Who are the actors?

How many in the Company?

Can anyone ‘have a go’?

Is there an age limit?

Currently approximately 60% of our members are actors with varying amounts of experience.

There are around 30 at any one time available and wanting to act with the group.  There is no upper age limit – like most societies we would like to encourage younger members.  There is a lower age limit only for the annual pantomime. Children must be 9 years of age when the panto is performed.

Anyone who would like to act will be given the chance wherever possible.  New actors may like to start with the panto – perhaps in the chorus to get a taste for the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd!!

More experienced newcomers will be welcome to play readings and expected to audition in the usual way.  There is no hierarchy – you don’t have to serve an apprenticeship for years before being ‘allowed’ to set foot on the stage.  It is our policy to get everyone involved as soon as possible.

When and where?

The AGM is held in May at the United Church in Faringdon where the Committee is elected for the next year, our financial report is produced and the past year’s issues and future plans are discussed with all members.

According to our Constitution only paid up members of the group are allowed to vote.

It is the opportunity for every member of the group to have their say, air their views and influence the make up of the Committee.

Annual Fees are usually collected at the AGM (preferably paid by cheque).

When and where are they held?
How ‘formal ’are they?
Who makes the decisions?

Usually auditions are held for the next play immediately after the current one has ended.  They are held after one or sometimes two play reading sessions.  Auditions for the pantomime are broken up into children and adult sessions.  The decision makers will be the Director with help from one or two selected colleagues.

How are they chosen?

From recommendation, personal knowledge – no set parameters.

Several members have from time to time put pen to paper.  We have one member who writes and has had his pantomimes published; the Society to date has performed six of them.

Joining ‘the crew’

Anyone who would like to help backstage can have the opportunity to join the backstage team. If you are inexperienced it is a very good way of getting to know how a production is put together.  (Several of our current members cut their teeth on curtain pulling).

Cook out

We usually have a summer Bar-B-Que get together (we don’t let the rain stop us) where partners, friends and children are welcome.  We have taken over various members gardens in the past but the Society is getting quite large now – so maybe we will find ourselves an outside picnic spot this year.  

Who prepares them?

The Director will be responsible for preparing a budget for their proposed production.  The Committee must agree the budget and every attempt made to stay within budget. 

Who is involved?

The Director with an assistant (usually the Producer) will be responsible for casting their play or panto.

Back, side, together.

We are fortunate to have some members with an appreciation and understanding of the discipline of the dance!  (Some of us need all the help we can get!).  Dance routines have played their part in several plays but most memorably in the panto where, mostly the children, perform quite sophisticated routines.

Members of the society choreograph these dances.

We all have to start somewhere

Children are sometimes involved in the plays but they play a very important role in the annual pantomime. The minimum age for children is 9 years old.  Children between the ages of 9 - 18 involved in a production must be registered with the Society, but they are not required to pay a membership fee. We can have up to 40 children involved in the panto.

Who are they and what do they do?

The Committee has the responsibility to ensure the Society is properly run; they decide on the plays or pantomimes to be performed and plan the thinking about future productions. They take decisions regarding purchases and how best to use our resources both personally and financially.

The Committee is made up of at least 8 members, elected annually; anyone can stand for election but we like to have key members stay for at least two years.  It is made up of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary with the other members taking on other duties at different times during the year e.g. social events.  For each production the current Director will attend relevant Committee meetings. The Committee meets approximately 6 times a year and has the power to call extraordinary meetings if the need arises.

All meetings are minuted and the Chairman and Treasurer give a report at the AGM.

Being on the Committee is not as onerous as it sounds and it can even be FUN !

See ‘Prompt’

The rules and regs

A copy of the Constitution is available for any member to read.  Any changes to the Constitution have to be put forward and agreed at the AGM.

See ‘Wardrobe’

Best foot forward

We have talented tap and ballet dancers in our group and their talents are generally put on show at panto (or Old Time Music Hall) time.

The guiding hand

If a member of the Society would like to direct a play or panto, they put their proposal to the Committee.

Whilst we are happy to encourage new Directors, inexperienced members may be encouraged to be an assistant Director before taking on all the responsibilities of full Directorship.  (For the panto there is always a co-Director as the task is considerable for one person – with a cast of up to 60 to control!).

The Director will audition, cast, put together the production team and set the rehearsal schedules as well as working with the actors to present the chosen play.

With a producer at his/her side to keep an eye on timings and budget etc the Director runs the show!

Pay up please

Complete an expense claim form available from the Treasurer and you will be refunded almost immediately. (Receipts wherever possible please).

Keeping in touch

Wherever possible the secretary will e-mail all newsletters and other correspondence – this is a great saving on time and energy – if you have e-mail don’t forget to let the secretary know.

Getting better all the time

Whilst we are all amateurs we aim to provide as professional a show as possible using the considerable expertise we have built up over the years.

Worth every penny!

Our current fees are £15.00 per year for individuals, £20.00 for joint membership and £25.00 per family (including students aged 18+ in full time education).

Getting the show on the road

Each production requires a team to run the front of house function.  Headed up by a co-ordinator who organises a team for each night of the run, the team will sell tickets at the door, organise and sell raffle tickets, organise and sell refreshments and be on hand to help our audience in any way required. Some members of our society prefer to be involved in this aspect only.

Setting it all up and taking it all down

The get-in (i.e. organising transport, arranging access to the stage, erecting the set etc) usually takes a team of about 8 people including the lighting team. The Producer together with the Stage Manager has this responsibility. This usually takes a day and a half at the weekend.

The get-out takes far less time, with as many people as possible lending a hand to pack everything away, transport everything to our store (and return everything we have borrowed).  Once the production is over it’s ‘all hands to the plough’ to tidy up and put it all away. This can take as little as a couple of hours.

Old friends

Friends or former members of the Society who wish to keep in touch and receive the newsletters, or people who have given ‘over and above’ of their time and expertise who are no longer able to be active in the society.  The Membership Secretary advises the committee of recommendations. (Honorary members are not expected to pay fees).

Interested?

Contact the Membership Secretary, Secretary, or any Committee Member. See the website for more details.

See ‘Children’

Keeping it legal

For all published plays we must obtain a licence.  The Producer or Secretary usually deals with this and the licence must be held on site during performances. The cost is dependent on the number of seats in the theatre and the number of performances.  This can range from £150.00 to £450.00.  Generally £50.00 a night is a fair rate.

Keeping in the spotlight

 A highly technical part of all productions. It can vary from relatively simple to quite complex.  An understanding of lighting can be very helpful to actors. The Society has a fair smattering of talent in this department and has managed to rig quite complex sets. The Society has some of its own equipment but usually has to hire a considerable amount, this is very costly.

Lately, however, we have hired a lighting technician with all his own equipment who will visit the venue, discuss and advise, set up, and strike the lighting rig.

He usually operates the lighting himself for complex productions, but will train one of the group to operate simpler ones.  This is much more cost effective.

Extra pairs of hands to strike the rig at the end of a run are more than welcome.

Putting on the ‘slap’

All make-up is provided by the Society, and the make-up situation is reviewed before each production to ensure we have the appropriate kit.

Many actors do their own make-up, others need and can get assistance.  We do have some make up specialists but they appear to be a rare breed, so if you have an interest in this most important discipline speak up now!  We have books to guide us but a make up guru would be most welcome.

Come and join us

Membership goes from May to May (or from joining date to May).  Members are expected to renew their membership at the A.G.M. (or very shortly after this) which is held in May.

You cannot vote at the A.G.M. unless you are a fully paid up member.

The membership currently stands at 60, made up of both actors and non-actors.

See ‘Orchestra’

Read all about it

These are issued every few weeks to the members to keep them abreast of forthcoming productions, comments and awards and other news items.  They are circulated by e-mail or post and are prepared by the Secretary.

Do your own thing

Although any member who wishes to act is encouraged to do so, there are plenty of opportunities to support productions in other ways, and such ‘unseen’ activities are of course, essential for the success of every production.  On joining, new members are invited to indicate their interests – acting, producing, stage management, set design, set building, lighting/sound, choreography, make up, wardrobe, music, front of house, publicity.

Moments musicales

For the annual pantomime – and sometimes for other productions too – an orchestra is essential.  Our Musical Director recruits a scratch orchestra for each occasion, directing from the piano, and this affords opportunities for strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. Orchestral players are drawn either from the membership or outside.

Not necessarily all ‘creatives’

Painters both artistic and domestic are always needed – don’t hide your light under a bushel if you can wield a brush – let us know.

Oh no it isn’t – Oh yes it is !

Since the late 1980s a pantomime has featured as the January / February production.  Some 16 pantos have been mounted over that period, many written by one of our members.  Some of these have won awards in the Oxfordshire Drama Network Pantomime Festival.  The cast for the pantos is augmented by up to 40 children drawn from local schools, some taking lead roles, the majority being in the chorus or dance ensembles.  A large number of families are thus involved, and many children receive their first taste of the theatre in this way.

The panto is hugely enjoyable for those taking part, and is very popular with the Faringdon community.

Come and join us!

We play read sometimes just for enjoyment and to keep the social activity (the drink at the pub) going during the summer months when we have our longest period of ‘resting’.  You don’t need to be a member to read with us – just turn up and join in.

It does, however have a more pertinent function, which is to try out suggested ideas from members.  When a play has been chosen it is then ‘read’ prior to audition so that anyone who is interested can familiarise themselves with plot and characters, and possibly try out several roles in an informal situation.  Everyone is welcome whether or not they decide subsequently to audition.

A versatile repertoire

The Society’s archive, which can be visited on our website, gives details of all the productions since 1949.  In most years three productions are staged including, since the late 1980s, a pantomime.  Generally the plays are put on in May and October with the panto traditionally running over the last week in January and first week in February. The plays include comedies, serious classics, courtroom dramas – all drawn from the West End twentieth Century repertoire. Plays are selected by the Committee from proposals put forward by members.  Suggestions are always welcome and everything is considered (possibly not ‘Hair’ though).

Making it happen

The ‘Producer’ role in our Society is to make sure that everything happens as it should.  It’s a co-ordinating function including such things as ensuring the play licence has been applied for on time, liasing with outside agencies (The Corn Exchange management, the local school caretakers etc.) checking that the production team are on schedule etc. etc.  This enables the Director of the play or panto to concentrate on the actors and getting the best performances out of everyone.

The Director and Producer work as a team. Sometimes the role of Co-director is combined with that of Producer.

All hands on deck

The Society is fortunate to have a wide range of production skills at its disposal.  As the Faringdon Folly commented in its recent review of Cinderella, “ the Society boasts set designers, carpenters, painters, seamstresses, musicians, sound and light technicians with skills, any one of which, most drama groups would give their eye teeth for”.  However, new recruits to the backstage team are needed all the time – so if acting is not your scene how about a spot of painting or sewing?

Very good value

A programme is created for every production. (How’s your word processing ?)

Also known as ‘continuity’

Although actors are given adequate rehearsal time to become word perfect, and are ‘off books’ several weeks before curtain up, a prompter is designated for each production, for the final weeks of rehearsal and the actual performance. (Though we have been known to manage without on occasions.)

Far removed from ‘Blue Peter’

Over the years, we have built up a fascinating Aladdin’s cave of props.  These are held in store and are used and re-cycled or added to for each production. (We have been known to raid member houses too). Several members are very skilled at turning some MDF, several sheets of wrapping paper and tinsel and other bits and bobs into a very creditable magical Cinderella’s coach !

An inventive mind and persuasive nature is definitely an advantage when locating or creating props.

What’s going on

Posters (produced by members), ‘What’s On in Faringdon’, editorials in ‘The Faringdon Folly’ and the website are all used to promote each production.  We are regularly reviewed in ‘The Folly’.

For larger productions a publicity team will be drawn together to handle this vital part of the organisation.

Where and when

We rehearse every Monday and Thursday evening in the United Church; sometimes play readings and line rehearsals are held in a member’s home.

Contact the committee if you have a script you would like the society to consider.  You don’t need to be a member to submit a script.

The crew

The Directors may well have ideas of how their productions should look but it is the job of the set designer to create a set that is both appropriate and workable. A small team of set builders then build and paint the set and erect it on stage. We are fortunate in having a dedicated team who have a great deal of experience behind them – however we are always looking for more ‘creatives’ to come forward to add fresh ideas and approaches (and climb up and down the ladders).

Our set designer and builders are also actors, Directors and writers – so would welcome fresh faces to lend a hand.

La la la la

A most enjoyable part of the panto. Our musical Director puts us through our paces often with the help of a fellow musician or singer – we have several members with very good voices – though most of us can manage to put a song over quite convincingly.

Lets party!

We traditionally have a Christmas dinner, and a summer bar-b-que - not forgetting the all-important party after each production.

Crashes, bangs and musical interludes.

We have a qualified sound engineer in the society whose expertise is most valuable.  As he too is sometimes involved as an actor then another member will be trained up to take over.

Getting it all together

A Stage Manager is essential for every production (see get-in and get-out).  Learning how a play is put on from the backstage side can be very helpful to potential actors and Directors.  Members volunteer or are asked to stage manage – good co-ordinating skills essential!

Put it away please

We have the use of a store in Swindon where we keep all the flats, props and costumes.  Help to transport everything backwards and forwards to the store is always welcome.

See fees

See how the professionals do it

We are pleased to support theatre trips organised by members of the Society. In the past these have taken us to Oxford, Swindon and London.

Affordable and available

Ticket prices are set between the Director and the Committee. Concessions are available. A Committee member is responsible for ordering the tickets. They are usually on sale from “Reflections”, a local shop and from a member of the Committee. Cast members are encouraged to sell as many tickets as they can.

Waiting in the wings

It is not usual for understudies to be chosen when casting.

In the absence of a cast member on “the night”, it is likely that the Director or Producer would stand in.

Where to see us

The Community Theatre closed in 1999. Other venues used by the Society are the Corn Exchange, Junior School and Faringdon Community College.

It is a long-term aim of the Society, to have its own theatre. (Keep buying those lottery tickets.)

Get on line

Welcome to our website at www.faringdondramatic.org.uk.

Run by a Society member; it is the quickest way to pick up news and views.  Boasting some 400 pages it is a mine of useful and interesting information.

Visit it today!

Dressing up

The Society is lucky to have the skills and dedication of a number of designers and dressmakers. Their creativity is put to the test regularly for the panto where nothing seems to faze them - whether it be Kings or Crocodiles.  We have never been disappointed.

We have an extensive wardrobe of our own and loan costumes to other groups, as well as hiring them for ourselves. 

Never too late to learn something new

You are invited to take part in a variety of workshops organised by our members or by National Operatic Dramatic Association or Oxford Drama Network. From hints about directing and costume design to taking part in dance or mime, there is something for everyone. Details are in our Newsletter and also on the website.

Xmas Party: We have an annual get together at a local restaurant to celebrate the festive season with friends. A chance to chat, drink, eat and dance – a good time is guaranteed.

Why join? - Why not? -You’ll be very welcome.

ZZZZzzzzz... they don’t sleep whilst we are on stage!