Am Dram

[Magic Hans]

Anyone have done, currently do or fancy doing Am Dram on here?

[Those not familiar with the abbreviation for Amateur Dramatics, please choose 'Never been interested'!!!!]

We're putting on "HONK!" on Valentine's week funnily enough [co-incidence I think], a recent (1997) musical of the Ugly Duckling story. It's very funny.

Please feel free to share your Am Dram experiences! Both on stage and back stage.

Break-a-leg .... Ian

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Ok guess i'm alright to post on this thread I'm studying acting and performance at college now, i'll tell you about my amateur stuff so far.

I first started acting classes when I was 8, but I didn't do any performing until I was 12 I think. Whilst at my local youth theatre a student from the RSAMD came along and took our group (one of three) to act in a 'film' for him. I can't remember all of the details, it was a while ago but i'll try! It was scripted from the book 'Junk' writen by Melvin Burgess about two teenagers living with heroin addiction. Because of my age I was cast as Lily, who was already addicted to heroine and in a relationship with Rob (I think) So anyway, my first part was a heroine addict, it was fun to film, I will always remember the first thing we shot, it was the very first scene where Rob is writing a letter, it took about 2 hours to film this tiny little scene! We filmed it in the theatre group and some rehearsal room in the RSAMD. My most vivid memory is of a scene where Lily has just got some heroine and runs in jumps on the chair and yells "Free money!" flour flying everywhere. I didn't watch it when it got viewed, I rushed out as soon as I came on, so i've never actually seen it, i've always wondered if I asked them nicely if they'd look for me to find it, but I doubt it.
After that, it was about 2 or 3 years ago when I was in UKTheatreSchool and we had a variety showcase, I was in about 8 things, my acting piece was about two hookers, i'm seeing a theme here along with dancing, singing ect. That was alright.
Last thing was Panto the Christmas before last, it was Snow white and the seven gnomes, I was cast as Grant the huntsman, I tried to kill snow white but only because the evil queen cast a spell on me

Sorry I wasn't planning to write that much

P.s. Sorry but I think the musical HONK! looks rubbish, they were putting that on at UKTS the summer I left, didn't sound very good to me, but hey I could be wrong, let us know how it goes

Ash x

EDIT: Just remembered, I was an extra on Monarch of the Glen a couple of years ago, that was, eh... and "experience". It was cold and wet, but you saw me in loads of it so I didn't care

[Clive Long]

I did a lot of drama and musicals at school and in my 20's.

I wasn't particularly good but if you are a guy, can walk in a straight line and say a few words, you can audition for a part. I remember being in "White Horse Inn" (dreadful, cringe-inducing, sentimental old war-horse of an operetta) where there were 40 (yes, forty) women warbling on stage and 5 men. It did look awful silly but when people take part in these shows they want to be on-stage as much as possible. I would take a scythe to them nowadays.

I did my nude scene in Larkrise to Candleford.

I was chucked into a dustbin and slid down a man-hole in the Mystery Plays.

I have dressed up as a lady of mature years.

I remember "Dandy Dick" (Pinero?) but can't tell you anything about it except it is something to do with a horse.

The last show I performed in was Chess. This is an interesting show but technically a "mess" in that the entrances and exits aren't carefully planned. Also if you are a dogs-body guy with 5 small parts (ooh, err Mrs!) then you end up running all the time and are confused what part you are, which costume to change into, and which entrance to use. In the after-show review, one verse of the "bloopers song" went "What side? What side? What side will Clive come on?". The last straw for me was the dress-rehearsal still running at midnight on a Sunday and the director screaming, literally screaming at everyone. I thought there was something probably more enjoyable to do with my spare time - I found Ceroc .

If I am ever, ever tempted to sing or act in public again you have my permission to lock me in a room and cover my head with a cold flannel until I come to my senses.

All photographic evidence of the perfromances listed above is held under the government 50 year rule.

Hasn't Trampy performed professionally?


Clive

[Russell Saxby]

Please feel free to share your Am Dram experiences! Both on stage and back stage.

I produced and was in the panto "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" just before Xmas.

Unfortunately, it took up too much time, and after 5 years I have decided to take a break and concentrate on the dancing business

[TheTramp]

Hasn't Trampy performed professionally?

Not really...

I did do a season with the Welsh National Opera. And while studying voice on a music degree at Uni, I sang the solo at the University Christmas Concert (1000 in the audience, 300 in the choir, and 100 in the orchestra).

I've also done quite a lot of operettas and musicals - Pharoah in Joseph, and King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar are I guess the biggest roles I've played.

And I used to sing in various church choirs around Cardiff when I was growing up - done quite a lot of the choral works (Elijah, Messiah, etc etc).

But not done anything musically since I left Uni in 1996 I did work as an extra in Spygame, with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt in about 2000/1. If you pause the film at one specific point, you can just about make me out in the background over their shoulders

[Swinging bee]

Anyone have done, currently do or fancy doing Am Dram on here?

[Those not familiar with the abbreviation for Amateur Dramatics, please choose 'Never been interested'!!!!]

We're putting on "HONK!" on Valentine's week funnily enough [co-incidence I think], a recent (1997) musical of the Ugly Duckling story. It's very funny.

Please feel free to share your Am Dram experiences! Both on stage and back stage.

Break-a-leg .... Ian

My wife, Linda, did AM DRAM for many years with the Peterborough AM DRAM ,(PMADS), lots of stage appearances, many songs performed.., Mostly from the musicals, or indeed a musical in it's entirety. Anything you want to ask, we may well have the answer....we still have the tapes..

[Trousers]

Pharoah in Joseph, and King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar

Dyu have have any more royalty aspirations there Your Majesty?

[bigdjiver]

I joined Am Dram a long time ago to get more confidence in public speaking. The first production was "Zigger Zagger", which is about football supporters. I was cast as a policeman. The producer said "You will say your lines with your back to the audience, it is the second most powerful position to speak from." Yeah. Right.
The second production was "The magistrate." I was cast as a policeman.
I am waiting for the phone to ring for my third appearance ....

[Magic Hans]

...

It was scripted from the book 'Junk' writen by Melvin Burgess about two teenagers living with heroin addiction. Because of my age I was cast as Lily, who was already addicted to heroine and in a relationship with Rob (I think) So anyway, my first part was a heroine addict, it was fun to film, I will always remember the first thing we shot,
...

Sounds a bit heavy to me!!!! ~Thought provoking mind .... I wonder much sense it would have made to me, at that age!

...

Last thing was Panto the Christmas before last, it was Snow white and the seven gnomes, I was cast as Grant the huntsman, I tried to kill snow white but only because the evil queen cast a spell on me

Panto!!! Now your talking!!!! ... sounds like good unadulterated fun (if a little superficial ... but who cares!)

...

P.s. Sorry but I think the musical HONK! looks rubbish, they were putting that on at UKTS the summer I left, didn't sound very good to me, but hey I could be wrong, let us know how it goes

Well .... in terms of depth and seriousness .... it is no "Dangerous Liaisons", and really lies somewhere between musical and panto, and I'm sure that directors could become well unstuck on the "People will animal characteristics bit"

Having said that, we have a cracking lead, and a great (smarmy!) villian, both with superb voices. It's a shame that we've had to drop so much of the music to unison .... cos there's some beautifully gorgeous harmonies.

We'll see how it goes!!!!

Thanks anyway!

[Magic Hans]

Anyone got any 2nd night disaster stories??

[For those not in the know, generally, opening night tension is quite high, as are the levels of application and concentration. Generally 2nd night is far more lacs, as everyone is convinced that they know what they're doing (and the opening night wasn't bad!)... then the little mistakes start happening!!!]

I was in 'Outside Edge', a skit on cricket. 2nd night, I managed to skip 3 pages, ably assisted by the cast member that I was dialoguing with.

Backstage they were having babies!!! Flicking through the pages, trying to find the place for the next scene changes and sound/light effects.

Some were on stage, who weren't supposed to be ... and sauntered off, and others had to make an impromptu entrance!!!!

I thought something was wrong, when I said "Look, he's coming off!!", whereupon after a little pause, before I heard the luckless batsman [who taken the opportunity of having a wee], groaning, way, way back stage, before making his entrance.

Crazy thing was, I had no idea of my mistake until the end of the play!! Some poor (young) sod, who hadn't bothered attending all the rehearsals, took the cop for it til then!!!

Needless to say, that mistake didn't happen again!

Any more for any more???

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Cricket? That sounds pretty bad, poor guy getting blamed for it all! It's been so long since i've been in a show, usually it merges into one big preformance in my head, I don't remember any big dramas (get it?) I think one of the biggest ways to have show hiccups as it were is through quick changes going wrong. I'm lucky the shortest time I have had to change between scenes is about 3 mins to be ready and out to go on.