Spotlight Autumn 2013

FREE
to m
e
The mbers
of
Mar
Frie lowe
nds
The magazine of The Marlowe Friends
Issue 7 Autumn 2013
Rocky
Horror Show
The Marlowe welcomes
back the ‘naughty
child’ of theatre as
it celebrates its 40th
birthday on stage
Slava’s
Snowshow
The extraordinary
show that’s coming
to Canterbury
Alan Bennett
Author, playwright, screenwriter,
actor and all-round good guy talks
about his latest play, People
The Marlowe Friends
come of age
Studio Style
Phil Gallagher
We find out how it all
started 21 years ago
my Smith tells us
A
about the versatility
of this intimate space
• P10
• P18
ister Maker talks
M
about his excitement at
playing Billy in this year’s
pantomime • P13
Contents
Welcome
FREE
to me
The mbers
of
Ma
Friendrlowe
s
The magazine of The Marlowe Friends
Issue 7 Autumn 2013
Welcome to the latest
Spotlight, the magazine
for The Marlowe Friends.
Rocky
Horror Show
The Marlowe welcomes
back the “naughty
child” of theatre as
it celebrates its 40th
birthday on stage
4 News
6 Rocky Horror Show
The Marlowe welcomes back
the “naughty child” of theatre
as it celebrates its 40th
birthday on stage
8 Slava’s Snowshow
This wonderfully magical show
is coming to Canterbury
10
The Marlowe Friends
come of age
We find out how it all
started 21 years ago
12
The Marlowe Friends
special events
Exclusive talks, workshops
and tours running throughout
the year
13 Phil Gallagher
Mister Maker talks about his
excitement at playing Billy in
this year’s pantomime
14 Technically Speaking
Dawn Kingsford finds out how
the Technical team turn tonnes
of show equipment into a
sleek on-stage production
17
Laura Kimpton
Columnist Laura Kimpton
on nudity in theatre
18 Studio style
Amy Smith tells us about
the versatility of this
intimate space
Slava’s
Snowshow
This wonderfully
magical show is
coming to Canterbury
Alan Bennett
Author, playwright, screenwriter,
actor and all-round good guy talks
about his latest play, People
The Marlowe FrIends
coMe oF age
sTudIo sTyle
PhIl gallagher
We find out how it all
started 21 years ago
Amy Smith tells us
about the versatility
of this intimate space
• P10
• P18
Mister Maker talks
about his excitement at
playing Billy in this year’s
pantomime • P13
Spotlight
Issue 7 Autumn 2013
Contributors
Laura Kimpton
Dawn Kingsford
Amy Smith
Sarah Munday
Editor Sarah Munday
Design Cog Design
Photography Tim Stubbings
timstubbings.co.uk
20 Alan Bennett
Author, playwrite, screenwriter,
actor and all-round good guy
talks about his latest play,
People
ISSN 2046-4703 (print)
ISSN 2046-4711 (online)
23 D
iscounts and events for
The Marlowe Friends
Plenty of savings to be made
and events to be enjoyed
across Kent for our members
marlowetheatre.com
The Marlowe Theatre
The Friars, Canterbury
Kent CT1 2AS
Follow us on Twitter
@marlowetheatre
Write to us with your
comments at spotlight@
marlowetheatre.com
Priority booking
and ticket
discounts are the
things you enjoy
the most about
your membership
and we are
working hard to
make these even
better value.
This edition covers our new theatre’s second birthday in
October. Doesn’t time fly? For our theatre team it only seems
like yesterday that we were preparing to welcome you into this
brand new building. We have certainly learned a lot over that
time, your support and feedback has been vital to us all.
We have been listening to you again recently, with our Marlowe
Friends survey. I would like to thank everyone who completed
this and we are looking at all of your many helpful suggestions.
We are particularly pleased to see that so many of you are
happy with your membership, with 94 per cent rating it
positively. We are also happy to see that more than 90 per cent
of you intend to renew next year.
Priority booking and ticket discounts are the things you enjoy
the most about your membership and we are working hard to
make these even better value.
It has also been fascinating to know what you think of this
magazine. Nearly 90 per cent of you read it and
88 per cent of you rate it positively. This is very
good to hear and much of this success is due
to the hard work of Sarah Munday, its Editor
and chief contributor, who I would like to take
this opportunity to thank.
Thank you once again for your support and
happy theatre-going!
Mark Everett
Page 6
2
Spotlight Autumn 2013
Page 8
Page 18
Theatre director
Paul Michael Glaser
comes to The marlowe
Performance
Actor, writer, director, producer,
author and charity worker – he
may be all of these things, but
to many people of a certain
age, Paul Michael Glaser, is
simply Starsky.
The veteran performer (now
70) was the dark-haired one
in the top cop show, starring
alongside David Soul (Hutch).
The hit series played for four
seasons from 1975 to 1979.
Paul Michael also made a brief
cameo appearance in the 2004
film version of Starsky And
Hutch.
This November, fans can see
him at The Marlowe Theatre in
the lead role of Tevye in Fiddler
On The Roof. Paul Michael’s
no stranger to the story – he
appeared in the 1971 film,
playing student and Bolshevik
revolutionary Perchik who falls
in love with Tevye’s second
daughter.
Paul Michael has only appeared
on the British stage in two
productions, both antomimes.
Our Head of Marketing, John
Baker, worked with him at the
Churchill Theatre, Bromley, in
2007/08 when Paul Michael
played Captain Hook in Peter
Pan. So, what was he like? “He’s
a charming, funny man and
was obviously excited by how
popular he still was in Britain,”
says John. “He was still such an
iconic figure through his role of
Starsky and he had one of the
biggest responses in terms of
press and public interest I’ve
ever experienced.”
Generous
Grants
Development
Young people will be the main
beneficiaries from grants totalling
£60,000 given to The Marlowe
Theatre Development Trust so far
this year.
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable
Trust, Esmee Fairbairn
Foundation, Garfield Weston
Foundation, and the Kobler Trust
have contributed the money,
which is “very generous and
great news” according to Helena
Barber, our Head of Fundraising
Development.
She adds: “The grants will
support the work of our creative
team and in particular, a new
writing programme they have
planned, a youth theatre project,
and free tickets and workshops
for schoolchildren.”
Another development this
spring has been the launch of
a Corporate Members’ scheme.
Designed to form closer links with
the local business community,
nine local organisations have
so far committed themselves to
the initiative.
Hear about
it first
As a Marlowe Friend, you will
be notified by email of new
shows as soon as they go on
sale. Please ensure we have
your email address so that we
can get in contact as soon
as possible. Email Amelia
Power, our Friends Events
Co-ordinator, at mia.power@
marlowetheatre.com, or
info@marlowetheatre.com
4
Spotlight Autumn 2013
Theatre Tours are back
Marlowe Friends
They’re back! We are delighted to
be able to offer theatre tours to
Marlowe Friends again.
“These were always enormously
popular in the old Marlowe and
I’ve been repeatedly asked when
we were going to hold them
again,” says Friends Events
Co-ordinator Mia Power. “I’m
sure they will be even more
interesting in the new building –
it really is fascinating to see
behind the scenes.”
There are two types:
Tea And Tour. These cost £10 and
include a hot drink and a
slice of cake. They are at 11am
on Saturday 17 August and
Wednesday 2 October.
Lunch And Tour. These cost £18.50
and include a main course and a
glass of wine or soft drink. They
are at 11.30am on Friday 19 July
and Wednesday 25 September.
The tea and lunch will both take
place in our Riverside Restaurant.
The tour lasts approximately
one hour.
Places are limited; to book, call the
Box Office on 01227 787787.
in numbers
19
Many companies return time
and time again to The Marlowe
Theatre, but perhaps none
so regularly as Northern
Ballet. They first came to
us in 1992; taking out the
two years we were closed
for redevelopment, that’s 19
visits. Artistic Director David
Nixon says: “Our audiences in
Canterbury are supportive and
loyal and it is always a pleasure
to come so far away from our
home base and receive such a
heartfelt welcome.”
Andrew Dawson
Marlowe people
From playing the poet John
Keats for three summers in a row,
to working with prisoners,
Andy Dawson has a wealth of
theatrical experience.
But it is education that is the real
passion of the 32 year old, who
has joined The Marlowe as our
Creative Projects Officer.
Andy, who hails from The Wirral,
taught and was a creative director
at inner city schools in London
before coming to Canterbury, and
before that, he was the Young
People’s Programme Director
at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth.
He also spent time as the
Performance Director at Secret
Cinema, London’s “best kept
cinematic experience”.
Drawn to The Marlowe because
it is a new building with a new
outlook and with a new team with
“a lot of ambition and drive”, he
says: “The theatre’s namesake
has left us a legacy and that’s to
be bold, edgy and daring and the
same time, popular and accessible
to all.”
Andy also believes we should
be “a theatre for the region” and
hopes to achieve this by getting
out into the east Kent community,
especially schools (mainstream
and special), to form lasting
partnerships: “I’ll be supporting
schools through an education
programme based on or related
to The Marlowe’s programme.
Theatre is a communal
experience, whatever your age
or background.”
A prime example of this is the
work Andy and The Marlowe are
doing with the Royal Shakespeare
Company’s (RSC) Learning and
Performance Network (LPN),
a highly-regarded national
education programme. The RSC
has chosen Canterbury Academy
to be the “hub” school for the
three-year LPN.
Oxford graduate Andy (he got
a degree in English Literature
and then went on to the Central
School of Speech and Drama)
is also responsible for our
popular and expanding Marlowe
Youth Theatre.
Andy will be working alongside
The Marlowe’s Head of Creative
Projects, Danny Lipman.
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
5
Life begins at
The Marlowe welcomes back the
‘naughty child’ of theatre as the risqué
Rocky Horror Show celebrates its 40th
birthday on stage. Dawn Kingsford
caught up with the colourful composer
of this cult classic, Richard O’Brien.
Left: Oliver Thornton
as Frank N Furter
6
Spotlight Autumn 2013
f you’ve seen it before, you’ll be
the man who recently reported “feeling
buying a ticket and if you haven’t,
only 70 per cent male”.
you know you should. Put simply,
Certainly the years have been kind
the Rocky Horror Show has become
to the fresh-faced actor, who defies his
a must-see musical… and yet no one
age “thanks to vanity” (He was 71 on
seems to know precisely why.
25 March). Indeed, the young-at-heart
Least of all, its composer Richard
former Crystal Maze presenter threw
O’Brien, whose public life has been
another wild card into the mix in April
almost as unconventional as the script
when he married his German girlfriend
that shook the sexual stereotypes of
Sabrina Graf – his third wife, and half
the 1970s with songs such as Sweet
his age.
Transvestite.
But behind all the success and the
“The fact that it’s such
bluff, British-born O’Brien admits that
light-hearted naughtiness,
growing up has been both “wonderful
combined with root fairytales
and confusing”, and now he hopes to
has a lot to do with its
put down roots “back at home” in New
longevity,” suggests
Zealand, where he grew up.
O’Brien, “although,” he
“I am actually far more conservative
adds: “without Tim Curry’s
(with a small c) than one might
performance in the film from 1975, I
assume,” says O’Brien, who adds weight
often wonder whether the show would
to his protestation, pointing out that
have taken off in the first place.”
West Side Story is, in fact, his favourite
Certainly, without the
musical of all time.
musical sensation he
Indeed, the less-thanwrote at 31 as an out-ofusual role-model lists his
work actor, things would I am actually
children Linus, Joshua and
have been different for
Amelia as the three best
far more
O’Brien, who concedes:
things in his life. “I believe
“I have no idea what my
I’ve been a good father –
conservative
life would have been
but constant and
than one might flawed,
like without Rocky, but
supportive – and, on my
assume.
I would have had a good
headstone, at least, people
life because I am made
will write I’ve been loved.”
that way.”
So, will he ever be tempted to produce
Forty years on, is O’Brien
the much-talked-of follow-up to Rocky?
disappointed not to be pulling on
“My dear friend and musical writing
the fishnets again and making an
partner Richard Hartley keeps nagging
appearance in Canterbury (he appeared me for a sequel. “One day, he may get
as Riff Raff in both the film and the
lucky!” O’Brien teases.
original stage show)? “Yes. I wanted
to pop out of a cake in a baby doll
See the Rocky Horror Show at
and high heels,” is the somewhat
The Marlowe Theatre from Monday 12
predictable eyebrow-raising retort from to Saturday 17 August.
The Horrible
truth
In 1964, O’Brien
ended a hairdressing
apprenticeship in New
Zealand and returned to
Cheltenham, improbably
doing a series of jobs
for local builders before
falling into acting and
moving to London.
In 2004, a life-size bronze
statue of Richard O’Brien
in his Riff Raff space
suit was unveiled on the
site of the old Embassy
Cinema in Hamilton,
New Zealand, where he
watched the sciencefiction double bills that
inspired him.
O’Brien co-wrote the film,
The Rocky Horror Picture
Show, in six months,
famously selling the
rights for £1. It went on
to take $135m at the Box
Office and is the longest
running theatrical release
in film history.
Mick Jagger was keen to
play Dr Frank N Furter
in the film, while Steve
Martin auditioned for the
part as Brad. Scheduling
conflicts prevented
Vincent Price from
narrating the film.
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
7
the big
freeze
Amy Smith didn’t know what
to expect when she saw Slava’s
Snowshow at London’s Royal Festival
Hall. She sheds some light on it here –
and tells us why we should
all experience the magic.
8
Spotlight Autumn 2013
H
ow to describe Slava? It’s
difficult to articulate this
show without giving it all
away, but I will say that it evokes
pure happiness (quite a statement,
I know). Watching Slava, you can’t
quite believe it’s all happening – not
just the big effects like the snow, but
little touches that appear so simple
but the thinking behind it is just
genius.
It is episodic in a fashion akin to
a children’s cartoon brought to life.
It is clowning but not in a way that
people with a fear of clowns would
have a fear about – it is subtler than
that. The skill of the performers
could go overlooked with the big
stage effects in place but I feel it
shouldn’t – with the ability to utilise
every muscle in the face with the
tiniest movements
it. You almost become
We’d become
telling a story and
an advocate for it,
lost in this
raising a laugh.
which is embarrassing
dream-like world, when people presume
Children (over the
and we didn’t
age of eight) will enjoy
this is just you doing
it, not just for the
a cheeky bit of
want it to end.
clowning and spectacle
marketing. It’s just we
but because they can get
can’t help ourselves
involved. They get to play and make
– it’s a joyous experience that stays
a mess – and I think that’s important
with you, and you want people to
to show children just how much fun
experience that too.
theatre can be.
Maya Angelou once said that above
Still, don’t think this is just for
all things, “people will never forget
children – every adult’s face I saw was
how you made them feel.” That,
beaming and my friends and I came
to me, describes the experience of
out of the auditorium elated. We’d
Slava’s Snowshow. So don’t miss out
become lost in this dream-like world,
on that feeling. It’s magical.
and we didn’t want it to end.
Slava is the one show where
Slava’s Snowshow is at The Marlowe
everyone that sees it is unanimously
Theatre from Tuesday 8 to Saturday
and often annoyingly gushing about
12 October.
The Real Slava
Vyacheslav Ivanovich
Polunin (63 on 12 June),
a Russian performance
artist and clown, is the
real Slava.
A huge success – but not
commercially – it was in
1994 that Polunin decided
to make shows in the west
to raise money for his
ailing Academy of Fools,
a centre devoted to the
resurrection of the carnival
culture in Russia. Slava’s
Snowshow was one of
these shows. It has gone
on to play in more than 30
countries, with 40,000plus performances seen by
over three million people.
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
9
Left: The Marlowe Friends
Committee 2013 (from left):
June Brewer (Chairman),
Ethel Anderson, Eric Usher
(Treasurer), Barbara Holland
(Publicity), David Flood
(President), Maggie Lee,
Brian Palmer (Visits
Organiser), Rita Collett
(Vice-Chairman), Sandra
Hooper, Shirley Wilkie
We find out about the 13 men and women that met
21 years ago, with one aim in mind.
The Marlowe
Friends come
of age
A
t 6pm on Wednesday 22 July
1992, a group of 13 men and
women met with one aim: to
get as many people as possible into
The Marlowe and for them to feel a
part of the theatre.
It’s fair to say that 21 years later,
with record numbers watching shows
and Friends membership at more
than 12,000, they succeeded.
The first working party of The
Friends of The Marlowe (as it was
called) comprised Avril Barwick (who
later joined the theatre’s marketing
team); Eileen Booker; Julia Harrel;
Don Hollins; James Hyde; John
Prevost; John Robertson; Ruth Roth;
Monica Stennett; Ann Stevenson;
Dave Stevenson; Catherine Stone and
Gilly Wadmore.
John Robertson was Principal
Leisure Officer; James the first Friends
President and Don the first Chairman.
A donation of £200 from the council
got the Friends started and, after some
discussion, it was decided that annual
membership should be set at £20 for
two people and £30 for a group of up
to four. It was also decided that the
Friends bar would be available on a
Tuesday and Thursday!
Current Friends Commitee Chairman
June Brewer recalls: “Rita Collett, who
is now our Vice-Chairman, joined the
committee at the second meeting, and
I came in on the third, so we therefore
consider ourselves founder members!
“It’s safe to say that nobody at
10
Spotlight Autumn 2013
those early meetings would have ever
envisaged that all these years later,
membership would be so high.”
Don remained Chairman until
1995 when Barry Andrews took over.
June succeeded Barry in 1997. James
Hyde was President until the annual
meeting in June 2008 when David
Flood took over.
June says: “James was very wellknown and much loved. His gentle
approach and manner endeared him
to everyone and his experience in so
many fields was invaluable to each
committee. David took up his reins
with a hard act to follow but has filled
James’s shoes admirably. He is a
very pro-active President and can be
relied upon to give wise counsel when
difficult decisions have to be made.”
“Donald was a very hard-working
Chairman and tireless in his efforts
on behalf of the theatre and the
Friends. Together with James, he was
instrumental in drawing up the first
Friends’ Constitution, much of which
remains in place today.”
James passed away in 2011 and
Donald in February of this year.
Back in those early days, fundraising
wasn’t a consideration. But former
businesswoman June was instrumental
in thinking up ways to make money
and since her first concert (a tribute
to Ivor Novello) in December 1993,
£138,220.45 has been raised. This is a
total of 111 concerts which have been
seen by 26,265 people.
Below: The old Marlowe
Theatre, where the Friends
group was born, 21 years ago.
Party Time
It’s safe to say that
nobody at those
early meetings
would have ever
envisaged that
all these years
later, membership
would be so high.
Donations to The Marlowe by The
Friends have been pretty impressive
too: although there are no Treasurer’s
records from 1992 to 1998, it is noted
that various amounts were pledged,
for example, in 1994, £3,000 was given
for Front Of House uniforms, and in
1998, £10,000 for dressing rooms and a
donation towards air conditioning.
Between 1999 and this year,
donations have totalled £162,329.
Items have included dressing room
furniture, a Sennheiser system, annual
support for The Marlowe Young
Musician Of The Year competition, and
£20,000 towards the feasibility study
for the rebuilding of the theatre. The
Friends have just committed £19,800
for the purchase of new orchestra
chairs and a podium.
It seems fair that June should have
the final word: “I feel enormously
proud to be Chairman of such a solid
and thriving organisation of people,
all of whom share an interest in the
theatre and The Marlowe in particular.
“The formation of The Friends
coincided with my own retirement
from full-time employment – I now
work just as hard but for nothing!
However, the pleasure and satisfaction
I get from my involvement is hard to
put into words. I have made so many
friends and learned so many new
skills. I have always said that although
our main aim is to raise funds for The
Marlowe, just as important in my mind
is our aim to engender friendliness
within the theatre – between patrons,
visiting artistes and staff alike. There is
a very strong feeling that The Marlowe
is our theatre!”.
You can celebrate
the Friends 21st
anniversary in two
ways. The first is a
garden party in the
grounds of Terry and
Barbara Grayson’s
house in Canterbury
on Sunday 28 July.
To book tickets call
01227 363880.
The second is Gala
Night At The Proms
with the Kent Concert
Orchestra at The
Marlowe at 7.30pm on
Saturday 31 August.
Conductor John
Perkins will be joined
by soprano Kathryn
Jenkin and violinist
Mathieu van Bellen,
and the concert will
feature many “last
night” favourites with
a few surprises.
Tickets for Friends are
£13 or £11, from the
Box Office on
01227 787787 or
marlowetheatre.com.
June says: “I do hope
that as many of you
as possible will join us
to demonstrate what
a vibrant organisation
we are.”
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
11
The Marlowe Friends enjoy a range
of exclusive events throughout the year.
The Marlowe Friends
Special Events
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake
Good companions
Meet other Marlowe Friends
for a drink (tea or coffee) and
enjoy a talk by one of the
company before the matinee.
SAT 6 JUL 11.30am
The 39 Steps
SAT 20 JUL 11.30am
Midnight Tango
SAT 5 Oct 11.30am
A Passionate Woman
SAT 2 NOV 11.30am
Northern Ballet’s
A Christmas Carol
Sat 10 May 2014 noon
Matthew Bourne’s
Swan Lake
Aliens Love Underpants
FREE FAMILY
FRIENDS EVENTS
Parties, workshops, talks, tours
and more for the children in
your life.
Talks with members of the cast
and company, giving you the
chance to ask questions and
hear about life backstage.
FRI 21 JUN
Abigail’s Party (Post Show)
SAT 14 SEP 12.15pm
Aliens Love Underpants
Post-Show Party
(2–6yrs)
THU 7 NOV 6pm
Fiddler On The Roof
MON 30 DEC 5pm
Jack And The Beanstalk
Find Out About Talk & Tour
(8–16yrs)
Theatre Tours
THU 2 JAN 2014 4.45pm
Jack And The Beanstalk
Meet The Cast
Sat 19 Apr 2014 5.30pm
Peppa Pig Post-Show Party
(2–6yrs)
Spotlight Autumn 2013
FREE ARTIST TALKBACKS
FRI 9 AUG 2.30pm
The Gruffalo’s Child
Post-Show Party
(2–6yrs)
FRI 23 FEB 2014 4pm
Tom’s Midnight Garden
Post Show Q&A with the cast
after the 2pm performance
12
Priscilla Queen of the desert
THU 26 SEP 6pm
Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
Fri 19 Jul 11.30am
Lunch and Tour
Wed 25 Sep 11.30am
Lunch and Tour
Sat 17 Aug 11am
Tea and Tour
Wed 2 Oct 11am
Tea and Tour
A dream is coming true for CBeebies Mister Maker by
playing Billy in this year’s panto at The Marlowe.
The Self-made man
M
ister Maker is a man of
Kent – and proud of it!
The hugely popular
CBeebies character, real name Phil
Gallagher, is one of the stars of
Jack And The Beanstalk, this year’s
pantomime. He will be joined by
EastEnders’ Samantha Womack.
He has spent most of this year
travelling extensively for his new
series, Mister Maker Around The
World, yet home is most definitely
where his heart is. “I was born in
Gillingham, went to school there
and then Canterbury Christ Church
University, where I studied radio,
film and TV with English,” he says.
“My life is basically all about Kent.
I’ve recently moved back to Medway.
I’m a Gillingham FC season-ticket
holder, an avid Kent cricket fan and
I have close family in Rainham,
Whitstable, Hythe, Folkestone.
Even the Mister Maker team is
based at Maidstone Studios!”
Phil can’t wait to perform at
The Marlowe, where he will play
Jack’s brother, Billy. He admits to
being excited, but not as much as
his family: “I think they’ve already
bought a few thousand seats!
“Being a proud Kent boy, I can’t
wait to walk out on the stage of a
theatre that I have always dreamt
of working at. And, of course, being
back in my old home – I loved my
time in Canterbury. In fact, quite
I’ll also look to bring
a lot of energy, pace
and comedy that the
fans enjoy…
honestly, I count those uni days as
some of the happiest years of my
life. Christ Church was a lovely,
inspirational place to study and I
made a lot of wonderful friends for
life there. C4 ever!”
As far as his panto character
is concerned, Phil says: “There
will be a lot of silliness. I get to
talk to the audience a lot, which I
love. And, of course, at last I’ll be
working with the legendary ghost
gag bench!”
Phil promises that the little
people in the audience will
instantly recognise him as Mister
Maker: “Well, the hair will be the
same! I’ll also look to bring a lot
of energy, pace and comedy that
the fans enjoy… and with Paul
Hendy’s clever script-writing
skills, I’m sure there will be
a CBeebies mention or
two in the show.”
To book events, call our
Box Office on 01227 787787.
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
13
L
ike some giant game of Jenga,
it’s the job of the Marlowe’s
Technical team to turn a lorry
load of scenery, lights, props, costumes
and cue cards into a sleek on-stage
production – every time.
Simple enough, you might think,
until you look at the sheer scale of the
job – from the nine articulated trucks
of equipment it took to stage Matthew
Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty in May, to the
12 tonnes of scenery and props that
were used in Dirty Dancing.
Times that by the 87 productions
held in The Marlowe’s main auditorium
last year and another 23 in The
Marlowe Studio and you’re starting to
see the size of the operation. Indeed,
the workforce swells to almost 30,
when extra help is drafted in for bigger
productions.
Co-ordinating day-to-day operations
is Technical Manager Mark Watts (33),
who describes the job as “diverse and
demanding” for everyone involved.
“When we welcomed Glyndebourne
to the theatre for the first time last year
they staged two different performances
back to back over four days, so we
were putting up and taking down sets
in rotation the entire time,” recalls the
former National Theatre technician.
In charge of it all is 31-year-old
Ben Ranner. Previously from the
Roundhouse in London, he has been
Technical Director at The Marlowe
since April 2011, heading one of
the theatre’s busiest departments –
clocking up an incredible 243,000 man
hours between them in 2012.
He says: “If it’s not happening in
the auditorium, we’re responsible for
it, and that includes everything from
constructing the set, to getting the
cast on stage, in the right costume, at
the right time, to flying in props and
controlling the lighting and sound.”
Add to that the current trend
among production managers of
using more and more technology to
deliver the wow factor on stage and
the team’s workload shows no sign of
reducing. (Two ingenious 7.5 tonne
travellators were brought in to move
sets seamlessly around the stage for
Sleeping Beauty)
As a result, every one of his
technicians are able to construct sets, rig
lights, repair props and move scenery.
“I’ve had some incredible role models
since starting work in the theatre at
14,” says Ben, “and it’s made me realise
the value of building a multi-skilled
team. That way, when the heat is on,
That way, when
the heat is on, you
know you have
a capable crew
you can trust,
which is crucial to
eliminate risk.
Opposite page: Tom Barton
Left: Ben Ranner
Right: Mark Watts
Technically
Speaking
Spotlight’s Dawn Kingsford uses her backstage pass to find out
more about The Marlowe’s Technical team.
14
Spotlight Autumn 2013
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
15
Off-stage secrets
“I shaved my legs and
wore fishnets and
hotpants while working
as a member of the
stage crew for the
Rocky Horror Show.”
Ben Ranner
“I remember landing the
job of sourcing a very
specific 20-year-old malt
whisky that Ray Davies
wanted in his dressing
room.” Mark Watts
Left: Vanessa
Lucas
show is over.”
you know you have a capable crew
Kate Hoare (23) earned her degree
you can trust, which is crucial to
in drama last year, but also chose
eliminate risk.” (20 tonnes of lighting
to become a “techie” after working
was installed in the theatre’s roof for
backstage at The Marlowe. She is now
Dirty Dancing)
learning the ropes
It’s something that
as a Trainee Theatre
sees House Technicians
Technician.
Vanessa Lucas (32), Tom
She says: “There’s
Barton (22) and Adam
There’s far more
far more adrenalin to
Witts (37) fixing lights
be had working off
40ft above the stage one
adrenalin to be
stage than on and I’m
minute and, the next,
had working off
learning so much from
training the spotlight on
the team!”
stage or repairing scenery. stage than on
and I’m learning
Part of her training
But, like his colleagues,
has
been with Liz
Tom can think of no
so much from
White, Head of
better job: “I had my
the team!
Wardrobe since the
work placement at the
new theatre opened
Roundhouse with Ben
in 2011. Liz worked
and knew this was the
previously in the West End on
job for me. I’m very practical and get
productions including Chitty Chitty
a real buzz from building sets and
Bang Bang, where she worked with
designing lighting in a fast-moving
Richard O-Brien and Brian Blessed.
environment. There are no down
Liz said: “It’s a great business to be
sides to the job as far as I can see.”
in. I look forward to coming to work
Vanessa adds: “I love the
every day. Whether it’s dressing the
variety and being part of the final
cast, making or sourcing costumes,
performance, and while you do miss
doing the laundry or repairing dresses,
out socially because people always
you never know what’s going to be
assume you’re working, we make up
needed next.”
for it by going out together when the
16
Spotlight Autumn 2013
“I’ve always preferred
the technical side of
productions. My only
amateur performance
was in The Pyjama Game,
which I didn’t enjoy at
all.” Tom Barton (He
played double bass in
the National Youth
Orchestra of Wales)
“I love the variety my
job offers, but you have
to have an understanding
partner because of the
hours.” Vanessa Lucas
(Of seven in the technical
team, four have partners
in theatre jobs)
“I had five girls to costume
change in Dirty Dancing
and there were seven
changes in the first halfhour of the show!”
Kate Hoare
“I’m very practical, and
this has allowed me to
travel as part of my job.
I’ve welded roller-coasters
in Spain and built
scenery in Euro Disney.”
Adam Witts
“Undressing people makes
them more open so you
have to be discreet and
respect that.” Liz White
Laura Kimpton
The naked truth
I
f I’d been asked last summer
to predict which single thing
would have the greatest
impact on amateur theatre in the
coming year, I have to admit that
getting your kit off would have
been fairly low down on my list
of guesses!
Yet for the past few months this
unlikely trend has been sweeping
the am dram world and across
the country ladies, mainly of a
certain age, are stripping off.
But, before you start worrying
that a naked version of Oklahoma
is about to hit a stage near you,
let me reassure you that this is
entirely the result of the release of
the rights for Calendar Girls for a
limited period and the huge take
up by amateur theatre groups!
Barely a week goes by without
another of my theatrical friends
announcing that they too are
“going to do it”, and hearing
their attitudes towards de-robing
onstage has been very interesting.
Yet whilst their feelings (generally
a blend of fear and liberation,
often accompanied by an
intense urge to cut down on the
Merlot and Dairy Milk) are not
unexpected, what is perhaps
more thought-provoking is the
response they have received
from audiences. In a field
generally suffering from declining
audiences since the recession,
many an amateur group has found
Barely a week goes
by without another of
my theatrical friends
announcing that they
too are “going to do
it”, and hearing their
attitudes towards derobing onstage has been
very interesting.
that Calendar Girls – excuse the
pun – puts bums on seats. It would
seem fair to suggest the nudity
element must play a part in this,
much as it has in other higher
profile cases – when Jerry Hall
featured in The Graduate, Nicole
Kidman in The Blue Room and,
perhaps most obviously, in the
2007 revival of Equus starring
Daniel Radcliffe where, at the
performance I attended, a very
large proportion of the audience
were teenage girls desperate to
catch a glimpse (!) of their Harry
Potter hero.
You don’t have to look far
for the naked form in today’s
society; flashes of nudity are
commonplace on TV, often,
somewhat ironically, you might
say, in “costume” dramas, and
generally none of us bat an
eyelid. Yet onstage nudity has
the capacity to invoke an entirely
different reaction, for whilst the
prospect of actors baring all can
sometimes prove an attraction, it
can also very definitely be a source
of unease. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen a show with nudity in where
a nervous giggle hasn’t been heard
emanating from somewhere, even
if the nudity is not intended to
be amusing. Sometimes you can
sense a general air of discomfort,
often accompanied by mild
fidgeting – a subconscious attempt
to break the tension.
The fact that theatre is live
and therefore more “in your
face” than other mediums must
account for this difference. But,
barring episodes such as the 2011
Sadler’s Wells ballet in which
the naked cast scrambled over
audience members (a clear step
too far for many) it seems a pity
that audiences sometimes find
it difficult to accept occasions of
nudity, to see beyond it and let
it resonate and invoke the
intended response.
After all, its unique ability to
move, to challenge and to shock
us with an immediacy that films
and television cannot replicate, is
surely the very thing that makes
theatre so beautiful and powerful.
Laura Kimpton: Marlowe Friend,
keen amateur actress and yet to
feature as a Calendar Girl...
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
17
The redevelopment of The Marlowe Theatre allowed the possibility of
larger scale shows – but also the lovely adverse of this with The Marlowe
Studio: intimacy and inclusion with smaller-scale performances allowing
you to feel part of an exclusive theatrical experience, writes Amy Smith.
Studio Style
T
he programming is as varied as
the main auditorium, hosting
something for everyone with
drama, dance, music, comedy and even
small-scale circus.
The end of the month (June) sees
Accidental Collective, The Marlowe
Studio’s first Resident Associate
Company, stage their first coproduction, here is where we meet. This
is an exciting venture for The Studio: to
have local and acclaimed artists come
here to produce and present new work.
My personal highlight of The
Marlowe Studio’s next season is
Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Translunar
Paradise – a moving piece of mask
and movement theatre exploring
themes of love and loss. The company
are award-winning and have toured
this production to unanimous critical
acclaim around the world – and now it
comes here, to The Marlowe Studio.
The Marlowe Studio also boasts
versatility with the 150 seats being
easily retracted to create a different
kind of space – one that can host
standing music gigs, our hugely
popular Marlowe Comedy Cabaret, and
Friends concerts with table seating. It’s
even the perfect spot for a Christmas
party and other functions.
Whether seeing Vaudevillian
acrobatics, an adaptation of a classic
Dickens tale or that comedian you
always love on panel shows – you are
guaranteed a memorable experience.
The beauty of The Marlowe Studio is
that you get all this at close proximity,
being right there with the performer
in the moment – and surely that’s what
theatre is all about?
Main image: So & So
Circus’s The Hot Dogs.
Photo by Mark Morreau
Left: The Marlowe Studio
set up for a conference
18
Spotlight Autumn 2013
The Studio also
boasts versatility
with the 150
seats being
easily retracted
to create a
different kind
of space.
What’s it like
to be in The
Marlowe Studio?
We asked three people
who went there for
different reasons:
Audience member.
Sarah Munday, mum:
“Edward, my sevenyear-old son, loves going
to youth theatre in The
Marlowe Lab every
week, but he especially
loves being able to
‘perform’ in front of an
audience in The Studio
on the last session of
every term. It’s a real
treat for the children to
show what they have
been doing in a proper
space and they seem to
rise to the occasion. It
goes without saying that
we love to watch them!”
Practitioner. Ben
Travis, organiser of
The Marlowe Comedy
Cabaret: “The Studio
works perfectly for
these regular evenings.
The space is so flexible,
allowing us to create
a uniquely intimate
environment for standup comedy which
performers and audience
members really love.”
Christmas party. Clare
Williams, Department
of Work and Pensions:
“The meal and disco that
followed the panto were
excellent. The staff were
all so friendly. In the end,
everyone was dancing
with the other people in
the room – it was a really
good atmosphere.”
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
19
A
In the spotlight
Alan Bennett
Man of
the people
20
Spotlight Autumn 2013
uthor, playwright, screenwriter,
actor and “national treasure”.
Except, whatever you do, don’t
call Alan Bennett a “national treasure”,
writes Sarah Munday. How many
times was I told this when I mentioned
(somewhat smugly) to people that
I was to interview him? This selfdeprecating, private, funny, brilliant,
cuddly (yes, really!) man doesn’t like
it – so what should I call him?
To start with, I’d call him a man after
my own heart. In our round-the-table
chat at the National Theatre (after
watching his latest play People, coming
to The Marlowe in October), 79-yearold Alan was asked how he writes.
“With a pen”, he replied. “Jelly [I think
he meant gel] pens have come as a
godsend to me because they are very
free-flowing and I like them, but before
that I used a fountain pen that stopped
being a fountain pen so I used to dip
it in the ink, and then I transferred
to the typewriter. But that got harder
because typewriters are liable to break
down and are harder to get mended
and because I get arthritic.
“What happens is they end up having
to transcribe it here [at the National]
from bits of paper stuck together. We
had a computer because I thought the
keyboard would be lighter to use, but it
got stolen and we’ve never bothered to
replace it.”
It’s this lack of technology that means
Alan has no ambition to join the world
of social media: “I have got, I think, an
iPhone but all I use it for is as a phone;
I can’t photograph with it or use it as
a spotlight so I suppose it’s a bit of a
waste, but someone bought it for me.”
No matter how he writes, it’s what
he does best – and most. As one of
our most prolific authors, perhaps his
most familiar works are Talking Heads,
The Lady In The Van and The History
Boys. And now there’s People, which is
running at the National before going on
a small UK tour. Untold Stories (which
comprises two childhood memoirs,
Hymn and Cocktail Sticks) transferred
from the National to the West End
earlier this year, and he is working on
a new radio drama that adapts the plot
of Hamlet to the present day.
People is set in a decaying stately
home belonging to the decaying
stately Dorothy Stacpoole (played at
the National by Frances de la Tour,
and by Siân Phillips on tour). Dorothy
has to decide what to do with the
property: should she hand it over to
the National Trust, as her overbearing
sister wishes, or find some other way
of making it pay (including renting it
out as a location for porn films)? But
PST – People Spoil Things – and she
doesn’t want them traipsing through
her house.
Alan described writing People as an
“itch” – and one he still has: “When I go
round country houses and sometimes
exhibitions, I look at other people and I
think, well, what is it they’ve come for
and what have I come for? The fact that
you can’t, or very rarely, explain why
you are there, or what it is you hope to
come away with, depresses me really.
“I think that’s what it came out of.
And when the play first started
that was taken to be some sort of
criticism of the National Trust, and
it’s not really.”
For the full interview, go to
marlowetheatre.com (under People in
the What’s On section).
Above: Frances de la Tour
(left) and Linda Bassett in
the National Theatre’s
production of People
Left: Alan Bennett.
Photo by Johan Persson
I have got, I think,
an iPhone but all
I use it for is as
a phone; I can’t
photograph with
it or use it as a
spotlight so I
suppose it’s a bit
of a waste, but
someone bought
it for me.
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
21
Discounts for the Marlowe Friends
The Riverside restaurant
at the marlowe theatre
The Marlowe Friends:
from 10% off food and hot drinks,
including pre-show menus
Platinum Friends:
from 15% off food and hot drinks,
including pre-show menus
The Marlowe Theatre
The Friars
Canterbury CT1 2AS
01227 862485
marlowetheatre.com
A Simmonds Jewellers
5% discount on all purchases
27 St Margaret’s Street
Canterbury CT1 2TG
01227 769842
Anthony Gray Clocks
10% discount on clock restoration
South Goodwin House
St Margaret’s Bay
CT15 6DT
0845 2601631
anthonygrayclocks.com
Build-A-Bear
10% discount on purchases of £15
or more (ask a member of our team
for terms and conditions)
Whitefriars, 7 Gravel Walk
Canterbury CT1 2TF
01227 769295
buildabear.co.uk
Butterflies Tea Room
10% discount on total spend
Stone Street, Petham
CT4 5PW
01227 709719
butterfliestearooms.co.uk
Canterbury Camera Centre
10% discount on developing
and printing (excl. digital)
Unit 4, St Georges Centre
Canterbury CT1 1UL
01227 763905
cant-cameras.demon.co.uk
Canterbury Cathedral
2 for 1 on entrance and guided tours
The Precincts
Canterbury CT1 2EH
01227 762862
canterbury-cathedral.org
Canterbury Tales
Special discount ticket
£6 per head on presentation
of this voucher, valid until
31 December 2013
St Margaret’s Street
Canterbury CT1 2TG
01227 479227 (info line)
canterburytales.org.uk
Cathedral Shop
10% discount
(excl. online sales)
25 Burgate
Canterbury CT1 2HA
01227 865300
cathedral-enterprises.co.uk
Chromos Art Shop
10% discount on art and
craft supplies (excl. special
offers and publications)
77 Stour Street
Canterbury CT1 2NR
01227 450836
chromosart.co.uk
Crowthers Music
10% discount
on music and CDs
1 The Borough
Canterbury CT1 2DR
01227 763965
crowthersofcanterbury.co.uk
Espression
Paint Your Own
Pottery Studio
10% discount on creatives
29 Palace Street
Canterbury CT1 2DZ
01227 765665
info@espression.co.uk
espression.co.uk
Fudge Kitchen
10% discount
16 Sun Street
Canterbury CT1 2HX
01227 479399
fudgekitchen.co.uk
Funky Monks
Clothing
10% discount
21 St Peters Street
Canterbury CT1 2BQ
01227 781781
funkymonksclothing.co.uk
Kent Ballooning
10% discount on all Flight Vouchers
Yew Tree Studios
Stanford North
Ashford TN25 6DH
01303 812812
kentballooning.com
Leo’s Pride
5–10% discount on most holidays
259 Canterbury Road
Herne Bay CT6 7HD
01227 363636
leospride.co.uk
Madame Oiseau
Fine Chocolates
10% discount on all chocolates
(purchases over £10)
8 The Borough
Canterbury CT1 2DR
01227 452222
madame-oiseau.com
contact@madame-oiseau. com
Marlowe’s Florist
5% discount on all flowers
St Margaret’s Street
Canterbury CT1 2TH
01227 463275
marloweflorist.com
Ortwin Thyssen
Jewellery Maker
30% discount on any valuations
of jewellery carried out by a
registered independent valuer
53 Palace St
The King’s Mile
Canterbury CT1 2DY
01227 788200
info@jewellery-maker.co.uk
jewellery-maker.co.uk
Revivals
10% discount
42 St Peters Street
Canterbury CT1 2BG
01227 768033
revivalscanterbury.co.uk
Rituals
15% discount on full price items
(free hand massages and free
makeovers. We also offer free
group make-up lessons)
21a Marlowe Arcade
Canterbury CT1 2TJ
01227 458889
rituals.com
Team Buckley
10% discount on all treatments
2 Broad Oak Rd
Canterbury CT2 7PW
01227 458430
teambuckley.co.uk
Shows at the marlowe Studio
Sun 30 Jun 7.30pm
Divas And Diamonds:
With The Three Sopranos
The Dressing Room
10% discount on all purchases
74 Northgate
Canterbury CT1 1BB
01227 454712
dressingroomshop.co.uk
Linda Watts, Diana Vivian & Judith
Buckle, with Carol Anne Wells
Sun 10 Nov 7.30pm
Tim Stubbings
Photography
Minimum 10% discount
01227 460604
photo@timstubbings.co.uk
timstubbings.co.uk
An Evening With
Mandy Winters
Whitstable Holiday
Properties
£20 discount on any holiday
Hillcross Estates
224 Tankerton Road
Whitstable CT5 2AY
01227 273318
hillcrossestates.co.uk
Wildwood Woodland
Discovery
One child per family goes free
(not available on bank holidays
or in conjunction with any
other offer)
Wildwood Trust
Herne Common
Herne Bay CT6 7LQ
0871 7820081
wildwoodtrust.org
Wilkinsons Taxis
10% discount
on all metered fares
Unit 4 Dunkirk
Industrial Park
London Road
Faversham ME13 9LG
01227 450450
wilkinsontaxisltd.com
Woodlands Hair Beauty &
Holistic Therapies
15% discount on first treatment,
including pamper packages
26A High Street Bridge
Canterbury CT4 6EH
01227 830120
woodlands-bridge.co.uk
Sun 15 Dec 7.30pm
Tinsel Time With
The Totties
Carolyn Allen and Paul Smith
Tickets for all concerts: £13.50, Concessions: £12.50, The Marlowe Friends: £11.50
Noticeboard
Walking Treasure Hunt
Wine and Wisdom
There will be a walking treasure
hunt in Ramsgate on
Sunday 25 August for Marlowe
Friends, their friends, families
and well-behaved dogs!
The next two monthly wine
and wisdom evenings are fully
booked, but organiser Sandra
Hooper is always looking for
new players.
The cost is £2.50 for adults;
children go free.
If anyone is interested, call her
on 01304 611470.
Please call Sandra Hooper on
01304 611470 for full details and
to book.
Reviews of our outings can be found on The Marlowe Friends
page of the website marlowetheatre.com
All discounts on presentation of your Marlowe Friends card.
22
Spotlight Autumn 2013
Autumn 2013 Spotlight
23
Jack And
The Beanstalk
A giant of a pantomime!
Starring Samantha Womack, Phil Gallagher,
Ben Roddy and Lloyd Hollett
Fri 29 Nov 2013–Sun 12 Jan 2014
marlowetheatre.com 01227 787787