Bury Theatre Workshop

Russel Crowe Alan Rickman Robbie Coltrane Mel Gibson Johnny Depp Jack Black Kenneth Branagh John Malkovich Tom Cruise...
All these actors started out like this... And it could by YOU!
Rehearsals have started for our production of Shakespeare's 'environmental' play 'As You Like It', 6 performances of which will take place in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds, 2 to 6 July.
We need some younger male actors to play crucial roles in the play. So, if you're over 16 years and would like to take part I need to hear from you ASAP.
Contact me, Tim, the director, by email at [email protected] or by phone on 07725 629492.
Entry to the show is FREE for under 21's by the way.
Rehearsals, in Bury St Edmunds, are Monday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons/evenings.
I can't begin to explain just how much acting can bring to your life. You just have to do it! I look forward to hearing from you.
Brian Blessed John Hurt Ricky Tomlinson Colin Firth Leonardo de Caprio Morgan Freeman Timothy West Hugh Grant Sean Bean Timothy Spall... ACT NOW!

Just one performance left of The Seagull, tonight at 7:30! Don't miss out, tickets still available from https://quaysudbury.com/events/the-seagull-by-anton-chekhov/

There's still three chances to catch our fabulous production of The Seagull, today at 7:30 or tomorrow at 2:30 and 7:30. Don't miss out, tickets available from https://quaysudbury.com/events/the-seagull-by-anton-chekhov/

Break a leg to the cast and crew of The Seagull for their first show tonight! There's still time to get your tickets for the rest of the run, available from https://quaysudbury.com/events/the-seagull-by-anton-chekhov/

Tomorrow is opening night! But there's still time to get your tickets to our production of Chekhov's The Seagull at the Quay Theatre, more info and tickets available here https://quaysudbury.com/events/the-seagull-by-anton-chekhov/

Don't forget to book your tickets for our upcoming production of The Seagull at the Quay Theatre from 14-16 March! Don't miss out, tickets available now from https://quaysudbury.com/events/the-seagull-by-anton-chekhov/

Don't forget our next play reading is this Monday 23rd October! We will be exploring and acting out extracts from new plays by local writers and would love to see you there!

The play reading is 7-9:30pm at the Guildhall Tudor Kitchen (Whiting Street entrance), £3.50 on the door. New and old members welcome, see you on Monday! 🎭

There's still four more chances to see our production of The Taming of the Shrew, it's not one to be missed! Tickets available on the door or from https://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/new-productions 🎭

It's opening night! There's still time to buy your tickets for Taming of the Shrew on the door or from https://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/new-production

Don't miss out! 🎭

Less than a week to go... have you booked your tickets for Taming of the Shrew yet? Get your tickets now at https://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/new-productions 🎭

Only twelve days to go until the first performance of Taming of the Shrew! Don't miss it- book your tickets now at https://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/new-productions 🎭

Taming of the Shrew workshop - 15 March

As promised, I would like to pick up this year’s Shakespeare in the Park with a workshop of the play. This is open to all but especially to those who are interested in taking part in Shrew (in whatever capacity). If you cannot make the workshop but would still like to be involved, please let me know beforehand.

The workshop will take place at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 15 March at the Southgate Community Centre, Caie Walk, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 2PJ.

Hopefully we shall be able to finalise casting and have some fun with the play on that occasion.

I have scheduled rehearsals for the production and these start on 14 May. Of course, not everyone will be called to all rehearsals but if there are any rehearsals or periods when you know you will be unavailable it would be good if you could let me know during the workshop. Nothing is set in stone (yet).

Many thanks and I look forward to working with you!
Tx

Hi theatre lovers!
I've put together brief descriptions of each of the characters in The Taming of the Shrew. This may be downloaded from the BTW website
http://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/future-productions.html
or viewed here...
There are some really crazy characters, many of which are of no particular s*x, so I hope there will be something for everyone. It's one of Shakespeare's earliest plays and is full of physical, almost slapstick, humour, very medieval and Commedia dell' Arte!
If you're 16 or over, no matter what you think your acting experience may or may not be, come along to the Welcome Workshop on Monday evening at the New Bury Community Centre, 7.30 pm. I look forward to seeing you!
Tim
x

With the Welcome Workshop coming up next Monday (24 Oct), here is a list of the characters from The Taming of the Shrew we are hoping to identify on that evening.
I have divided this into 'definite male characters', of which there are 6, 'definite female characters', of which there are 3, and 'androgynous' characters which may be played by either men or women, of which there are between about 4 and 18.
I have also split the character list into Main roles, which will experience little or no doubling, and roles that will undoubtedly be doubled. I have also indicated the cast of the 'Induction', all of whom will be played by actors from the main play.
We will perform the play with between 12 and 16 players, not including musicians.
The play is really 3 plays, the Induction, the saga of Petruchio and Katherine and the pairing of Bianca. It requires a good deal of physical and visual comedy so please bring your sense of humour!
See you on Monday.

The full, unedited script of The Taming of the Shrew is now available on the BTW website here...

http://www.burytheatreworkshop.org.uk/future-productions.html

We shall of course be shortening the play so that it runs for no more than 2 hours and the edited script will be available for the start of rehearsals.

You'll notice a huge number of characters in the play - almost 30!
I'd like to do it with roughly the same number of actors they probably used in 1592 when it was written - between 12 and 14. A summary of the characters and the likely doubling up pattern will follow shortly and certainly before the Welcome Workshop on 24 October. Hopefully there will be something that strikes your fancy. There are characters with many and with few lines but all are equally important. Please let me know if there is any part you'd particularly like to read for.

If you play a musical instrument it would also be great to get you involved either as an actor/musician or simply as an instrumentalist.

Remember, BTW productions are open to anyone, 16 and over no matter what you think your capabilities and experience are. I know you can act. My job is to tease this out of you!

By all means download and read the play if you're not familiar with it. It is full of rather b***y and slapstick humour which I hope to make the most of. If you are particularly interested in the feminist (or not...) angle that the play is most famous for nowadays, you can jump to Katherine's big speech in Act 5 Scene ii on page 85. I'd be keen to know your thoughts - feel free to get back to me on that!

We look forward to seeing you on the 24th when we start our journey to Shakespeare in the Park, 2023.

Tim Lodge

PS - please forward this to any friends you think may be interested. With our extensive range of theatre equipment, costumes, props etc, as well as 'Shrew', we can do as many plays as our members want to do. So if Shakespeare is not your thing then we'll do something you are more suited to. We just need to meet you so that we can figure all that out! The world is your theatrical oyster (which is a phrase originating in Shakespeare's 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' by the way).

Future Productions Find out more about Bury Theatre Workshop’s future productions and how you can get involved.

Here's a synopsis for The Taming of the Shrew...

The Taming of the Shrew begins with an “induction” in which a nobleman plays a trick on a beggar, Christopher Sly, treating Sly as if he is a nobleman who has lost his memory. A play is staged for Sly—the play that we know as The Taming of the Shrew.

In the play, set in Padua, Lucentio and other suitors pursue Bianca, but are told by her father, Baptista, that her bad-tempered older sister, Katherine, must marry first. They encourage Petruchio, who has come to Padua to find a wealthy wife, to court Katherine and free Bianca to marry.

Petruchio negotiates marriage terms with Baptista, then has a stormy meeting with Katherine, after which he assures Baptista that the two have agreed to marry. Petruchio arrives late to their wedding dressed in strange clothes; he behaves rudely and carries Katherine away before the wedding dinner. At his home, he embarks on a plan to “tame” Katherine as one would tame a wild hawk. Starved and kept without sleep, Katherine eventually agrees with everything Petruchio says, however absurd. He takes her back to Padua, where they attend Bianca’s wedding. There Katherine proves more obedient to her husband than the other wives, whom she chastises before she and Petruchio go off to consummate their marriage.

The Welcome Workshop when we hope to meet new members and to cast the 2023 Shakespeare in the Park is to be held at the New Bury Community Centre at 7.30 pm on Monday 24 October. I look forward to seeing everyone with an interest in theatre and performance at this! Tim x
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