New Life
It's great working at the Queens Theatre. I started there in 2000, after an interminable period of unemployment. As a new member of the company of actor/musicians I appeared as Ernie Nearmiss in my first ever musical, 'BLITZ' by Lionel Bart and have , thanks to the patronage of Bob Carlton, the Queen's director, (no puns, please) ended up being the, sort of, resident TiE(Theatre in Education) adapter/writer/director.
I start my next assignment at the Queen's on Monday the 13th., directing Mark Wheeller's TiE piece called 'MISSING DAN NOLAN'. This wil be my seventh assignment directing for the TiE department. We've gathered a little pool of actors who are prepared to carry the set, costumes and sound gear from the van into the school, set it all up and then start performing at 9.30 am, bless them. It's very much a young person's job, more's the pity.
In terms of work, after two and a half years teaching in Castle Donnington, I've sort of gone full circle. I started at the Bolton Octagon during the heady days of 1968, as a member of the TiE team, when it was all 'kicking off', as they say. Roger Chapman (ex National Theatre Tour Manager) and Cora Williams (where are you now, Cora?) were the leaders. And they were good! Since then I've done a bit of everything and sort of landed back where I started. Funny, life, isn't it?
At the Queen's we've done TiE shows about storytelling, 'Cowboys and Indians', not very PC terminology but the show was from the 70's; racism, immigration, the Scottish play, bullying, Animal Farm, healthy eating and next - missing persons. I won't write any details re material or casting unless you request me to do so, dear reader, through the 'comments' facility.
