Last Tuesday in our inside/outside session considered how 'ordinary places' can become for people 'special spaces' - we spent our first session outside - followed by sharing pur experiences - near an perhaps far away - examples included how ordinary spaces for some people can become special 'holy- places - of terms of memories, enlightingly spaces, spaces that change us, invigorating spaces, natural geological or landscape spaces, personal space or people spaces, serene or anonymous spaces - we shared our thoughts and experiences and considered how these might ne enacted out dramatically on stage before our audience - a deep but by all accounts and enjoyable experience.

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...!

This week StageOne read through a Nativity themed play that we thought was very well written and could be performed during a variety of Christmas services.

Michael Hale introduced us the a new play this week called "The Playboy of the Western World" by Irish playwright John Millington Synge.

This week Dave introduced us to opera Tosca and we watched a documentary about a production of Tosca which as well as showing extracts from the performances also showed how the actors go to know their roles and how they rehearsed.

StageOne also had a brainteasing "Weakest Link" style quiz lead by Adam as the quiz master. As always the quiz focuses on drama and related subjects including stage positioning, comedy, drama in film and TV, as well as a few questions relating to the Gospels.

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.

StageOne had another exciting Play Reading Workshop with Michael Hale where we concluded The Ghost Train play by Arnold Ridley. This was an exciting play with many unexpected twists at the end. We also begun reading a play about a drama society attempting to perform Macbeth, but everything in the production keeps going wrong. Extremely funny

StageOne had a really fun and equally important Core Skills workshop lead by Sue Roe where we had to design and act out scenarios where our audience was either visually impaired, deaf or had other disabilities. It was very interesting and brought home the point that drama needs to be tailored to the audience who will see it and that they should engaged with when ever possible.

This week Roger Smith lead a very interesting and activity based comedy workshop. StageOne had a chance to revisit the Aladdin Pantomime characters with a variety of jokes and poems at the expense of the characters from the pantomime. There was also a cleverly designed "Just a Minute" quiz loosely based mainly on the Aladdin Pantomime and some of the jokes from it.

Wow! What a ride this has been. This has been the best stage production by StageOne by far with many laughs and unexpected gags, jokes and pranks including surprising Wishee Washee with his happy birthday, visual gags by Abanazer, and the presentation to the Director. We were in condition tonight. The audience enjoyed this performance and so did we. This was a classic tale of love conquering all boundaries and good triumphing over evil.

Another excellent performance by StageOne with so many laughs we lost count with plenty of booing of vile Abanazer. The audience enjoyed this performance and so did we. We are back again for only one more fortune transforming and ruining performances. Just who are these invisible, silent and deadly ninjas?

Another excellent panto performance by StageOne with lot more laughs, and booing of vile Abanazer. We really enjoyed this performance and are happy the audience all enjoyed it too. And oh my, we are back again tomorrow for a double whammy of fortune transforming and ruining performances. Will Abanazer ever get hold of the magic lamp and rule the world?

We had a great start to our panto shows with lots of laughs and some humorous moments. We really did well and put on a great evenings entertainment. Of course we will be doing it all over again tomorrow. Oh yes we are! Oh yes we are!

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 Tuesday Michael Hale lead another play reading workshop where we began reading another comedy / farce play called The Government Inspector, by novelist Nikolai Gogol.

Plot Summary

The corrupt officials of a small Russian town, headed by the Mayor, react with terror to the news that an incognito inspector will soon be arriving in their town to investigate them. In the rush to cover up their considerable misdeeds a report that a suspicious person who arrived two weeks previously from Saint Petersburg and is staying at the inn. This person, however, is not an inspector; it is Khlestakov, a foppish civil servant.

The officials learn that Khlestakov has been charging his considerable hotel bill to the Crown, the Mayor and his crooked cronies are certain that this is the dreaded inspector. For quite some time Khlestakov realize that he has been mistaken for someone else. Meanwhile, he enjoys the officials' terrified deference and moves in as a guest in the Mayor's house. He also demands and receives massive "loans" from the Mayor and all of his associates. He also flirts with the Mayor's wife and daughter.

Following this, the village's Jewish and Old Believer merchants arrive and begging Khlestakov to have the Mayor dismissed from his post for they are sick and tired of the Mayor's demands for bribes, Stunned at the Mayor's rapacious corruption, Khlestakov states that he deserves to be exiled in chains to Siberia. Then, however, he pockets still more "loans" from the merchants, promising to comply with their request. By now the Mayor is terrified that he is now found out and pleads with Khlestakov not to have him arrested.

Khlestakov announces that he is returning to St. Petersburg, having been persuaded by his valet Osip, that it is too dangerous to continue the charade any longer. After Khlestakov and Osip depart, the Mayor's friends all arrive to congratulate him. Certain that he now has the upper hand, he summons the merchants, and vows to squeeze them for every kopeck they are worth. However, the Postmaster suddenly arrives carrying an intercepted letter which reveals Khlestakov's true identity—and his mocking opinion of them all.

The Mayor, after years of bamboozling Governors and shaking down criminals of every description, is enraged to have been thus humiliated. He screams at his cronies, stating that they, not himself, are to blame. While they continue arguing, a message arrives from the real Government Inspector, who is demanding to see the Mayor immediately.

On Saturday 17th Septemeber StageOne put on their second mini revue combining a marvelous four course meal with entertainment in between each course. Its was a very successful evening with equally brilliant performances by all the members

Performences included The Cool Cats puppet show with Adam, Shelly and Dana, a sketch by Ray Roe that was performed as it would be on the radio, jokes with Roger, and a sketch with a twist with Sue and Malcolm.

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.

This week we will have another brilliant comedy workshop with Roger. Roger had brought with him a variety of comedy books and biographical books including Tommy Cooper and Spike Milligan. Roger invited us to debate what types of comedy particular comedians focused on. Examples included slap-stick, paradying, innuendos.

Following Roger, Adam led his first Shakespeare work shop and intorduced us all to Othello and talked abit about the play and the plot, and characters. The plot essentially involves a charcter called Iago trying set up Othello because he go passed over for promotion. We read through the first two scenes and immediatley got a feel for what Iago was up to. We will continue to look at the play abit further.

Last Tuesday we were entertained by David as we enjoyed taking a second look at the opera CARMEN and marvelled at the wonderful custumes and actions that feature in this fast'moving operatic drama. The thriliing atmosphere created by this opera can only be longed for as we produce our own plays and pantomines!

We also had a session on IDIOMS led by Roger - it was fun thinking about all sorts of everyday expressionswe often take for granted - but have no idea of their original meaning or intentions - as a a result much laughter emanated! Are you at the tip of the iceberg; speechless or wear the tousers!?;do you talk the hindlegs off a donkey? or are you the man in the street? Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush and do you call a spade a spade? Well - it's all as broad as it's long even if you're barking up the wrong tree! Even if you're as dumb as a post, would you pull the skin off a rice-pudding? Then we all sang Here we go round the Mulberry Bush and considered who Simple Simon was - a person dear to the Chairman's heart!

This week StageOne continued the Stomp workshop and with losts of work built up a routine. Lots of thanks to the leaders of the workshop. We will be putting all are work with Stomp to god use at the Holy Trinity Fair this Saturday.

This week StageOne had a very interesting Stomp workshop and we all learnt lots. Most of us did not play a musical instrument in our spare time, however we all did very well thanks to the leaders of the workshop. We finished this workshop off with a medley of different beats and actions and formed an interesting piece. Stomp continues next week.

This week StageOne began reading Don Juan. The story of Don Juan ("Don Giovanni" in Italian) is a legendary, fictional libertine or rogue whose story has been told many times by many authors. Some of the best known works about this character are Molière's play Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre (1665), Byron's epic poem Don Juan (1821),
and "Don Giovanni", an opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte.

The story of Don Juan is that his is a rogue and a libertine who takes great pleasure in seducing women and proposing to marry them and in most versions of the story enjoys fighting the men to whom the women are already committed. The rogue does not believe in anything, God included and does get what is coming to him, as warned by one of the many women his seduced.

Don Juan is used synonymously for "womanizer", especially in Spanish slang.

The edition we read was by Molière' and translated by Neil Barlett . Book ISBN 1840024399

 

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.

Today StageOne had another brilliant Core Skills workshop with Sue. With just a few random objects from home and a little imagination, each member was able to create a character based on two objects chosen at random. Members also divided in to two groups and each performed a mini sketch based on the objects they had chosen.

This week we finished with our reading of Oscar Wilde's comedy, "An Ideal Husband" and we got to find out that it all ended happily for all the main characters. Mrs Cheavley did not succeed in her blackmailing campaign and as far as we know got what was coming to her.

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 interesting Inside/Outside workshop. Although we were thin in numbers because of members attending Spring Harvest is Minehead, four of us ventured out into Folkestone and observed people's mannerisms, behavior and so on. Examples included people double parking their cars in Sandgate Road, gathering in the chippy for fish and chips, enjoying the nice weather outside the local pub or guest house. Some of this we were able to act out back at base.

Some good examples to look out for are people on their mobile phones and how they talk so loudly for all to hear, people out shopping and how they behave, how cashiers great and serve you at Sainsbury's, finally drivers. Coming back to Ashford this evening, I noticed that junction 12 and 13 had cones barring the far side lane and so leaving 1 lane for us all to use. Once the cone stopped, 2 cars immediately gathering speed and sped past me and the car in front.

This week we have another exciting workshop focusing on the core skills for drama and workshop for improvising with Sue.

Each workshop helps us remember the basics of how to perform on the stage and how to handle yourself when something does not go as expected. As of writing, I remember oen of the most basic things is "never turn your back to the audience", and "don't walk infront of another person when moving about on stage".

Dave has already introduced us to the opera Carmen from our last workshop. This week we watched the first act of the Epic film which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Malcolms special workshop was on stories and skteches that had a twist to them. A good example was a couple discussing discipline regarding what we all thought was a young child taking their time about going to bead and it being a chore for one of the grown ups. It then turned out right at the end that the person being discussed was a grand parent.

Tuesday 18th January 2011

Dave will be leading another workshop looking at Opera. We will also have a special workshop lead by Malcolm. We don't know what he has in store for us. Its a secret!

Also, representatives from Churches Together in Folkestone and all Folkestone Churches are invited to the two workshops on Tuesday 26 April so that a meeting of minds can occur to consider ways in which StageOne can support local activities.

This week we began reading the play An Enemy of the People by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. We have read the first wo acts and enjoyed reading about the struggles of the play's protagonist, Dr Stockmann, who wants to do the right thing but is threatened by social intolerance, corruption and supression of free thinking of the people in charge and systems in place.

The play addresses the irrational tendencies of the masses, and the hypocritical and corrupt nature of the political system that they support.

Having read the first 2 acts some of the corruption and supression is very present in some of the systems today which makes it even more enjoyable.

For more information see Wikipedia

This week we will begin a new play reading workshop with Michael Hale. A great chance to try out different characters, voices and expressions.

Our previous reading was a play by John Osborne, about Martin Luthor a German priest and professor of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation.

We will be taking part in another Shakespeare workshop this week. We will be reading through another piece of work by Shakespeare and also act part of it out. So far we have looked at the following plays; Twelfth Night, The Taming Of The Shrew, and also A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Find out more about Shakespeares plays here >>

In today's workshop we also looked at a selection of phrases used in today's english language which were coined by Shakespeare. Such phrases included "Forgone Conclusion" (MacBeth), "Full Circle" (King Lear), "Good Riddance" (Trolus & Cressiola), "Seen Better Days" (As You Like It), "Laid with a trowl" (As you like it) ,"Blinking Idiot" (Merchant Of Venice), and "Eaten out of house and home" (Henry IV)

In the second half of the work shop we had a poetry workshop were we read Wildred Owens "DULCE ET DECORUM EST" and other peoms by Carol Ann Duffy.

Another singing workshop with Ian covering the very basics of singing which can help you the stage. Ian's advice has been really helpful and has can help with speaking and acting parts out on stage with regard to making yourself heard.

We also have our first workshop about Opera, with David. We will be looking at a small selection of Operas.

We had a very very exciting singing work shop with Ian. It just proves that we can infact sing, though some say they can't.

We also looked at Operas including Carmen, Aide and the Magic Whistle and became familiar with some classical music numbers. Very interesting.

Play Reading Tuesday 2nd November 2010

A play reading workshop with Michael Hale. A great chance to try out different characters, voices and expressions.

This week we will be finishing reading a play by John Osborne, about Martin Luthor a German priest and professor of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation.

Very amusing in some places which has given us all some laughs.

Also very crticial of the status quo and the Church as it was then.

Find out more about Martin_Luther >>

Core Skills & Improvisation Tuesday 26th October 2010

This week we have another exciting workshop focusing on the core skills for drama and workshop for improvising.