On Tuesday StageOne had a very productive singing workshop and everything that StageOne had learnt about singing, for example standing up straight, deep breaths, and projection was put into practice.

Sue led another memorable Core Skills and Sketch Acting workshop by introducing us to a sketch about being prepared and unprepared. In this case there was a fully prepared and geared up mountaineer and a wannabe mountaineer who thought he didn’t need all the gear. It was a narrated sketched with some very funny actions and plenty of ideas can be used to perform this.

(John acting as the fully prepared and geared up mountaineer |
Dave acting as the wannbe mountaineer)

This week John led a session on 'split screen' use of the stage and Sue led a session where characters were derived from random props!

John's brought back 'Major Billing's radio interview, but with a family also onstage listening; we looked at how two separate locations can interact and enhance the overall spectacle. Sue's session got us improvising characters from random props, but we then had to put a sketch together using these props and characters! Darth Vader on a train arguing with the ticket collector was my favourite...!

StageOne also provided a simple enactment of the events taking place on Easter Sunday as part of this years Sun Rise Service. Members of StageOne, dressed in super costumes, acted out the extract from St. Matthews Gospel Matt.28 V1-20.

StageOne Group picture by the cave on the Leas Coastal Park

On Good Friday StageOne provided a simple enactment of the trial of Jesus before the Crosses Procession in Folkestone town centre.

Paul as Jesus Roger as Pontius Pilate Adam as Chief Priest

John as the Guard Dave as Barabbas

StageOne had another exciting Ray & Mavis Special Workshop where each of us read out two speaches that were specially written by Ray for the workshop. We had to perform as if we were on stage and use our skills in voice projection and use correct diction.

We also has a fun sketch acting workshop with Sue where we acted out a easter themed sketch where a reporter was trying to get the scoop on the story of Jesus and dealing with both a mad fisherman who says Jesus is risen and his source.

This week Malcolm lead an exciting workshop where we discussed directing and observed Malcolm direct members in performing three sketches. StageOne also had a guest leader, Ian who is the resisdent organist for Folkestone Methodist Church. StageOne has a fun time singing their hearts away to some classics such as "Consider Yourself" and others.

On Sunday 18th Decemeber StagOne performed 3 Christmas themed sketches at the Christingle service at Sandgate Road Methodist Church. The sketches included "The Tone Deaf Angel" (a parody of X Factor) where the Angel Gabriel auditions for a Angelic Throng and fails miserably. There was "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where a choir start the well know song of very well and start changing the verses to simulate how we can all get caught up in hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas and forget the real meaning of Christmas. Finally, there was "Camel Crash" where a traveling sales rep who is staying overnight in Bethlehem retells us about of a ugly camel pile up on his way into the town and brags about how he sold three kings some gold, frankincense and myrrh to replace broken new baby gifts. This is brought to a abrupt end when he finds out he can't have his donkey parked in its allot space because of a couple and a baby, and that a parking attendant is looking at the donkey and issuing a ticket.

Last Tuesday Roger led us in new direction thinking about the psychology of drama - considering ideas like how does role-play help us to come terms with ourselves (we all have our favourite roles!) - Freud used to sit people 'in the psychologist's chair and analyze their dreams - a later idea developed ( by Jacob Morenco and called psydodrama) where the stage replaces the chair! As a practical application of these ideas, we divided into groups of three, role-playing a mother, a baby just born, and dad - asking each other the sort of questions which cannot be asked at the time - mummy why am I here and where did I come from? Who am I and who are you? Am I going to get any bigger or remain helpless for ever? - the baby that is! good fun but deep questions pursued.

Then Malcolm challenged us to act some scenes from the life of St Thomas a Becket, of Canterbury Cathedral fame - it's not easy acting out medieval times, with rather different mindsets! Some improvisation added to the fun!

On Saturday 19th November StageOne took part in the D.I.Y concert at the United Reformed Church, in Folkestone.

The concert had a large turn out and had a wide variety of performances from professional young dancers, singers and musicians and StageOne.

StageOne performed two sketches. The first was a sketch written by Dave Hopwood and was a retelling of the parable of Rich Fool in Luke 12:16-21. The second sketch was written by one of the members of StageOne and has a funny twist at the end.

StageOne will be holding another open day in which StageOne will showcase some of their work and what they are about. StageOne will perform a variety of presentations and a four-course fish and chip supper is provided. There is a choice of fish, sausage or pie, and chips will be available, with a range of starters and desserts to be offered on the night.

There will be a drinks reception from 6.00 with performances starting at 6.30pm.

Full details available on our website.

This week we had a brilliant Mavis & Ray special where we all participated in a sketch written by Ray and performed with as if it was broadcast on the radio. Characters spoke and mimed any actions and sound effects were included, including the opening and shutting of doors and many more.

This workshop was followed by a very searching StageOne quiz which jogged the memories of both teams with questions about Treasure Island, The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew, key drama skills and some trickery questions. Next year it will be harder.

Today we welcome our newest member, Sophia. StageOne had yet another brilliant Core Skills workshop with Sue. StageOne took part in some interesting exercises and rehearsed two sketches the group have been been working on.

In the great morning sunshine and a rising red sun many people gathered together at the ampetheatre in the Leas in Folkestone
to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus in the Sunrise service. StageOne acted out an extract from St. Matthews Gospel Chapter 28 Verses 1-19.
John Simpson reprised his role of Jesus, Shelly Homles and Sue Roe played the women, Paul Robbins played the Roman Guard(s), Adam Grannell played the Angel (his first Sunrise service). Roger played Pilate. Narration was by Malcolm Robertson and Adam Freeman. There was some beautiful music combined with cool sea air and bird song. Wonderful.

StageOne will be performing the Resurrection Of Jesus, according tho the Gospel of St. Matthew in the Sun Rise Service this Sunday. It will tak place in the very early hours of Sunday morning in the ampetheatre on the Leas. John Simpson will once again portray Jesus, with Adam Grannell making a debut as the Angel, and Sue Roe, Shelly holmes, Roger Smith, Malcolm Robertson and other helpers.

This week we had a very informative work shop on Shakespeare lead by Shelly. This week we continued examing phrases used in all of Shakespeare's plays. Last time we looked at phrases in the English modern language which come from Shakespeare and are used in every day life. Examples include "One fell swoop", "Wild goose chase", and "Seen better days". It surprising just how much is from Shakespeare.

Our workshop today looked at phrases attributed to Shakespeare, but are not actually his own. Examples included
"Et tu, Brute? ", "Laughing stock", "The dog will have his day", "Out of the question", "The Naked Truth" and more.

Again it was surprising what people thought was Shakespeare's own phrases. However, as we all do today, Shakespeare used the popular sayings of the day.

In the second half, we had Matt lead us in a Script Writing and Consequences workshop. We were divided into to two groups of five. Each group were given five characters, five props, five locations. Using these each group had to make a script an try to incorporate everything. It was very hard to do but also humerous. We had notable impressions of The Doctor, Darth Vader, The Archbishop of Canterbury, and more. The Doctor got caught in a hurricane and Lord Vader was attending council meeting and apologising for his Star Destroyer miss firing and causing a big hole in The Leas in Folkestone. The captain of the ship was not so lucky.

This week Ray and Mavis lead the StageOne group in a mixed sketch acting and poetry work shop in which we had to use all our skills and knowledge.

We began by listening to a short peom, read my Mavis. Then we had the same poem with only the first four lines. Our task was to add as many more lines as we could think of. The results were very interesting.

After the break, we had to choose a situation from a small selection and in pairs act it out. The rest of the group had to guess what it was we were doing. Examples included moving a heavy item of furniture, trying on cloths and some very hilarious examples too.

We had a really enjoyable work shop with Sue focusing on alittle bit of dance or movement and actions and then doing actions to certain hymns found in the methodist hymn book. We looked maainly at the "Give Me Joy in My Heart" hymn. Other hymns could have actions and movement made to me. Previous examples of this sort of thing have been shown at the D.I.Y concert in 2008.