Rose Theatre Kingston

Rose Double Plus

Posted on Wed 16 May 2012 by Ciaran McConville

I know that something is wrong when I look at the website and see that Stephen Unwin has managed to post more blogs than I have. So, I'm rolling up my cybersleeves with plenty to say after a very welcome spring holiday.

I am sitting at my desk with the front-of-house tannoy announcing this evening's performance of The Cherry Orchard, and I have just sent an email to our Rose Plus participants which made me realise what an ambitious programme our groups are taking on this summer. There are plenty of other community events outside the regulars, including some exciting stuff around the Olympics, so please do have a rifle through the website when you have time. For now, though, this is what Versophiles, Rose Youth Theatre and our Rose Plus Players have coming up:

Versophiles present

Henry IV Part Two by William Shakespeare

Sun 20 May 2:30pm, £4 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

Directed by Justin Audibert

It’s always great to see Versophiles tackling one of the histories, and this is a good one. Justin is a director with a lot of flair and dynamism, who's on the cusp of theatrical stardom. It should be a good performance on Sunday and there aren’t enough opportunities to see this unusual play, which is in many respects a fond tribute by Shakespeare to Falstaff. That and a lot more.

Rose Plus Choir presents

England, Queen & Country

Sat 26 May

Participate for £20 (10am-5pm + 7:30pm concert)

Watch the concert for £7 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

Those of you who took part in any of our previous Rose Plus Choir events will know that it is an exhilarating and unforgettable day. You arrive at 10am, learn a full programme of songs and perform them on the mainstage at 7:30pm. We’re really lucky to have Eamonn O’Dwyer on board as our musical director. He’s very talented and brings a lot of fun to the whole experience. If you don’t like the idea of taking part, why not come and watch the concert? In addition to the Rose Plus Choir, three West End soloists will also bring their take on the theme ‘England, Queen & Country’.

Poetry Party: English Summer & Sports Day

Sun 10 June, 2pm, £4 including free drink

Participation in the Poetry Parties is open to members of all our Rose Plus groups. We've even had some submissions from Rose Plus Playwriting, and I would encourage more. Previous Poetry Parties, the last being our Christmas special, have been such great fun. I think they are my favourite thing to do at the Rose. This is how it works: you pick a piece on one of the themes above, email it to me, arrange a date and time to rehearse, and I will direct you one-to-one. You can choose a poem, story, monologue, speech or short scene. On the day, all the pieces are performed in front of a public audience in the cafe. The audience is encouraged to bring a picnic (no booze, or we'll lose our licence) and there will be a prize for the best picnic on display. Which reminds me, I still owe Sian Lawson a bottle of wine for the flapjacks and muesli bars she so kindly shared around at our autumn Poetry Party! If it sounds provincial, that's because it is, and delightfully so. I am really keen that Rose Plus becomes a community and none of our events achieve this more than the Poetry Parties. If you're involved in Rose Plus, send me your submission. Otherwise, I hope to see you laying out your picnic rug at 2pm on 10 June.

Versophiles present

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Sun 17 June 2:30pm, £4 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

Directed by Dan Bird

This is the last of the four big tragedies for Versophiles to tackle. It’s a gripping thriller, for those of you who don’t know it, about ambition, deceit, guilt and courage. And it’s got witches. Please do come and see it – Versophiles readings are always great fun and Dan Bird is a much celebrated young director.

Rose Plus Players present

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Mon 9 July 7:30pm, £4 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

Directed by Madeleine Hutchins

This marks the Players’ third and final performance this year. It’s a charming and beautiful play that never fails to touch my heart. I can’t wait to see the culmination of a term’s work – and for some of our, a full year at the theatre! Rose Plus Players has been such a success and I hope to build on it over the next academic year. Some of the performances given by Players in The Crucible last month were just fantastic. Madeleine Hutchins deserves credit for building a generous, disciplined adult acting group from scratch. Well done.

Rose Youth Theatre presents

The Trial by Franz Kafka

A Version by Ciaran McConville

Mon 16 July 5:30pm, Fri 20 July 8pm

£5-£15 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

Okay, I’ve nearly finished writing this! It’s a great story (very surreal and darkly comic) and an important one. I’m proud that our Sunday juniors are throwing themselves into such a brilliant story. They must wish that their writer could meet his deadlines, but I hear from their tutor that they're doing a great job nonetheless.

Rose Youth Theatre presents

Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc

Sun 15 July 2:30pm, Tue 17 July 5pm

£5-£15 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

A really fun piece that our Saturday juniors have been working their socks off to perfect. It will be fast-paced and physical – well worth bringing siblings and offspring to see! Belloc is the inspiration behind a lot of contemporary storytellers and artists, from Roald Dahl to Tim Burton. He has a great sense of mischievousness that I really love.

Rose Youth Theatre presents

The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht

A Version by Frank McGuinness

Fri 20 July 12pm, Sat 21 July 8pm, Sun 22 July 1:30pm

£5-£15 (free to Rose Youth Theatre)

This is RYT’s big offering to the International Youth Arts Festival this year. It’s a work of genius, Brecht’s great masterpiece and, interestingly, it first premiered in the 1940s with a youth theatre in the States. Our senior students, who excelled in The Crucible, Scenes from Childhood, Hamlet and The Girl Who Never Forgot have been working on this since March.

Now, you might think that community theatre is not for you. I used to feel that way, until I saw the light. I promise you, there is something in the list above that will make your summer infinitely better by attending. Pick one. Or several. And I hope to see you there.