So now we needed actors and where better to find them than Spotlight.  We posted an advert for our six actors and had around 40 replies – a nice number.  We invited 16 to come for an audition, appropriately enough in the Library Room at Spotlight.  Murder in the Library with a Dagger!   We had such an enjoyable day – what talent there is out there!  If only we’d been able to offer roles to all of them, but we only needed six.  Some tricky decisions had to be made and some regrets that we couldn’t have everyone!  Decisions were made though and we’re delighted with our six actors.

We started with the theatre – lets face it, if you don’t have a venue nothing can happen.  Having made a list of all the small theatres in London and looked at their hire policy there were a few options.  Most of them had drawbacks.  Theatres above pubs have access issues.  Can you imagine taking a set and all the props upstairs?  Downstairs at the end might not be much better, and the audience might struggle too.  Other theatres were miles from a station, or in really busy areas on double yellow lines – the set again!   Still others were only keen on hiring out for plays addressing current issues or by promising young playwrights. Our play failed on both those counts.  Questors Theatre in Ealing had the advantage of having the right size theatre, easy access, not far from a tube, and close to some of us, and most of all was available in November.  Problem sorted!

Well, that’s what I wondered back in February when I first decided to stage the play that Ted finished  a couple of years ago.  All you need is a theatre, director, actors, set, costumes, lighting, sound, posters…..   well that can’t be impossible can it?

Comments:

David Lewis on 2015/12/10 at 5:09 pm:

When Gillian announced her intention to put on this play, at about nine months’ notice, I strongly advised her to defer the performance by six months or a year, in the belief that she had given herself far too little time. It was sound advice, but she ignored it. That is what impressed me! I am always impressed by competence (a rare commodity), and by self-confidence which, when justified, is the result of a history of successful projects. Needless to say, she bet on herself and organised a masterly production which we all enjoyed very much, which brought Ted’s script to life, and which provided much food for thought and discussion.