Aesop's Fables

Celia Thatcher will be joining John to co-direct this bouncing adaptation by well known playwright Peter Terson. John Cooper chose the piece specifically for the youngest members of the company (7-12 year olds) with a new score of 17 musical numbers to be presented as a pre-Christmas treat for all the family. It must be emphasised that “Aesop” is not a just a selection of the age old stories but a full length musical play which incorporates many of the stories and morals along the way. The delightful list of characters includes all the animals you might expect from the original plus a few surprises!!
Following her hugely successful schools production of “Honk!” we are delighted to be joined by a considerable number of the cast of that show and, in welcoming the new members, very much hope they will – with our own young members- form the basis of a new generation of Stagecoachers.
Performances: “Aesop’s Fables” performs from Wednesday 13th December to Saturday 16th. December at Stagecoach Studio Theatre with performances commencing at 7.15p.m.
Tickets available from Stagecoach Box Office (Tel 674675) Adults  £6 Concessions £4

Into the Woods


Robert Reedman, in his first production with Stagecoach Youth Theatre, is directing the West-End masterpiece, “Into the Woods”. An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch ... who raps? They're all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects (a cow as white as milk...a cape as red as blood... hair as yellow as corn... a slipper as pure as gold...) required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella (with the slipper as pure as gold) Little Red Ridinghood (with a cape as red as blood) Rapunzel (with the hair as yellow as corn) and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk - with the cow as white as milk). Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disasterous results. A Giant (A female Giant, that is) steps down from the heavens and straight upon some beloved characters.  It takes a few lives before the survivors realize that they have to act altogether in order to succeed. Thus, what begins a lively irreverent fantasy becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

 Performances run from Thursday 4th to Sat 6th of January 2007 at Joseph Rowntree Theatre.

 

Carolthons


Carolthons are not only fun but also an integral part of our funding. Your support in these events is crucial for us and we would welcome as many of our members to join us this December to sing-a-long. The likely dates are as follows: Saturday 2nd, Saturday 9th, Saturday 16th, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th December. These will be confirmed in June and a rehearsal date decided.

 

An Inspector Calls

This brilliantly structured but often underrated classic has its third airing in the company’s fourteen year history. The reason John Cooper has chosen to do the piece again is that” it presents a perfect vehicle for so many entrees into discovering and dissecting a play” It is, essentially, a six hander with all the characters constantly inter-relating. It’s the perfect play to break down into units and objectives giving a clearer understanding to the characters motivations. Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer holds an engagement party for his daughter.
Enter the Inspector who turns the whole party upside down whilst investigating the suicide of a local girl. Under pressure of investigation each family member admits a guilty secret connected with her death….
Members of the cast include: Luke Dunford, Rose Alexander, Olivia Sexton
Christopher Lakin, Jonny Holbek, Cordelia Grierson and William Marshall
Performances: Wednesday 21st. -Saturday 24th. March. Performances at 7.30p.m: Tickets will be available from Stagecoach Box Office (Tel 674675) from beginning of February at £6 with
concessions at £4 and School Parties at £3.50

 

Oh! What a Lovely War

In the autumn of 1963 a drama student was given his first professional job as follow spot operator
At Theatre Royal, Stratford East. The Director was Joan Littlewood, the show was the legendary “Lovely War” and the drama student was John Cooper. John has never tackled this great piece of theatre before but has already enlisted the assistance of a Sergeant Major for drill and bayonet practice with the lads and an in depth session with a historian to give members of the cast an insight into the horrors of being on the front line in the First World War.
If you don’t know the show there are some wonderful opportunities for the girls-particularly in the areas of solo song, dance and movement…from recreating the heart rending “Roses of Picardy” to the brash and brazen “Make a Man of any one of You!”
The show, as with the original, will be using slide projections and introducing video clips to illustrate moments in this momentous milestone in our country’s history. This production still needs to be cast although a number of + 14 year old boys have already put their names down. We are not issuing application forms at the moment but are asking you to ring John to ascertain your interest at your earliest opportunity.
Rehearsals are crucial as they run over a major exam period. Please make sure your academic schedule fits although we have deliberately taken a break at the beginning of June till September.