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Archived News for August 2008 Next major production: The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Bourne in autumn. Other upcoming events: We will be performing extracts from the successful Shakespeare Revue on Saturday 13th September. This is FSC's contribution to National Heritage Open Day. It will take place in the gardens of the Bush Hotel at 11:30 am and again at 2:00 pm. Subscriptions Subscriptions for 2008 are now due. At the AGM it was agreed to raise the annual subscription rate to £15 single, £20 family, the first rise in the Company's history. Please could you send your cheques to Hilary Lee-Corbin at Raspuncher House, Frensham, Farnham, GU10 3EQ. If you have a change of address or email, please could you also send in a new membership form (obtainable from the membership page).
Dear FSC Supporters Although you will not have received a newsletter recently that does not mean that the company has been idle; on the contrary, we have been extremely busy! Since the Spring Bank Holiday weekend we have taken part in the Farnham Community Arts Festival; we have successfully performed a two-night run of the Shakespeare Revue; we are in the throes of preparing to put on a shortened version of the Revue as our contribution to the National Heritage Open Day; we have cast and started rehearsing our autumn production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Farnham Community Arts Festival Three members of the company, Ellis Nicholls, Hilary Lee-Corbin and I, took part in the festival by taking over the usual Saturday story time in Waterstone’s on May 24th 2008. Although our audience was not huge, and varied in age from toddlers to 10 year-olds, they were extremely attentive and appeared to enjoy the stories we had selected. The staff were very grateful for our efforts and invited us to come and read again on any Saturday. So, if you would like to take part, do let me know. Perhaps the FSC could become a regular feature at story time in Waterstone’s!
The committee decided that, after making a very modest profit in our first year back in production, it would be a good idea to try to boost the funds for our autumn production. After a bit of thought, we agreed to put on The Shakespeare Revue which is a witty collection of sketches and songs on a Shakespearean theme, written and performed by many well-known authors and actors. Little did we realise how much rehearsing this would take or how much singing we would have to do. However, we were extremely fortunate to have as our Musical Director, Robin Wells, who is a highly respected choirmaster and skilled accompanist. We were helped too in the early stages by Jacky Protheroe who bravely took us on and taught us the songs until Robin was free from his many other commitments and able to concentrate on the FSC. We performed for two nights (June 20th & 21st) in the new St Joan’s Centre on Tilford Road to full houses. The cast did a wonderful job and excelled themselves at every turn. It is gratifying to see how well they rose to the challenges of the revue format, particularly as they are more used to the challenges of a full-length Shakespeare play. The critique in the Farnham Herald was fulsome in its praise and can be found by clicking here.
Farnham town is taking part in this event for the first time this year and the FSC was asked to contribute to it. After the success of the Shakespeare Revue, it seemed a good idea to present a shortened version of the revue. So, if you missed it the first time, you can get a flavour of it when we put on a half-hour version at the Bush Hotel on Saturday, September 13th 2008 at 11.30 and 14.00. We are looking for an accompanist for the show and for one or two preliminary rehearsals so, if you are able to help out, please let me or one of the committee know. We need a keyboard too. Our contact details are on the website. Please come along and support us; it is always good to have a few familiar faces in the audience.
Our autumn production, The Merry Wives of Windsor, has been cast and is already in rehearsal. Ian Cullen is again directing the play which promises to be extremely amusing. The cast list is attached and, as you will see, we have a range of new and old seasoned hands taking part! We will be presenting the play at the Bourne Hall from Wednesday, October 29th to Saturday, November 1st at 8.00pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2:30. Please make a note in your diaries as we rely on your support for the success of the show.
We would be most grateful for help with the following: i) Cast photos. For many years Richard Simpson has taken excellent photos of the cast for our display boards for which we thank him most sincerely. However, he is shortly leaving the area and is unable to help us any longer. So, if you are a budding photographer and would like to take photos of the cast, please contact me. ii) Publicity. This is an area where we are always looking for new ideas. We distribute posters and flyers, write articles for the local press, share information with other amateur theatre/operatic companies and generally nag and cajole everyone we know into supporting us. If you have any brilliant ideas that you would like to share with us, please let me or a committee member know. I hope to see many of you on September 13th when we perform at the Bush Hotel. I hope you enjoy what is left of the summer season and that the sun makes an appearance before the nights draw in, but especially on September 13th!
Ann Wake Click here for news of other local Amdram groups
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