BP News

Big Spirit News

We hope lots of you came to see our last production, Larkrise to Candleford, the every day story of Oxfordshire country folk of 120 years ago. The play by Keith Dewhurst is much more like the original Flora Thompson work than the TV series. It's gentle and lyrical with lots of music and no discernible storyline- it is literally a day in the life of a village showing both the harshness yet the sense of close community that existed in rural life in those times. We had the wonderful Barry Goodman and his band to support us and, although the Youth Theatre were initially dubious that they could make this play work, they grew to love the evocation of a life and culture long gone that they created together. In our group reflection on Sunday (we always reflect on what we take away from each play) they all said how they felt that they had grown close as a group through rehearsal and performance - and how much they had come to cherish the production. In fact Barry and the band were so smitten with the thing that they have been inspired to record the music for a new CD and have asked some of the cast to help them.

But we have to get on with things, that show is dead, long live the next - which is an open-air production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. We auditioned and cast it the day after Larkrise ended - we don't like to be idle in Big Spirit - and have already started rehearsing. The group are excited and even in early rehearsals its looking pretty fab. That's exactly the right word actually because we are giving the whole thing a 1960's theme with the court and lovers in Mary Quant fashions (all geometric haircuts and Twiggy-look fashion) while the forest folk have a hippy thing going on. Hey - cool man. We also have the creative genius of Rosemary Bianchi and Katie Rallison as two of the three directors so you just know its gonna be something special. Now whether Larkrise was your bag or not - you've got to come to The Dream. It will be a wonderful summer experience in the grounds the lovely home of David and Helen Balfe. Come early to enjoy the gardens with your picnic and bottle of chilled wine and we promise you'll be right royally entertained! (17-19 July)

Easter is vacation time from college and its always good to see ex-members come back to visit, join in and share their experiences. Ellie Massie is at Cambridge University reading English and still loves her drama - she's taken strong roles in 4 plays over the last two terms to prove it too. I'm pretty impressed by that. Charlie Woodcock is really enjoying his acting course at the Drama Studio in London - he finishes in July with a big showcase at the Criterion Theatre. Lewis Miller is studying nano-technology (very small machines) in Hull. He seems to have eschewed acting for the time being but he always calls in to see us all and has offered to help the group with our Midsummer Night's Dream project, which is great. And Becky Lee is studying dance at the London Dance School and says that she's permanently shattered! Well dance is hard but she is so excellent at it.

Finally a comment from Rosemary Bianchi after her first rehearsal with the group: 'Wow - it's so nice to work with people who want to work so hard' Yo baby - now yo talkin'!