Popcorn reviewed in Berrow’s Journal

by Site Admin on Friday, June 29, 2007
2 comments on this post

Newspapers, Reviews, STAC productions

This week’s Berrow’s Journal contains a short review of “thought-provoking” Popcorn. Chris Isaac, as Bruce Delamitri, is “excellent”. And psycho-killers, Wayne and Scout, are played by “the outstanding Bob Churchill and Rebecca Stait”.

Tonight (Friday 29th June) and tomorrow (Saturday 30th June) are the last opportunities to see STAC’s interpretation of this award-winning satire.

The text of the article follows below.

Satirical thriller hits target in the movies

The relationship between the Hollywood film industry and America’s gun culture is examined in Ben Elton’s thought-provoking satirical comedy thriller Popcorn.

Movie director Bruce Delamitri (played by the excellent Chris Isaac) returns home after receiving an Oscar for his latest ultra-violent film, only to find a pair of serial killers, Wayne Hudson and his sidekick Scout (the oustanding Bob Churchill and Rebecca Stait) in his Beverly Hills pad.

They have a plan to make Bruce accept responsibility for their murders and drag in his dysfunctional family into the proceedings.

The award-winning play explores the complex issues around why violence is popular entertainment and how far the media influences what people do. It runs as the Swan until Saturday.

DAVID HUDSON-WOOD

Worcester-under-Severn

by Site Admin on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Make first comment on this post

STAC news

Water is once again lapping up around the Swan Theatre, which boasts an excellent view from the bar across the flooded Worcester Race Course. The theatre’s old prop store (disused due to repeated flooding) must be underwater. But the venue itself including the entrance is a long way off the ground. So anyone unfamiliar with the building should be advised that there is nothing to worry about, and Popcorn is running every scheduled night. (Even though there is more rain on the way at the weekend!)

The Swan, as seen from across the flooded race course

STAC’s Frank Welbourne says “It is very unlikely that the water will actually enter the main doors of the theatre. The highest I have seen it is up to the top of the slip road leading to the car park. There will be water in the cellar below the bar and it may come up through the drains in the workshop, but I have never known it to stop a show.”

(more…)

Popcorn ticket competition

by Site Admin on Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Make first comment on this post

Publicity, Radio, STAC productions

The Tony Fisher Show on BBC Hereford and Worcester ran a competition earlier this afternoon giving away tickets to STAC’s Popcorn, which starts tonight.

If you lucked out, tickets are still available from the Worcester Live box office on 01905 611 427, or you can turn up at the theatre before curtain up at 7.30pm. Popcorn runs every night this week from this evening until Saturday night.

Warning signs from theatreland?

by Site Admin on Sunday, June 24, 2007
Make first comment on this post

National, Newspapers, Production, STAC productions

As Andy Hare’s newest set makes its way from the workshop to the stage today for STAC’s latest production, Popcorn (starting this Tuesday), there are two pieces of bad news for theatre-lovers.

So far the STAC blog has only had good news to convey from the nationals. But the Guardian this week reported that:

William Shakespeare’s 400-year reign as the world’s primary transmitter of the English language has finally been ended — by John, Paul, George and Ringo and their album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

An academic conference heard yesterday that the collection of songs [...] has overtaken Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet as a global cultural reference point.

Which is good news if you like the Beatles, but no so good if you like the Bard. And there’s a less ambiguous bit of news about the “now-dilapidated” Bristol Old Vic theatre, reported in the Times.

(more…)

Journal covers “Elton’s tale of serial murder”

by Site Admin on Saturday, June 23, 2007
1 comment on this post

Celebrity, International, Newspapers, Publicity, STAC productions

On the day that several STAC members helped out on the company’s stall at the Worcester Arts Fair (see “STAC to attend Guildhall Arts day”), handing out fliers and encouraging new members to join, the Berrow’s Worcester Journal (published yesterday and widely distributed today) covers Popcorn, with an encouraging synopsis of the play.

The text of the article follows below.

(more…)

Popcorn director in the papers

by Site Admin on Friday, June 22, 2007
Make first comment on this post

Newspapers, Personal, Publicity, STAC productions

Popcorn director Marc Dugmore is in the Worcester News today: “I’ll pass all my tips on to the amateur scene”.

“I have always directed am-dram,” he is quoted as saying, “Even when I was a professional. It’s where the wellspring of theatre life is nurtured.” But he also warns, speaking of the Worcester scene, that “In some ways there is too much competition - not just artistically from company to company but for venues too.”

The full text of the article follows below.

(more…)

STAC on Facebook and RemoteGoat.co.uk

by Site Admin on Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Make first comment on this post

Online, Publicity, STAC news

STAC has its own Group on popular social networking site Facebook.com: STAC (Swan Theatre Amateur Company) Group. There is also an Event for Popcorn.

Future STAC productions are also listed at a new event-based networking site, www.RemoteGoat.co.uk. The entry for Popcorn is here. The entry for One for the Road is here. The RemoteGoat page for the Swan Theatre is here.

STAC to attend Guildhall Arts day

by Site Admin on Tuesday, June 19, 2007
1 comment on this post

Publicity, STAC news, STAC productions

The annual Arts Fair is this coming Saturday, 23rd June, at the Guildhall in Worcester city centre.

STAC will have a presence there as usual, promoting the company at large, including upcoming auditions for the October show (details coming soon).

Also some of the cast from Popcorn will be promoting the show, which begins a week today at the Swan! (STAC members have been encouraged to advertise the show and have received their own vouchers which can be exchanged for a free ticket on any night.)

The Arts Fair is free and covers all areas of the arts in Worcester. (The Worcester News preempts the event here.)

Germaine Greer on “regional” arts

by Site Admin on Monday, June 18, 2007
Make first comment on this post

Celebrity, International, National, Newspapers

Germaine Greer has a piece in the Guardian today, “Hard as it is for Londoners to believe, the capital isn’t the centre of the arts universe”. It focuses on opera rather than the performing arts more generally but it does open with an assertive push for “regional” theatre, as opposed to the prevailing “Londonocentric” attitude.

Today I am to appear in something called the Big Debate, organised by the University of Central England as part of the New Generation Arts Festival. I am to speak to the (hopefully rhetorical) question whether or not “there is life in regional arts”. Some people seem to think that arts in regional England have been on life support for too long. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport would probably be delighted to hear that the brain stem of regional arts is dead, and funds can now be safely diverted to the Olympics. Region is a baggy word, chosen by the Londonocentric in preference to the word “provinces”. North-western Europe is a region too, a region that we are supposed to belong to, but when it comes to the arts, we couldn’t be more different.

Midsummer Night’s Dream

by Site Admin on Friday, June 15, 2007
Make first comment on this post

Newspapers, Other local arts

Several familiar faces star in The Invitation Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream running this week and next week in the Commandery gardens (or hall, weather-depending). STAC members and friends playing in this pro-am production include Simon Atkins (as Bottom), Oliver Goldfinch, Frank Welbourne, Keith Thompson, Jared Thomas and Rachel le Sauvage. Worcester Live’s Liz Grand is playing Titania and Chris Jaeger is directing.

The Worcester News carried a positive review yesterday, “High-energy Shakespeare that’s worth checking out” and another article today. (Also see the Worcester Live press release.)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays the Commandery Gardens, 12th – 23rd June (Most performances at 7.30pm. Tuesdays 12th & 19th at 8pm, Saturdays 16th & 23rd at 6pm.) The Gardens open for picnics one and a half hours before each performance with live pre-show entertainment 30 minutes before each performance. Tickets £13.50. Worcester Live Box Office as ever is 01905 611427.

« Previous