BOVTC News June14 Extra Web

8/12/2019 BOVTC News June14 Extra Web

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www.bristololdvictheatreclub.org.uk

The plaque to Julian Slade near Bristol Old

Vics box office.Text reproduced over page.

Photo: Joe Spurgeon.

We said we wouldntlook back?

ave you observed and scrutinised theplaque that hangs on the wall to theleft of Bristol Old Vics box office? It

deserves studying. The message referencesthe talent and output of musician somewould say, magician Julian Slade whosemost famous and successful musical Salad

Days first appeared on the stage of theTheatre Royal in 1954. To celebrate its 60 th birthday, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School ispresenting a fund-raising gala concert versionon Sunday, 29 th June, an event which hasbeen advertised in previous Newsletters.

Julian Slade, who is in the Theatre ClubsIn Conversation archive as one of its manyillustrious guests, arrived in Bristol viaeducation at Eton and then Cambridge.Initially harbouring a desire to be an actor, he

joined Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in1951. Denis Carey, then Resident Director ofBristol Old Vic, recognised in the youngstudent a passion and gift for music. He beganto encourage him as a composer and askedhim to write songs and incidental music for aproduction of Two Gentlemen of Verona .

In 1952 Julian joined BOV Company as awalk-on player and resident Musical Directorand it was in the Theatre Royal one day that

H

June 2014


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Full text of the plaque that honours thework and memory of Julian Slade.

this newly arrived young man willinglyresponded to an appeal. The story has beentold so many times that one could be forgivenfor believing that it is apocryphal - anextended version of the truth, a tale to tell

because its a good tale to tell. But the detailsare exactly as frequently stated.

The supremely talented Neil Rhoden, whowas a great friend of Julians and MusicalDirector on some of his shows both here and(as Neil puts it) in Town, confirms it.

Director Denis Carey assembled theCompany one summer and announced thatsomething was needed for a Christmas show.Preferably something original. He asked ifanybody thought they could write somethingand three hands went up: those of Julian,Dorothy Reynolds and James Cairncross. Theresult was the colourful, uplifting Christmasin King Street . It was a light-hearted show,imaginative and full of fun and so successfulwith local audiences that the same team wasset to work for a second time. As a result, thefollowing year was graced with the premiereof The Merry Gentleman .

In 1954 came a repeat request only thistime it was something that the residentcompany can put on for the end of summer.Without James Cairncross this time, Julianand Dorothy addressed the project.

Extraordinarily, before they even had ideasabout a story line they discussed a title. Theywere in the stalls bar at the Theatre Royal, apokey, unprepossessing space, andoverhearing their conversation was Olive, amember of the Front of House staff.

Olive pulled from her handbag a piece of

paper on which she had noted names shethought would make good titles, a listcompiled for no other reason than that sheliked the words. How about Salad Days ?she asked and the title was sealed. It has beensuggested that her idea came from aproduction of Antony and Cleopatra earlier inthe season in which Cleopatra refers to Mysalad days, when I was green in judgment.

Salad Days was on all the posters beforea single note had been written, says Neil

incredulously. In fact, before there were anyideas at all. But Julian was a quick study. Heworked very fast and once the outline had

JULIAN SLADE

1930 2006

COMPOSER AND WRITER OF MUSICALS,JULIAN SLADE BEGAN HIS THEATRICAL

CAREER AS A STUDENT ATTHE BRISTOL OLD VIC

THEATRE SCHOOL.BETWEEN 1952 AND 1974.

NO LESS THAN TEN OF THE TWENTYMUSICALS HE WROTE,

WITH OR WITHOUT OTHER PARTNERS,WERE FIRST STAGED AT THIS

THEATRE.

THEIR TITLES WERE:

**CHRISTMAS IN KING STREET 1952**THE MERRY GENTLEMAN 1953

*THE DUENNA 1953*SALAD DAYS 1954

*HOORAY FOR DAISY 1959*FOLLOWTHAT GIRL 1960

60,000 NIGHTS 1966THE PERSUIT OF LOVE 1967

*TRELAWNY 1972OUT OF BOUNDS 1974

*TRANSFERRED WITHIN ONE YEAR TOLONDONS WEST END**REVIVAL AT THE THEATRE ROYAL IN

1959 / 70 AND 1972.

HE WROTE SEVEN MUSICALS INPARTNERSHIP WITH DOROTHY REYNOLDS.CHRISTMAS IN KING STREET, THE MERRY

GENTLEMAN AND SALAD DAYSWERE WRITTEN WHEN THEY WERE BOTH

MEMBERS OFTHE BRISTOL OLD VIC COMPANY.

JULIAN ALSO WROTE INCIDENTAL MUSICFOR A NUMBER OF SHAKESPEARE

PRODUCTIONS STAGED HEREBETWEEN 1951 AND 1954.

THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE HE RETAINEDA STRONG AFFECTION FOR THE BRISTOL

OLD VIC THEATRE SCHOOL,THE BRISTOL OLD VIC

AND THE THEATRE ROYAL.

HE REMEMBERED THEM ALL WITHGRATITUDE.


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been decided it was six weeks from start to

finish and most of the show had been writtenin two to three weeks. Dorothy provided thebook (or script) for the story, Juliancontributed the songs and lyrics.

The two writers evolved a plot at the startof which Jane and Timothy meet in a park,(Hyde Park, Neil explains) and fall in love,though they dont quite recognise that tilllater. According to one reviewer the showunfolds about two young well-to-douniversity students marrying each other, in

order to thwart more grandiose parental plans,and earning their living temporarily byminding a piano belonging to a tramp whichhad the power to make people dance.

The story is very slight but it is thethrough-line about which some hilarious andoriginal set pieces, including visits to a beautyparlour and a police station and a flyingsaucer ride, are clustered. And, of course, itenjoys a happy-ever-after ending. Its songsare memorable: We Said We Wouldnt Look

Back, I Sit in the Sun, Oh, Look at Me!, We Dont Understand Our Children . . .

The show opened at Bristol Old Vic on 1 st June, 1954 and was expected to run for threeweeks. However, its light-hearted innocencechimed with the mood of the moment. Itproved an unimaginable sensation and

transferred to the Vaudeville Theatre, Londonwith a cast that included Eleanor Drew (theoriginal Jane who died earlier this year aged91), John Warner, Newton Blick (whoseprogramme C.V. begins: Newton Blickserved in the 1914 1918 war), YvonneCoulette, Michael Aldridge and Pat Heywood.(The Bristol production had included a youngEric Porter.)

Adrian Slade, Julians brother, explains;Almost everyone who went to the West Endwith the show in August 1954 was a memberof the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company.Much as they all liked the show, and much asBristol audiences had loved it, I think most ofthem expected to be back in Bristol by the lateautumn. Even after 21 curtain calls on the firstnight there was considerable uncertaintybecause by no means were all the reviewsfavourable - indeed one or two critics werevery rude about the 'tinkly tunes' and'flimsiness' of it all.

If I remember rightly, adds Neil, I thinkthe London producers wanted to recast someof the roles, but Julian and Denis insisted itshould be the whole product intact or nothing.For the actors who didnt transfer it wasentirely their own choice.

Having seen Salad Days in Bristol, PeterRodford writing in Plays & Players in thedays before actors were expected to be multi-taskers, was favourable. He referred to a

thoroughly delightful three-hour productioncomprised of a series of sketches whichindependently would have earned a high placein many a revue and which were so full ofgood things that the piece as a whole could,and should, find a wider market outside theWest Country. . The Company . . . workedwith enthusiasm and enjoyment and, foractors, danced with impressive skill.

Although it later received the EveningStandard Award for Most Enjoyable Show, as

Adrian says, some critics panned it describingit variously as light weight, absurdly

Musician and composer Julian Slade. . quick study. .


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Oh, look at me!

Full companyof the originalLondonproductioncome underthe spell ofMinnie, themagic piano.

whimsical and slightly more kindly,chirpingly innocent.

In the light of the shows subsequent trackrecord, one particularly scathing review hasthe power to amuse. It was in Plays & Players

again and the writer is identified only byinitials: R.B.

If you discard all critical judgement,having been over-dined and over-wined, thenyou will have a good time. It is the perfectentertainment for the tired public school boy.

In the old days, that is six months ago, acast was chosen after long auditions and mostof the actors had some training in singing anddancing. Now the policy appears to be that ofengaging a cast of straight players and hopingfor the best. This present company containssome of the best young actors in Britain, whoin spite of their material, make a brave show.

Much of the writing of the book andlyrics is banal, so that when an original wittyline comes up the audience laughs solidly forseveral minutes.

He goes on to lambast it further claimingthat the authors have not decided if theyshould write a burlesque, a fantasy, a revue ora sentimental musical and advises them to goto the Wyndhams to see The Boy Friend ,where style, technique, talent and form have

transformed this type of entertainment into afine work of art.

Whatever happened to R.B., we wonder.Neil Rhoden redresses a balance: In point

of fact, Julian and Dorothy had created a new

genre with its synthesis of burlesque, fantasyand revue - and R.B. failed to see itsimportance.

Famously, many years later, a musicalcalled Les Misrables also suffered this kindof treatment.

It certainly received mixed reviews, Neilconcurs. The Press looked down on JulianSlade describing his music as sickly sweet,fanciful and with no substance. Pop musicwas emerging in the 50s, exposing everyoneto a new culture of youthfulness andexcitement. The world was changing. In thisclimate Julian was seen by some as old-fashioned with ideas that were restrained andsweet.

The public adored it. Having opened at theVaudeville on 5 th August 1954 , Salad Days ran for five-and-a-half years and 2283performances. Night after night the HouseFull notices went up and it became the longestrunning show in musical theatre history untilthe record was broken much later by LionelBarts Oliver!


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We said we wouldnt look back.Eleanor Drew as Jane; John Warner as

Timothy in the original London production.

This achievement is all the moreastonishing considering that this humbleBristol production broke through a West Endregime dominated by the Americans withgritty, more meaningful musicals likeOklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me,Kate and Guys and Dolls, all of which hadbeen playing in London around the time.

Perhaps it was its very frothiness, itsability to lift peoples spirits, to bring joy andpleasure that powered its success.

But why did it take off so? What was itssecret and why has it endured?

Julian had a unique voice. He wrote tunesthat could not be ascribed to anybody else, -Neils face darkens momentarily unlikeone or two very famous composers of musicalshows who are notoriously derivative andsteal music from other sources. Julians havea wonderful charm and originality. They aretuneful and melodic and a pleasure to listento.

Adrian Slade commends the many fanswho came from Bristol initially to boost theattendance figures. But very soon the wider

London audience was beginning to fall underthe spell, filling every seat in the theatre. Ifyou had asked them then what it was thatbrought them into the growing army of fans,most probably they would have said that they

'loved the songs' (or, as Noel Coward put it toJulian after he had seen the show 'Such tunes,dear boy! Such tunes! ). But many of thepredominantly upper middle class audiencesof those days almost certainly identifiedthemselves with the story line - the carefreeside of university, the parental pressures toget a job, the influential uncles you mighthave to go and see, the class of girl or boyyou were expected to marry, the reluctance todo what was expected of you, even worriesabout the cold war and, of course, for theolder generation there were the anxieties theyall had about their children or their ownmarriages.

At first glance Salad Days may look likea very simple show, he adds, with somevery pretty music but for the audiences of the'50s it was a show with many messages andallusions that struck home. That was why itwas such a success then, and I think, funnilyenough, why it was equally successful withLondon audiences in 2013 at the RiversideStudios in Hammersmith.

BOV Theatre School tends to revive Salad Days every ten years though this is not apattern strictly adhered to. It was produced in1984 with Lisa Bowerman and BryanKennedy in the lead roles; in 1989 withJoanna Riding and Brendan O'Hea; in 1994with Charlotte Collingwood and Aled Jones;in 2004 with Laura Sanchez and Alan

Morrissey.There have been concert versions but, asNeil points out, precious few full-blownprofessional revivals. The amateur stagecontinues to present it in abundance. In its dayit wasnt such a large cast when compared tothe musicals with singing and dancingchoruses. It was written with double castingin mind! There was originally a cast of 12, Ithink.

Adrian Slade retains a great affection for

BOV Theatre School. Its students arepresenting a special one-off tribute to Julianto mark the 60th Anniversary of the opening


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Julian SladeA self caricature.

of Salad Days see page 18 and Adrian willbe present. He is also attending the Prize-giving on 12 th June - the very day, perhaps, onwhich you read these words to give theAward bearing his brothers name.

Principal Paul Rummer pays tribute toAdrians encouragement and loyalty: Adrianis a terrific supporter of the Theatre Schooland its students. The annual Julian Sladeaward (to develop musical talent) is muchcherished and a terrific boost to the winningstudent. It also indirectly recognises theexcellent work in singing and music at theTheatre School, led by Pam Rudge. Were alllooking forward to Adrian joining Pam andthe students on stage at the Salad Days concert on Sunday, 29th June at theRedgrave.

Meanwhile, it is worth reflecting upon thefact that in the days before extended periodsof Research and Development, seemingly

endless Previewperformances to getthings right, high-techeffects, celebrity namesand all theextraordinary para-phernalia of moderntheatre production, asimple tale and a goodold-fashioned showlovingly crafted in aprovincial theatre by ateam of creativeindividuals took on alife of its own andbecame a phenomenon.

Neil Rhoden was Musical Director of BristolOld Vic from 1969 1981 and from 1983 fortwenty-five years was Musical Director andStaff Director at Bristol Old Vic TheatreSchool.

In part 2 next month, Adrian Slade evaluatesthe effect fame had on a naturally modestJulian, we record some well nigh incrediblespin-offs from the Bristol production and itsWest End transfer and reveal a little-known

fact that provides a bizarre link between Salad Days, The Boy Friend and a popular radioprogramme.

Saturday, 14 th Junefrom 10.30 a.m.

at

Bristol Old Vicand at 11 a.m.

with

PAUL RUMMERBOV Theatre School has enjoyed aparticularly successful two years.As well as landmark productions

of The Last Days of Mankind in 2014to this years London Road via a sell-

out Christmas show and a brilliantDirectors Cuts season at the Brewery there has been the inclusion of the

former Friends programme into that ofBOV Theatre Club.

Principal Paul Rummer makes awelcome visit to celebrate the artistic

output of the School,assess its current position

and tell us how it is coping whenfunding is being squeezed.

Theatre Club members and under-16s free.Guests: 5


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small party of Theatre Club membersattended the celebration of the life andwork of Peter OToole, held at

Londons Old Vic in May.The celebrity-studded proceedings were

introduced and compred by Barry Cryer andduring the programme Stephen Fry made theannouncement that the award hitherto knownas the Patrons Prize, which funds a contractwith Bristol Old Vic Company for twodeserving Theatre School graduates, ishenceforward to be known as The PeterOToole Prize.

Alan Wright, BOVs Director ofDevelopment, assesses a lifewell lived.

In his own Wrights a teenager, I remember readingPortrait of the Artist as a Young Manand desperately wanting to be Irish.

Joyce used language in a way I hadntencountered before, painting vivid pictures ofcharacters who, however flawed andvulnerable, were imbued with a unique spirit.

Eventually, I got my way and moved toDublin at the end of the 1970s. It was anexciting place, capital of a country emergingfrom over fifty years of relative isolation.Young actors such as Gabriel Byrne andLiam Neeson were beginning to make animpression, and the affable Cyril Cusack hadalready inspired the careers of three verytalented daughters.

I vividly remember approaching Cyrilsfront door for the first time, as he arrivedsimultaneously on his bicycle, a wickerbasket filled with shopping attached to thehandlebars. Along with the actor, Niall Toibin,and the writer, Dominic Behan, Cyril seemedto have an endless reservoir of stories fromthe Irish stage that were soon further

enhanced when my employer, Radio TelefisEireann, embarked upon the most ambitiousproject it had ever attempted, a four-parttelevision adaptation of James Plunketts epicnovel, Strumpet City.

With great authenticity, Cyril played therole of an alcoholic priest opposite PeterOToole as the heroic James Larkin, the firstorganiser of the Irish labour movement in theearly twentieth-century. I am certain it wasPeters presence that persuaded another ofmy heroes, Peter Ustinov, to accept a cameo

role in the series.It is difficult to describe the impact PeterOToole had on RTE. The organisation had aproud history of public service broadcasting,but was massively overshadowed by thepresence of the BBC, available in most partsof Ireland. Strumpet City allowed RTE toassert itself internationally for the first time. Itwas Peters gift to Irish television, as wecertainly didnt have the capacity to pay hisgoing rate.

It was this generosity of spirit that washighlighted time and time again at lastmonths extraordinary celebration of PeterOTooles life staged at the Old Vic under theguiding hand of Tom Morris. There was anoutpouring of affection and respect from aglittering array of artists including BenedictCumberbatch, Trevor Eve, John Standing,Stephen Fry, Sinead Cusack, Albert Finney,and Kevin Spacey. In such auspiciouscompany, students from Bristol Old VicTheatre School shone on stage as theydemonstrated their sword-fighting prowess.The audience included such luminaries asEdward Fox, Jeremy Irons, Robert Powell,Sam Neal, and a brace of Irelands Oscar

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To good living. Peter OToole

winning directors, Jim Sheridan and NeilJordan.

However, in most peoples opinion the starof the show was Michael D. Higgins, thediminutive President of Ireland. The averageIrish person uses a vocabulary almost 30%bigger than the English and the Presidentsextraordinary descriptive eloquence wasappropriate testament to that statistic. Hepainted a picture of Peter OToole as anexceptional talent with the most generousspirit, fiercely proud of his Irish heritage anduncompromising in his view of the world. Atthe end of the Presidents moving andamusing tribute to the great man, I was oncemore reminded of Emile Zolas description ofhimself:

I am an artist... I am here to live out loud.I feel privileged to know just how muchBristol Old Vic meant to Peter OToole andhow his memory will always be enshrinedwithin the fabric of our very precious theatre. Ialso believe the fictional life of my literaryhero, Stephen Dedalus, was somehowreflected in the extraordinary life of PeterOToole.

AW

Chris Harris.wo days after the Peter OToolecelebration came the Jollification for

Chris Harris. This was at Bath TheatreRoyal where Chris had presented so many ofhis annual pantomimes, returning year afteryear as both Dame and director.

Jollification was exactly the right term todescribe an assembly of family, colleagues,friends and fans, all of whom rememberedthis gifted individual with love andadmiration.

A final reference to the event will appearin next months Newsletter.

Saturday, 21 st June

The Watermill

2. 30 p.m. performance .

by Ian Hislop and Nick NewmanDirected by Caroline Leslie

We will break our journey for lunch at Newburybefore proceeding to The Watermill with time towander by the river.

From Bristol Hotel, Prince Street at 9 a.m.

arriving back at 8 p.m. approx.Price, which includes theatre ticket, coachtravel and drivers remuneration:-

Members 29Guests 34

Call Isabel .

Then send cheque, payable to BOV TheatreClub, together with a stamped, self-addressedenvelope (please include your phone number)

to: Trips Organiser, Bristol Old Vic TheatreClub, Theatre Royal, King Street, BRISTOLBS1 4ED.

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Toby Hulse In Conversation.Photo Arthur Turner.

Toby Hulse is highly valued as a writer,adapter and director. On graduating fromthe Theatre School in 1999 he was theDennis Cartledge Award-winning student.Barry Williamson heard him In

Conversation.

Expect the unexpectedoby wrote his first play at the age ofsix. In it there appeared Drake,Raleigh, Potatoes, the Armada,

Elizabeth 1 st and a Cloak (to cover a puddle).His most recent work will be performed inNovember in the Studio an adaptation of

Michael Foremans childrens story about thefamous game of football played across NoMans Land between the British and Germansoldiers at Christmas 1914. (There will be aspecial event connected with the productionfor Theatre Club members see page 13)

In between there has been a glitteringcareer as an actor, primary school teacher,investment banker, theatre director, BOVTheatre School tutor and school workshoporganiser. We sat on the edge of our seats as

one project followed another, all embracedwith great enthusiasm and wonderful humour perhaps the investment bank episode wasthe exception when he asked a CompanyDirector to explain the social purpose of theirwork and the top man answered, None . . .Goodbye Mr Hulse.

Toby explained the role that chance hasplayed in his life; having a father who workedas an Arts administrator and was notunreceptive to talk of a career in theatre; thewise advice to read English at Oxford, thenbursting with talented and creative spirits, allhooked on the theatre. The first play thatreally excited him to the possibility ofworking professionally in theatre was anadaptation that he did of a short story byNikolai Gogol called The Nose . He alsodirected it and discovered the intoxication ofmaking people laugh. There was a chancemeeting in a pub with a primary schoolteacher leading to training and six yearsworking in schools.

Then the big break. A small legacyenabled Toby to spend a year at the Theatre

School on the Directors course and thePrincipal at the time, Chris Denys, asked him

to stay on as a tutor (teaching, clowning,story-telling and abbreviating Shakespeare);finally breaking out to childrens theatrethrough writing the No Loud Bangs series (inwhich he also appeared) and just recentlydirecting Minotaur and the wonderful work inover twenty Somerset schools where actorsare not everyday visitors.

Always expect the unexpected and whena door opens be ready to walk through andmake the most of opportunities.

As someone who has had not much morethan one and a half creative thoughts in sixtyyears, listening to Toby describe his life nowwas awe-inspiring; the excitement ofdeveloping ideas, of working with a team ofactors, of involving children in the wholeprocess. No two days are the same. It mightbe a school-teaching day or writing in theopen office of Coopers Gallery (where weoften see him) or negotiating with theatre staffand schools for future projects or directing aplay like Minotaur . . . Wonderful, rich,invaluable.

A few memorable lines:The moment you forget the audience is themoment you should leave the theatre.

Acting is desperately competitive but alsocompulsively collaborative.

Drama is just pretentiousness; theatre is

working with other people.What an inspiration!

BW

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Barry Williamson also went to the TobaccoFactory Theatre to hear graduatingstudents Millie Corser and DominicCreasey look back over three years at theTheatre School.

Millie and Dom

t was a morning filled with good humour,enthusiasm, hope for the future and thanksfor all the good things of the past three

years. Millie and Dom gave us all that and aninsight into why the BOVTS is regarded asthe best place in the country to train for thetheatre. They have loved their years in Bristol.

The School building itself is small,somewhat shabby, full of the atmosphere of agood family; the staff supportive and kind, allwanting each student to develop the potentialthey know is there. A wonderful camaraderiedevelops among the students themselves, a

real glue that means friends for life. Whatcould be a better start?

Millie and Dom spoke eloquently andantiphonally about their experiences and theiraudience was riveted by the responses to

questions, a combination of information andanecdote.

Auditions?You learn to distance yourself from gettingthe part and learn not to fear rejection; yougrow a thick skin. Many Directors don't likeyou to learn the lines because they want tomould you into the part if you are luckyenough to get it.

Rejection isn't meant personally, just that

you're not right for the way the Director wantsto develop the role.

Tours?One of the best things we ever did, the WestCountry Tour; on the road all together allthose village halls with dire acoustics butalways the buzz of excited audiences andchildren with all their honesty and unexpectedinterjections; and the unforgettable trip toEdinburgh with Romeo and Juliet .

What if there are aspects of a role that goagainst a moral stance you hold?The writer has given you a story and youhave to respect it if you didn't like it youshould have rejected it at the beginning. Trustthe writer and try to find out what makesdifferent people tick.

Favourite productions? Love Steals Us from Loneliness , the recentDirectors Cuts production at the BreweryTheatre, a wonderful feeling of creatingsomething magical; and also Romeo and

Juliet which was our special baby that wetook to the Edinburgh Fringe. There was allthe buzz of Edinburgh and the chance to seeas many as six shows a day.

Favourite venues?Dom: The Brewery with its black box, quiteintimate and you're not too worried aboutprojecting your voice.Millie: Bristol Old Vics Studio, amarvellous space on two levels with thechance to do things differently.

I

Dominic and Millie, graduating and going.They have both been in the cast of

Blue Stockings this week.Photo: Arthur Turner


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Radio work?Creating a character on the air is a real skill.Your voice has to make the listeners imagineyour body. The sound of your voice has tomatch the shape of the body you happen to be

acting.How to stop becoming stale?It must be hard in a long run to keep up themomentum but we were told all you need todo is to change one thing each week andyou'll feel refreshed for example don't wearany pants and the performance will take on anew life . . .

Why the life of an actor?If you've moved people, if you've made themlaugh and cry and possibly changed them a bitand you've shared the experience together,that's all you can hope for and its wonderfuland utterly worthwhile.

Millie and Dom are great fun. Both aresociable and enterprising and burst withenergy. Because of their performances in lastyears Romeo and Juliet which they took tothe Edinburgh Fringe Festival, having giventhe Theatre Club a special fund-raisingperformance at the School, we have got toknow them a little more than other studentsperhaps.

It follows that we will miss them whenthey leave. They both hope to be at the Picnicon the Downs. Join us if you can. (see page17)

BW

International affairss part of out on-going support forBOV Theatre School, the Committeehas recently agreed to make a

donation of 2,000 towards a new funddedicated to helping International studentswho find themselves in unexpected financialhardship. Paul Rummer refers to it in hiscolumn, Notes from Downside Road .

International Students are obliged tosupport themselves as a condition ofobtaining a Visa.

Further information giving the context ofthis donation will be published next month.

Sunday, 3 rd August

Worcestershire . Former home of the Bishops of Worcester .

Guided tour of the beautiful State Rooms,the Hurd library, the Chapel and

Bishops House.Gain a fascinating insight into Victorian

social history in the Castle Museum galleries.

In the stables and barns a unique collection ofgypsy caravans, carriages and carts with a

chance to explore local agricultural history.

Explore the past and discover what life waslike for our ancestors.

A sunny restaurant can lay on meals(please order when applying with

payment upfront) withstarter: choice of soup or prawn cocktailmain : chicken or fish or vegetarian lasagnedessert : unknown at present.

3 course: 14.95; 2 course 11.95.Snacks, coffee or tea are available.

A walled garden caters for picnickers.

Leave at 9.30 a.m. from the Bristol Hotel,Prince Street. Two-hour Castle tour begins at11.15 a.m.

We begin the homeward journey at 5 p.m.arriving back at 7.30 p.m.

Price, which includes coach travel, Castleentry, tour and drivers remuneration:-

Members 23Guests 28

Add price of a meal if required.

Call Isabel .

Then send cheque, payable to BOV TheatreClub, together with a stamped, self-addressedenvelope (please include your phone number)

to: Trips Organiser, Bristol Old Vic TheatreClub, Theatre Royal, King Street, BRISTOLBS1 4ED.

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Bristol Old Vic:the next few weeks.

World Cup Final 1966squad announced!

World Cup Final 1966 is a funny, affectionate

look at this epic moment in footballing historyand runs throughout this years 2014 FIFAWorld Cup which starts on 12 th June in Brazil,with the Final on 13 th July. World Cup Final1966 follows the path to glory of the playersand manager of the 1966 team, as well asculminating in a full-scale re-enactment of the1966 World Cup final on stage.

Its cast of eleven was recently announced.Legendary goalie Gordon Banks is being

played by Les Bubb who has worked on thefirst three Harry Potter films, toured with TakeThat and brought his award-winning physicalperformance style to a new generation,starring in Hububb for BBC1 from 1997-2002.

He is also starring in this summers animatedmove Tarzan .

Bristol Old Vic regulars Stewart Wright (Swallows and Amazons , ITVs Doc Martin ),Zara Ramm (Treasure Island ) and TomWainwright (The Boy Who Cried Wolf ) areplaying Ray Wilson , Geoff Hurst and AlanBall respectively.

Returning from a hugely successfulinternational tour of A Midsummer NightsDream is Kyle Lima playing Jack Charlton .

Roy Weskin who starred in the originalBattersea Arts Centre production of WorldCup Final 1966 ten years ago returns in therole of Bobby Charlton .

Neil Haigh (as Nobby Stiles ), BrianHargreaves (as Roger Hunt ), Oliver

Llewellyn-Jenkins (as Bobby Moore ),Karla Shacklock (as Martin Peters )complete the squad and Glyn Grimstead takes the role of Englands greatest evermanager, Alf Ramsey .

We can say with complete confidence thatat Bristol Old Vic at least, England will win theWorld Cup this summer. Guaranteed.*World Cup Final 1966 , written and directed byCarl Heap and Tom Morris, plays in theTheatre Royal from Thursday, 12 th June toSaturday, 12 th July.

WILD MENFrom the harmonies of childhood tothe chaos of war

When the GreatWar breaks out asmall town

stands strong under the occupation. The frontline filters into the hearts of those left at homeand a group of choristers reunite to fighttogether.

This is a tale of beauty and of destruction.Using choral music, inventive physical theatreand ensemble performance this year's MadeIn Bristol company Hotel Echo Theatre Co.make their debut production with a story ofharmony amongst chaos.*Hotel Echo Theatre Company presentsWild Men in the Studio from Wednesday25 th to Saturday, 28 th June.

Box Office: 0117 987 7877

Email: [email protected] www.bristololdvic.org.uk


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War Game .Inspired by Michael Foremans

novella.Devised and directed by Toby Hulse .

War Game tells the story of the openingmonths of World War 1 through the eyes of avillage football team who sign up, train, aredespatched to the Front and then play in thefamous Christmas Day match across NoMan's Land.

Inspired by Michael Foremans novella foryoung readers, this devised adaptation istimed to be part of the centenary memorialsof the start of World War 1.*War Game plays in Bristol Old Vics Studiofrom Tuesday 11 th to Saturday, 22 nd November.

A unique InHouse Daynother of our popular InHouse Daysbut this time with a difference. It enjoysthe familiar features of an InHouse

Coffee Morning, In Conversation, lunch,afternoon performance but with aninteresting twist. This time we are devising aspecial event aimed at Theatre ClubMembers and the young people in their lives.

At present we are negotiating with a veryspecial In Conversation guest and developingthe participation of members of the YoungCompany.

Essentially, however, this interactive daywill be about us and the young people in ourlives and provides a rare opportunity forTheatre Club members to work gently andcreatively with a team from Bristol Old Vic inthe shape of Toby Hulse and Lisa Gregan.

Some details are in the panel opposite:please support this venture by phoningMarion on the number given and reservingyour tickets with her.

Saturday, 15 th November

InHouse Day forWar Game

A brand new event for Theatre Clubmembers and the young people in

their lives.

The day will consist of an In Conversationfree to all members, 5 for guests (free if

supported by a performance ticket), followedby a ticketed event which will include

a buffet lunch attendance at the 3pm performance of

War Game post script an after show discussion

and refreshments and an informative and fun event steered

by Lisa Gregan and Toby Hulse,building on themes from theproduction, which will involvemembers of the Young Company aswell as the Theatre Club audience.

Kidnap the young people in your family andbring them to this special event.

Suitable for young peopleaged 11 upwards.

Cost:Members: 17

Guests: 22All under 18s: 15.

Tickets are limited.Phone Marion

or email Fran Havardand then send a cheque

payable to BOV Theatre Clubtogether with a stamped, self-addressed

envelope (please include your phonenumber) to:

InHouse Day, Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club,King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED

Final details of the speaker and timings willbe published in the July Newsletter.

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Bristol Old VicTheatre School

Notes from Downside Road

NewsfromthePrincipal

hat an eventful month, andfirstly congratulations toCallum McIntyre on his success

at the Sondheim competition. Callum wasrunner-up in a hotly fought event,

competing against students fromspecialist musical theatre courses; a greatresult. You can see him in action on 29 th June taking part in our Salad Days concertevening at the Redgrave. Weve heardthat Katie Moore is sadly no longeravailable, but have another special guestlined up to join our singers. We hope tosee you there.

We were proud to be part of the mem-orial event for Peter OToole at theLondon Old Vic on 18 th May; partly theevent was to raise funds for a PeterOToole prize to enable Theatre Schoolgraduating acting students to join the castof Bristol Old Vic productions. This is avery exciting prospect and I hope to bringyou more news in the near future. Takingpart on behalf of the Theatre School wereErin Doherty, Ryan McKen, Joseph Blackand Marcus Fraser demonstrating theirspectacular dramatic fights before an Old

(Continued over page)

Playing until Saturday, 21 st Juneat

Bristol Old VicsStudio

Bristol Old Vic Theatre Schoolpresents

Book and Lyrics by Alecky Blythe.Music and Lyrics by Adam Cork.

Directed by Nicholas Bone.

A musical that documents the events of2006. The residents of London Road had

struggled for years with kerb crawling ontheir street. When Steve Wright, the

occupant of No. 79, was convicted of themurders of five women, the communitygrappled with what it meant to be at the

epicentre of this tragedy.

A quietly stunning achievement The creativedaring and needling intelligence returns the

complex texture of human life to musical theatre.Sunday Times

Tickets 15 / concessions 10from Bristol Old Vic.

Box Office: 0117 987 7877bristololdvic.org.uk

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Vic packed with the top names fromtheatre and film - a truly memorableevent for those four and all attending.

Our Downside Road site is shortly to betransformed into a construction site, withpreparatory work starting from 16 th Junein preparation for the building of theLink. Our fundraising has gone well toachieve the completion of the main work;our brilliant fundraiser, VanessaEdwards, is now going flat out to meetthe target for fitting out the new roomswith specialist equipment. We are verygrateful to those of you who have alreadymade a donation; theres still time to helpus complete the fit-out in time for theopening in early 2015.

One of the areas of student training thatmakes the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Schoolunique is our focus on taking productionson tour; we present nearly one hundredperformances annually with our threetouring shows, the largest of which is ourWest Country tour - this year FeydeausSauce for the Goose. On 28 th May atWedmore Village Hall, we performed toa packed audience and were presented, atthe curtain call, with a donation to ourstudent hardship funds by ValerieGodfrey and Holly Cole of WedmoreTheatre Club, who have booked us toperform for twenty-five consecutiveyears. The students always receive awarm welcome and receive greathospitality in Wedmore; our sincerethanks to all involved for continuing tosupport the Theatre School we lookforward to returning next year.

Tuesday 20th May saw a packed TheatreRoyal, Bath witness a Jollification inmemory of Chris Harris. It was a veryfitting tribute to a dear friend to so many

of us; Andrew Stocker and I were veryproud to be able to contribute to this verypoignant event.

I dont need to remind everyone of theproductions we still have on this term, sowell advertised in this Newsletter, as wellas the joint Theatre School and TheatreClub events coming up in June and early

July. We have already been planningevents for the coming autumn term,which begins with the welcome to ournew International students in lateSeptember. Our heartfelt thanks to theBristol Old Vic Theatre Club for the verygenerous donation being made to kickstart a special fund to support ourInternational students. This is mostgratefully received and will provide amuch-needed resource for students fromabroad if faced with hardship whilst atthe Theatre School.

I look forward to seeing you at one of themany events still left to enjoy this term.

Paul Rummer3rd June 2014

Callum McIntyre, runner up in theSondheim competition.

Callum played Edmund in The Lion, TheWitch &The Wardrobe , Romeo in Romeo& Juliet , The Student in The Blue Room .


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A sad tales best . . .Kim Durham introduced his productionof The Winters Tale, which has a castof students of BOV Theatre SchoolsInternational Course, at the lastDirectors / Designers Preview.

This report was published in last monthselectronic version of the Newsletter.

A sad tales best for winter.

rom the classical canon, ShakespearesThe Winters Tale is this years choicefor students on the International

Course, The Winters Tale , generally classeda Shakespeare comedy or one of his lateromances, is a play about the seasons andtime and bringing things back to fruition. It isalso sometimes referred to as a problemplay. The first half is intense the Court anddangerous domestic politics, psychologicaldrama and is tragic and wintry in tone. It isset in Sicily where Polixenes, the King ofBohemia has been the guest of Leontes, Kingof Sicilia, for just over nine months.

They have been close friends sincechildhood but in a fit of inexplicable andsudden rage, Leontes accuses his wifeHermione of being unfaithful to him. Thefather of their new-born babe, he asserts, isPolixenes. Wife and child are both banished.

The second half, sunny, funny andexuberant - pastoral and peopled withshepherds and shepherdesses - takes place in

Bohemia.Between first and second halves lies a spanof sixteen years a period bridged briefly in aspeech by the character Time. The playincludes, its director Kim Durham remindedus, probably the most famous stage directionof all. Exit pursued by a bear is an incidentthat occurs as Antigonus, a courtier, fulfils hisorders to carry Hermiones infant to a barrenspot and leave it to a cruel fate. The childgrows up to be Perdita, one of Shakepeares

most beautiful heroines. Full of grace andpurity she is successfully wooed by Florizelwhom Perdita believes to be a country swain.

Forbidden to marry they flee to Sicily for adnouement of surprises that stretchescredulity to the limit.

There are ten international students ofwhich four are women and all of them must

have enough to do. There is a lot of doublingof parts. The action is set in the 1950s and theproduction is vaguely eastern European inlook.

Thursday, 19 th to Saturday, 21 st Juneat

the Tobacco Factory Theatre

Bristol Old Vic Theatre SchoolsInternational Studentspresent

The Winters Taleby William Shakespeare.

Directed by Kim Durham.

Shakespeares magical play takes us fromdeep tragedy to high comedy, from an actborn of insane paranoia in a winter palace

to a wild country summer festival.

Along the way we are reminded what itis to be human: to love and to lose and

perhaps, also, to be restored.

Tickets: 15 / concessions 10.

Booking info: 0117 902 0344www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com

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Thursday, 19 th June Bristol Old Vic StudioAfter-show TalkBack

Following thematinee perf-ormance ofLondon Road.Purchase yourticket for theproduction and join a post-showdiscussion with

members of thecreative team.

No tickets for the TalkBack needed .

Sunday, 22 nd June from 1 p.m.Meet at the Theatre School.

Picnic on the Downs .

fresco and watch the annual, highlycompetitive game of rounders.

Enjoy a fun afternoon with thegraduating students of BOV TheatreSchool as they say farewell and disappearacross the Downs to embark upon theirprofessional careers.

Free but tickets from Andrew .0117 973 3955

Tuesday, 24 th Juneto Tuesday, 1 st July

from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.The Royal West of England

AcademyQueens Road

(opposite Victoria Rooms)

Bristol Old Vic Theatre Schools

Exhibitionof

CostumeScenic Art

Theatre Design.Free entry

Saturday, 28 th June from 10.30 a.m.Special viewing

with an introductionby Angela Davies,(pictured left)BOV TheatreSchools Head ofDesign.

Free but tickets from Andrew0117 973 3955.

PrizegivingBOV Theatre Schools annual Prizegivingtakes place almost as you read thesewords. Prize winners names will bepublished in the July Newsletter.

Not everything is black and white. Chooseto receive your Newsletter by email and allimages are in colour.Contact our Theatre Club MembershipSecretary.

Students PatrickTolan and DominicCreasey enjoy lastyears Picnic onthe Downs.

Join us this yearfor an ever-popular event.

Bring a picniclunch and a bottleof wine, dine al


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Sunday, 29 th June6 p.m.

atthe Redgrave Theatre

Bristol Old Vic Theatre Schoolpresents

A special60th Birthday GalaConcert of

Enjoy the froth and whimsyof these end-of-season songs,

showcased by a talented cast of final-year acting students

under the musical direction ofPamela Rudge

and a very special guest.By supporting this

one-off special performanceyou will be helping to raise funds for the

Theatre Schools Link buildingat Downside Road,

enabling us to develop and promote thefinest talent to entertain you.

Tickets: 25.from Andrew on 0117 973 3955.

www.oldvic.ac.uk

Friends of the University of Bristol

Theatre CollectionTuesday, 8 th July 2014

6.30 - 8.30 pm

EVENING VISIT to the Theatre Collections Exhibition

The Master: No l Coward1899 1973

An exhibition celebrating Cowards lifeand work

An opportunity to see the current exhibition,The Master: Nol Coward 1899-1973 with

light refreshments and a selection ofNol Cowards music.

Please join the Friends of the TheatreCollection and celebrate one of the mostsignificant figures in British theatre in the

twentieth century.

RSVP ESSENTIAL email:[email protected] or tel

0117 33 15086Doors open from 6.00 pm

Monday 28th July at 6pm and 8:30pm.at the Alma Tavern Theatre

Paperbark Theatre Companypresents

the final Bristol performancesof award-winning Australian play

This is Where We Live .by Vivienne Walshe .

The heart breaking story of Chloe (ShaeleeRooke) and Chris (Oliver de Rohan), two

isolated teenagers stuck in an outback town.Directed by Alec Fellows-Bennett

(All recent graduates of the Bristol Old VicTheatre School.)

Please see the Paperbark Theatre listing onthe following link to book tickets:

http://www.almataverntheatre.co.uk/theatre/what-s-on.html

BOVTC News June14 Extra Web

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