N EWSLETTER - Bingley Little Theatre
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BINGLEY LITTLETHEATRE
Bingley Arts Centre, Main Street, Bingley. BD16 2LZ
N EWSLETTER
Pandemic Edition-July 2020
From the Chair
Dear All
At our recent Management meeting it was
decided with great sadness, that due to
current circumstances, we will be keeping
Bingley Little Theatre closed until January
2021. We are continuing to monitor the
government’s guidelines, and along with
friends from other theatres, we are
compiling a list of equipment and working
practices to implement when we re-open.
We are planning to re-open BLT in January
with the fantastic Fallen Angels by Noel
Coward, and the remaining plays for the
season will go ahead as planned. The
Reading & Casting committee have been
hard at work via Zoom video calls, and have
nearly cast the rest of the season, and have
started to look at the following season as
well.
As you will be aware, we should have held our AGM in May, and at this point I had
planned on being at an All Inclusive resort in Lanzarote...Instead I am sat at home looking
out at the teeming rain and regretting not mowing the lawn yesterday.
We have decided to hold our AGM in October, and due to social distancing we have
come up with a new format for this year. Details of this year’s AGM are on page 16.
The Executive committee would like to thank you - our members for your support during
this period. We really appreciate your patience and understanding, and as a thank you, we
are extending this year's paid up membership subscriptions until May 2021.
During this ‘down’ time we have been carrying out essential maintenance as well as
maintaining the vital Food Bank and Blood Donation services (all following current
government guidelines) and will continue to support these essential services.
We very much look forward to welcoming you back to BLT & The Arts Centre in January,
please watch our website and Facebook pages for up to date information.
In closing I would like to thank you all for your support this past year and a bit, it’s been a
challenging and rewarding year as Chairman, and I wish Richard Thompson all the best
for his stint in the Chair. I would like to
thank Anne Lakin for all the hard work she
has carried out as Secretary, and for being
a fountain of knowledge. I would also like
to thank David Helliwell, who has served
the past four years as President and his
term will come to an end at the AGM. I am
sure I speak on behalf of all of the
Executive committee by thanking him for
FOUNDED his advice and commitment these past four
years. I would also like to wish his
successor Jan Darnbrough all the best for
her term as our new President.
1947 All the best Mark Brown
1
Looking Forward to 2021
Blt Season 2021 Plays and Authors
18 - 23 Jan 2021 Fallen Angels Comedy by Noel Coward
1 - 6 March 2021 Doubt Drama by Patrick Stanley
12 -17 April 2021 Sauce for the Goose Farce by Georges Feydeau
17 - 22 May 2021 Dial M for Murder Drama by Frederick Knott
28 June- 3 July 2021 The Rink Script by Terence McNally
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Music by John Kander
The Light at the end of the Tunnel?
Hello Everyone
The Reading and Casting team at Bingley Little Theatre hope you, your family and friends
are all staying safe and keeping well.
It won’t be too long before the doors of Bingley Little Theatre and Bingley Arts Centre are
open again and behind the scenes work continues to keep it in tip top condition, ready to
welcome you back.
Despite having to delay the start of the new season, we have continued with our work to
cast the plays which form the second part of the season, from January 2021 onwards.
We’re sure that you’re all looking forward to being involved and watching them!
We are delighted to announce the casts for the first two plays of the 2021 Season:
Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels (18 – 23 January 2021) - a great comedy with feisty and
dynamic characters, directed by Robin Martin:
JULIA STERROLL – Annie Howley JANE BANBURY – Becky Matthews
FRED STERROLL – Phil Jordan WILLY BANBURY – Phil Holbrough
SAUNDERS – Diane Todd MAURICE DUCLOS – Ned Sproston
Doubt by Patrick Stanley (1- 6 March) – a powerful thought-provoking drama directed by
Deborah Mouat:
SISTER ALOYSIUS BEAUVIER - Rachel Conyers FATHER FLYNN - David Kirk
SISTER JAMES - Caroline Auty MRS MILLER - Marva Bell
We will be publicising the cast lists for the rest of the 2021 season over the next few weeks.
Our audiences and members have always remarked on the friendly welcome they
experience at BLT. Rest assured there will be an especially warm reception waiting as we
all return to support our fine local theatre in 2021.
Very best wishes
BLT Reading & Casting Committee David, Ian, Jacquie, Liz, Paul and Rosemary
2
BLT management have issued a statement to members that "we are hoping to re-open BLT in January" .
All being well, Coward's Fallen Angels will be BLT's first production after Lockdown.
To whet your appetite, here is a brief overview of this and other forthcoming (we hope!) productions...
18 - 23 Jan 2021 FALLEN ANGELS
The production is timed by BLT to commemorate the centenary of Coward's
first West End production in 1920 (delayed thanks to youknowwhat!)
The play is an early Coward, and in many ways presages his later more
famous work- especially, for me, Private Lives, with its light touch comedy of
manners,
It's light and frothy, with witty fast-paced dialogue, a tale of gay young things in
the Twenties of Society London.
Julia & Fred and Willy & Jane are "happily married" (whatever that means) and
the best of friends, until a postcard arrives with news of the imminent arrival
of a handsome Frenchman the wives once romanced. The camaraderie of the
two wives at the play's start gives way to gentle sniping which ramps itself up
into outright warfare and the result is a lot of fun. Robin Martin
Edna Best, Austin Trevor and Tallulah
Bankhead in the original London
Production 1925
1 - 6 March 2021 DOUBT, A Parable
Written by John Patrick Stanley and directed by Deborah Mouat
Doubt is a very powerful, thought provoking small cast play. It is set in 1964, at St. Nicholas Catholic
church and school in the Bronx, New York. In this play the ‘old Catholic ways’ are still dominant, where
the Sisters obey their male counterparts and all are ‘tightly bound by their faith’.
Doubt is a fairly short play which makes a change from my last production, Virginia Woolf, where I had to
make severe cuts. In all there are 9 scenes which will need atmospheric music and lighting to transition
between and in each scene.
The play has two main acting areas; the corner office of Sister Aloysius which I would like on a raised
platform and a lower area, the garden in the grounds. Two other acting areas used are the pulpit in the
church and the gym. It should be fun finding the props and more importantly, dressing this interesting set.
The costumes are period and clerical in the main.
This will be a fun but challenging production and I will be delighted to have anyone who is interested in
being part of my team. Without you, the play just can’t happen so thank you in advance! Deborah Mouat
12 - 17 April 2021 SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE
Georges Feydeau is recognised worldwide as the master of farce. He wrote over
60 plays during the Belle Epoque in Paris; smash hit after smash hit. His
ingenious plotting hurls his characters into a dizzying whirl of intrigues, betrayals,
mistakes and misunderstandings reaching the heights of farcical lunacy and
leaving the audience breathless with laughter.
Sauce for the Goose (Le Dindon) is one of his greatest achievements. Virtuous
Lucienne, married to Vatelin, is ardently pursued by inveterate womaniser
Pontagnac and her long-time admirer Redillon. She resists their attempts at
seduction, saying she knows her husband is faithful, but if he were to stray like
other men, she would immediately take her revenge. Pontagnac reveals that
Vatelin is to meet his mistress Brunnhilde at the Hotel Ultimus that very night.
Madame Pontagnac
He, Redillon and Lucienne set off for the hotel to catch Vatelin in the act but the
and Lucienne declare
hotel muddles the room bookings and they are drawn into a maelstrom of
their intentions to a
startled Redillon. confusion with a lady of the town, Pontagnac's wife, Brunnhilde's husband, a
(Photo from a 2015 lecherous army doctor, his deaf wife and the hotel staff. Will it be a case of
French production) "What's Sauce for the Gander is Sauce for the Goose"? See the play and find
out! John Howard
3
More forthcoming attractions to look forward to in 2021......
17 - 22 May 2021 DIAL M FOR MURDER
Dial 'M' for Murder -by Frederick
Knott was famously made into
a film, starring Ray Milland and
Grace Kelly, by Alf red
Hitchcock. The plot centres on
Tony Wendice, who has
blatantly married Sheila for her
money. She appears to be in
love with someone else and
Tony decides to plan her
murder. Alibis are established,
a murderer is contacted and
evidence is planted to suggest
that Sheila has been
1955 BLT Programme blackmailed. This enthralling
plot is unravelled for us by
Inspector Hubbard, who gets to the truth - eventually!
With twists, turns, jealousy and betrayal this play
will have you at the edge of your seat.
BLT first produced this famous drama in 1955,
then again in 2003. Always popular with theatre
goers, the twists and turns will keep you guessing
right to the end. Photo from Bingley Guardian 1955
28 June - 3 July 2021 THE RINK—Everyone wants to be an Angel
When we announced that our 2020/21 season was to include
the little performed Kander and Ebb musical The Rink, the
reading and casting committee were taken slightly by surprise
at the number of potential new members contacting BLT to
take part in this production.
As we have had so much interest in the role of “Angel” we
have decided to take the unusual step of holding auditions
(hopefully in early September) just for this coveted role. This
audition will be open to existing and potential new members.
You must be a fantastic actor/singer (who can also dance) to
play this hippy drifter - moody, cantankerous and rebellious.
Much of the show goes into flashback so there needs to be
convincing portrayals of Angel’s younger self (from age 7
through to early twenties) which takes the audience back from
her “present” playing age of early 30’s .
The show itself simply adds up to an eloquent expression of
that old truth: what goes around, comes around – like so many
skaters rolling laps of a rink. Yet Angel's mistake is to sugar-coat the past: to see only the good
times and skate over the bad. Angel hides her old vulnerabilities beneath a flinty exterior and a
chip on her shoulder – truly, her mother's daughter. This character is multi layered, tender and
deft.
To put your own stamp on the role, contact Liz Hall (casting coordinator for this production -
lizhall69@hotmail.com) and she will supply audition materials and an audition date when agreed.
Many thanks Liz Hall
4
Back to a Musical for the Feel Good Factor
BLT are, for the first time in a long
number of years, returning to staging a
small musical for their end-of-season
production in June 2021 with the rarely
staged Kander & Ebb musical The Rink.
Why is it so rarely performed? Well, for
starters, the title number is performed by
a cast of six going full pelt round the
stage on roller skates!! Given that these
six have to be young men who can act,
sing, dance and skate… then you can
see why most companies judge it just too
difficult to stage.
This 1984 musical had a successful
Broadway run – unsurprising, given the
presence of Chita Rivera and Liza Minelli
in the cast. The strange thing is that the
piece seems to have even greater effect
when playing in smaller theatres, so
what better company to tackle it than
BLT?
Following its West End run, this show
has had only four UK non-professional productions. Strange then, that one of these was actually
in Guiseley in 1991 – thirty years ago - when it played a six night sell-out run! The show is
relatively unusual in that it has just two leading roles, concentrating on the relationship between a
mother and daughter, effectively creating a strong two-hander.
Not that the large-scale numbers are neglected - audiences are treated to song and dance
numbers from the two women and from the ensemble of six. The piece proceeds via a series of
flashbacks as each woman narrates events from the past so that the evening becomes a
seamless exploration of the layers of their relationship.
The six men in the ensemble move between the roles of workers come to demolish the rink and
people from the women's past.
You will come out humming the tunes and tapping your feet – that “feel good” factor, which we so
desperately need in these current times! Terence McNally's book is funny, ironic and tragic, with
lots of one-line wise-cracks. The life depicted is rather ordinary and sad, with the rink standing in
for all the ideas that we cling onto from the past. But there is another layer too, a sadness for a
lost way of life, the disappearance of the old seaside boardwalks and their entertainments.
The women bring superbly expressive Broadway voices and razor wit to their roles.
The mother’s wisecracking carapace is gradually cracked to reveal the tragedies in her life she is
trying to hide.
Her daughter is a damaged soul who matches her mother wise-crack for wise-crack and gives
very little away until the closing pages when all the revelations are done.
BLT has a fine reputation for staging small-scale musicals and this production marks a welcome
return to the work of John Kander and Fred Ebb, who created the hit musicals Cabaret and
Chicago, which have both featured in previous BLT seasons, albeit some time ago now. The
golden days of our end of season musical (others have included Lock Up Your Daughters, Victor/
Victoria, Something’s Afoot, The Good Companions to name but a few) are back for 2021. If it is
going to be another thirty years before this brilliant show can be staged again, you had better
catch it next season! David Kirk
5
Tim Firth remembers Neville's Island
Tim Firth, the author of the play, remembers an embarrassing evening watching a production at
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
,
It’s a Thursday night in 1992 and I’m
taking my seat in the fourth row of the
old Stephen Joseph at the library, pre-
move. The theatre is basically the same
shape as the current, three voms, and
I’m sitting above vom 3, which is flooded
with water. This is not a plumbing issue,
rather part of the set design for Neville’s
Island, my first full-length play for the
theatre, indeed my first full-length
professional play in any main house.
Understandably I’m nervous. It’s the
third preview and I’m still panicking
about what the audience will make of it
going into the interval, or home at the
end. I scour faces constantly. Doing this
before the lights go down I notice that
Some well-known BLT faces under the camouflage netting down below me a guy in his fifties with
during our production in 2000! For those unable to recognise dark glasses is taking his front row seat,
torsos, they are...Peter Whitley, Jonathon Scott, Phil Holbrough and his guide dog, a mournful golden
and Anthony Calvert lab, is curling obediently at his feet.
Clearly used to going to the theatre, or
maybe having read the synopsis of my play, it instantly settles down to sleep.
The play commences. Four men are marooned on an island in the Lake District and towards the end of
act one they realise that they have only one item of food between them, an uneaten sausage from
breakfast which one purloined for a mid morning snack. This they decide to reheat on the primer stove. In
our production the sausage is real. The stove is real. The smell of warming sausage that starts to waft
around the Stephen Joseph Theatre is real and of a very real interest to the golden labrador. Suddenly it
finds an interest in theatre, there having been very little meat cooked during the course of any other shows
that season. The audience opposite start to notice the dog rise to a sitting position, his mournful
expression un-clouding to one of sincere narrative interest.
This only increases as the actor with a saucepan cradling said sausage decides to drain the fat off it in the
lake. This is of course the flooded vom next to which the dog is sitting. In dramatic language this is to drain
the fat in the lake. In dog language this is to give the sausage to the dog. The actor delivers a speech on
the dangers of cholesterol whilst stood on a rock in the vom around sixteen inches from the dog’s nose
which is now intently focused on the sausage, as intently as the audience’s attention is now focused on
the dog. The scene culminates, to the delight of audience, with the sausage being dropped in the water.
Blackout. The next scene begins. This has not been a source of delight for the dog. The sausage is still
floating in the water inches from him. Can he get it? Is he allowed? Throughout the next scene he
alternates between glances of pre-Raphaelite melancholy at the floating sausage to pleading looks at his
owner, which of course are to no avail. The scene ends and with it, the act. Audience leave through the
main vom discussing the dog. The unsighted guy moves with the swell. He pulls behind him a dog who is
literally walking backwards, eyes fixed on the floating sausage which has destroyed his evening and his
faith in the promise of joy that theatre offers. Thanks to John Eaton for this article
What’s on Guide 2021
The What's On guide will be produced as early as possible for the Jan-Mar 2021 projected start. However
there is no point doing it too early, as more cancellations are probably in the pipeline.
This is sent out to over 3000 people on email and if you want to be on this list, then do send a message to
office@bingleyartscentre.co.uk and we will add you to the mailing list. Note you can unsubscribe at any
time. In addition we will be producing the printed version and provided the opening is still slated for Jan,
expect this to be available for collection, from the box office, in December along with ticket sales.
6
Jacqui’s Millions
Jacqui Drake is a well known choreographer and dancer in
the local amateur theatre scene.
She has been diagnosed with stage 4 malignant
melanoma. This is, sadly, terminal.
But Jacqui is made of stern stuff. She didn't take this lying
down, but decided to do something to help others.
She explains...
I have been involved in theatre from the age of 6 - so many
years now - then later as dancer for lots of societies
including Bradford Catholic Players, Great Horton
Amateurs & Bradford Players, Potato Room Players,
Bingley Amateurs, Bradford Catholic Players & of course
BLT. In 2005 I was honoured to choreograph the amazing
musical "Victor Victoria" working alongside my friend &
Director David Kirk. This is a musical that is rarely staged
so it really was very special & holds lots of lovely
memories.
When I talk to people and say that I am a cancer patient
who is terminally ill with stage 4 malignant melanoma they
Jacqui Drake are so surprised as I look so well, but they think it is
devastating.
But I am one of the lucky ones as I have been treated at the Bexley-Leeds Cancer Centre for the
last 10 years.
It was after my hospitalisation that I felt I wanted to give something back to our incredible NHS
and help other cancer patients, so in 2016 I founded Jacqui’s Million, the original idea being that
if I could get one million people to donate £1 the job would be done.
Among many contributions, a musical theatre marathon raised over £900. Then two lovely
friends, have kindly been busy making masks to sell for the appeal - so far they have made over
530, bringing in a staggering £1,250. Darren Smith, a firefighter at Harrogate station, took on a
‘Sunrise to Sunset’ challenge; 17 gruelling hours on a treadmill to raise more funds and more
awareness of my appeal.
So far we have raised more than £20,000 this year, not too bad considering that events I had
planned have now been postponed due to Covid. I had a packed 2020 fundraising programme
planned, but the only event that’s gone ahead so far is an 80s night which took place in February.
My Mad Hatter’s PositiviTEA Party, planned for Hollins Hall, Baildon, in May, was sold out, and
the East Meet West gala ball was due to take place at Midpoint, Thornbury on June 20. I’m now
looking to rearrange both events.
To date, with everyone’s generosity, the appeal stands at an incredible £211,000. The money
has been used in a variety ways for patient comfort and care - funding such equipment as scalp
coolers to prevent hair loss, drip stands, cannulation training arms, to recruit and facilitate a lead
nurse in anti-systemic cancer therapy, chairs for chemotherapy, the refurbishment of the waiting
room in the assessment area, and we’re now working towards essential home comforts for
patients in HDU. People can see exactly where their money is going with this appeal.
Jacqui adds.. "If you have health concerns, I would urge people to trust our NHS to take care of
you, please don’t be frightened, you’re in very safe hands and if you’re worried about getting a
diagnosis, please don’t delay due to Covid."
When I heard of Jacqui's work I felt sure that BLT members would like to hear of it and to support
one of our own. I know that the cause is close to the hearts of many of us.
* To pledge a donation go to justgiving.com/fundraising/jacquismillion
* To order Jacqui’s Positivity merchandise, including scented candles, gin glasses, reed diffusers
and angel wing keyrings, call 0776 8351683 or email jacqui.drake1@btinternet.com
7
Bingley Foodbank at BLT
Since the end of 2013 Bingley Arts Centre has provided a home for Bingley Food bank. The situation
is ideal as it is central and near public transport and has parking nearby. We needed a store room
and somewhere to see our clients.
When the then Methodist minister started the ball rolling to set this up we had no idea what the need
would be, and how important it would be in the present situation of the Covid 19 outbreak. We are
not a busy food bank as the Bradford and Keighley foodbanks are but there is still a need in Bingley
and people who can’t afford food may not be able to afford bus fares as well.
Normally our team consists of mainly retired people who greet the clients, offer a cup of tea and have
a chat to see if they need signposting to other help as well as for food parcels. They should be
referred to one of the agencies – health centres, schools, Social Services and job centres etc and it is
an emergency provision to see them over a crisis.
So, how have things changed since the last week of March?
We are so grateful that the management committee agreed to let us continue using BLT to run the
food bank when you were having to close everything else down. Margaret (Wilcock), Richard
(Thompson) and Ian (Smithson) have been really supportive in opening and closing and helping us to
do things differently.
Bingley people have continued to be really generous in making both food and financial contributions.
New people have come forward to staff the Tuesday and Friday session replacing those of us who
have to stay away. These people have been willing to come each week and fill the gaps and 2
regular teams have been really helpful in the present situation. Three of them have come each time
we are open – Christine in the store and Nick and Bethany who came home from university early and
have lots of energy to carry bags up and down the stairs to the store. Clients have been seen at a
safe distance and had to forgo the usual tea and biscuits.
I did some comparisons for last weekend (the end of May) – 8 weeks in to the present set up.
I have looked at comparable data for April and May 2019,
During those 8 weeks we fed 19 households – 22 adults and 18 children – in total 40 individuals.
Compare that with April and May 2020
For these 8 weeks we fed 77 households feeding 224 individuals As those who are working at the
foodbank know, quite a number of the ‘children’ are teenagers and have an ‘adult’ bag.
As we give 3 day bags that means that people
have been fed for 672 days (in comparison to
120 for the same time last year). As well as
the bags prepared there have also been all
the additional extras that have been
contributed from individuals and businesses
being furloughed and local businesses.
None of this would have been possible without
the generosity of Bingley people in bringing
food and of the people who have given their
time and energy to keeping the food bank
open. Occasionally, as well, we have had a
delivery from the Storehouse in Bradford.
When I have contact with people ringing
through to refer clients they all say how
grateful they are and along with the
Community Kitchen that Kathy and her
husband are running at Trinity All Saints this is
really helping to keep families who find
themselves in difficulties whilst schools are
closed and people have lost jobs or are
furloughed.
So a big thank you to all the people who are
making this possible at the moment - and that
includes the support from the Arts Centre .
Nick and Bethany sorting out bags of food in the
BLT based Food Bank Barbara Walls with thanks to Richard
Thompson
8
DIVERSITY AT BLT
In light of recent events and some comments on social media, it has come to our attention that
there is work to be done in order to ensure that everyone feels welcome at BLT.
We are reviewing our policies and working practices to clarify that no-one should be excluded
and to ensure that BLT and the Arts Centre is a diverse and inclusive organisation. We are
committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity and strive to be accessible,
welcoming and provide equal opportunities to our current and potential members, hirers and
audiences.
As such, the Executive committee would like to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring BLT is an
open and diverse organisation, by adding the following to our rules framework.
BLT is a diverse and inclusive organisation. We are committed to eliminating discrimination and
encouraging diversity across all areas of the theatre and the Arts Centre. We strive to be
accessible and welcoming, offering equality of opportunity to all current and potential members,
hirers and audiences.
The Life of a Chair at BLT
During the lockdown, I decided to upholster an old chair from the props store. As I peeled away
the layers of fabric (four in all), it got me thinking about the history of the chair during its time at
BLT - the different plays in which it has appeared and all the props people who have worked to
change it's appearance over the years to ensure it always looked the part.
After removing the final piece of fabric and starting to lift out the foam and hessian padding, I was
rather perturbed to see the face of Prince Andrew at the bottom proclaiming his love for Sarah
Ferguson. It was a copy of the Yorkshire Post from 1986. Was this the year the chair made its
first appearance at BLT?
I got quite attached to the chair during that week in April. If you know anything about its life at
BLT or where it came from originally, I'd love to hear from you. Jill Martin (props team)
Before and After..... the chair. And the Prince
9
Obituaries David Brett
I was terribly saddened to hear of David's death. I knew him both
professionally and as a member of our wide theatre community.
The responses of so many of his former pupils showed what a
respected teacher and head teacher he was, a man who always had
the best interests of his pupils at heart.
And in the theatrical world he was equally loved and respected.
I first knew him in this context when he came to Keighley
Playhouse's rehearsals to take photos of productions for the
Keighley News.
When BLT took on the Arts Centre David designed, and for several
seasons, put together the What's On flyers.
His outstanding photo of the Arts Centre in early morning summer David Brett (far right)
sun is still the one we use on our publicity material.
He has photographed several of our productions, and was due to photograph others. If you needed a
photo of a production or a theatrical event, David was one you could turn to, and he'd willingly help
uncomplainingly.
He is missed by the many who knew him as a professional photographer, of sports and social events,
especially around the Keighley area, generous with his time, and talented. He was working both as a
photographer, and in an advisory capacity in a head teacher’s group until the end.
David was often involved in our Studio shows. I was fortunate to be involved with him in several
productions, when he was always a quiet but positive presence, respected and loved by all. Not an easy
trick to pull off! RIP David. You'll be sorely missed. Robin Martin
Jack Bailey
Jack Bailey was a longstanding member and former president of
Bingley Amateur Operatic Society and was also in Bingley Gilbert
and Sullivan Society productions for many years. Many of our
members remember him as a stalwart of Bingley G and S Society
and as the brilliant 'patter' man - in particular his roles as Ko-Ko
and the Lord Chancellor.
Mr Bailey, who ran Jack S Bailey Funeral Directors in Bingley,
which business was taken over by Christine and Arthur Baxter
(daughter and son in law), was a keen cricketer and as a younger
man he played for Bingley Congregational Cricket Club and was a
Jack Bailey, second right, keen member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He played golf at
pictured in 2008, presenting a Shipley Golf Club and was a lifelong member of Bingley United
cheque for Martin House Reformed Church.
He had booked his 100th birthday party at BLT.! He was in every sense
a true Gentleman and will be fondly remembered.
Richard Thompson and Jan Darnbrough
Joan Milner
Recently I received a letter informing me of the peaceful death of Joan Milner on
June 18th at the age of 92 in Wingfield Nursing Home.
Joan was a stalwart of the Wardrobe Team in the late 1990's early 2000's willing to
share costuming a play such as "Brighton Beach Memoirs" or help in the making
of costumes in plays such as "A Midsummer Night's dream" and "Far from the
Madding Crowd
A skilled needlewomen, Joan made a valuable contribution in wardrobes and was a
supportive member of the team. When she wasn't helping with quick changes she
could be found serving interval coffee to the audience. She was a dear friend.
In her younger years Joan enjoyed cycling in the Yorkshire Dales.
Richard Thompson reminds us that Joan was made a life member for her
outstanding contributions to life at Bingley Little Theatre. Linda Durant.
10Obituaries
David Denbigh
We are sad to report the non-corona virus related death of David.
He was well known in BLT social circles, primarily as a support for Freda, who was heavily involved
artistically until her illness.
David appeared in several Studio productions - Kate Harris remembers his Dogberry, complete with dog -
and your Editor remembers his chess- playing with Jess Scarfe, on the stage of Jean Stuckey's production
of Twelfth Night. It was David's ideal part, he told me...no lines to learn! Robin Martin
Wheater Smith
We were saddened to hear that Wheater had passed away at the Care Home in
Ilkley where he had been resident for some years.
From a BLT perspective he was a very clever and astute member of the team-in
particular he will be remembered for the 100 sets he designed for productions over
the years in the Bradford area.
His use of trucks was always a highlight - though his single set pieces were
excellent, with fantastic attention to detail. I will always remember how closely we
worked together on my first Main House production (Double Cut), when his set
design -at an angle-made very clever use of the fourth wall. “ Hobson’s Choice” was
an absolute delight.
He was a very effective Chairman 86-87, keeping a good tight ship, whilst
encouraging the Theatre Upstairs, now The Studio and Green Room now of course Wheater Smith
Kaleidescope. Our best wishes go to Pat and the Family. Richard Thompson
Sandra Chewins
We are very sad to learn of the death of Sandra after a short illness.
Sandra was much loved, as the testimonials below witness. For my part,
I remember her mischievous sense of humour, and that she didn't take
herself too seriously! Another who has gone far too early. Our hearts go
out to Paul, Jess and Sam, as Julie Boldy, who has compiled this piece
writes. Here are a very few extracts from the tributes I have received....
Rob Edwards:
I auditioned with Sandra to join BLT back in 2005. We sat in the bar,
fighting the nerves, and swapped stories about youth theatre. She took
my mind off my panicking and, as she came out, assured me that the
Sandra in typically panel were all lovely and that she was going home for a stiff drink. We
ebullient mood recently played together in the Studio’s “Talking Heads” As always, she gave
backstage with a wonderfully nuanced and intelligent performance.
husband Paul. Sally Edwards:
Sandra was, without doubt, one of the best actors I’ve seen on the BLT
stage and you knew that if she was in the cast you could look forward to a thoughtful, intelligent
performance. She always gave great encouragement to others and was a big supporter of youth
theatre and of fair treatment for everyone.
Christine Robbins (friend) : We recently renewed our friendship from Bradford Playhouse in the
90s at Wharfedale Festival when she won Best Supporting Actress for Little Women at Keighley.
I have such fond memories of Sandra: she was a super actress and a lovely person.
Sharon Elliott (friend): So privileged to have spent time on and off stage with Sandra, she
taught me a lot about respecting yourself and always behaving with dignity and pride regardless
of those around you behaving otherwise.
Julie Boldy: In March 2018 I was in ‘Billy Liar’ with Sandra and despite facing some terrible
weather conditions we never missed a performance. She always dedicated herself to giving the
best possible portrayal of the character she was playing and consistently gave some of the most
memorable performances we have seen onstage at Bingley Little Theatre. I loved working with
Sandra.
11Armchair Theatre Memories
Does anyone remember this TV series which ran from 1956
to 1974?
I'm put in mind of it because of our current (as I write)
lockdown habit of watching the wonderful "live" theatre
available on our TV screens during this crisis.
The principle was simple, and seemed obvious. Live
theatre at home, as if we, the audience, were in the best
seats. From one supreme vantage point.
Yet it somehow didn't work. There was something lacking.
Being there, feeling the audience, feeling the magic?
I don't know. But Armchair Theatre lacked something, and it
was soon gone, to be replaced by made for TV drama,
which is now, arguably, in its "golden age".
Now, we can see the best productions, in the best theatres, with the best actors, streaming to our local
cinemas. We theatre types often meet up at Pictureville in Bradford and have seen some fabulous stuff,
often referenced in this newsletter, almost as good as being there in the West End.
And yet... watching Treasure Island, or Jane Eyre live from the NT, on my TV at home, I felt a distance
removed from the drama. I felt that the talented actors were overacting. Or perhaps over projecting?
Whichever, it didn't feel quite right. Don't misunderstand me. I enjoyed these shows. But I was reminded of
a Richard Burton anecdote about filming Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor. Burton, a famous stage actor
couldn't understand why Taylor was hardly acting, barely moving. Until he saw the "rushes", and realised
that she had understood the medium, and that he was coming on far too much!
With his talent, of course, he was quickly able to adjust.
But our NT actors are not able to make that adjustment. They're playing to a theatre audience, and quite
rightly projecting appropriately.
In my experience that works fine for a live stream to a cinema, with its atmosphere.
But not on my little screen at home. It's the wrong medium...much like those statically- filmed Armchair
Theatres in days gone by.
And I do- in late April 2020- long for some real live theatre!
What do you think? I asked other Theatre members for their reflections on theatre life under lockdown.
Here are a couple Robin Martin
Theatre Solo
I've always found it more difficult to go to the theatre than to see a film or listen to live music, due to living
alone and theatre being more of a social occasion, even nowadays when one no longer needs to dress
up. Having a drink before curtain up and ice cream in the interval, having someone with whom to moan to
about whisperers and chocolate wrapper rustlers, indulging in a post mortem... all activities to be shared
and savoured so that even a poor show can be part of a fun evening.
I especially enjoy the experimentation and innovation of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, and London
theatre whether it's over a hundred quid to see Hamilton or a fiver for As You Like It at the Globe... in both
cities production is usually outstanding and there's invariably a buzz not replicated here. However we do
of course have the wonderful Royal Exchange.
For such extravagances I usually manage to find company. But for the last six months this hasn't been
necessary and I've been able to spoil myself with top notch theatre slumped on my sofa with a bottle of
wine, pretending I'm at the National, Covent Garden or the Old Vic. I can rewind to again see a good bit or
hear something I didn't follow. I can press pause to go and forage in the fridge for cheese.. I can stop
fighting tiredness and watch the second half the next night. I can ditch the whole enterprise and go to bed
to read .
And, I don't even have to watch alone. A friend who lives in London is also a theatre addict. Her husband
isn't. I've known her for 35 years since she stage-managed a play I directed at Bradford. We were talking
on the phone in March and arranging our next call when she suggested we go the theatre together, as we
do when I'm down there.... same same but different. We find what we want on Youtube... synchronise a
starting point... 3-2-1 press play... watch the show... chat about it at half time and at final whistle. She's
watching on her screen... and me on mine 200 miles away, with my friend on my mobile propped up
against a pile of books on the coffee table. All very cosy! David Gilman
12Lockdown - from London
Oh, poor Russell Tovey. The large-eared sexy English
actor who had successes in the Bennett play "The
History Boys" and recently on TV in the dramas "Years
and Years" and "Flesh and Blood". A career on the
up. Agents rubbing their hands. He was cast as the
young Jock in "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf" on
Broadway. (You did it recently ....you're so
current ...) Yes a British actor playing an American on
Broadway. What an opportunity for him.
I follow him on instagram, (yes , I'm that sad.) He
worked his body out. He dyed his hair blond. He
posted rehearsal pics. Opening night beckoned. And
then ....lockdown. All theatre cancelled. Flight home.
This is the situation for so many actors.
I have friends who celebrated their casting in the new Chichester summer season. 6 months
work. No more.
Eileen Atkins (let's worship) and Timothee Chalamet (new big film name) were about to open at
The Old Vic in "4000 miles". Queues around the block. Cancelled.
I watched the preview of the musical "City of Angels" an amazing revival in London just before
opening night. I know the producer, she took a risk and she crossed her fingers at me. We stood
at the curtain call. No press night. Now it's dark. She will lose a shed load of money. Cameron
Mackintosh has closed "Phantom", "Hamilton", "Poppins", "Leopoldstadt" (Stoppard), "Les
Miserables", "Evan Hansen", "Mamma Mia" possibly until 2021.
The London West End is ghostly. All theatres closed. Shaftesbury Avenue is a graveyard. My
partner is an actor. His agent has said that there will be no auditions for theatre in the near
future.. TV/film is working out how to operate. Film auditions are by self-tape only. It is
predicted that cinemas may find a way out of this. They can operate with reduced
audience. They can repeat the films at no extra costs. But theatres seem to be
stuffed. Crowded foyers, limited toilets and close seats are a problem but the main issue is that
producers can't make money if the audience is less than about 70% capacity. So social distance
seating for audiences is not an option. If producers can't male money then there is no motivation
to put plays on.
So to try and keep the theatrical world still alive, actors are being incredibly inventive on-
line. They are posting lockdown clips. Zooming group performances. Supporting each
other. Sharing the horror.
TV is now using the lockdown in new work (Bennett monologues) and adverts reflect current
isolated times. Scenes in the soaps will be socially distanced and sex scenes may be computer
generated.
TV and YouTube is showing productions of past popular shows in an attempt to keep the
theatrical world alive but this isn't helping the actors or the producers.
Let's give a big cheer to Andrew Lloyd Webber. I'm not a huge fan of his repetitive musicals but
instead of sitting on his financial pile he is trying to find a way out of this nightmare. His
"Phantom" in South Korea has restarted because the theatre has found a way around the
problem. He is trying to replicate the Korean model at his large theatre "The London
Palladium". He says the theatre can't survive with "half houses" so wants to induce confidence in
the audience to allow full capacity.
Audiences will be scanned for high temperature in the foyer. The auditorium will be sanitised. All
touch surfaces will be made of special uncontaminated material. No bar. No £4 ice creams. The
actors will perform in a social bubble. If the audience is confident then they will return. It might
be the way forward in this crisis.
Let's hope this is a success and a way back for theatres to re-open. Who knows. Otherwise I'm
afraid the theatrical houses will be dark for months to come.
Peter Bennett
Best wishes
13Thanks to Mike Ellison of Keighley Playhouse for these snippets
A worrying time for theatres
Due to the continuing lockdown, alongside Government advice that
social distancing will need to remain in place for some time, we
have made the difficult decision to postpone all remaining
planned performances of The Winter's Tale and The Comedy of
Errors and all other ticketed events scheduled to take place during
the summer season, due to end on 3 October 2020.
The Stage theatre journal has naturally been running pieces on Lockdown and its
effect on our theatres. Here are some snippets.
8 out of 120 respondents said they would feel more comfortable if some form of social
distancing were in place, with 80% claiming that imposing limits on the number of attendees
would make a difference to them, and 68%, wanting seats spaced two metres apart.
Not all Bad News............
Headline from an article from ‘The Stage’
Rural touring could be the key to restarting the theatre industry, but it will need investment
and support, its membership body has argued. Georgina Snow
14Tony & Jenny Reavill, very longstanding BLT members, are members also of the J B Priestley society.
They share with us here a reading, pre-lockdown of their piece, Dragon’s Mouth at the JB Priestley Conference in the
Anthony Burgess Centre in Manchester.
It may be of interest to members because of the obvious local connections, but also as a possible introduction to, or
gloss on, Priestley’s work, both novels and drama.
BLT is sure to be producing another of his works in the not too distant future.
THE GREAT EXPERIMENTER - JB Priestley 1894 - 1984
The scope of this article is essentially from Priestley’s first published novel,
Adam in Moonshine 1927, to his ‘experimental’ play Dragon’s Mouth 1952,
which he wrote with the archaeologist, Jacquetta Hawkes while they were
waiting for the right time to become husband and wife.
Everything John Boynton Priestley wrote was an experiment. Even his West
Riding village middle name was chosen on a whim in his teens to distinguish
himself from Joseph ‘the oxygen’ Priestley. The extra initial stuck and there is a
chain of events which connected to make his huge financial successes
possible. Reading Adam in Moonshine is like watching a dress rehearsal. JB
had survived fighting in the Somme trenches, gassed and being buried alive; he
had written hundreds of reviews, and contributions on endless subjects for all
kinds of publications, then on a demobbed Officer’s two year degree at Trinity
Hall Cambridge till 1922 before living and supporting his family in London until
1927 when he launched himself as a novelist and Adam came to the Nation’s
bookshops.
As a first novel Adam is packed with techniques with which he is determined to
practise keeping the reader amused and moving on, but the plot lacks credibility,
in that it amounts to having a hero who, while waiting for a contender for the
crown of England to arrive, falls for three attractive girls in succession. Priestley J.B. Priestley statue in
called it ‘a little coloured trial balloon’. Actually I enjoyed it right to the end. Bradford
The next novel, Benighted, was much more focussed. The story is intended to terrify the reader and has a
brutal fight sequence to rival anyone for realism. As it was reissued in America under a new name, The
Old Dark House, the book became a film, which greatly influenced The Rocky Horror Show. Most
importantly it brought in a rush of hard dollars.
Meantime Priestley benefited from a generous gesture by Hugh Walpole of Rogue Herries fame who
offered to share the writing of Farthing Hall together, but to give JB the whole publisher’s advance and
most of the royalties. This resulted in the epistolary exchange of letters under that name, from Mark, a
talented young artist (written by the older Walpole), to Robert, a middle-aged Oxford writer and academic,
(written by the much younger Priestley). It is a touching love story with a tense violent centre; just the
thing to pass a long train journey. This set Jack Priestley up with enough behind him in his account to work
on The Good Companions, an everyday story of a concert party. You could say that experiment was
successful . . .
The final experimental play is Dragon’s Mouth. It was the fourth in a row of plays finding ways of putting
on audience-catching dramas for maximum impact with minimum expenditure (other plays were The High
Toby 1948 which was written to use with a children’s cardboard theatre, Bright Shadow, 1950 which was
an Agatha Christie style play.and Treasure on Pelican which began as a television play for the Festival
Drama during the Festival of Britain. It was a time for experiment to catch audiences and make ends meet.
The playwrights were rising to the challenge Osborne, Wesker, then Pinter and Stoppard etc. We were still
paying for the war we won.
It all began in America based on a performance Priestley saw in New York with Charles Laughton as the
lead in Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell. The actors wore evening dress and pretended to read their lines, no
scenery, lighting or make-up. Jacquetta and Priestley between them wrote a play using the Jungian theme
that the four human psychological functions are: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition, in a state of
healthy balance. The actors, two of each gender, represented a function each, presenting the merits of
each type in a situation which sounds familiar today. The Dragon’s Mouth is off the coast of Venezuela,
and they are on a boat out at sea and one person has died of a mysterious tropical disease. They are
awaiting the results of blood tests to see if they have the condition. We never know which character is the
one whose test shows the infected sample. The cast learned their parts by heart but finally opted to read
them, sometimes resorting to amplification. They took it touring to the ends of the country adapting to halls
large and small. At the end of the run which began with them both married to other people, it slowly
became clear to the world that the Priestleys were an item, and this was an experiment that lasted them the
rest of their lives, living at Kissing Tree House near Stratford -upon-Avon.
Tony Reavill
15Bingley Little Theatre AGM
As I mentioned on the front page, we are to hold our delayed AGM on Tuesday 13th October
2020. This will be a ‘remote’ AGM and will take a different format this year.
The meeting will be carried out using virtual technology Zoom because of the current Corona
virus COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions on large gatherings.
Attendance at the Zoom meeting is restricted to the Directors, Executive Committee members
and 5 Life Members who will act as Proxies.
While the wider membership will not be able to attend in person, we must still have a quorum of
members to be able to proceed with the AGM. We need your help to achieve this.
All paid up members are eligible to vote so can register as “attending” the meeting by allocating
a proxy who will act on members’ behalf,
The documents included with this Newsletter explain the procedure. A stamped addressed
envelope has been supplied for your convenience when returning completed forms.
• The Notice of the AGM. This explains the format, how you can register your attendance, the
voting process and includes the Agenda for the meeting.
• The Proxy form. This must be completed and returned to the theatre, so that you can be
counted as an attendee to form part of the quorum.
• A Nomination Form to complete if you wish to stand for a position(s) or wish to nominate other
members to stand for office(s). When you have returned your completed Nomination Form to the
theatre the nominations will be collated into one nomination list. This will reveal if any votes are
required. If voting is required, members will receive a Ballot paper through the post and may cast
their votes accordingly.
Members may stand for any of the positions listed on the Nomination Form. The exceptions to
this are the offices of President, Chair and Honorary Legal Adviser. These posts are therefore not
listed. You will see that the Structure diagram for BLT management is included with the
Newsletter. We hope this is helpful when making your nominations.
If you have any questions/points you would wish to raise at the meeting we will need to receive
these in advance of the date of the AGM. Your questions will be considered before the meeting
and a response will be made. Questions received by members will be read out and minuted at
the Virtual AGM.
Please send your questions in to me at the email address below :
chairman@bingleylittletheatre.co.uk
Is this the future of Theatre?
A recent production at Croatian Nation Opera during time of Corona.
16Written as a request to cheer us all up during the Coronavirus Lockdown, John
Taylor has come out of retirement to offer us some more of his absurdities..
Part two to follow in a future edition...
We're in Lockdown, bored to tears, so I started reminiscing, like you do. I thought about the great times I'd
had at BLT in plays, concerts, together with the many friends I met there.
So on St. Georges Day, 2016, there was a concert, a so-called Medieval Night in the upstairs bar and
yours truly did a turn. From memory this is how is my dialogue went. I have to hope it went better live than
read. Well here goes….
I started by singing Camelot. Why did they call it Camelot ?, because the Knights had just come back from
the crusades and the needed somewhere to park their camels. Hence the Camelot.
Sir Lancelot clanked up to Camelot in his armour and asked if they had room for a knight.
He got his name because he was pretty good with boils. He'd give ‘em a whack with his sword.
Those days were called the dark ages, why? It’s because there were too many nights.
When a knight died they buried him in his armour and on his headstone wrote, rust in peace.
It only gets worse.
King Arthur's sword was of a very high calibre, in fact it was Excalibur .
His Round Table was designed by that famous Knight, Sir Cumference .
Just as an aside did you know King Henry the Eighth invented fractions? Think about it.
He had loads of wives, he liked to chop and change a bit. John Taylor
Not to be outdone in the absurdity stakes. Gerard Kennedy adds......
Now that I'm fit and well and over the
virus, and now we're all allowed out
again, I thought I'd volunteer seeing as I
can't get any building materials.
Our local vicar Rev. Tim Farthing asked if
I would join a group of men who are
meeting each evening in the church hall.
There's the local Butcher, the Scottish
Undertaker, a dodgy looking bloke called
Walker, a really old fella, a bank
manager, and his two members of staff.
There's also quite a few blokes who just
stand there and don't get to speak. I
asked the Verger and Mr Hodges, if they
were going to join and they just shouted
"Get them lights out". I might just stay in
instead. The Home Guard from BLT’s 2010 production
Jobs During Lockdown
As some of you perhaps know we have been doing a
little bit of maintenance in the Venue, our cleaners have
been busy getting on with the jobs that cannot be
done during a normal working week.
In addition of course we still have Food Bank
on Tuesday and Friday mornings
and the Blood Transfusion Service once a month.
As a result things have to be kept cleaned.
The office is manned on Tuesday and Friday, payments
still have to be made, bookings sorted and refunds given
for cancelled productions.
Richard Thompson
17An update from the office.
Wow what a mess !
We are still banned, as I write, from opening for live performance.
There are no tickets on sale yet for anything in the future. We have no idea what the seating
format will be as yet, so we can't start booking. The website is up to date with the known 2021
bookings, so keep watching and we will try and open bookings 6 weeks before an event is due to
start. Events that have moved to 2021 are all now on the website, with a few still to add once
contracts are finalised.
The building is not idle. There has been a lot of maintenance happening (see elsewhere in this
newsletter) and we are still open for Foodbank (vital in the current situation, and with an
unprecedented demand) and Blood donation. We have no huge costs and have had some
financial support from the Government, that, with the good management of past finances, has put
us on a sound footing to survive a long shut down. So do not worry, we will be here in the future!
Having spent a lot of time moving any events we could, from the first lock down of 3 months, to
later in 2020, the eventual complete loss of 2020 was not possible to avoid, as outside events
were cancelling. At least we can actually plan now.
It is so sad as the business team had, proactively, set up a brilliant diary of events for 2020 with
nearly all of the possible dates filled. Such a diverse range of acts :- Billy Connolly (filmed event),
42nd Street (filmed event), Hayley Sisters (local singing act), Lipservice (Comedy), Ann
Widdecombe (Speaker), Gin Festival, Eddie Reader etc. Most are now rescheduled for 2021.
Hopefully, we can get back to delivering the diverse set of events as soon as possible, but I doubt
it will be much before March for outside events to return. So sad as we really did think that we
had turned the corner to making a decent profit this year.
We are always open to suggestions for new events. Though please note it can take 18 months of
chasing popular artists to get a date from them as they book a long way in advance.
Obviously BLT events are easier for us to put on, from a financial perspective, as we could run at
a loss, if needed, to get back into the swing of things. Note that to run a January play, as we hope
to, we will have to start getting ready in November. Currently the actors are ready to go, but will
we get back stage, front of house and an audience when the ultimate risk is death?
Will there be a second wave? The 1m+ spacing suggestion means we could get approximately
58 seated. Would anyone come with that little distancing for 2 hours? What about the situation
(as I write) in Leicester? Until there is a vaccine it will not be completely safe no matter what
process we put in place for everyone, just a calculated small risk.
We have not had specific guidelines as yet from Government for our industry (live performance)
but it does sound like there could be something coming out soon. Who knows. This is our
dilemma not to mention that we need 60 in the audience to break even. There could be no tea/
coffee or bar. How would we get people in when they can't pass anyone in a row ? Nothing is
insurmountable but there are huge issues. Do keep checking Facebook and Websites for
updates. We can get the message out so much quicker electronically. If we can run a cinema, we
will before January.
As regards staffing, we had no waged staff, other than a cleaner, who is now on reduced hours
as needed, which has made our life easier. But all the self employed staff have been left in a
terrible position. They are currently supported, in some way, by the Government. The whole live
performance industry is on its knees, as you will have seen in the press. Our thoughts go out to
them and we hope they are still in business when we need them.
In other news, BLT has been looking at the building. In order to create an ongoing financially
stable event space, we really need a second hireable space off a central entrance and bar. This
would mean running the building with more revenue but little extra staff cost. We had started
working on a plan to build an addition over the carpark, move dressing rooms and then bar to
upstairs, with full disabled access to all spaces. This would have been very expensive
Contd on next page..
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