NANDA PLAY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION 2005/06

Chairman, Vice-President, fellow Thesbians, young people, ladies and gentlemen....

This is a rather long monologue which I must admit is not committed to memory....there is a lot to recall and I don't want to miss an important reference to YOU. My excuses then for reading my report.

In our different ways we have all had important experiences in relation to this year's competition.
As your Adjudicator....
I have travelled some previously undiscovered byways and found new cul-de-sacs in Nottinghamshire.
....Improved my map reading after dark ....Improved my notetaking in the dark.
I have surveyed the village halls of Nottinghamshire, inspected for blackout facilities, draft exclusion, heating systems and plumbing facilities.
I have reviewed the occupancy rates of our Leisure Centres on weekday evenings ....as well as trends in village gossip.
I have rediscovered the discomfort of hard plastic chairs.... but the joy of a caffeine boost around 8.30pm.
As your adjudicator.... I have enjoyed being welcomed by strangers....and sharing in the special relationship that theatre offers.


However my most important experience was to discover that at the heart of many of our village and urban communities there is a vibrant and highly committed amateur theatre company. Theatre is alive and kicking in Notts. and it has been a privilege and pleasure to share in the fruits of your hard work and bear witness to the sweat and tears, the highs and lows, concerns about lack of space, lack of access or lack of equipment, the 'might have beens' and 'if onlys'.

Creative inspiration is the essential ingredient in making theatre as we strive and challenge ourselves to be as good as we can, to reach an impossible perfection or to try something different, something better. I have felt this energy and commitment in every company I visited. I have been staggered by the amount of time given selflessly by some of you on top of full time jobs in the service of both theatre and members of your group.

CHOICE OF PLAY Creative inspiration should start with the choice of play....so can a lot of arguments! Some companies are bolder than others in selecting material but boldness doesn't automatically spell success.
Companies tend to choose accessible material for their audience with lots of adult parts for years 30+ to match the actors they have available. This usually results in the selection of a comedy, farce or 'Whodunnit' of contemporary origin. There's nothing wrong in that - they're fun to rehearse, and the audience have an entertaining evening with lots of laughs and a few beers afterwards. Those of you that took this route chose well written material with plenty of acting challenges.
I do have some cautionary warnings however based on my observations this year:
Farce is a difficult genre demanding huge technical acting skills in terms of timing, pace and stage business and unless you have a large enough stage area to accommodate a box set with all those doors and have space for all those comings and goings, you're better off choosing other material.
Comedy is easier to type cast than other genres which may mean the character you're playing is not very far removed from you in age or even personality. Danger! If there is too little an imaginative leap you may not leap at all but play a version of yourself which is barely an acting challenge. This is playing too safe.
Beware also of assuming a 1970/80s play can automatically be contemporised to be played in the present or that location can change. Cultural, social and political contexts may be very different now. For example; don't assume that an upper middle class home counties drawing room can survive a move to a lounge in the suburbs of Nottingham, a Nottingham accent and a leap of 25 years without it affecting the play. (As a southerner myself I've been in some of those drawing rooms!)
However, on the positive side, many of you were fully challenged creatively by the roles undertaken and managed excellently timed entrances and exits through well constructed doors.
West Bridgford's 'Marking Time' offers an example of where good timing and banging or squeaking doors were brought together successfully to create the comedy intended.

Some companies made bold choices fully challenging creativity and innovative skills as well as encouraging inclusion of less experienced performers.
I commend Edwinstowe Theatre Group's adaptation of 'Great Expectations' with its expansive cast - a colossal challenge by any standards.
Robin Hood Youth Theatre's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' which inadvertently had its performance week just before the release of the film, proved to be a PR coup!
The genre of pantomime is no easy feat in terms of the skill range required as well as making huge design demands in terms of setting, costumes and lighting. Bonington Players virtually had to postpone Xmas festivities to get 'Cinderella' to the stage on time.
The challenge of a complex psychological straight play was selected by Greasley Players in 'The Deep Blue Sea' making huge acting demands on the 2 main protagonists.

We'll find out later how successful you were in meeting the challenges set by your material!

ACTING It is said that good acting comes from 'knowing what play you are in'. That may sound facile but it is essential that actors understand not only the content but the style and genre of the play as written.
Whilst examining A level Drama and Theatre Studies recently I was disappointed to witness an interpretation of Noel Coward's 'Private Lives' with the actors dressed in sombre contemporary winter wear for scenes set in the summer of 1930 on a hotel terrace in the South of France. They drank beer instead of cocktails and behaved as if they were at a boring conference in Bournemouth rather than enjoying the pleasures of a honeymoon in luxurious St Tropez. They had certainly not understood that this was a comedy of manners requiring a wit and lightness of touch....there was hardly a pose or gesture in sight. They did not know what play they were in!
All of you, clearly did know what plays you were in, with excellent understanding of the playwright's intentions which helped you to reveal situations, character and develop relationships through your actions. Dialogue was phrased and emphasised intelligently and with good feeling to point meaning - this being particularly important in monologues and long narrative speeches.
An example from East Leake's production of 'Rumours' illustrates this well. Keith Benedick as Ken Cummings gives a long winded invented story about his friend Charly to get the suspicious local PC off their back. This was delivered with a lovely spontaneity well timed with increasing pace to create a sense of his building panic and hysteria - this set piece speech rightly drew applause.
Many actors were able to find a depth of character and reveal their inner world in subtextual activity. I often watch actors when they're not speaking to see whether they're concentrating, responding in character, revealing feelings and attitudes through focus, facial expression and body stance. There were good moments in many productions when actors revealed the inner life of their characters through thought, in physical terms and in nuances of intonation.
Christian King as Justin in 'Role Play' reveals his increasing uncertainty about his engagement.
Ian Baxter as Cliff in 'Deadly Nightcap' becomes increasingly intrigued by the lovely Sarah at the heart of his investigations.
Caroline Bradley as Miriam in 'Outside Edge' is very slowly reaching the end of her tether with her bossy husband.
Isi Dixon as Judith in 'Marking Time' is quietly amused by the ineptitude of those around her.
Ryan Hooper as Gordon in 'After Dinner' tries to enjoy himself, overcome shyness and lose his inhibitions.
There was excellent thought and some lovely subtlety in the playing of these characters.

Voices were projected strongly and clearly enunciated so although the spaces you had to fill were vastly different you all did your audiences the courtesy of being heard.
I particularly commend the vocal energy and clarity of expression in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' achieved by the relatively inexperienced players of the Robin Hood Youth Theatre in their sizable theatre.

Variety of pace was less satisfactory for many actors with lines delivered at too consistent a pace so fluctuations in mood and action weren't fully reflected. This often comes from regular rehearsal - the acting loses its spontaneity, everything gets levelled out - energy levels , pace and pitch of voice. Some actors however were able to consistently vary their delivery through pace, inflection and use of pause.
Joanne Potter and Ian Baxter playing Hester and Freddie in Greasley Players 'The Deep Blue Sea' held some wonderfully poignant moments through pause and inflective subtlety to point the developing tension in their relationship.

Accents were usually applied appropriately as demanded by character but were sometimes rather diffident or not fully sustained. Some companies opted out of RP in preference for the Nottingham dialect.
The lovely contrasts of Yorkshire, Cockney and RP accents were found by the actors in Bonington Player's 'Role Play' and this helped to point the comedy of the cultural and social differences between the character groups.

Vocal variety and dialogue management were generally stronger than physical realisation with actors finding use of gesture and movement more demanding. Stiff or static stance with limited use of gesture was often in evidence.
Characters in domestic scenes sometimes had too little stage business so there was a tendency to just sit or stand for quite long periods. Stillness and focus in contrast were better managed. Even if the stage area limits movement ideas to gestures and facial expression at least you are giving some physical embodiment to the character. Some actors were inventive in finding physical exposition particularly of injuries.
In Keyworth's 'Key for Two' Alec's back injury was beautifully sustained through the action by Alan Spooner.
Osteopaths also to the ready for Cookie Cussack played by Sonya Oates in East Leake's 'Rumours' - we suffered for her with that back traumor trying to rustle up dinner for 8 in that kitchen!

In some productions there was a wealth of physicality.
In Bonington Players 'Cinderella' the Ugly Sisters provided a wealth of well rehearsed physical antics and interplay as well as set piece chases and slapstick sequences. The dances provided by a local dance school offered another movement style in contrast maintaining action and visual interest.
There was a range of excellent ensemble physical ideas including set piece movement sequences in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' with Peter's fight with the wolves building up to the major battle - the power struggle between the forces of good and evil. Both formal and informal groupings were used to represent these forces.
As actors you need to embody characters through imagination and thought - this means finding physical as well as vocal images.

Communication is the other key skill required by the actor applying focus and working for other interaction with both other actors and the audience. Many of you were fully aware of audience response and adapted your playing as a result, holding for laughter or pointing moments of dramatic irony. There was some profile playing by less assured actors who weren't confident in making eye contact. Direct address was particularly well handled in moving the narrative forward in 'The Eckersley Rising'.

I was impressed by the acting standard achieved in many productions so have nominated a considerable number of actors for the 4 awards available. This reflects my wish to commend an acting job well done. I hope you will stand proud if your name is in the nomination list for any of the acting awards.

PRODUCTION So what about the producers?
Casting was well done with more experienced actors in the most demanding roles. There is enough evidence from the acting standards to presume you had a hand in helping actors to understand and interpret text, assist their finding of character and support their creation and development of relationships on stage. (the ones offstage are nothing but a confusion and defy direction)
All productions were well rehearsed, evidenced through polished performances with secure lines and cues as well as a confidence and feeling of ease in ensemble interaction - a sense of the company working as a team.
Stage areas were clearly defined for location with actors having good belief in place and moving easily between them. Movement and groupings within each space were more problematic for some of you eg. placing over large pieces of furniture in the wrong places creating obstacle courses for actors instead of allowing space for creative ideas to emerge. This resulted in straight line groupings, characters hidden behind settees or masked by each other as well as over static scenes.
There were also plenty of examples of effective groupings and strong ensemble work.
In West Bridgford's 'Marking Time' we believed some of the characters had known each other for years. We felt the tensions created in this dysfunctional team during their standardisation meeting. In duologues the distance between characters was used to indicate the state of their relationship.
In Burton Joyce's 'The Eckersley Rising' the build of excitement as the crowd gathered for the rocket launch was led by the radio journalist interviewing the locals for their reaction - lovely ensemble playing capturing the comedy well.
In 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' the formality of the children lined up for inspection in order of height was a lovely visual joke!

Communication - audience awareness and contact- is a shared responsibility with the actors but it's the producers job to pace and shape scenes so actors can draw in audiences through held focus, facial expression, eye contact and direct address. The producer is the audience's eye acting like a camera in film determining where the focus should be.
This was particularly well achieved by Tony Tomlinson for 'Cinderella' and Tony Breeze for 'The Eckersley Rising'
Above all there was evidence of teamwork, the unselfish giving and taking of focus during the action and this disciplined approach on stage is created and controlled by the producer.

I cannot comment on all the other roles fulfilled by producers: manager, administrator, arbitrator, negotiator, counsellor, fall guy, psychoanalyst. I can only commend the huge creative and selfless commitment made by you all, in bringing your team of actors and designers together, to make such entertaining and worthwhile theatre.

PRESENTATION Visual aspects of a production are essential and involve a huge amount of work in set, costume, lighting, and sound design. Then you've got to make it, rig it or record it - there's a budget limit so you creatively cut it down, reinvent, reuse and adapt. I was particularly impressed with the settings and costumes achieved in your productions which suggested there are plenty of skilled designers about, as well as carpenters, construction and fashion specialists, seamstresses, makeup artists and charity shop scroungers.

Let us consider SETTINGS first. The box set which so many of you used is a monster to construct with all those previously mentioned doors. Take care however to avoid a mixture of styles with realistic working doors and representative gaps in tabs used in the same production. Those of you in smaller venues perhaps worked too slavishly to the directions in the playtext and could have adapted or cut down the setting requirement to fit the shape and size of your stage area. Some of you with carpenters in tow were inventive in extending or maximising space by building on an apron stage or making trucks for quick changes of setting.
Kegworth Players in 'Outside Edge' are not only commended for their impressive apron stage but the detailed superstructure of the cricket pavilion in all its shades of green. The artificial grass for the forestage really set the scene with thoughtful stage dressing and props completing the picture. Such was our belief in this village cricket green that one audience member complained it had brought on his hayfever!
Keyworth Players in 'Key for Two' used a higher level for the bedroom with a door in between which importantly allowed the action in both spaces to be seen at once. The decor and set dressing had a sophisticated chintzy feel which was just right for the play.
Fixed settings like these are a huge job in construction, painting and furnishing - a bit like moving house really! - but once it's there it's there.Multiple settings create a whole range of interesting stage management problems.
The multiplicity of scenes in Edwinstowe Theatre Group's 'Great Expectations' demanded a radical solution. Differing interior locations were created by dressing and redressing various trucks with changes of soft furnishings providing the contrasts of status needed. Exterior scenes used a central stage area which was enhanced by back projections of photographs which suggested location and created mood and atmosphere. The company will know how many scene changes there were and the stage management team are commended for managing them so efficiently.
I mentioned furnishings earlier and understand why Auntie's settee was the only one available. However avoid choosing over large or low chairs as they restrict the acting area and may swallow you up once seated. Consider with care the social context or period which needs to be reflected in the set dressings and props.
Greasley Players 'The Deep Blue Sea' payed homage to the 1950s with its considered design details and careful gathering of period memorabilia. The contents of the galley kitchen and the period suitcases and golf clubs were a joy!
Whether you have a large or small stage to fill the solutions will always vary, being dependent on wing space, access backstage, stage management expertise and many others. I was delighted to witness such a creative range of staging and design ideas with well constructed sets providing excellent contexts for actors to work in.

COSTUME Again there is evidence of huge commitment, creativity and organisation. Lots of innovative solutions with hired, begged, borrowed and made costuming in various combinations helped actors to reveal character but also reflected stylistic and period choices. The actors seemed at ease in their clothes and from what I could see they all seemed fit for purpose. Occasionally a choice had too much formality or was too informal but this was rare.
There was excellent contrast in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' between the dowdy 1940s outfits of the children and the colourful extravagance of the magical world of Narnia. Animal masks enlivened the images of wolves, beavers and leopards.
When bringing costumes together from a variety of sources it is often difficult to ensure a holistic design in terms of colour scheme and style.
A cohesive costume design was achieved for Bonington Players 'Cinderella' with a lovely vibrant colourscheme and careful fabric choices indicative of a holistic approach in spite of a combination of sources as well as made items. Fabrics were carefully selected for their impact under lights or for their practicality for dance. The design and construction of the bed bugs costumes were stunning and contributed to the humour of the scene.
The period was revealed well in costuming for 'The Deep Blue Sea' and 'Great Expectations'. Situation and character were reflected well in the costumes for 'Outside Edge'.
Quick costume changes can be difficult to achieve but can be very effective.
I commend Sally Baldock as Anne and Jackie Turner as Harriet in Keyworth's 'Key for Two' for their dressing up sequences disguised as Matron and Nurse - the constant changes were well handled creating increasingly farcical visual images.

In comparison to set and costume design, sound and lighting were disappointing - almost an afterthought in some cases.

LIGHTING Actors were often brightly lit but there was no sense of whether it was daylight or artificial light so times of day and shifts in time were often not represented in the design. Spaces beyond doors were either dimly lit or in blackout losing our belief in the places beyond the setting. Blackouts were used effectively to indicate scene changes and time passing but I was generally disappointed in the number of design ideas in evidence. As well as indicating scene changes and passing time a lighting design should suggest changes of purpose and atmosphere.
This was achieved by Burton Joyce Players in 'The Eckerskey Rising' where changes of light isolated different stage areas clearly so each scene could move into another at pace eg. Narrator's bench to Walter's backyard. The intensity and colour of light suggested time and place as well as creating atmosphere.eg the moonlight behind the rocket and the warm sunlight of daytime scenes. A particularly eery effect was created by the ultraviolet light in the rocket with light spill over the paper plans in his workshop. Bringing up the auditorium lights at the entrance of the radio reporter allowed us to become the crowd for the rocket launch. All technical elements including well co-ordinated lighting and sound were brought together for the rocket launch.

SOUND I will admit that many of the plays selected had limited sound plots where phone calls, door bells, flushing toilets and the occasional gunshot were all that was required. All the more reason then for getting the volume right.
Sound effects were appropriate and well timed in Greasley Players 'Deadly Nightcap' with the gunshot receiving a lovely reaction from the audience. Unfortunately Joanne Potter's Sarah would never have slept or pretended to sleep through the overloud 9 o'clock chimes - it was like Big Ben rather than a domestic clock!
Some sound designers went to town!
A comprehensive range of effects were incorporated into Bonington Players' 'Cinderella' punctuating moments of slapstick and humour such as nose blowing and falls. Drum and cymbal rolls pointed dramatic moments and magical transformations. There was discreet use of radio mics for singing voices and good choices of music capturing mood and enhancing characters' emotional realisation of character.

FRONT OF HOUSE How did your patrons feel on entering your theatre?
What effort did you make to ensure their welcome, their care and comfort as well as clear communication?
As I mentioned earlier I enjoyed being welcomed by strangers and that first smile of welcome is all important. On one occasion your daft adjudicator mistook the backstage door for the foyer entrance, arrived in the scene dock backstage surprising the cast who weren't going to be told of my presence till afterwards....and yet I still received a welcoming smile from a slightly bemused steward - thank you West Bridgford!
There was a strong sense of community in most auditoria with lots of chatter and a buzz of expectation. My survey of village gossip was particularly successful at Greasley, Keyworth and Burton Joyce! It was evident that audiences provided a loyal fan base for their societies work.
All performances started promptly and were received with enthusiasm - it was a good night out with refreshments, raffles, prize draws, competitions and even stalls making the interval an important part of the event.
Foyer areas varied considerably and companies used their initiative, adapting practice to the facilities available.
Edwinstowe Theatre Group had a vast foyer area to fill at the Dukeries Theatre and in addition to the licensed bar and coffee bar provided various stalls for confectionary, the raffle and Xmas gifts and cards - this created a buzzy market place atmosphere.
In contrast the Studio Theatre in West Bridgford has a charming but small foyer area, too small to hold an interval audience. So they provide waiter service providing hot drinks, as part of the ticket price, directly to the audience in the auditorium. They even collect the dirties afterwards. It worked a treat!
The production of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' had the advantage of the Robin Hood Theatre at Averham, with licensed bar, ice cream parlour and coffee lounge. The Company decided the world of Narnia should pervuade the whole theatre so all FOH areas had been creatively decorated and adorned with banners and a portrait of Aslan in the coffee lounge with hot chocolate and Turkish delight served in the interval to complete the experience. Wardrobe doors announced the entrance into the bar besides which hung fur coats and costumes of the period with icicles hanging from the ceiling. Stewards were dressed as the animals of Narnia greeting their audience on arrival.

Did the PROGRAMMES give clear information about the production and the societies other activities?
All programmes gave essential information on the play with cast list and production team....also lists of previous productions and acknowledgements. Some also included photos, adverts, trailers of activity to come and profiles of producers and cast members.
Kegworth's programme for 'Outside Edge' was glossy, colourful and full of information, including a mailing list slip and a lucky programme number for the signed cricket bat draw. Excellent communication!
Keyworth's programme for 'Key for Two' was also glossy with an introduction from the Chairman, future dates for the diary, profiles of playwrights, feature article and a competition - 'Paul's Posers'. This was more like a community magazine and was again interesting and excellent. This society also ensured a full audience by busing them over from Keyworth to Radcliffe-on-Trent's Grange Hall.

As with your audiences I was well looked after by you all and thank you for your hospitality.

LASTLY I have to conclude that adjudication requires a mental health warning! I enjoyed an excellent open-air production of 'A Winter's Tale' at Holme Pierepont Hall last night, but my brain was constantly noting evidence and preparing notes on acting, production and technical effects. At the end I asked my friend if she wanted my comments or marks first. She wisely told me, to shut up, and have another glass of wine!

I'll drink to that.... but also to your considerable enterprise and achievement in keeping the theatre experience vibrant and rewarding for your enthusiastic audiences.

Thank goodness she's finished I hear you think! But have we won anything I hear you ask?

Yes, its time for your Oscars....those NOMINATIONS and AWARDS for this year's 'Play of the Year' Competition.