Reps Theatre: Latest newsletter

Latest Reps Newsletter - November 2007

As the year races to its finish, the usual fast pace prevails in and around Reps, with a selection of productions in rehearsal and a plan of action already drawn up for 2008.

Membership subscriptions for 2008 are about to be finalised and we hope to have a communication about this sent out by month end. As you know, deadline for renewal is no later than January 14 (as outlined in the Reps Constitution) so we urge you to get your subs in quick to avoid loss of membership, even for the shortest time.

In terms of membership, we have had a good year with steady growth in membership and more interest being shown in our activities and we hope this trend continues during 2008. If you know anyone who could or should be a member of Reps, why not invite them to join and help them by proposing or seconding their membership application?

Little Red Riding Hood

Graham Crutchley is directing this year's panto and judging by what I have seen in rehearsals it looks like being a winner! Cast members include Marc Thomas, Martin and Sue Bolt, Paul Shephard, Fadzai Matiringa, Sue Evans and many others and this show promises to be great fun as always for the whole family.

Booking is now open and you will get an early booking discount which will steadily reduce as we get closer to Opening Night so book as soon as you can.

The panto opens on Thursday December 6 (preview the previous night) and runs until Saturday December 22, with matinee performances on Saturday December 8 and Saturday December 15.

We have had a lot of interest in gala performances and sponsored seats (for example, Toyota Zimbabwe is buying 200 tickets for the December 15 matinee for a group of elderly people and children from various homes), so anyone wanting to do something similar can either chat to the office or do their booking in The Spotlight.

Kindly Keep It Covered

Also in rehearsal is the traditional New Year farce is back by popular demand - and we are delighted to have this offering back on our calendar. Directed by Teri Grimmel, it will star Tim Harrap, Anne Fischer, Sheila Pickering, Ryan Lawrence and Karen Howard-Beard and it will run from New Year's Eve until Saturday January 12.

As many of you will know, it was an Adrian Stanley special to have a farce running at this time of the year, opening on New Year's Eve and running into mid-January and we believe there is a lot of public interest in this genre of theatrical entertainment. The script is brilliant and we all look forward to laughing our way into 2008. Bookings will open early in December.

Good Vibrations

Also in rehearsal is a musical featuring the music of the popular Beach Boys, scheduled to run from February 6 to 16. This is likely to be a joint venture between Reps and the 5Star boy band and will appeal, again, to family audiences. Written by 5Star members Richard Sticklen and Alex Fairlie, it will star them and their three colleagues in the band - Nigel Hopkins, Josh Ansley and Aaron Ziwande - as well as Jamie Bell, Katya Petrova, Sie'ntania McNeil and Christina Jenkins. Great news is that music will be supplied by The Rusike Brothers, in their first Reps production. Special guest star in the show is Erin Cooper, who has had a busy year on stage during 2007 and Stan Higgins is directing. Booking will open early in the New Year.

2008 Calendar

At the Production Committee meeting this week a provisional programme of Reps productions and our Outside Partners productions was drawn up for 2008, with these dates pencilled in - why not diarise them now and wait for final confirmation and booking periods to open? This is obviously only a guide that may change and may have a number of additional productions added to it - particularly in Theatre Upstairs.

Dec 31 - Jan 12: Kindly Keep It Covered - A Farce
Jan 5 Quarterly Entertainment: 12th Night Party (dinner dance in the Adrian Stanley Room)
Feb 6 - 16 Good Vibrations: Music of the Beach Boys
March 1: Reps Afdis Awards Night
March: A country rock music show
March 28: Ngoma Awards Night (advertising industry awards)
April 5 Quarterly Entertainment: Rock Stock and Barrel (rock concert in the car park)
April 13: Repertory Players' AGM
April: A musical show from Rocko productions - Beatles
April/May HIFA: (using the Reps complex for the first time - very exciting!)
May/June: Stretch Dance and Groan (revived by popular demand to enable people who did not see it this year to do so)
July: Mitzi Carruthers' 2008 annual spectacular
August: National Ballet's annual Season of Dance
September: Grease (reviving a popular musical and to be directed by Teri Grimmel)
October: The Rat Pack (postponed from earlier in the year)
November: National Ballet's Stars of Tomorrow
December: Annual panto
December/January: Annual farce
To be decided: Schools Festival select performances
To be decided: Joint production by Repteens and Reprobates

As you can see, it will be another busy year and a tribute to the enormous talent and drive we are fortunate to have among the Reps family and in our community in general. Remember we do it live and lots of it!!

Reprobates

Sue Bolt is up and running with a successful group called The Reprobates - people interested in theatre and wanting to learn all they can about it, especially acting. The group meets most Thursday nights and there has been a range of activity of late, including enjoyable instruction and insights from Kevin Hanssen. (Well, games and fun really).

If you are even slightly interested in theatre this is recommended for you - a great way to learn and to get involved. Anyone wanting to do so can contact Sue Bolt at bolts@celsys.co.zw for details and information.

Repteens

Chris Charnley continues to run this important section of Reps' activity and there is to be a night on stage for the team in Theatre Upstairs towards the end of the school term. Repteens is open to 13 - 19 year-olds and the group meets each Friday evening during school terms. A number of our top actors and actresses - as well as backstage crews and technical experts - have come through the Repteens route and it is to be hoped more and more youngsters will join up.

Wine Tasting

There has been a good response to the Members' Wine Tasting evening on November 21 and the event is now fully booked. Mark Oxley of Glen Lorne Cellars has kindly offered a tasting of his new selection of Portuguese wines and Gary Davidson of The Cheeseman has given some lovely cheeses for sampling after the wine tasting. Thanks to them for this support. Bunny Landon, Zimbabwe's foremost wine expert, will run the evening, taking guests through the tasting process and telling them more about these delicious wines.

Stage Director

Reps has a new Stage Director, as Marc Thomas takes over from John Bonney. Thanks to John for taking this on a year or so ago and for doing so much to keep Reps on track, as well as setting up the - Backstage Committee. Marc is hoping that 2008 will yield even more volunteers to come in to help in the various backstage areas of activity, from sound and lights to stage management and being on the general crews of productions. We wish Marc all the best and hope he has a successful and enjoyable time in this very important voluntary post.

Volunteers

Members are sought for and by most of the active committees that oversee the functions of Reps. There are various committees - Backstage, Finance, Social Events, Marketing and Publicity, and if you have an interest in getting involved (which means attending meetings and doing lots of hard work - it's not just a series of talk shops!). Then chat to Lynn Buckingham and Erin Cooper in the Reps office.

Did you know ...

...that it is the Liquor Licensing Act that governs almost all of the rules of how we operate our Members' Bar?

We are legally obliged to follow the dictates of the law or risk losing our licence and being punished in other ways. Among these rules is the very strict one that disallows anyone under 18 years of age from being in the bar at any time.

As a Members' Bar we are not allowed to serve the general public; guests who are not members must be signed in and must be accompanied at all times by a host who is a paid-up member of the society. A guest may come along only twice in a given month; he or she is free to join the society and membership forms are available in the bar at all times. If someone likes coming along they really and truly should then apply to join, rather than find someone to sign them in from time to time.

While talking of the bar, did you also know that on performance nights in the theatre, you can pre-book your interval drinks by filling in a form that the barmen will hand you on request, and paying for your drinks when you book them. You will be given a numbered slip and when you come out at interval your drinks will be ready, poured and in one of the special numbered slots around the bar for this purpose. Great for speed on a busy night.

Until next month, keep well

Regards

Tim Garrard, Chairman

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