Still lots left to see!

Don't be saddened by the April showers, there's still lots going on at the Bradon Forest Theatre this season! Our first post-Easter show is It Could Be You, by the KS3 Drama Club on Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 May.

We also have the final Music Concert of the year, which will be celebrating all things sporting in their Olympic theme! You can book for Wednesday 30 May by emailing me or calling 01793 773981.

Tickets are already selling fast for Gonzo Moose and I'm An Aristocrat, Get Me Out Of Here! This wonderful show kick starts our Summer Arts Festival, which is already booking up fast! Make sure you check out our listings for full details and keep an eye on our Facebook page to be the first to hear about anything new.

The end of our two week Summer Arts Festival will mark the 2012 Swindon Does Arts Big Arts Day. The Bradon Forest Theatre will once again be supporting the event by running the Showcase Stage and Comedy & Theatre Tent.

Curious Company presents...

Guest Review: Suitcase Circus

On Thursday I watched Folded Feather produce a unique puppet show called Suitcase Circus performed by “some very talented rubbish!” (Their words not mine!)

There were only two men doing the show, one was the main puppeteer and the other played a variety of instruments to add to the atmosphere. Surprisingly, the ringmaster was a sock called Wobulous Discombobulous. He introduced most of the acts which included a dancing milkshake straw; the world’s only acrobatic potato sack; a singing teapot who sang a Kylie Minogue song badly; Limbardo, the tightrope walking Italian driving glove; Windsor Knot, the hypnotising snake and Timrek, a very sick frog!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Suitcase Circus. It was hilarious. My favourite act was a fearless daredevil ski glove called Dan Der Uras. He was shot out of a cannon and caught by a baseball glove. The puppeteer and the musician were world-class. If you get the opportunity to go and see Suitcase Circus, take it! - Alex Duffell

I have to say, I agree whole heartedly with Alex! Suitcase Circus was a delightful show, with a wide variety of creative puppets. It was quite amazing how two people can create tension from a glove with a baseball for a head, flying across the stage in slow motion! Most enjoyable. Thank you Folded Feather. We look forward to the next time!

Discombobulation!

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting the lovely Publick Transport in with their latest show, Discombobulated. PT's Artistic Director, Angus Barr, is a regular at Bradon Forest (having both performed with Gonzo Moose in the past, and toured the last three PT shows here) and on this occasion he was joined by the delightful Merce Ribot. The pair played members of airport security staff who were giving a demonstrative talk on security procedures and why they are important. After a brief and stern introduction from Malcom McClosky (Barr), the presentation quickly declined in to a competition between the two to either perform or inform the audience.

Varying dance routines, luggage tussles, flour fights, magic shows, Tommy Cooper impressions, Shakespeare excerpts and a role playing session led to the finale, which had to be seen to be believed. Somehow the two security officers end their presentation in an impromptu 'two man band' performance of Eternal Love... whilst covered in flashing lights... with confetti cannons. A brilliant bit of silliness, perfect for a Thursday evening!

BTEC and GCSE Drama in progress

We have two special evenings of performance featuring our GCSE Drama and BTEC Performing Arts students as part of their examination process. Both evenings will see the BTEC group perform a scripted play by Stephanie Miller called The Grey Angel, followed by a variety of GCSE devised ‘work in progress’ (different groups on each night).

If you would like to come and support the students, then please drop me a mail letting me know how many tickets you would like and on which nights. As these are ‘works in progress’, there will be no charge, but the students will benefit greatly from having a live audience to perform to!

A note about the Grey Angel: Mrs Elizabeth Fry (1780 - 1845) visited prisons and campaigned for improved conditions from about her late twenties till middle-age when ill-health forced her to retire. There was no segregation of the sexes in the prisons at this time.

Waiting for Dave

Last night, the Bradon Forest Theatre audience were treated to the first ever public performance by In For a Penny Theatre Company. The young company consists of three friends who met at studying Drama at the University of Aberystwyth; Adam Elliott, who plays Peter, David Reeves playing Chris and Philippa Bradfield who directed the piece.

'Waiting for Dave' has been devised by the three over just two weeks of intensive rehearsals. The story is based roughly on the play 'Waiting for Godot'. Two actors turn up to the first rehearsal for the play. But alas! There is no director. They then spend the next hour amusing themselves with various props and costumes while they 'wait for Dave'.

There was a variety of amusing characters, including a pirate, a dancer and an obnoxious father who are all created to help the 'detective' character find out what has happened to Dave. The two actors incorporated some comical physicality which really engaged the audience in to the story. I particularly enjoyed the 'hat-off' and 'dance-off'. Everyone loves a good dance-off!

There was only one element that I think I would change and that was the audience participation towards the end. With a strong Gonzo Moose and Publick Transport influence on the exaggerated characters, you can see why the devising process ended up going down that road, but I think that as the play was set in a rehearsal, it wasn't really appropriate to bring the actual audience in to the piece. A small point to make on what was otherwise a very enjoyable piece, especially when you remember the short amount of time it took to create!

Philippa is working with our Drama Club to create a new piece of drama for public performance in May. Watch this space!

Ending 2011 on a high!

Last night was our last official concert of the year as our talented singers and musicians played to a packed out St Mary's Church. There was a delightful assortment of vocal arrangements including solos from Vicky Egerton and Rhianne Groom, a duet by Grace Bartlett and Ania Witka and of course, the Bradon Forest Choir. One of our peripatetic teachers, Miss Fleet, directed a number of arrangements, my favourite of which was Walking in the Air, with a number of singers and Hannah Sellars and Elliot Gunton on flute. Just lovely! Miss Fleet later commented: "Well done - the best by far of the concerts I have been to this year!"

Thank you, as always, to everyone who came and supported. The audience were even entertained by the vicar who treated us to a really jolly number about love at Christmas. We're hoping it will be a regular slot! We've had some wonderful comments including this one from a parent:

"The concert last night was super, we thoroughly enjoyed it, especially my father who is always very appreciative."

That's it from us this year but we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and warm wishes for 2012. We look forward to seeing you back in the theatre on January 26th for Waiting for Dave!

We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

With over 70 performers across the two nights, the 2011 Bradon Forest Christmas Music Concert was yet another success! I think I say this every time, but I love our concerts. We have such a wide range of performers, from the experienced GCSE Ensemble Group (pictured) and their own moving arrangement of 'Do They Know it's Christmas', to first time flute soloist, Charley Hill with 'The Holly and the Ivy'. What's especially lovely to watch is the support that the students provide each other. For example, on Wednesday, Alecia Kissell played a piano solo. I think she was a little nervous as a few mistakes were made and Alecia got a bit flustered. After stopping and starting she managed to finish 'The First Noel' to ruptious applause from the students. On Thursday evening, Alecia played it through perfectly and her friends cheered even louder!

With, as I said, over 70 performers, I can't mention them all, but every one of them did us proud. The choir seem to be going from strength to strength and their rendition of 'Infant Holy' gave me goose pimples! The KS4 Jazz Ensemble's performance of 'Santa Baby' was delightful and the Orchestra are flawless! Once again, the Staff Hand Chime Group managed to ding and dong our way through two numbers, including one of my favourites, Jingle Bell Rock. Thank you to everyone for their patience... we are getting better! Mr Duncan's Ukulele Group entertained us with two numbers. 'The Cave' by Mumford and Sons, and 'Christmas Time' by The Darkness. I think I will have to try and get a clip of the latter up as they pulled out all the stops, including some very amusing solos and vocals by Mr Widdop. The group have now expanded with 5 students, Mr Duncan and now also Mr Butler and Mr Widdop. The Maths department are obviously trying to boost their kudos and know that music's where it's at...

There was a lovely warm buzz in the theatre last night and everyone was congratulating the performers as they left. I was having a chat with one of the parents and she said to me that as she was sat there enjoying every single performance, she couldn't help but think, "I wish I'd gone to a school like this." That's something we should be proud of and we will continue to support and encourage new artists, actors, musicians and singers to get on stage and show off their talents! A special thank you to Miss Groom and Miss Hedges for hosting yet another jam packed, encouraging and entertaining concert. Roll on the next one!

"Hearty congratulations on last night. Best concert I’ve been to in ages. Really entertaining." Miss Maunder

Don't miss the Christmas Carol Concert, next Wednesday 14th December in St Mary's Church Purton. It starts at 7pm and parking is limited, so get there early and wrap up warm!

5 Star Review!

Well that's it! It's all over! The run of A Midsummer Night's Dream has come to an end, but what a run it was. The final show on Friday was a sell out and the audience had been superb all week. Thank you to everyone who came and supported.

'Midsummer' is one of the better known Shakespeare plays, but even so (as you can imagine) it can be quite hard to follow the original language. However, our talented cast delivered their lines with conviction and understanding, so that even if our younger audience members couldn't follow the text, it was very clear how the story was progressing.

The set was beautifully created with several large fairy-light wrapped branches lining the back of the stage, with various lighting stages to represent the different times in the forest. When the front curtain was first pulled back to reveal the trees, there was an audible gasp! Rather than the traditional one Puck character, we had a 'clan' of five Pucks who all spoke in unison. With choreography by Hannah Guy, and a lot of input from the Pucks, the physicality of their movement was especially enchanting and mystical. Titania and Oberon, played by Ailsa Calder and Justin-David Machado, were a particularly dominiating presence on stage, commanding all the fairies with convincing supernatural authority.

Most of the laughs came from the 'play within a play', where the group of workmen, led by Quince (played outstandingly by Rae Elias), perform the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. Bradley Williams as Francis Flute and Oliver Webb as Nick Bottom were full of energy and the whole -mini-cast were on top form, even at the end of a two hour play!

Congratulations to the entire cast. This really was a top Bradon Forest Theatre production, though I'm sure that Mr Calder is already working on how to try and beat it for next year!

"Thank you and your excellent cast so much for a fabulous night on Friday. The show was fantastic – what amazing talent we have here at Bradon Forest! Can’t wait for the next one!!"

Miss Mainstone

Midsummer now well under way!

Last night was the official opening night for A Midsummer Night's Dream, although the cast performed two dress rehearsals for Year 8 on Monday... back to back! Everything went off without a hitch and we're now looking forward to three more shows. Miss Mazelin, who was in the audience last night, said that she was so impressed with all the students who had managed to learn some difficult lines, and such a lot of them! There was also a group of Year 7 girls watching the show. At the end, one turned to the rest and said: "I hope one day we can act like that!"

Good luck to the cast for the rest of the week. A review will follow shortly, but in the mean time, amuse yourselves with some of our production stills.

(NB. I'm not sure what's up with Flickr at the moment, but it's not connecting for the upload, so the photos are on our Facebook page for now.)