What we take for granted, we could so easily lose.

Last Saturday I took part in an open forum to debate the future of our town's much-loved theatre, the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds. If you've never heard of it before, you should look it up, as it's one of our country's real gems, not least because it's the only surviving Regency theatre in the UK.

Being a 'punter', you never really get to see what goes on behind the scenes, and by this I don't mean 'backstage'. The theatre actually offers many opportunities to take a tour and I'd encourage any visitor to give it a whirl.  On this occasion, I refer to the hard work that takes place to deliver a creative programme and the management of a venue to ensure that it stands up to the adversity of modern times. 

And on Saturday I caught a long glimpse of this, during the Open Space event that was attended by members of the theatre's Board, its staff and volunteers, as well as interested members of the public, offering an opportunity to debate issues that are crucial to ensuring a bold, exciting and sustainable future for the Theatre Royal.

It soon became clear that it's a future that faces a cold climate of continued funding cuts combined with a well-recognised credit-crunch that has already tightened the wallets of its audiences.  Against this, the theatre has to ensure quality programming to compete for attention in a society that suffers from information overload, busy schedules and a whole host of entertainment offerings on tap.  These are challenges that it has been able to overcome to a certain degree but I got the impression that the current situation is extremely fragile, economically, administratively and politically.

It also became clear that there is an enormous lack of confidence in the proposals from the borough council and the board of trustees, who are steering the theatre towards a management merger with the Apex, a relatively new arts venue, which is owned and managed by the council and which has generated a loss ever since it was up-and-running,

As events unfolded on Saturday, what began to emerge were definitive statements from the leaders of both organisations clearly wanting to work together strategically, but with strong feelings that they were being forced along a route that they consider to be detrimental to each venue.

Questions were raised over the board's leadership of the process and its transparency and with the final decision being made soon, I don't think Saturday's event will be the end of the debate.

However, whatever happens next, whether a merger is put in place or not, I am worried about the future of the Theatre Royal as well as the Apex.

It's not the on-site day-to-day management of the theatre that concerns me.  The innovation that I've seen under the leadership of the theatre's Chief Executive, Simon Daykin, already demonstrates that as an organisation it has a dedicated talent pool to meet tough times ahead.

Neither are my fears limited to the boardroom issues, council politics or funding challenges.

The threat to the theatre's success that is at the forefront of my mind right now actually comes from somewhere much closer to home.

And that threat comes from people like me!

Yes, little old me, who until now has taken our local theatre and all that it offers for granted.

It was only upon listening to the passionate views of board members, staff and volunteers about how they could increase audiences, that I recognised I was part of the problem.

I couldn't ignore the unpleasant irony that emerged.  While I enthusiastically shared my ideas about how to get more 'bums on seats',  I also confessed that my own attendance, outside of social-media events and the annual pantomime, is actually quite low.

Even though there are always lots of quality productions that I want to see, by the time I get my own act together, I often miss the occasion, forget about it and promise to myself that I'll be better organised next time.

Meanwhile another night sat in front of the TV goes by, another glass of wine, or curry, an evening on Twitter or browsing the web.

So you see, it's not even as if the theatre has any strong competition from the rest of my social life.

It really hasn't.

Neither is my issue one of apathy.

I absolutely love the Theatre Royal and I count myself as a strong supporter.

However, there is nothing like looking in the mirror and seeing the reflection of hypocrisy starring back at you.

So it is becoming clear that there is no time more urgent than now to offer greater support to the Theatre Royal and that individual actions really now need to speak louder than words.

What we have in our community is a real asset of local and national significance, which not only provides a place for performance but offers great educational and creative support to our younger generation.  Regardless of what is happening at a higher level, and despite the success of certain productions such as the recent Mansfield Park, the theatre still needs to generate more sales.

I would love to help protect the theatre's future, but like many, as an individual I don't really know what I can do.

Well, perhaps the best place to start is to physically put my money where my mouth is.

Like, actually taking the opportunity to go to the theatre.

More regularly!  Getting out there and enjoying a good dose of comedy and drama.

Now that's a bloody good idea, don't you think?

So, what do you reckon?

Do you want to join me?

I hope so.

For what we take for granted, I fear we could so easily lose.
 
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If you are on Twitter, you can find out more about the issues that were raised at Saturday's event, and join the debate about the future of the Theatre Royal (@theatreroyalbse), using the hashtag #openspacebse.  A report, highlighting all the topics that were explored, can also be obtained directly from the theatre.

Rehearsal Time: Dick Whittington at theTheatre Royal

Last night I had the wonderful privilege of attending the technical rehearsal of Dick Whittington before it opened tonight for the 2011-2012 panto season at Bury St Edmunds' Theatre Royal.

I've never seen a theatrical rehearsal before, unless you consider our Sixth Form school pantomime back in 1985, when I helped at our performance of Cinderella, so last night was indeed a unique opportunity to have a peek behind the scenes.  It was also the only time, as a member of the audience, that I've been allowed to keep my mobile phone on for tweeting and photos.

I soon spotted Colin Blumenau, the director. He was sat in the pit, playing very close attention to the script, while a couple of dozen people were dotted around the theatre, taking official photos, recording the performance or there simply to support the show.  I was in the delightful position of having a box in the dress circle entirely to myself, with one of the best seats in the house to watch the performance

Very soon the lights dimmed and the cast opened the show as they would normally to a packed house mid panto season. Without a houseful of children shouting in their high-pitched voices at the stage, staff and volunteers made up for it with plenty of boos and hisses and all the other traditional audience participation that becomes such festive slapstick.  It was very surreal without the kids but hilarious all the same, so-much-so that it would be such fun if they actually did switch the kids for grown-ups during the traditional sing-song set.

I always love the Theatre Royal pantomimes and the preview of this year's Dick Whittington didn't disappoint. The set and costumes were just fabulous and no-one will fail to be enchanted by the gorgeous twinkly stage during the finale.

The cast was utterly brilliant and I predict that adults and kids alike will particularly love Tommy the cat as well as Sarah the Cook, who made a very fine pantomime dame with her very elaborate bosom and equally elaborate delivery of a Winston Churchill speech.

Even though it was a technical rehearsal, it felt that it was definitely opening-ready and the highlights for me were in particular a very naughty Jamie Oliver joke, the beautiful rendition of Adele's "Someone like you" and the magical fluorescent set that accompanies "under the sea".

Last night was fun and it was great to see how the theatre is engaging with bloggers in this way and trusting users of social-media into the inner-sanctum of rehearsals, a space normally reserved for staff and volunteers.  Of course, it's great for raising awareness of the production and creates discussion on Twitter.  And so it should!  Even Sarah the Cook, aka @stephenwelleruk does it during costume changes.

I really am in love with panto and think this production is as wonderful an addition to the theatre's repertoire as ever they have been!

"Oh, yes I do!"


And one day, when I am older, I would love to be a pantomime dame too, but only when I'm a big girl and all grown up!

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Dick Whittington and his Cat will be at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds until Sunday 15 January.  More information can be found at www.theatreroyal.org.

For regular updates on Twitter, follow @TheatreRoyalBSE, the Dame @stephenwelleruk
or the hashtag #dickwhittingtonbse.

April in Paris: tweeting in the company of actors

Well that was an experience and a half...and I haven't even seen the show yet.  But I want to and if it wasn't for a clash in commitments this evening, I would have been dashing straight into the pit to see April in Paris at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds.

You see, there's nothing that quite sells a show like the people who are starring in it, and tonight I spent an hour with actors Wendi Peters and Robert Angell, who form the cast of John Godber's latest production of his well-known play for touring company Hull Truck.

In a social-media conference hosted this evening by the Theatre Royal, bloggers and Tweeters had the chance to ask the actors about their roles, their touring experience and find out more about the work of highly acclaimed writer and producer John Godber.  And what a fascinating hour it was. I certainly took the opportunity to throw in some  questions and the feedback from Wendi and Rob soon highlighted their passion about their work, and indeed this particular play about a middle-aged married couple in Paris.

I quickly discovered how Rob, whose TV credits include Waterloo Road and Brookside, has worked for Hull Truck for 23 years and in that time has performed in 28 of its plays.  Like Wendi, who is well-known for her part as Coronation Street's Cilla Battersby Brown, Rob revealed how he much prefers the stage to television and it became obvious how both have a real enthusiasm for touring.  In fact, Wendi said that stage is her first love and what appeals to her most is the freshness of being able to grab a new script, rehearse it, perform it and then move onto the challenge of the next production.

Now at risk of sounding like a theatrical heathen, I admit that I have very little experience of John Godber's work, but having recently finished a scriptwriting course, I was intrigued to find out more about his style and in particular how actors work with dialogue.

Wendi likens the fast nature of the script to a 'tennis match of lines' between her character Bet and her stage-husband Al (performed by Rob), stating that the dialogue was tricky to learn at first but having soon got into the swing of it she loves the way it flows, especially the moments that are met with laughter from the audience. She also shared how that in order to prepare for each performance, her trick is to act out the first page of the script immediately before appearing on-stage for Act I.

Rob added how he sees John Godber as the master of observation, which is demonstrated by the nature of the 'one liners' throughout his work.  He also revealed how the writer likes to make the audience's imaginations work for themselves, using the power of the lines and characterisation, with very little dependency on stage-sets.  However, with that said, regular followers of Godber's work will have a pleasant surprise when the curtain opens to the start of Act II.

So, do you see what I mean?   Hearing the the actors talk about their roles in April in Paris was like having a huge chocolate cake dangled right above your nose, without being able to grab even a small bite.   It's a real shame I couldn't make it to the actual show tonight, because having experienced the actors' passion for their play and having heard about the talents of its creator, I really now want to see if for myself.   In my very own drama-queen fashion, I suppose you could say I'm champing at the bit.

At least I've got a few days to juggle around my social diary as the play will be at the Theatre Royal until Saturday 9 April.  After that, it heads back up north to Leeds.

This evening's social-media conference was the Theatre Royal's first event of this kind to engage bloggers and Tweeters directly with the cast, and from a theatre-goer's perspective, I found it very useful.  If you'd like to find out more about what other tweeters are saying about the event or the play itself, you can do so by following the Twitter hashtag #AprilInParis. Also, if you'd like to be involved in any other blogger\Twitter events at the Theatre Royal, just drop a line to their Head of External Relations chris@theatreroyal.org, who would be happy to keep you updated with news of future events  You can also follow him on Twitter as @ChrisGrady.  The theatre's tweets can be found by following @TheatreRoyalBSE.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a photo I took of the actors Wendi Peters and Rob Angell before they scooted off to prepare for tonight's performance.  Don't they look lovely!  Of course next time I see them, they'll probably be on stage, most likely bickering away as a bored married couple.  That's if they actually bicker.  That's one question I forgot to ask.  Oh well, I'll be sure to find out for myself on Thursday.

P.S.  On the subject of cake, you might like to know that Wendi is an avid user of social media too.  Check out her own blog over at http://wendipeterspuddingqueen.blogspot.com/.

UPDATE: 8 April 2011:  Having been to the show and seen it for myself, I just have to say that Rob and Wendi gave a truly brilliant, bickering performance last night and I can only add to the great reviews that I've received from everyone I know who has seen this production of April in Paris.  It was an excellent production that stayed true to my expectations from the interview with the actors, with fantastic comedic moments ranging from intimate knowing chuckles to lots of laugh-out-loud moments.  So catch it while you can.  It's far too good to miss.