2010 | News | Past | London Report | Memoriam

 

Tell the Reporter

If you have any interesting news for the Reporter or our website, please email it to the editor, Lynn Williams on longcottage@xtra.co.nz
We’d love to hear news of our members, any interesting theatre you’ve seen, anecdotes and news items from Repertory’s past or any great ideas you have for Rep in the 21st century.

---

AUDITION NOTICE

NOISES OFF
by Michael Frayn
Directed by Martin Howells

Possibly the funniest stage comedy ever written!
— Daily Telegragh

Frayn shows he has the skills of a master conductor to create and shape seeming chaos — London Review

Ingeniously structured – irresistible – absolutely hilarious
— Curtain Up Review

 

AUDITIONS – MONDAY 16TH AUGUST FROM 6:00PM

 

The Play
Winner of many awards, this play is above all about people under pressure, specifically the members of a touring company struggling to stage a fast-paced sex comedy called “Nothing On” which is set in a charming renovated millhouse with numerous doors leading off.

 

Act One is set at the final dress rehearsal with the cast still fumbling with entrances, missed cues, misspoken lines, and bothersome props, most notably a plate of sardines. Personal relationships start to intrude.

 

Act Two portrays a matinee performance a month later. The set is reversed and the audience now sees the play from backstage – providing a view of the off-stage shenanigans because of the actors' mounting personal friction with glimpses of onstage increasing bedlam.

 

Act Three is back on the set of “Nothing On” towards the end of the ten week run where the tensions are running so high the performance can only go from bad to worse to wonderfully awful!

 

 

The Roles
4 Female, 5 Male – Every role is rich and real – no small parts!

Lloyd Dallas:  The director of the play, Nothing On Temperamental. Long suffering. Is entangled romantically with stage manager Poppy and ingenue Brooke.

 

Poppy Norton-Taylor:  The emotional and over-sensitive assistant stage-manager. In love with Lloyd and envious of Brooke whom she understudies. Young

 

Timothy Allgood:  The overworked and exhausted stage manager. Understudies both Selsdon and Frederick

Dotty Otley:  A middle-age actress once of note. Now forgetful and losing it. Dating Gary but also has an eye for Frederick.  She plays Mrs Clackett, the cockney housekeeper ,who is chatty but a bit dim-witted.

 

Garry Lejeune:  A stuttering actor, easily fired up. Dating Dotty. Repeatedly tries to attack Frederick. Speech affectations disappear on stage but present off stage –completes sentences with 'you know'. Probably thirties. Plays Roger the real estate agent using the property for a personal assignation with Brooke

 

Frederick Fellowes:  An actor with a serious fear of violence and blood. Often questions the meaning of his lines.  Fortyish.  Plays Philip Brent, owner of the property intent on avoiding income tax.

 

Belinda Blair:  Cheerful and brisk, a reliable actress. She may have feelings for Frederick. Plays Flavia Brent, Philip's wife

 

Brooke Atkinson:  A young inexperienced actress. Sweet but it is suggested she is a porn star. Is quite oblivious to stage direction. Always losing her contact lenses. Plays Vicky who works for Inland Revenue and is trying to woo Roger. Runs around in bra and panties.

 

Selsdon Mowbray:  An elderly alcoholic actor who hides his bottles onstage. Roguish but has a charm about him. Plays the Burglar, old man in seventies who breaks into the Brent's house. Bit hard of hearing.

 

PERFORMANCE DATES
30TH OCTOBER – 7TH NOVEMBER

 

FOR AUDITION APPOINTMENT AND AUDITION SELECTION
PHONE ROZENA (03) 384-4941
E-MAIL rozena.h@xtra.co.nz

 

 

---

Audience Comment - Journey's End

 

The Press May 5

 

True to The Press review of Rozena Hallum's direction of Journey's End, it was one of the most powerful and cathartic plays — from the programme notes to the curtain call —that has been staged (April 26). I am sorry if you have missed seeing it. Long live our Christchurch Repertory Theatre.

 

BARBARA MURRELL

 

 

---

Diary of Anne Frank Reviews

 

Anne's Diary Still Resonates - Voxy.co.nz

 

The Christchurch Star - Review

The Diary of Anne Frank, dramatised by Goodrich and Hackett,

Directed for Repertory Theatre by Robert Gilbert,

6-14 March at 7.30pm, (Monday, Thursday 6pm,Sunday 2pm).

Running time 2 hours thirty-five minutes.

Reviewed by Lin Clark.

 

Repertory, Robert Gilbert and his whole team can be very proud of this richly detailed production.

 

It is no mean feat to recreate the famous wartime attic where the Frank family and their 'guests' sheltered from the ruthless inhumanity of Hitler's Holocaust. The play is not only striking in its theatrical savvy, but keeps faith with the enduring and triumphant spirit of Anne herself so that there are many moments when we are reminded that happiness defies circumstances.

 

So does human orneriness and wry humour abound as parents, teenagers and a pernickety old dentist struggle for 'peace’ in their refuge. An inspired cast shapes the material with great authority. They bring to riveting reality the attic world designed by excitingly talented Rebecca Jane Novick Goldstein, lit with flair by visiting designer Rob Falk, whose skill imbues even wordless sequences with dramatic intensity. Key roles – though all are significant – are filled with great sincerity and conviction by Rosanna Hewson as Anne and Brian Sullivan as her father Otto Frank. Congratulations Repertory.

 

---

Production Schedule 2010

The Diary of Anne Frank

dramatised by Frances Goodrich
& Albert Hackett
The shining spirit of a young girl continues to address the conscience of the world
6th - 14th March

 

Otago University Sheilah Winn Schools' Shakespeare Festival
Proudly hosted by Repertory
28th - 31st March

 

Journey's End
by R C Sherriff
Ironic humour, stiff upper lip, courage and
conflict in the trenches of WW1
24th April - 2nd May

 

Dancing at Lughnasa (Loon-nasa)
by Brian Friel
Tender drama of an Irish family - laughter and tears
24th July - 1st August

 

Noises Off
by Michael Frayn
Onstage and offstage antics in hilarious
touring sex farce
30th October - 7th November

 

---

Newsboard

January/February 2010

Special General Meeting of the Repertory Theatre Society
A robust number of people attended this meeting, indicative of a society that has the good of the society and its theatre at heart.

This meeting was to announce the committee’s decision to cancel the Repertory Restage Project and to announce a new independent project that would include earthquake strengthening and other major improvements to be carried out in stages, while maintaining Society ownership of the land and building and remaining the resident theatre company.

Members were also asked for their help. Many of us have extraordinary skills which could be useful, such as carpentry, artistic skills, carpet laying, plumbing, sewing and many others. Please ring David at the office if you think there is any way you could help.
The first work day, where you might wield a paint brush, or just get stuck into some serious cleaning is on Saturday the 30th of January. A number of people have already signed up for this. If you have even an hour to spare, please call David at the office.
We also have a wish list. If you can assist with any of these items, again, please call David.

 

We have already been given a microwave by Peter Allen and 150 white tulips which I’m sure will be wonderful in an Anne Frank display. Thank you, Peter. Thank you too, to Elayne Buckler and Simone Kennedy, who not only assisted Rozena in painting one of the dressing rooms, but also donated a mirror, fit for a drama queen. Thank you, Elayne and Simone. Rozena and Tony Hallum are making a lovely job of painting the dressing rooms.

---

London - Roderick Lonsdale

In spite of the plethora of musicals on, in the West End, London has a wealth of theatre to offer. The Donmar Theatre has taken up residence at Wyndham's near Leicester Square and has offered star-studded productions from "Ivanov" to "Hamlet".

It was surprising that Kenneth Branagh didn't receive an Olivier award for his eponymous role in this Chekhov classic. His was a riveting performance; a performance to cherish. This year's winner of Best Actor, Derek Jacobi followed with perhaps the defining Malvolio of his generation in, of course, "Twelfth Night". The supporting cast were almost as good.

 

The National offered Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse" for the second year, a stunning production with life-size puppets for the horses, wonderful sets and lighting. Stoppard's "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" with its onstage symphony orchestra and set in a Soviet insane asylum was both hilarious and moving. Seats are hard to get for both "The Pitman Painters" and "Burnt by the Sun" which have both received rave reviews.

 

Five stars have been consistently awarded to Anna Mackmin's revival of Brian Friel's "Dancing at Lughnasa" which was lyrical and full of "exuberant melancholy", and luckily for me on the Year 13 English course. The Royal Shakespeare put on a short season of "Othello" at the Hackney Empire which used some ingenious movement to suggest changes of scene but perhaps didn't quite convince with the lead actor whose accent varied from North African to Caribbean to South London.

 

This rather superficial review only scratches the surface of the West End while deep in the East End, Arcola Theatre puts on forgotten repertoire and cutting edge plays in the round for only £15. The Royal Court in Sloane Square provides a venue for new writing and the Guildhall Drama School in the Barbican area also provides stimulating performances of less commercial plays.

 

Roderick Lonsdale: Roderick was in Wendy de la Bere’s production of Six Characters in Search of an Author with Colin Alexander.
Roderick now teaches at Chigwell School, North East London.

 

---

Our Man in London, Colin Alexander

 

Where have all the ‘New Wave’ plays Gone?
‘A play, a play, my kingdom for a play’. I can almost hear William Shakespeare cry out about the state of the British theatre today; and as for George Bernard Shaw, his rumblings would shake the theatres to their foundations.

 

Every era has brought forth a new wave of plays. But what has happened since the last era, which brought a revolutionary change to British Theatre from 1956? John Osborne, David Hare, Arnold Wesker and the era of Harold Pinter. His recent departure from this earth makes us ask, “where now?” The plays that explore and stimulate with their use of the English language – compelling themes – social comments. Plays which produce good actors, whose task it is to fill the roles. Characters that fill the theatre and can be heard in the back rows and upper circles without aid of a microphone.

 

So where have all the plays gone in recent decades? Anyone glancing through a list of the forty plus theatres in London may well ask this question. The Globe seems to have temporarily lost its way, the National Theatre rarely lives up to its name. The Donmar – expanding to a larger theatre in the Westend, draws top actors in quality revivals, actors who are crying out for a new period of dramatic writing: but making movies or TV dramas while waiting.

 

Once London stimulated with great plays – great actors, so many it was nearly impossible to see them all. Today it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, to find that elusive new play, one that passes the test.

 

The Westend is overflowing with long and short running musicals (old and new which rarely return the costs of production) pop or movie based. Seems the promoters grab at anything which was popular in another medium: Billy Elliot (a big success), Dirty Dancing, Jailhouse Rock, Wicked (OZ), Spamalot, Phantom and now Phantom 2 – Love never Dies.

 

Plays are often written with a particular actor in mind, i.e. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, but are rarely seen after that. Which brings one to conclude that there is little money in spending time writing plays for the stage. One only has to look at the credits of TV dramas and films to see that this is so. Alan Bennett, David Hare, Simon Gray and others of repute and skill with language, are in demand to write ‘The screenplay’ and without a doubt this pays well.

 

We are indeed fortunate then, when that rare play comes our way which is a contemporary piece of writing. ‘The History Boys’ has filled theatres round the world. ‘Doubt’ and ‘Frost vs Nixon’ had quiet showings, but reached the world in the cinema – adapted for the screen – and thrilled us with their use of the English language, bringing out great performances from the casts.

 

So what does the theatre hold for the play and the actor? I wish I had a crystal ball and no doubt you do too. We can but lament the loss and continue to wait. In the meantime, Willie and George, rest peacefully, if possible.

 

---

Blasts From the Past

I decided to look through my memory drawer recently and found so many reminders of lovely times acting in Rep plays and seeing others perform.

There were photos of my daughter, Juliet, as Beth from Little Women, Bella, the town tart from Same Old Moon, Louisa in The Sound of Music, the girl from The Music Man, Rizzo from Grease and of course Scout from Elizabeth Moody’s production in 1990 of To Kill a Mockingbird.

I remember my husband trying to stifle sobs as Beth gave her dying speech, the pride, as we watched the 11 year old Scout go off to rehearsals with her clip board and pencil. Elizabeth said, “I knew she’d be fine when I saw her arrive with her clip board”. Juliet’s first time in the theatre was when, at the age of three, she came to see me in Round and Round the Garden and I heard a little voice saying, “that’s my Mummy up there”. I still have the card she made me with Sarah on it and the one she made with a picture of Julia on it. That’s when I was in A Month of Sundays. Colin Alexander was my husband and Bill Cook was my Dad. Penny directed.

And then I found the packet that contained the Dracula fangs from when I was in The Passion of Dracula. I was Helga.

A birthday card from a friend, saying, “I had a task to find a card with so many “bad habits” reminded me of the fun I had in Nunsense. But it was a sad time too. My Mother was dying. Another card, covered with busy little pigs in varying attitudes of domesticity reminded me of my role as Minimus in Animal Farm. I became a dab hand at somersaulting across the stage. “Perhaps I could stage a comeback”, I thought.

There are numerous cards from Edna Neville, Penny Giddens and Sister Leonie wishing me wonderful First Nights and saying lovely things designed to give a girl a boost.

A card from Dawn Somerville says,” Mille Grazie, Maria” and I remember one of the last rehearsals before Lend Me a Tenor opened. I thought I had been magnificent, but she told me to get control of my character. I was affronted, but she was right. I had forgotten Stanislavski’s maxim to keep a fraction of yourself as observer. That was my last play for Rep, so I haven’t had a chance to remedy that.

So many plays, fading programmes with flowers from First Night bouquets pressed between the pages.
I found little cards I’d written for First Night suppers with the names of specialty foods on. I remember visiting the Jewish Society and getting their menu advice for The Diary of Anne Frank supper. And what about the doll cake I made for Summer of the Seventh Doll. So many memories. Tell us yours. We’d love to hear them.

 

---

Stop Press

A Baby for Sarah and John and family

The stork has been hovering over Repertory recently.
Sarah Bohan and John Ashton now have a baby girl to add to their family. Sarah gave birth to her seven weeks ago.

Sarah and John met at Rep when they were rehearsing in Jane Eyre. John was Rochester and Sarah was--- no, not Jane -  the maid. Both of them have gone on to perform many important roles for us.

Their new daughter’s name is Vanessa Bridie Alice.
They are all doing very well.
Perhaps one day we’ll see Vanessa’s name on a cast list too.

 

Privates on Parade

Robert Gilbert is taking excerpts from Privates on Parade to the New Zealand Theatre Federation Play Festival. We wish them all the best. Those who saw the play, will know that they take an excellent product.

 

Architecture Students

Today, (Thursday 23rd April) I was in talking to David at Repertory and he told me that he was just about to get a visit from some 2nd year architecture students from the Design and Art College. He’d arranged for Gavin Willis to come in and talk to them about Repertory’s beginnings and Repertory Restage.

How exciting for us to be able to contribute to architectural students’ knowledge in this town.

Of course Gavin is the ideal man for the job. Most of you will know that he is the Restage architect and his father, Frank Willis, was the architect responsible for the Repertory Theatre.

 

Cultural Events

And we’ve gone international!

Recently, Canterbury Business Associates have staged an African and a Korean event in our theatre.

 

---

Memoriam

 

Elizabeth Moody

It was with profound sadness that we learnt of the death of Elizabeth on the 11th January this year. We extend our deepest sympathy to Terrence and her family.

 

During the funeral we could all feel her presence amongst us, as we celebrated her life. A number of her colleagues spoke with wit and love about the unique person who was Elizabeth. They spoke of her ability to shock, her intelligence, her verbal luminosity, her unequivocal honesty, her skill as an actor and director, and her vulnerability.

 

It is not often that we are sent people such as Elizabeth, who truly leave their strongly indented and individual footstep on this planet. We are the richer for knowing her. Thank you, Elizabeth.

 

Repertory sent flowers. Rozena Hallum said that Elizabeth would like flamboyant, so I chose a riotous bunch of white lilies, bright orange roses, orange Leukospernum, blue feathery things and purple-blue Gentians.

In the message we sent, Rozena spoke of Elizabeth being a lodestar for Repertory.

 

I asked Brenda Hayes to write a story for the Reporter. Here it is.

 

Elizabeth.

Where do you start? We worked on twenty four plays together over the years, moving from dumbstruck awe [I'm working with ELIZABETH MOODY!] to a relationship that didn't need much explanation. The words "You'll know what I want" were often my entire brief for the sound scapes used.

 

Finding just the right present for her, in relation to the play, turned into a game as she tried to outguess me. Outwitting her was rewarded with a delightful glint in her eye and visiting her house to see all the reminders of Rep plays proudly displayed,was a joy.

 

She loved to direct, teach and banter with her cast. There was usually one member chosen for extra focus and many members will remember the "Shut up, Roger" that frequently peppered rehearsals even when Roger was silent. Her ability to remember the entire play kept the prompt focused as she would often give the line without reference to the script. Her most remembered prompt came when she walked from the auditorium, through the kitchen, up the stairs to backstage and still gave the correct prompt to an actor who had just dried.

She knew well the rhythm of the piece.

 

One of her most mentioned Rep moments was the opening night of the first play she directed here. Up went the curtain and the couch was missing. She was unable to stay in the theatre.

Luckily the night was saved by Stuart Thomson who rearranged the remaining chairs.

 

There was seldom an opening night that the pass door didn't burst open during performance and Elizabeth came back with a word or thought that couldn't wait until interval.

 

She was a wonderful director/teacher of comedy, but I will remember best her dramas. The pathos of Arthur Chapman in You Never Can Tell, the aloneness of Vanessa Wells in A Doll's House, the gut wrenching sadness of John Willoughby and Roger Scott-Linfield in All My Sons and the scariness of Adrian Mc Namara and Brian Sullivan and despair of David Allen in The Birthday Party. What amazing memories she helped to create.

 

But especially I must mention Social Climbers, her last production in 2009. Were we not all blessed who were involved in that production? After seeing Elizabeth so sick, to see the strength of personality that took her on that journey with us. It was a moment in time that felt special then, but on reflection we can all say, Wow what a curtain. What a lady.

 

With Love Brenda Hayes

 

Plays directed by Elizabeth Moody for Repertory Theatre Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety Anthony and Cleopatra Act 2 Sc. 2
1983	The Second Mrs Tanqueray	1
1984	I’m Talking about Jerusalem	2
1989	Lady Windermeres Fan	3
1990	No Sex Please We're British	4
1990	To Kill a Mocking Bird	5
1991	Dreams of Sussex Downs	6
1991	10 Little Indians	7
1992	An Inspector Calls	8
1997	The Bed Before Yesterday	9
1997	Out of Order	10
1998	When Did You Last See Your Trousers?	11
1999	Chase Me Comrade	12
1999	Present Laughter	13
2000	It Runs in the Family	14
2000	My Cousin Rachel	15
2001	Nightwatch	16
2001	Don’t Dress for Dinner	17
2002	A Doll’s House	18
2002	You Never Can Tell	19
2003	Romeo and Juliet	20
2003	Over the Moon	21
2004	Why Me?	22
2005	All My Sons	23
2005	The Circle	24
2006	The Birthday Party	25
2009	Social Climbers	26

 

 

---

 

Brenda Hayes with some sad news.

There have been 2 deaths of note to the theatre community recently.

 

Today in the paper I read that Kevin Tetley had passed away. Kevin was in A View from a Bridge, Come Back Little Sheba, Dreams of a Summerhouse and Up ‘n Under, as I remember. Kevin had a strong physical presence on stage and was a wonderful "back" actor, able to express a wide range of emotions through his body whilst facing upstage.

 

Peggy Grant died in December. Although mostly known for her involvement in Children's Theatre and the early days of The Court theatre, Peggy was also involved with several plays at Repertory, the last being wardrobe mistress for The Merry Wives of Windsor.

It is from such people as Peggy and Elizabeth Moody that I have drawn my lifelong interest in theatre. I remember sitting on the floor at Rep laboriously cutting out green leaves to put on some wire netting to make a Christmas wreath. Peggy walked up, picked up the uncut paper, screwed it up, pushed it into the holes in the wire, and in less than a minute, there was a beautiful three dimensional wreath, full of life, instead of the flat, lifeless one I had been working on for ages. A valuable lesson I still bring to mind.

---

 

Lyall Hallum

As you know Rozena Hallum is our Creative Director at Repertory.
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Rozena’s husband, Lyall.
Lyall was not only a great support to Rozena in her work in the theatre, but he did much for our society over the years.

Lyall was an artist, teacher, craftsman and builder and he created many superb theatre sets.

Many of you will remember his innovative sets for The Shadow Box, The Visit, and Twelve Angry Men.

He also produced posters, posters that had the ability to capture the essence of a play.
Our love and support is with Rozena and her family as they learn to live without Lyall.
Rozena continues to inspire with the passion and commitment she gives our society.

 

---

Jim Taylor

We were very sad to hear about the death of one of our valued members, Jim Taylor. Jim and his wife Marette have been coming to our plays together since the early 1970’s.

But Marette used to come with her Grandmother, as a teenager, in the era of the fur coats.

Jim and Marette are good friends of Penny Giddens. They used to sit up the front, because Marette said they were both a little deaf.

Jim supported Marette’s great fascination with the theatre and learned to love it himself.
The last play they saw together was 84 Charing Cross Road, which they adored.
Marette is excited by the fact that the love of theatre which Rep has nurtured, is continued in her family and a number of new family members are joining up with Repertory today.

And that is a fitting tribute for Jim.

 

 

 

---

Mary Robertson

It is with sad regret all at Repertory note the passing of Mary Robertson who always had a very active interest in the Theatre as well as cats and her garden. Doug Clarke of Riccarton Players supplied the brief notes about Mary and Stewart

 

Mary & Stewart Robertson were both members of Elmwood Players in the good old "Garage Days" at 69 St Albans Street.

They progressed and assisted with the creation of the Elmwood Playhouse, that was.

Latterly Mary worked tirelessly for Canterbury Repertory Theatre, organising FOH, as well as maintaining a high profile with the Cats Protection League, maintaining her rambling garden which was full of surprises, and spending time with her grandchildren.

She is survived by daughters, Lee, Ruth and Lynne, and of course son, Grant, who is co-owner of The Light Site.

Another dedicated theatre person has passed on - now Mary can join her beloved Stewart creating a new theatre in the hereafter

---

 

Penny Giddens