The Web: August 2018

Newsletter of the Red Spider Company

Click here to download The Web 2018 as a PDF

Well, it seems we were nearly a year early when the words “Here comes summer” appeared in The Web in July last year. What a mistake that was, but time cures everything, so after a really good production in February of, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Spidershave had ample opportunity to recover from the deprivations of a really dreary few months and “The Beast from the East”, so we hope you are now ready to gird your loins for our next two projects:

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n the 1stDecember 2018, we hope to reprise a successful exercise, last undertaken in 2003, when a star-studded cast, including Selby Johns, Mike and Pam Ingham, Mary Rolfe, Bill Stuart, Tony Kemeny and Roy Stacey, undertook a rehearsed reading of a dramatisation, by Philip Guilmant, of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. This involves no fewer than eighteen characters, including Dickens himself, Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future, telling the tale, over two Acts, of Scrooge’s conversion from curmudgeon, to congenial elder statesman. Packed with plenty of “Bah Humbugs”, and evocations of Victorian Christmases, the whole will be interspersed with a range of musical interludes.

Each Act lasts some 40 minutes and will be separated by a delicious supper; main course provided by our old friends, Nippy Chippy (fish and chips or alternatives) and puddings courtesy of RSCmembers. We will be returning to our favourite venue of Lewdown Victory Hall for this evening and there will, of course, be both a bar and a raffle.

This is intended to be a fun evening. Although there will be rehearsals, there are no lines to learn and there are parts for all ages, as well as opportunities for all kinds of musician and singer, including a children’s choir and, of course, carol singers, to take part.

If you were in any doubt as to whether this will be fun, the Director is none other than Martin Perry, with some assistance from Maureen Cooke.

It is hoped to get the project under way on Sunday October 7that 2.30 pm, at Lewdown Victory Hall, with a casting and read through. If you are interested, but unable to come along on the 7^th, please get in contact with either Martin at (martinperry.northlew@gmail.com), or Maureen at (mocooke@btinternet.com).

Rehearsals will take place on Sunday afternoons throughout November, culminating on 29^thand 30^thNovember with set up, dress rehearsal and interaction with the musical acts.

More details will follow and tickets will, as usual, be available well in advance, price £TBC, to include supper.

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ollowing a very enjoyable evening reading scenes from two plays by J.B. Priestley, Eden End and Dangerous Corner, earlier this year, RSC are now planning to produce one of Mr. Priestley’s most renowned plays, Dangerous Corner, in the Spring of 2019.

If you would like to think about getting involved with this production and want to know about the characters, please visit the following link: www.jbpriestleysociety.com/dangerous-corner.

It is planned at the moment to hold performances on 25th– 27thApril 2019, again at Lewdown Victory Hall, but there may also be some follow-up performances at Mount Kelly in Tavistock.

We are extremely pleased that another well-known Spider. Alan Payne, has agreed to take up the role of director once again.

A casting meeting will take place on Sunday 16thSeptember, at 2.30 pm, at Lewdown Victory Hall. If you are interested, please contact Alan at (magenta@trebick.com) for more information in advance of September, to express your interest. Rehearsals are planned to commence in February.

Casting ‘Dangerous Corner’
Sunday 16 September 2.30pm
Lewdown Victory Hall

Casting and read-through
‘Supper with Scrooge’
Sunday 7 October 2.30pm
Lewdown Victory Hall

If you would like something included in a future edition of The Web, please drop a line to Amanda (amandakgreen@hotmail.co.uk).