So we’ve reached the end of another successful show at The Revels!
From the 15th – 17th May 2015, we were excited to welcome audiences to our latest production, Curtain Up! by Peter Quilter. Director Margaret Fulford has been thrilled that the show went down so well with audiences and we’ve had plenty of positive feedback.
The play follows five women who inherit a derelict theatre from one of their number’s recently deceased ex-husband. Grandmother, mother, daughter, late-husband’s lover and his ex-PA – their objective is the same. To bring the theatre back to life again. They decide to hold a concert featuring local talent and even manage to get Liza Minelli to agree to perform…but of course their plans go awry!
With numerous short scenes, lots of sounds cues and a complete set change during the interval, it’s been a challenging production, but one that was definitely worth it. The backstage team had great fun trying to recreate a theatre foyer on stage, and the cast are already looking forward to working together again in the future.
While the concept of a play about a play is hardly a new idea (think Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for instance), it can be dealt with in so many different ways and it’s interesting to see how writers work with it. What caught our attention with this script was the way the family was incorporated – in the literal sense. Being part of a theatre group can often feel like a ‘family’ when you’re spending so much time together, but to have three generations trying to work together is always going to prove a challenge – and throwing a new lover into the mix adds for some extra drama!
Of course, family is something The Revels understand well. The group was set up by Fred and Kath Clarke back in 1949 and their daughter Judeen was heavily involved in our productions for several decades, and we’ve had many other families involved over the years.
We are always looking to grow The Revels family, so whether you’re a budding thesp or are just looking for a new hobby, we’d love to hear from you. You’ll get plenty of satisfaction from putting on some excellent shows, meet new people, and most importantly, have lots of fun!
See our website www.revelsdramagroup.co.uk or email revelsdrama@gmail.com and who knows, maybe we’ll see you on stage next time!
Chris Cooper
The Revels Drama Group
This article originally appeared in the June 2015 edition of Knowle Parish Magazine.