Nomad News: April 2002

Memory of Water
a comedy by Shelagh Stephenson

'You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to bring your friends'

Olivier Award for Best Comedy - 2000

Tuesday 30th April until Saturday 4th May at 8pm.

Director Marina Norris says:
Rehearsals are going swimmingly; the play is so beautifully written thats it's a pleasure to listen to and perform. The storyline is incredibly engaging, with all the characters going through a rollercoaster of emotions following the death of the three sisters' Mother. Scenes are both hilarious and heart-wrenching. The cast and crew and all working incredibly hard and they deserve really good audiences for their performaces.

Julie Walters and John Hannah are starring in the film of play, to be released later this year, but remember - you can see it at The Nomads first!

So please buy your tickets and bring your friends to see this wonderful play.

Tickets:
Tuesday 30th April and Wednesday 1st May £6.25 (members £6)
Thursday 2nd to Saturday 4th May £7.75 (members £7.50)
Ring Mary Thomas on 01372 450347

The Early Booker Catches the best seats*
* From Proverbs for all the family

Cast List
Bruce Delamitri - Hollywood film director 40s/40s
Karl Brezner - The Producer of Bruce's films 30s/60
Velvet Delamitri - Bruce's teenage daughter 16 - 25
Farrah Delamitri - Bruce's newly divorced wife 30s/40s

Wayne (male) and Scout (female) - Violent latter-day Bonnie and Clydes notorious killers 20s/30s

Brooke Daniels - Nude model and actress
Kirsten - TV presenter 20-50
Bill - TV camera crew 20-50

Those who audition must be available for all rehearsals, the week of the show in Horsley (30th July - 3rd August) and the week of the show in Edinburgh (12th - 17th August).

Fundraising events in July are intended to provide some subsidy for fares and accommodation in Edinburgh.

For further details please contact Brandon McGuire on 01273 720985

Sunday 14th April 8pm
Derek Brooks will present the official show about the work of the RSC which he has taken to much of Britain for some years "All the world's a stage" - Come on a journey through some of Shakespeare's wonderful plays with many slides of great R.S.C productions, anecdotes, personal views and readings. Meet kings and killers, lovers and poets, Sir John Falstaff and Richard III. An evening As You Like It.

PLUS a monologue by Jenny Freeman (see other news for more information!)

It is with sadness that we report the death of Doug Paine, a resident of East Horsley for almost 50 years. He regularly attended our performaces and Prompt Corner Lunches. His friendly company will be greatly missed.

Look out in the next Newsletter for more details on the Nomad Celebration evening on Saturday 18th May, when the Bill Pearson Award will be presented.

Another diary item for you. Popcorn will be in the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh (the scene of our triumph in 2000) from Monday 12th August to Saturday 17th August as part of the Fringe Festival.

Why not go and support the Popcorn team - and see Britain's loveliest city at the same time (Advt.)?

Details of booking etc. will be in later issues.

The Young Nomads, augmented by serveral Nomes, performed a very entertaining radio-type show on Saturday 7th April. Togged out entirely in DJs, the fifteen or so cast read from material written by Victoria Wood and the famous team who wrote Round The Horn - Marty Feldman and Barry Took (who sadly died recently). Lighting and sound were also by Young Nomads, and the whole thing was masterminded by Richard Brookman.

The result was all the more impressive because the cast had only seen the scripts at 10 o'clock that morning, and they did a commendable job in performing them with skill and versatility. The audience wasn't large, but was very appreciative, quite rightly.

Keith McDonald directs and Charles Hope lights Wilde's comic masterpiece at Guildford's Electric Theatre next month. 'The Importance' amounds with nearly as many well-loved quotations as Shakespeare. The larger than life characters engage in quick-fire exchanges of breathtaking wit as misunderstandings and mistaken identities propel the hilarious plot at rapid speed. The play has been described as 'the wittiest comedy in the English language' and has retained its appeal to successive generations of theatregoers since its first brilliant opening in 1895.

8th to 11th May at 7.45pm. Box Office 01483 444789

Those listed below are scheduled for the next few weeks. The asterisked person or persons is responsible for arranging with the others when to meet and do the work.

Sunday 7th April. Cast & crew of Play In A Weekend* (Young Nomads), Chris & Mel Bussicott, Jo Bussicott, Marie Cargin.

Weekend 20/21 April. Damien & Antonia de Roche*, Alexander Carr, Amy Catten, Julia Cochrane, Roanna Cochrane, Mr & Mrs Jeff Cox, Elixabeth Cross, Jaime Davis, Claire Derriman, Mrs S Divers.

Sunday 5th May. Co-ordinator*, cast & crew of the Memory of Water, Elizabeth Eaton, Patricia Evans, Winston Fane-Bailey.

At the Club Night on Sunday 14th April Jenny will be performing a monologue entitled "Just One of Those Days" written for her by Michael Bartlett. It is a Talking Heads-style piece approximately fifteen minutes in length. The character of the piece is Justine, the owner of a guest House who literally has had "one of those days" where her patience has been tested to the limit and she recounts the events of the day.

This the monologue Jenny performed at Bexhill-on-sea recently as part of a presentation by BBC Southern Counties Radio, where Jenny is a producer and presenter.

A critic wrote:
"Jenny Rainbird, known to radio listeners as Slinky, brought her acting talent to the show. Her enthusiasm for the character of her monologue was catching. She transformed herself into a hotellier in the middle of a bad day which involved blocked drains and escaped hamsters. Jenny was great to watch and clearly had many fans in the audience".

Nine

Written by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit and based on the life of film director Federico Fellini.

The critics said "their faith in musical theatre was re-born"

BRILLIANT, CONFUSING & CHALLENGING

Steve Williams is pleased to announce his cast and would like to welcome everyone involved, both old and new members.

Stuart Freeman, Antonia de Roche, Amber Chandler
Brenda Brooks, Jenny Freeman, Chris Bissex
Debbie Danaher, Deb Nurse, Lauren Fantham
and new members
Slara Shaik, Sarah-Jane Vincent, Penny Easun
Debbie Cunnington and Emily Ayres

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE AND HERE'S TO A GREAT SHOW

International Connections is a new writing programme for young people; a collaboration between the National and 13 other UK flagship theatres which involves youth groups from the UK and 7 other countries. Nomads who also act with The Freewheelers are involved in the project and are performing their play Take Away on Thursday 2nd May at The Albany Theatre, which is the NT's educational centre in Deptford. Rod Messer, father of Freewheeler member Peter, is organising a coach from Dorincourt, leaving at 6.30pm. The cost of the coach is £7.50 and the show ticket is £5.00 (Concessions £3.50). Anyone interested should contact Rod on 020 8397 3812 as soon as possible as the booking deadline is this week. They would greatly welcome some support.

Those of us who look up occasionally may have noticed that at last our horse logo is displayed on the stair tower. This latest horse symbol was designed by Chris Brooks, with the collaboration of Brandon McGuire, at the time the new theatre was opening, and is a version of the logo Chris designed some years ago of the horse and caravan which you see featured in several places in the bar.

The uplighter below it will be repositioned to illuminate the logo properly, but sadly the sign is not visible from Bishopsmead Parade due to a tree which has grown up since we moved in and now obscures it.

2 bedside tables (ideally walnut wood but any wood will do)
An eiderdown
A double sized wooden wardrobe
A freestanding full-length mirror

If you can help with the above please call Lisa Arnold on 07740 348661

People have been leaving and locking up the theatre without switching out all the lights e.g the stage and auditorium lighting.

Please switch off all lights when you are locking up. It can be a day or two before someone else is in the theatre AND WE CANT'T AFFORD TO WASTE ALL THAT ELECTRICITY!

Another plea. Please switch off the computer both at the machine and at the wall socket. Otherwise the Zip drive stays on and is probably doing itself no good at all.

We now have a system of air recycling in the bar, to mitigate the problems of smoke, amongst other things. Dirty air is drawn in, treated and blown out again, fresh and clean. You need no longer be afraid to breathe in.

One more thing about the new bar furniture. The chairs must not be used on stage without Debbie Danaher's permission.

On a loverly sunny day last week last week 22 people who attend our Prompt Corner Lunches gave up their afternoon to come and stuff 2300 envelopes with the new brochure about our year's programme and other leaflets to keep our 3,500 theatregoers up to date with our productions. Their hard work is much appreciated.

Among the literature included was a questionnaire so our supporters can tell us about their likes and dislikes and how they hear about us. The mailing was generously sponsored by our old friends Curchods the estate agents, who have regularly supported us ever since we moved into the new theatre. There is a draw with prizes for all those who respond to the research and the star prize is dinner for two, kindly donated by the Ramada Jarvis Hotel.

A copy of the brochure is enclosed. Do use it to interest your friends in our shows - there are more copies available in the theatre foyer.

We have a varied programme of lunches before the summer break -

17th April. All that Jazz
Roger Hind, chairman of the Watermill Jazz Club in Dorking, will be talking about the local jazz scene and the national and international stars who have performed at the club. He will be bringing his keyboard to illustrate his talk.

15th May. Historic Leatherhead
Linda Heath, from the Leatherhead History Society and Museum, will talk about the museum and this premises - the historic Hampton Cottage.

19th June. Books, Scripts, Librettos and Scores
Grapham Muncy, senior librarian at teh Surrey Performing Arts Library, will talk about the library's development at Denbies and what they have to offer the theatre and music scene.

To book the Prompt Corner Lunches please ring Eva Pearson on 01306 730582 by the Monday before.

This is a play about Cromwell's attempt to eradicate the Irish in 1652, whose theme is relevant to today. The story could be based on conflicts, not only in Northern Ireland but many other parts of the world. It is a Shared Experience production currently touring the country. The actors make a passionate and heartbreaking play an enthralling experience which it seems is the hallmark of the company's work. Well worth seeing.

The £50 March Draw was won by Winifred Bates, a regular attender of our productions and Prompt Corner Lunches..

Ring Brian Rutherford on 01483 282046 to join the Draw Club and treat yourself to a fabulous opportunity to become rich for a mere £13 a year.