Brookside Theatre and 'Deathtrap'

Welcome back to Access London and Thank You once again for helping to support Access for All to the Arts. This post heads away from central London and towards the London/Essex border, to the Brookside Theatre and their current production, Deathtrap.

The theatre is based within the Romford War Memorial Social Club, a fitting tribute as today is Remembrance Day...."The Brookside Theatre is a voluntarily run organisation and the home of Stage One Theatre Company, an award-winning, Romford-based theatre group established in 1991. The theatre is based within the Romford War Memorial Social Club (RWMSC) on Eastern Road and the main purpose of all events held at the theatre is to raise money and awareness for the club which is a registered charity as well as a registered war memorial. The RWMSC was officially opened on the 11th October, 1953, by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lt.-Col Sir Francis Whitmore, to commemorate the residents, civilians and service personnel of Romford who tragically lost their lives during WWII. The main purpose of the charity is to provide social activities to the senior citizens of Romford and Havering.

In 2012, Stage One Theatre Company performed the first fundraising event for the RWMSC at the Brookside Theatre. This event marked the first of many planned to help fund the renovations and support to the RWMSC, a worthwhile charity within the community. With its 60th anniversary in October 2013, further funds are needed to complete renovation works to both the main hall and also the front building, which houses the commemorative panels listing the names of the fallen which were donated by the US Air Force in recognition of the hospitability they received when stationed in Romford during WWII. Independent of any council or applied funding, The Brookside Theatre is entirely self sufficient, thanks to kind donations, ticket sales, membership subscriptions and the 'Friends’ of The Brookside Theatre. Any person over the age of 16 is welcome to join the volunteers working at the theatre and will be encouraged and taught to develop skills: whether that be acting, marketing, set building, sound or costume design etc. The Brookside Theatre is proud to survive through the dedication of its volunteers."

Brookside's current production is the comedy thriller, Deathtrap, which runs until Saturday 17th November (evening performances at 8.00pm and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.00pm). "A play to kill for... Writer Sidney Bruhl's luck has run out. Once the toast of Broadway, he hasn't had a hit play in years... Young and aspiring playwright, Clifford Anderson, a student of one of Sidney's writing classes, just so happens to have written the perfect play - 'Deathtrap'. Desperate for success, Sidney would do anything to claim Clifford's play as his own. And then he comes up with a killer idea..." Written by Ira Levin and Directed by Neil Reynolds ( @neilreynolds ), Deathtrap's cast includes, CJ de Mooi (Sidney Bruhl) James Meunier (Clifford Anderson) Helen Jeckells (Myra Bruhl) Nicki French (Helga ten Dorp) Clifford Hume (Porter Milgrim).

Access Information: Parking spaces for those with Access needs can be pre-booked via the box office. The theatre is located behind another building and there isn't a great deal of street lighting around, so please be aware of this when arriving and leaving in the dark. From the car park, there is a gentle ramp up to the entrance, with handrails on either side. The building itself is all on one level, so there is no issue with stairs. The box office is lowered and there is plenty of room inside for wheelchair or scooter users. Although, there is level access to toilet facilities, at the present time, there is no adapted accessible toilet - an issue I am told is being looked at. The chairs in the theatre are not fixed and so seating can be arranged and adapted to suit the needs of those with disabilities - please notify box office at time of booking. There are ticket concessions available for disabled patrons and one companion. To book Access tickets, please call the box office on: 01708 755775. For all other tickets and to find out more about the theatre and its productions, please visit their website at www.brooksidetheatre.com

Opera Seria's Anna Bolena @ The Royal Northern College of Music

Welcome back to Access London and Thank You once again for supporting Access for All to the Arts. Today's post is a little different as it looks at a venue and performance outside of London. Occasionally I post on Arts venues outside of the Capital if I feel they have particularly good Access and facilities for those with disabilities.

"Opera Seria is a semi-professional, Manchester-based, chamber opera company, formed to put on a series of high-quality productions of lesser-performed operas (and a few favourites) in their original language for Manchester and the North West of England."

This June, Opera Seria will present their debut production, Donizetti's Anna Bolena, at The Royal Northern College of Music. Performances will be on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June 2012.

"The opera portrays the final days in the life of England's ill-fated queen driven to insanity by her unfaithful husband. The production features an international cast of emerging operatic professionals and a chorus of talented community members and local music students."


I recently spoke with Rochelle Hart who will be playing Anna Bolena in the production and who is also a founding member of the Opera Seria company. Here's what she had to say about Opera Seria and its debut production...

AL: Can you tell us more about who Opera Seria are?
RH: Opera Seria was founded with the interest of giving emerging artists more opportunities to sing roles they might otherwise not get to sing early in their career. We sing everything in its original language, which gives our soloists not only valuable stage experience, but also experience in performing in foreign languages. This will help them as they emerge into the professional world.

We also aim to be accessible to the community. It’s unfortunate that opera has been branded as high brow in the past, and that people are not as interested in going to hear opera (particularly if it’s in a foreign language). We feel that people are missing out on beautiful music, so aim to perform the productions in creative and engaging ways. We’ll also be holding pre-show talks for anyone interested in learning more about the performance they are about to see, running workshops for babies and tweens to get them interested in classical music, and invite local community members to join the chorus or help out backstage. This keeps the operas we produce engaging for not only the soloists, but the community as well.


AL: As a founding member of Opera Seria, what led you to the decision to become involved with this new company?
RH: As an emerging artist myself, I look for any opportunities to build up my experience and to just sing. Opera Seria seemed like the perfect opportunity to utilise my ‘office’ skills but also to get out there and share my love of singing with audiences in Manchester. I also saw there was a hole for a good professional company based in Manchester, and thought it was time that there was one. There are lots of great amateur companies, and Manchester is lucky to be on the touring list for great companies like Opera North and Heritage Opera, but as far as having a ‘home’ opera company, outside the RNCM and the local amateur groups there just isn’t one.


AL: Anna Bolena marks Opera Seria's debut production. Why this piece?
RH: To be honest, we chose Anna Bolena before we realised the Met was doing it and didn’t know there would be a lot of hype about it. We wanted to do something that wasn’t often performed in the UK, to make us stand out from the other companies. The idea was to do something not in the standard rep for smaller groups, staying away from things like La Traviata and Carmen, which are done to death. We wanted something fresh and new, knowing it was a risky move. People go to see La Traviata because they know it, they recognise the music, they can relate to it. People won’t know Anna Bolena in the same way. I think the Met having done it recently will help our cause, as it will be in people’s minds and it’s not been done in the UK recently, but it will still be a hard sell as the music isn’t going to be familiar to people. There is no Queen of the Night aria for people to nod along to, no Brindisi to have them tapping their feet. What they will get, though, is beautiful music by a fabulous composer, sung by some exciting young soloists. There is lust, betrayal and beheadings – what more could an opera goer want?


AL: Are cast members current/founding members of Opera Seria or were auditions held?
RH: Cast members are a combination of founding members and soloists that were found during auditions. While the founding members are experienced soloists in their own rights who want the opportunity to perform, we also want to give the same opportunities to other aspiring opera stars, so do hold auditions to share the love and give others the same opportunities.


AL: What are the most enjoyable aspects of putting on this productions? And, what are the most challenging ones?
RH: Marketing and fundraising is a massive challenge for an unknown opera company doing a less-than-popular opera, but the excitement of the creative process in seeing it all come together is extremely exciting. I think the end product will be something we can all be proud of, and will put Opera Seria on the map as one of the one-to-watch smaller professional companies in the North West.


AL: What can audiences expect from Anna Bolena?
RH: Like I said above – lust, betrayal and beheadings! Beautiful music, a lot of drama and an interesting and creative retelling of the final days in the life of Anne Boleyn. It’s a pretty fantastic story, and we get some excellent costumes to boot!


AL: What can we expect from Opera Seria after June 2012?
RH: We’ll be doing a run of fully staged productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in November, followed by a costumed concert of Roberto Devereux at Manchester Cathedral in January 2013. We’ve got some other pretty big ideas lined up for 2013 – watch this space!


A huge Thank You once again to Rochelle for taking the time to answer some questions. To keep up to date with all of Rochelle's news, see her website www.rochellehart.com . You can also follow her on Twitter @raketje

For more information on Opera Seria, Anna Bolena and their other productions, see their website www.operaseria.co.uk . You can also follow the company on Twitter @OperaSeriaUK


ANNA BOLENA IS AT THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC ON 16TH AND 17TH JUNE 2012. TO BOOK ACCESS AND OTHER SEATS, CALL THE BOX OFFICE ON 0161 907 5555.


Access Information for RNCM:

"For events listed as ‘Promoted by RNCM’ disabled patrons can purchase tickets at the concessionary rate. Where a personal assistant is required to enable them to attend they can purchase two tickets with 50% off the full price. Wheelchair users can purchase up to two tickets with 50% off the full price. Please call the box office on 0161 907 5555 for further information.

The RNCM offers a range of facilities to disabled patrons. Please call Reception on 0161 907 5300 to reserve a disabled parking space. Wheelchair access is available, via lifts, to all performing venues and public spaces and we have low-level counters available at the Box Office and Bar. There are disabled toilet facilities on all levels. Guide dogs are admitted, please advise the Box Office when booking your ticket if you are bringing a guide dog.

The RNCM Concert Hall and RNCM Theatre are fitted with Sennheiser infra-red hearing assistance systems and receivers. They are available from Front of House staff on request. Receivers can be used in conjunction with a normal hearing aid (which should be switched to the ‘T’position) or an earpiece available at the venue. Studio Theatre, Carole Nash Recital Room and Lecture Theatre are fitted with induction loops (hearing aids should be switched to the ‘T’ position). Large print and audio versions of this brochure are available from the Box Office (also on disc or by email). Please call the Box Office on 0161 907 5555 for all other detailed information for disabled visitors."

For more information on The Royal Northern College of Music visit www.rncm.ac.uk

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Cast Interviews - Part 2

Welcome back to Access London, thank you for your continued support towards disability access and awareness. Yesterday I posted about the marvelous show - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, currently playing at The Gielgud Theatre.

I came away from this show absolutely buzzing, it is a fantastic night out and quite a unique experience. For more about the show and also the access for those in a wheelchair, mobility scooter or not able to climb stairs, please scroll down to yesterday's post for all the information you need.

Also, a quick reminder about the special discounted seat offer - £20 for top price seats if you get in touch with me by leaving a comment here, emailing me at clairelouiseatroe@hotmail.com contacting me on Twitter @HorizonVA or contacting Chris Jenkins on Twitter @chrisjenko

As promised, I have another fantastic interview with a member of the cast today. Again, for yesterday's interview with Cynthia Erivo, please scroll down. Today's interview is with the charming Chris Jenkins, here's what he had to say...

AL: What can audiences expect from the show?
CJ: This show is like no other. So, audiences should not come with any expectations, I think that is the best way to approach this production. It really requires an open mind. It is basically a play sung through the beautiful music from our gorgeous band, a breath-taking set by Lez Brotherston and the usual Kneehigh physical charms from Emma Rice. When I first watched it (as I joined the cast in London), I was swept away into a dream world and it was beautiful. The best way to describe the show? - It's Life.

AL: Were you part of Umbrellas when it played in Leicester?
CJ: I was actually cast towards the end of the process and performances in Leicester. My role, for those who don't know, is Swing, which means we are here to learn everyone else's role incase someone becomes ill, injured or, takes a holiday. Due to the short length of performances in Leicester, Gillian (the other Swing) and I were not required. So, we went up to Leicester to watch the show and rehearse with the rest of the cast.

AL: As Swing, how much notice do you get to perfrom and know which role you are playing?
CJ: This can really vary! I have had well over a week's notice to cover for someone but, if someone gets injured you can get as little as a few hours. There was one time where I had to become part of the stage crew half way through Act 1 (a track I wasn't even meant to learn!) and still dance a Tango, then run off stage to get some props ready, that lasted for a few days. It really is an on-your-toes job! But it means that it's pretty impossible for me to get bored. I have a notebook that is full of notes for each role/track, it's my Bible right now.

AL: If you could play any role(s) in musical theatre, what would it/they be?
CJ: Now, I always get asked this question and I never know the answer! I have a tendency to love some really obscure musicals that no one has heard of. Ah yes, I've got a few...Legolas in Lord of the Rings, I absolutely loved that show. It was fantastic, the music, set and costumes were stunning. I saw it 4 times, the geek that I am. I'd also like to play Sidney Falco in The Smell of Sweet Success which is the musical adaption of the 1957 film with Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. Also, Anthony in Sweeney Todd.

AL: How do you prepare before a show?
CJ: For this show, it really requires an ensemble connection to make it work. We work as a family. So, we all come together before a show to warm up and play games, so that we are in a playful, receptive and generous atmosphere. Once that physical and vocal warm up is complete, if I'm covering someone that night, I have a very quick speed-run of the show, where I'm running about the stage, singing little bits of the show, muttering to myself, dancing at triple speed and generally looking a little bit crazy to the rest of the cast and Front of House team!

AL: You have extensive training and qualifications in stage combat, what would be the ultimate show to be part of to use these skills? Also, would you want to use these skills in film or tv?
CJ: It is rare to see a big-scale show demonstrating these skills and one of the rare occasions is on our footstep. Batman the Live Arena Tour! A friend of mine is choreographing it and I am very jealous of all that are getting to work on it because it is just going to be incredible. I am not a big Batman fan but, the combat is very clever and intricate which makes it very exciting. There are a lot of demonstrations of stage combat at castles and museums around the country, notable performances in London during the summer include the Tower of London and Hampton Court, which are well worth a watch. There are also demonstrations at The Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition where I perform occasionally.
Using these skills for film and tv is a bit of a different ball game, the technicalities of the combat are different, it's a skill within itself. I was cast for a film that was out recently called Ironclad with Brian Cox, Derek Jacobi and James Purefoy which was filming in Wales (where I'm from) 2 years ago to work with Richard Ryan (Fight Director. The Dark Knight, Stardust, Sherlock Holmes, Troy) but unfortunately, they had to lose half of us a week before filming. You really don't know if you've got the job until you're on-set filming.

AL: You have performed at many fantastic venues - The Royal Opera House London, The Royal Albert Hall, Wales Millennium Centre - Is there one venue that holds a special place in your heart? And why?
CJ: Royal Opera House is just a beautiful building. The history is overwhelming and I have a lot of very good memories at that place. It's one I'll never forget and I'm sure I'll be back there again. Royal Albert Hall is just huge! I think it seats around 5500 people - the sound when everyone applauds is really something. But I think the Wales Millennium Centre will always hold a special place in my heart because I worked front of house for a few years and saw hundreds of shows and was then lucky enough to have performed there too. It's my home town and it's a stunning new venue that brings in some fantastic theatre.

AL: What's next for you after Umbrellas?
CJ: I'm lucky enough to have another job after Umbrellas. I will Swing for the transfer of the Lincoln Centre Broadway production of South Pacific, which will open at The Barbican, London in August, prior to the UK tour.


Access London would like to offer a huge Thank You to Chris for taking the time to answer our questions and also to the whole cast and crew of Umbrellas for such an amazing performance and a fantastic night out. We wish Chris, Cynthia and the rest of the cast all the best in their next roles.

To keep up to date with all of Chris's news, visit his website HERE
You can also follow Chris on Twitter @chrisjenko

That's all for today but, don't forget, Umbrellas of Cherbourg closes at The Gielgud on May 21st. If you want to take advantage of the fantastic £20 a seat offer, please get in touch by leaving a comment, emailing me at clairelouiseatroe@hotmail.com or getting in touch on Twitter with either myself @HorizonVA or with Chris @chrisjenko