Crescent Theatre Blog

After months of Saturday morning rehearsals, the cast and crew of the Crescent’s Youth Theatre production of ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD finally moved into the Ron Barber Studio this weekend.

We now have 10 days of frantic preparation ahead before the big opening night next week.

It’s been a real pleasure working with everyone on what is set to be a great show. Good luck!

Robert F. Ball

Are you a designer (past, present OR future)?

Ever thought you’d like to learn design skills?

Would you like to help a director/designer realise their vision?

There will be an informal meeting for all those involved with, or interested in, production design on Friday, 12 February from 7.30pm at the theatre. Please come along.

This will be an opportunity to learn a little more about what’s involved, maybe sign up to work on a forthcoming production, or buddy-up with a designer and learn some skills before going solo.

Hope to see you there (and don’t be put off if you’re at the ‘thinking about it’ stage – this meeting’s for everyone).

Robert F. Ball

Arts Manager

Around a dozen members of The Crescent were present yesterday (27, October 2009) to witness Julie Walters receive her star on Birmingham’s Walk of Stars.

Julie, a local girl, chatted with an audience of several hundred people and answered questions at The Birmingham Rep Theatre after the official presentation by the Lord Mayor.

It was a lovely event and our thanks go to all involved in organising it, as well – of course – to Julie! 

Expressions of interest from directors, in the first instance, for the following productions are now sought:

MY MOTHER SAID I NEVER SHOULD, April 17-23

THE CHANGELING, May 8-15

FESTEN, June 5-12 (revised dates)

HARD FRUIT, July 3-10

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, summer tour

Reading copies of all these plays are available from the theatre office. If you’d like to be considered for any of the above productions, please contact me for details of the production and a director’s form which needs to be completed and returned by Friday, 27 November.

Potential designers for the above productions simply need to let me know they’re interested at this stage.

Robert F Ball, Arts Manager

079 7421 0265, robertfball68@hotmail.com

And here’s a shot of the cast in full flow yesterday (Saturday, 12) at the Museum and Art Gallery.

ArtsFest continues today (Sunday, 13) - why not visit The Crescent’s stall outside Habitat on New Street!

After months of planning, drawing, discussing, measuring, cutting and hammering, the big day has arrived when the set for The Crescent’s production of The Vortex starts to take shape on stage.

Pictured are Keith Harris and Judy O’Dowd who – along with a team of helpers – have put in many hours of work to get us to this stage smoothly and with the minimum of hassle. They’re seen here erecting the central wall of the set which will fly in and out to help create three different settings for each of the play’s three acts.

If you want to see the full effect you’ll have to come see the play which opens on Saturday, 5 September!

The very first play produced by The Municipal Players in 1924 was ‘Spreading the News’ by Lady Gregory. We’re marking the group’s 85^th anniversary (they later renamed as The Crescent Theatre) by producing the 1924 play The Vortex and today (Tuesday, 18 August) we continued spreading the news of our production by erecting a large advertising banner on the outside of the theatre.

There are some other events to mark the anniversary too (including productions of The Proposal and Juno and the Paycock) – see the main website for full details.

Students and teachers who may be thinking of coming to see our production of Noel Coward’s The Vortex can find a really useful information sheet on Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre’s web site: http://www.royalexchangetheatre.org.uk/downloads/education/VORTEX%20Resource%20Extra.pdf

You may also like to know that following the Friday evening performance there will be an after dark discussion with members of the cast and crew. If, however, you’d like to meet members of the team on another evening this can be arranged; please contact our box office on 0121 643 5858 with your request.

The build of the set for The Vortex is now well and truly underway at The Crescent Theatre.

A band of willing helpers got stuck in for another session this evening (Monday, 10 August) and good progress was made. There’s still a very long way to go, and much help is needed over the coming evenings and weekends. However, by opening night we’re on track to have a stunning set.

In Act II of The Vortex, Nicky tells Helen: “I’m gay and witty and handsome.” Of course, gay here is used in its original sense meaning carefree or merry, the sense in which gay means homosexual is much more modern. However, along with the cast, I’ve had to ask the question is Nicky gay in the modern meaning of the word? Is this a very subtle sub text in the play, is this something that Mr Coward could hint at but dared not make too obvious in the prevailing 1924 climate of hostility and illegality? The evidence seems to suggest it is; the author was, after all, gay and authors tend to write about their own experiences or issues that concern them directly.

There is more evidence of Nicky’s homosexuality in the text. In Act III Nicky says, “I’ve grown up all wrong.” And in Act II Bunty, Nicky’s fiancé, tells him, “You’re not in love with me, really – you couldn’t be.” All very subtle and open to interpretation. But then, in Act III, when Nicky confronts his mother we learn that he feels she has subjugated his father and we have the classic, if now largely discredited, equation of dominant mother + weak father = gay son.

Nicky’s sexual orientation has recently been explored on the professional stage in the Manchester Royal Exchange’s production starring Will Young. Of this production, Nicholas de Jongh of The Evening Standard writes: “It has taken more than 80 years and the performance of Will Young, the gay pop idol who has never acted on stage before, to bring out the full truth about Nicky Lancaster, Noël Coward’s angry young man in The Vortex … The actors who have played Nicky, from Noël Coward himself in 1924 to Dirk Bogarde and Rupert Everett, have disguised or glossed over this crucial gayness. Not so Will Young.”

And what’s the relevance of this today? Well, as I sat down to write these words news was breaking of an attack on a centre for young gay people in Tel Aviv. This is a centre that offers help and advice to young people coming to terms with their sexuality in a safe environment, free of judgement. Well that’s the idea, clearly it is no longer the case. A desperately sad act of terrorism that only serves to remind us that there are thousands of Nicky’s all over the world in 2009 still struggling with their identity in hostile circumstances.