Cheshire Group Recieve Council Grant

Alderney and Wilmslow Musical Theatre Company receive council grant

Cheshire East Council recently gave a community grant to popular amateur theatre group The Alderley and Wilmslow Musical Theatre Company. The cheque for £750 was presented to the group during the interval of their recent season of The Sound Of Music at the Evans Centre. Chairman of  AWMTC David Massingham said: “Our theatre company has been in Wilmslow for 65 years and one of the problems that we face in these challenging financial times is, of course, funding some of our productions. Our typical cost per production is around £30,000 – so every contribution helps. “The cheque received from Cheshire East will go in part to fund some of the technical aspects – scenery hire, costume hire and sound equipment – and so will be much appreciated in helping the company to go forwards.” Read the full story at Amateur Stage

Curtain Call Awards – Nominees Announced

Southampton Daily Echo hosts the 2015 Curtain Call Awards celebrating amateur theatre

The Southampton Daily Echo has just announced the nominees for their annual theatre awards ceremony to be held at the end of January 2015. The Curtain Call Awards reward local groups in 37 categories including Best Production. The awards ceremony will beheld at Southampton’s Grand Harbour Hotel. Visit Amateur Stage for the full list of nominees.

Kettering Group Stages 5 Productions In First Year

Photo: The cast of Frankenstein, performed by Kettering-based C&D Productions earlier this year. (Photo: SCM Photography/Sheny Charlotte Mete)

Newly formed Kettering group C & D Productions has gone from strength to strength staging five productions in less than 12 months. Formed by Chris Lynch and Dan Pothecary the group has already successfully staged productions including Frankenstein, A Doll’s House and Alice In Wonderland, with their production of A Christmas Carol opening this week. The group is encouraging the involvement of younger members by not charging fees for participation and enlisting the support of corporate sponsors including Total Parking Solutions. The group will continue into 2015 with their next production, Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray already in planning stages. Read the full story at Amateur Stage Magazine

Rondo Theatre Present Real Inpsector Hound/Open Couple Double Bill

Rondo Theatre Double Bill

Rondo Theatre will present a double bill of The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard and The Open Couple by Dario Fo and Franca Rame from 26-29 November 2014. Two one act plays and an evening of metadramatic farce for consenting adults: plays within plays – plays whose starting point is us, the audience, watching plays… For further information visit Amateur Stage

Disney releases The Lion King for Schools

The Lion King celebrates 15 years of performances in the West End

In January 2015 Disney will release licensed school versions of The Lion King for primary and secondary schools. These 30-minute and 70-minute versions of the show are accompanied by resource materials to help teachers and students learn about stagecraft and performance. On Sunday 19th October Disney’s The Lion King will celebrate its 15th anniversary at London’s Lyceum Theatre. The award-winning musical has entertained over 12 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production. It also recently became the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.  

Epsom Light Opera Company present Lend Me A Tenor – The Musical.

Epsom Light Opera Company present Lend Me A Tenor

Epsom Light Opera Company will present Lend Me A Tenor – The Musical from 28th October to 1st November 2014. “A scheming soprano, a tenor-struck ingénue, a jealous wife and a large plate of shrimp gone bad; this show has all the ingredients for a great night out!” With toe tapping tunes and colourful choreography, ‘Lend Me A Tenor’ is a rib-tickling romp of romantic misunderstandings! Brought to you by an award-winning Epsom Light Opera Company cast, this is a show you will not want to miss, so book your tickets now! For more information on Lend Me A Tenor visit the Amateur Stage website.

Attic Theatre Postpopnes Show Due To Theatre Renovation

Attic Theatre in Newcastle postpone shows

Newcastle Emlyn amateur dramatic group Attic Players have postponed all its productions due to renovation work on Cawdor Hall. The group had been told that venue renovation work would not impact on productions, but it soon became apparent that productions could not proceed. The group continues with rehearsals for their Christmas Production of King Arthur which will be staged once the venue is ready. Read more about this story at Amateur Stage

Summerseat Players Tops Box Office Sales Poll

Summerseat Players

Selling tickets to amateur theatre productions is always a challenge to groups around the country. The Little Theatre Guild recently undertook a box office poll and declared the Summerseat Players in Ramsbottom as number one in terms of box office sales after raising the curtain to record audiences. The group achieved a season average of around 93 per cent for the last two years which is a target that most theatre companies professional or amateur would envy. Visit Amateur Stage to read the full story.