Edward Alderton Theatre

News

Read our February 2012 newsletter here

24.01.12
Annual General Meeting
The Edward Alderton Theatre will be holding its AGM on Tuesday 21 February 2012 at 8pm at the theatre.

The current committee are:

Chairman	Richard Banks
Theatre Secretary	Maureen Hardwen
Treasurer	VACANT
Artistic Director	Wendy Marsh
Technical Director	Rod Henderson (co-opted)
Bar Manager	Tony Donnell
Front of House Manager	Shirley Andrews
Publicity	Kevin Coward (co-opted)
Members without Portfolio	Karen Friett, Roz Betts

Any full member over the age of 18 may stand for the committee. If you wish to serve on the committee in any capacity please let Maureen Hardwen have your letter of intent together with the names of the people nominating and seconding you no later than 14 February 2012. Please note if you wish to be considered for the role of Bar Manager you will have to be a registered licence holder. Most of the committee are willing to stand again, but this will be confirmed within the next few days.

13.01.12
Quiz Night
The theatre will be holding a Quiz Night on Saturday 18 February starting at 7.30pm. Drinks will be available from the bar — please bring nibbles if you so desire. Teams can be up to eight people and the entry fee is Ł5 per person. All funds raised will go into the EAT coffers. If you would like to come along, please contact Karen Friett on 07976 905437.

04.01.12
That Macbeth newspaper review — in full
A very positive review of our December show, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, appeared in the 22 December 2011 issue of the Bexley Times. Some of it was edited prior to publication, but here is Steve Spencer's original copy (used with permission):

The idea of Macbeth as a Christmas show at the Edward Alderton Theatre may seem strange, but this clever and thoughtful production, set within the claustrophobic confines of Dunsinane Psychiatric Hospital, is a first class endeavour. Richard Self’s direction is consistent throughout and his intelligent vision of the play is shared by a committed and engaged cast. If, at times, elements are provocative, they serve to make the whole experience more pleasurable.

Everything is seen from the perspective of Macbeth, a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder, who, in a style reminiscent of the music-dramas of Dennis Potter (clearly one of Richard Self’s inspirations), participates in a tragedy played out by both inmates and staff. Other than Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the cast play multiple roles: inmates are heroes as well as murderers; doctors and nurses, evil villains or witches. What this production questions are the fragility of the order of things, the notion of morality and the delicate balance between sanity and madness.

The cast is uniformly strong with plenty of riveting performances. Macbeth (Michael Martin) shows all the signs of relentless ambition yet there are real tender moments of equivocation or self-doubt. Lady Macbeth (Rachel De Silva) steels herself throughout as she drives her husband forward to the inevitable conclusion. The weird sisters (witches) and Hecate were mesmerising and delivered the poetry of Shakespeare’s text with total conviction. There were some fascinating interpretations too: Lady Macduff (Eileen Warner) whose dialogue with her children is replaced by a soliloquy with a doll drowned moments later in a bucket of water. The comedic porter (Anne Hempstead) delivered a tour de force lurching menacingly at the audience: more madness than drunkenness. The ghost of Banquo (Mark Campbell) as Father Christmas unnerves Macbeth whose rants in turn set off the inmates at the dining table. And did Burnham Wood appear at Dunsinane? Of course it did … a string of paper Christmas trees!

Self-indulgent interpretations? No, I don’t think so and I don’t care. The more I thought about it the more I enjoyed this yuletide bedlam. Another enjoyable piece from this creative company. Bravo!

Steve Spencer

For earlier news items, see links in the right-hand bar

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