BP News

Artistic Director's Blog

At last the new season is announced! Sally, Nicki, Zoe, Charles and I have tried to meet the many parameters we set ourselves:

• Something for actors of varying ages
• Balancing casts for gender over the year
• Shows that are already known to audiences to maximise sales
• Shows that we have not done before (or at least in the last 10+ years)
• The final programme to be drawn mainly from submissions made to us by directors and others.

So - how did we get on? Well you be the judge.

September:

The Graduate by Terry Johnson directed by Jon Brown

November:

The Dresser by Ronald Harwood (co-production with Dunstable Rep)

December:

Sleeping Beauty by Rufus Norris directed by Rosemary Bianchi

March:

Season's Greetings by Alan Ayckbourn directed by Edith Pratt

May:

The Turn of the Screw (new adaptation) directed by Rory Reynolds

July:

- a musical, production and director to be announced

Added to this programme of 6 productions, Charles Plester (Fringe Director) and I will also choose 4 plays for the Fringe. As with the Main House shows, we prefer suggestions from members and you are invited to submit over the next 3 weeks. To be a Fringe Director, by the way, you don't need to have directed before so its one way to learn your craft especially if you have plans to eventually produce a show in the Auditorium. Fringe shows are less mainstream than our major shows (on a 4-night run only 160 people will see the show!) so the income is small. However, our Fringe shows are often staggeringly popular and that is something we don't want to compromise. We are looking for good, small cast shows that wouldn't usually be considered for the Main House. So here are the boxes to tick….

• Small cast (6 or less)
• Script must be available and sent with submission
• Can be played with minimum or no set
• Production costs held to ©200 (excluding royalties)
• Can be rehearsed within a short time-frame (6-8 weeks)
• Play has artistic merit. Genres: classic-revisited (e.g. The Killing of Sister George), successful in London, NY or Edinburgh Fringe (e.g. A Brief History of Helen of Troy), non-mainstream (e.g. Someone to Watch over Me) or even new writing.

We wait with bated breath…