One for the album

by Site Admin on Friday, August 31, 2007
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Online, STAC productions

Photographs from the dress rehearsals for our Festival play, One For the Road, are now up on the production’s dedicated page (under the heading “Performance”).

A similar gallery was made for Popcorn and hopefully we’ll soon be backdating the STAC website into our archive so that photographs from many previous shows can also be seen.

Thanks to Howerd Brooksbank for taking our One For The Road photographs as usual (and thanks to Frank Wellbourne for stepping into the breach on Popcorn!).

Relatively Speaking cast list confirmed

by Site Admin on Saturday, August 25, 2007
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STAC productions

Ann Moore’s latest production as a director for STAC will be Relatively Speaking this October.

Following auditions a few weeks ago, the four-person cast has now had their first read-through. Keith Thompson (most recently in Misery, Charley’s Aunt) will be playing Philip, a curmudgeonly late-middle-aged man. Sue Hawkins (The Dresser) will be playing his somewhat aloof wife, Sheila. Bob Churchill (Popcorn, Charley’s Aunt) will be playing the disastrously spontaneous Greg. And — after a number of years at university and other work with Midlands Musical Theatre Group — Miriam Knight (A Postillion Struck by Lightening) returns to STAC as Ginny, a liberal young woman torn betwixt her new love… and her curmudgeonly late-middle-aged former lover!

(Also see previous entry: STAC to perform Ayckbourn classic.)

The birds descend on Worcester Festival

by Site Admin on Saturday, August 25, 2007
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Other local news, Worcester Live

It is the final weekend of the Worcester Festival organised by Worcester Live. Chris Jaeger has pointed out that “Apart from the opening Saturday, the weather has been as best indifferent, and sometimes downright awful”, but that all changed yesterday with a glorious sunny day and good weather predicted for the rest of the bank holiday weekend. Chris says he is “looking forward to a great last weekend. There will be loads of street theatre in the city on Saturday as well as great music on the CrownGate Live Stage. [...] And then of course, the fireworks at 10pm on South Quay.”

And joining in the relaxed atmosphere down by the river at the quay fountains are a pair of peregrine falcons, who have become an attraction all of their own, with a RSPB tent setting up stall under the spire next to the college (see Worcester News).

Left: the RSPB telescope set up to train on the roosting male falcon. Center: A 3x zoom shot of the falcon on the spire from the ground. Right: A many-more-x zoom shot of the falcon on the spire, taken through the telescope.

Apparently the peregrine falcons may attack pigeons and even seagulls. Let’s hope Percy the Festival Peacock doesn’t get too close.

Worcester amdram stalwart dies in Portugal

by Site Admin on Thursday, August 23, 2007
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Newspapers, Other local arts, Personal, STAC news

Liz Brownridge, a former member of STAC and various other Worcester groups since 1972, has died while on holiday in Portugal, aged 59.

From the Worcester News, Monday:

Holiday death of amateur dramatic’s star

A STAR of Worcestershire’s theatre scene has died suddenly while on holiday.

Liz Brownridge, aged 59, was in Algarve, Portugal, with her husband David when she suffered a heart attack on Thursday, August 16.

A member of Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society (WODS) for 35 years, Mrs Brownridge will be remembered for her dedication to and passion for local amateur dramatics.

Bruce Wyatt, current secretary of WODS said, “She had contributed so much to maintaining the highest possible standards of performance with her enthusiasm on and off stage - there will be a huge gulf that will be impossible to fill.

“She will be sadly and greatly missed by many and our prayers and thoughts go out to David and her two step-daughters Vickie and Helen.”

Born in Hull, Yorkshire, Mrs Brownridge trained as a dancer from a young age. By the time she was 17 she had joined a local dance troupe and was involved with three operatic societies.

When she moved to Worcester in 1972 to work in the pathology laboratory of the former Royal Infirmary in Castle Street, she joined WODS, Kays Theatre Group and the Swan Theatre Amateur Company.

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It’s all a “big male mid-life crisis” says Michelle

by Site Admin on Saturday, August 18, 2007
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Newspapers, Reviews, STAC productions

Yesterday’s Berrow’s Journal reviews One For The Road. STAC have “a good record when it comes to performing the works of Willy Russell”, and Michelle Whitfield (playing Jane Fuller) is singled out for especial praise.

Tonight (Saturday 18th August) is the last chance to see Willy Russell’s One For The Road as performed by STAC.

The text of the article follows below.

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Festival atmosphere

by Site Admin on Friday, August 17, 2007
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STAC productions, Worcester Live

STAC’s production, One For The Road, continues its run as part of the Worcester Festival, to highly appreciative audiences. Tonight and tomorrow night are the last chance to see this comical play.

The Worcester Festival itself began on Saturday (11th) and runs until the 27th August. Just a few weeks ago the quay area by the fountains looked like this:

But on Sunday it looked more like this:

 

Audition Notice: Dig In For Murder

by Site Admin on Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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Auditions, STAC productions

Auditions for Dig In For Murder
by Angela Lanyon
to be directed by Angela Lanyon

Auditioning Tue 21st August 2007 — 7.30pm
at the Swan Theatre Studio, Worcester

Showing Mon 3rd — Sat 8th December 2007
at the Swan Theatre Studio, Worcester

Cast (4 female, 3 male):

• Dora Armstrong (60ish, rather mannish)
• Kitty Fenton-North (60ish, well preserved, patronising, her ‘image’ rather important)
• Tricis Knowells (30s, migrated from London, wants to be superior but does not succeed)
• Marina Green (40-50, abrasive, bossy)
• Tim Spenser (any age, rector, outsider to the village)
• Eddie Budge (late 20s upwards, not too bright but cunning)
• Geoff Fenton-North (60ish, Kitty’s husband, a bit of a lab dog, but not against a bit on the side, aware of his position)

Backstage crew will also be required.

Links:

• Dedicated page for more information and future updates
• See Who are STAC? for company information and a map to the theatre
• Google map of Bygones Antique shop, Worcester from where scripts can be borrowed. (You are requested not to give the game away!)
• Please make contact via the STAC website if you have any queries

“Well respected” STAC to perform next week

by Site Admin on Friday, August 10, 2007
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Newspapers, Publicity, STAC productions

In addition to the aforementioned Worcester News story (previous post) the Worcester Standard also covers One for the Road today, with an article called “Gnome sweet gnome”. The Standard features a dramatic photograph of Math Jones about to smash some ceramic dwarves with Amber Bluck restraining him, and refers to STAC as a “well respected” theatre company.

The article does not seem to appear on the Worcester Standard website, but the text is reproduced below.

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Will Willy prove lucky? asks Worcester News

by Site Admin on Friday, August 10, 2007
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Newspapers, Publicity, STAC productions

STAC are in the Worcester News today: “Will Willy’s script prove to be lucky for us again?”, with Lauren Murray quoting members of the STAC cast from One for the Road.

One for the Road is showing next week in the Sara Knight Studio at the Swan, as part of the Worcester Festival.

The full text of the article follows below.

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One For the Radio

by Site Admin on Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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Publicity, Radio, STAC productions

Amber Bluck and Math Jones appeared on BBC Hereford and Worcester shortly after 3pm this afternoon, performing an extract from upcoming STAC production One for the Road and talking to Tony Fisher about the show.

Click here to play the streaming audio (7:11 mins, 6.58MB). (Choose “Open with…” or a similar option, rather than downloading the playlist file locally. The actual MP3 file, if you want it, is here. Note that the audio has been edited by STAC-worcester.com to exclude a musical interlude.)