't short pieces of information. I have it on good authority that they are usually ten pages, maybe more! So sure, que cards could be helpful for speaches, or those little sticking points, but for learning a whol script, there may be better ways.

Till next time...

Like all good writers (and all bad ones) I will leave it there. Maybe next week, I will be able to get to the bottom of finding the best way for people in amateur theatre to learn lines!

Want to get involved in amateur theatre in Wolverhampton and Codsall? Visit Codsall Dramatic Society or like us on Facebook. Come see our next amateur theatre production in Wolverhampton and Codsall, The Memory of Water, by Shelagh Stephenson, 25th-28th September at Codsall Village Hall.

Writing The Script In Amateur Theatre

You want to put what in the play?

During the current production, thoughts are already turning to the next production (in amateur theatre, you've always got to think one, probably 2 plays ahead!).

It was actually quite warm in that costume!

Our next amateur theatre production in Wolverhampton and Codsall will be one that is always highly enjoyable, and warmly recieved, our Children's Play. Yes, bright colours, crazy costumes and slap stick comedy that once every 12 months we come back round to and make fools of ourselves doing, all for the enjoyment of normally packed houses of children and adults alike. Last year was another successful year with Snow White being staged, but in the past, Dick Whittington, Robin Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Jack & The Beanstalk, Aladdin and many more wonderful productions have been staged.

Right, who killed a member of the cast again?

  While not revealing what the next production is, we haven't performed this for some time (I was only just born the last time it was staged) so the script feels a bit rusty. So we need a rewrite!

That however does bring new amateur theatre challenges. How do you balance it? There are hundreds of things to consider, not least the available cast. No point writing a script for 6 men and 3 women if you've only got 2 men and a Chihuahua. And think about the audience. Macbeth is a phenomenal play, but isn't going to be suitable to 5 year olds.

Writing a script is a challenge I have never been able to master. Thankfully, there are far more talented people than me in the society. I look forward to reading the fruits of their labour. Because no matter what, its going to be a scream!

Want to get involved in amateur theatre in Wolverhampton and Codsall? Visit Codsall Dramatic Society or like us on Facebook. Come see our next amateur theatre production in Wolverhampton and Codsall, The Memory of Water, by Shelagh Stephenson, 25th-28th September at Codsall Village Hall.