the

R O A K C The newsletter of TOADS Theatre Company

June 2

017

Casting & Production News

www.toadstheatre.co.uk

Any feedback and sugges ons about content and layout for future Croaks is always welcomed. However, the editor reserves the right to peruse such feedback at his leisure and then completely ignore it.

The Croak is edited and compiled by: Jon Manley (the “fluffy bunny” one!)

Last of the Red Hot Lovers By Neil Simon

13—18 November 2017 Directed by Mar n Waddington

Role Age(ish) Barney Cashman (kindly, neat, middle-class) ................ 40 to 55 Elaine Navazio (dry, cynical, unafraid) .......................... 30 to 45 Bobbi Michelle (self-absorbed, bonkers) ................... 20s to 30s Jeane e Fisher (moral, introspec ve) .......................... 35 to 50 A classic Neil Simon piece, urbane and wi y, with crackling smart-Alec dialogue. Set in New York, this is not so much one play as three short playlets. Hapless hero Barney Cashman, desperate not to miss the 1970s sexual revolu on, invites a woman (on three sepa-rate occasions) to his mother’s empty East Side apartment, hoping for a roman c fling with each one. None of the seduc-

ons goes to plan, but Barney discovers thereby that perhaps there is more to life than extra-marital hanky-panky.

All ages quoted above are approximate! Scripts are available from the Box Office. Please return these as soon as you can.

If you are interested in audi oning do get in touch, even if you cannot make the scheduled date. Produc on volunteers also welcome.

Any queries, contact Mar n Waddington on waddingtonmar n@hotmail.com

Telephone 077 48665482 or 01803 290038

The Heiress By Ruth & Augustus Goetz

16—21 October 2017 Directed by Ian Cooper

Role Age(ish) Dr Sloper (dis nguished MD) ................................................ 60+ Catherine (his daughter) ....................................................... 30+ Morris Townsend (Catherine’s suitor) ................................... 25+ Lavinia Penniman (Aunt to Catherine) ................................... 50+ Mrs Montgomery (Morris’ sister) .......................................... 35+ Elizabeth Almond (Aunt to Catherine) ................................... 50+ Marian Almond (Elizabeth’s daughter) .................................. 25+ Arthur Townsend (Marian’s fiancé and Morris’ cousin) ......... 25+ Maria (Dr Sloper’s maid) ....................................................... 18+ This is a beau fully cra ed play, set in the late 19th Century in Washington Square, New York (but it is English spoken!). Cathe-rine is a shy, unsophis cated, plain-looking woman; her father, Dr Sloper, blames her for the death of her mother, who died giv-ing birth to her. Morris Townsend courts Catherine, and she be-lieves him to be sincere. Her father believes Townsend is a er her inheritance, and threatens both par es with disinheritance if Catherine marries Morris. Catherine confides in her aunt Lavinia, and makes plans for her perceived future happiness …

All ages can vary from the script, dependant on audi onees. Scripts available from Box Office

(please return as soon as you’ve read the script to give others the opportunity of doing so)

If interested, but unable to a end audi on, please let Ian know.

Any queries, please contact Ian Cooper on 01803 872926

ianheth.coops@hotmail.co.uk

Reading: Sunday 18th June, 2.30pm Audi ons: Sunday 25th June, 2.30pm

Reading: Sunday 16th July, 2.30pm Audi ons: Sunday 23rd July, 2.30pm

The new brochure is out and I hope you all like what is being offered in the next season. I need to alert the membership to a problem we are facing at the moment. Many people have been away; me in-cluded, or commi ed to other produc-

ons. Consequently the resources we have been able to call upon have been much reduced. For “Flat Spin” the draw-ers-up of the various rotas have had a really difficult me. We came within a hair’s breadth of not opening the bar and coffee shop because not enough volunteers came forward to staff them. I told Jon Manley if he couldn’t find peo-

ple he should simply not open up. How-ever he went on the phone and pleaded with people to help and people turned out. As Chairman and on behalf of the company, I am really grateful to every-one who helped in whatever capacity. However, I am fearful for the two pro-duc ons which kick off our new season, both of which are fortnightly runs and EACH requires 100+ café, bar and FOH slots to be filled. Yes 100+. I am there-fore asking, no I am pleading, and if you are free, please do what you can to help rather than feel you have done your s nt. We had a warm spell during “Flat Spin” and our audiences were eager for

refreshment before and during the per-formances. Had we been forced to close the bars, they would have gone away with a nega ve view of our theatre spoil-ing the excellent work of the cast and the produc on team. It is not just about the income we can earn, we need to think about our audiences and how much we would like them to return to see future produc ons in which many of you might well be performing. Lecture over.

Roger Heath

Bijou Theatre Co presents at The Palace Theatre, Paignton

And Then There Were None By Agatha Chris e

Directed by Sarah Caplan 6th June—27th July

Tickets: 01803 665800

Teignmouth Players presents at The Ice Factory, Teignmouth

Not Quite The 39 Steps By Laraine Ferguson & Gay White

Directed by Laraine Ferguson 7th—10th June

Tickets: 01626 778991

3tc presents at The Ice Factory, Teignmouth

Darra’s Coffin By Roger Woodcock

Directed by Seamus Mackennon 19th—22nd June

Tickets: 01626 778991

FROM THE CHAIR

Not before me, we are now plunged into some respectable weather, alt-hough ‘respectable’ is not o en used to describe Wedders! Surprisingly, a end-ance has not fallen off, despite the pull of the garden; but we have had some cracking presenta ons recently. May started with our review of ‘Death in High Heels’, a story of intrigue in an haut-couture house, which was a new script to many of us. The general consensus was very posi ve, which the good audience response backed up! Then we had the return of Gay White with another of her mysterious quizzes, which are always thought-provoking, giving rise to some exaspera-

on and a great deal of amusement. Thanks, Gay! The subject of theatrical cri cism provoked some interes ng comment.. We agreed that Wednesday Club would con nue with our monthly reviews, as this gave considered feedback from people who were experienced in thea-tre. It was noted that we must always

tailor any comment to be construc ve and not destruc ve. Joy Horne took over for our post-Brexit discussion, which has been brought sharply into focus by the Gen-eral Elec on. I gather that many good points were made during the cut and thrust of argument, and that, as o en happens, Tony Hirst summed up the proceedings perfectly. Our review of ‘Flat Spin’ will round off May, and June starts with a long-awaited talk on The Memory Cafe Project. This was something the Com-mi ee passed to Wednesday Club to take up and organise, and involves us-ing Toads as a base for monthly mee ngs to help remind people of their past. Liam McGrath, the Demen a Sup-port Manager, will be with us to explain the detail. The following week we have Audrey Cross and Mike Robbins giving us a poetry ma nee … “The Seven Ages of Man”. Mike and Audrey were stal-warts of our commi ee when I first

joined, back in the days of Jean Roberts and Barrie Wilson … Audrey last graced our stage in ‘Local Affairs’ in 1992, and Mike in ‘The Praying Man s’ Wedding’ in 2008! We will then discuss the post-elec on ramifica ons in “Quo Vadis?” as a follow-on from last month’s poli -cally-charged mee ng. Nobody knows what form this might take! June rounds off with our review of ‘Pygmalion’, by George! … but don’t call him that; he insisted on just Bernard Shaw. Did we dislike it? ‘Not Pygmalion likely!’ A er suffering the rigours of EasyJet departure from Marseille air-port, we have every sympathy with the bewildered throngs at Heathrow. Now for a long holiday in Torbay this Sum-mer! Finally, many congratula ons to regular Wedders a endee Mar n Wad-dington, and his partner Pieter Horn, on the occasion of their recent wedding.

John Miles

Wednesday Club

June Productions from other Societies

Listed here are some essen al contact de-tails: Box Office 01803 299330 boxoffice@toadsli letheatre.co.uk if you’d like to get involved in front-of-house du es

Jon Manley* and/or 07815 323982 Jackie Tarney boxoffice@toadsli letheatre.co.uk if you’d like to help in the coffee shop

OR if you’d like to help behind the bar

Jill Pe grew* 01803 525071 jillpe grew@hotmail.com if you’d like to join the wardrobe team

Anne Jordan 01626 330866 annepoppy@blueyonder.co.uk if you’d like to join the props team

Jon Manley* 07815 323982 jon@jonthepcdoctor.co.uk if you want to submit an ar cle for Croak

John Miles 01803 858394 johnmilesandmiles@gmail.com for Wednesday Club

Andrew S dston 07976 364412 orby100@yahoo.com If you’d like to help with set-building

Al Dunn 07880 734880 al.dunn@icloud.com If you’d like to get involved with techy stuff If you want to act, or get involved back-stage in any produc on, or as props or prompt, contact the director in each case, whose number will always be listed in The Croak with the audi on informa on. If

you're s ll not sure who to call, any mem-ber of the commi ee will always help to point you to the right person. As well as those names marked with an asterisk above, the commi ee members are: Peter Burcher 07715 019762 petergburcher@gmail.com Alan Tanner 01803 613701 altanltd665@gmail.com Lisa Fletcher 07854 578160 nothingcompares04@gmail.com Roger Heath 01803 296297 roger-heath@sky.com Alec Stokes 01803 872473 dialstokes@b nternet.com Anna Reynolds 01803 553803 annareynolds23@hotmail.com Mar n Waddington 01803 290038 waddingtonmar n@hotmail.com

Do you want to get more involved with TOADS? Not sure who to contact?

Announcements

Reminder: FOH dress code Could all volunteers undertaking FOH du es please adhere to a “black & white” dress code. We don’t expect you to wear “black e” but being dressed in black & white helps to iden fy you as FOH, thank you. (This does not apply to bar and coffee shop where “smart casual” is acceptable.)

The Committee

QUIZ NIGHT We will be having another quiz night, to be held in the bar, on Saturday 8th July, commencing 7pm. Sub-ject to a maximum of 50 a endees. There will be no charge and “nibbles” will be provided. If interested, please contact Lisa Fletcher (details below). More details will follow in the July Croak.

Directors and poten al directors TOADS will be organising an informal get together in the next few months for any volunteers who might have an interest in direc ng—we want your ideas and input!! Further details will be announce in Croak in the near future—watch this space!

The Committee

A Bedfull of Foreigners By Dave Freeman

7—19 August 2017 Directed by Alan Tanner Role to be played by Karak ................................................................. to be confirmed Heinz .................................................................... Dave Cloherty Brenda Parker ........................................................ Sheila Gilbert Stanley Parker ........................................................... Paul Lewis Helga Philby........................................................... Cathy Cowell Claude Philby ........................................................... Andy Bailey Simone ........................................................ Jemma Carlin-Wells Crew SM....................................................................... Julie Hancocks ASM & Props ..................................................... David Hancocks Prompts.......................................... Louise Bourton & Cora Gant

Any queries please contact Alan Tanner on 01803 613701

or altan@tqltd.fsnet.co.uk

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Dates for Your Diary June 2017

Pygmalion 7.30pm

Flat Spin

Pygmalion 7.30pm

Pygmalion 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Pygmalion 7.30pm

Wednesday Club 2.30pm

Wednesday Club 2.30pm

Wednesday Club 2.30pm

Wednesday Club 2.30pm

Pygmalion 7.30pm

Pygmalion 7.30pm

Pygmalion Charity—7.30pm

Theatre Club evening