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The magic begins!

Set construction has begun for Blackadder Goes Forth, and it's always a treat to see what our talented set designer Michael Catherwood comes up with - how will he recreate a WW1 trench? Rehearsals will be underway shortly and audiences will be treated to another great show in April. Can't wait!...

Hoofing it!

If there is one thing Robyn Gardner excels at, it's getting people dancing. No matter who they are or what their previous dancing experience is, Robyn can get them looking like professionals, presenting a brilliantly choreographed spectacle to delight an audience. And Screen Scenes will do that many times over.I had the pleasure of sitting through a rehearsal this week and was wowed by the dance routines. Disciplined, visually appealing and performed by a bunch of ordinary folks, some with very ...

Why we like to Play Around

Against a background of early One Act Play festivals and a previous small compilation show called Ages and Stages, the idea of having a travelling show came to our minds back in 2017. Our initial concept was two fold: to have a little fun by providing something different for our members, and to bring live theatre out to people who may not have come in to see some of our shows before.We had come across some great little One Act plays through an English play writing competition call...

Midnight reflections

Having a little bit of a Hitchcock tendency in me, Peter Colley’s chiller-thriller “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” instantly appealed when I read it in 1990. The Society got behind it, and in 1991 we staged the play with Andrew Simpson playing Greg, Anneta Payne as Jan, Lorraine McLean in the role of Laura and the late Sandy Jackson as George. The play proved a favourite with audiences at the time, and resulted in a very successful season.Now, usually that would be tha...

Following in his father's footsteps

Young Matthew Brook is making his first appearance on our stage as Pitt the Even Younger, and is doing a great job. His father Nick, aka Edmund Blackadder, sets the bar high but Matthew is showing early signs of matching Dad's talents.  "I am glad to be a part of Blackadder.," says Matthew, "I can prove to myself and others that I am a good actor. I like the way that different expressions and movements add different effects. Before the play I am quite nervous but I have the support of my co...

A thespian of note

Haydon McLeary is no stranger to the stage and so is well cast as The Fabulous Mr Enoch Mossop, one of a pair of actors who get caught up in the web of Edmund Blackadder. "I'm enjoying being back onstage after Covid," says Haydon, who has appeared in many productions over the past years and brings a wonderful comic energy to his performances. "Just don't mention the Scottish play!"...

Blackadder begins

The cast of Blackadder 3rd and director Selena Aitken-Boyle are well into rehearsals now, just a few short weeks away from opening night on November 18.  Donna Osborne, production manager, is very excited to be involved the show, which features three episodes of the popular TV show, as she missed out on being involved when SOTS took on Blackadder 2nd a few years ago. "It was very successful last time round, everyone loved it,' she enthuses. Blackadder 3rd is set in Recency England, a c...

Onwards and upwards!

The pace is picking up, and we have the end in sight! Phase One was the demolition. Phase Two, the laying of all those pink support beams and the packing to make things level. But with Phase Three, the laying down of new strong floor boards, things are starting to get exciting! There is a new cunning plan for our raised seating areas too - the top level (which you will remember was enclosed with our famous picket fence) is now going to have storage underneath it, and the middle level w...

Into phase 2

Things are moving fast now that the new floor is down.  Already, work has started on the new tiered seating which will improve the theatre experience for our audiences, ensuring everyone has a good view of the stage. A clever design will allow the lower levels to be stored away when not in use, so a larger floor area can be used without us having to lug great heavy platforms out of the way. ...

Looking ahead

Rodd, Brent and Wayne from SOTS were privileged to have a sneak peek at the progress of the auditorium space of the Clutha Community Hub recently. The SOTS team have been working with the Clutha Community Hub Trust, and specialist Rob Peters from Theatre Systems, by providing advice and expertise in lighting and sound requirements for the new space, thus ensuring it is fit for purpose for theatrical, dance and many other school/community performances....

Treading the Boards

When we bought the building, the present kitchen was only a third of the size it is now, and there was a garage roller door to the outside world about where the door between the auditorium and kitchen is. There was also a potbelly stove in that vicinity, which we cranked up with all the off-cuts and left overs from set construction each rehearsal night to keep the cast warm.  The lighting room was accessed from the auditorium. Many things have changed - the potbelly exited the building and ...

It's a wrap.

Robyn asked me to be Production Manager for this new show that she was directing, so I said yes if there was a person that I could mentor and train. Of course, Robyn only heard the first part, so I was it.As soon as we had auditions, I was hooked on the idea of being involved myself, due to the calbre of the prospective cast members. So many new people keen to be involved, along side us oldies plus a generous smattering of returning past members. And what a show - From the first rehearsal, you c...

Impossible comes true!

Tracy loves being in our musical shows and lending her talents to the chorus numbers. She's a very good dancer and also sings in the Phoenix Singers, so has a lot to give.  Here she talks about the journey of Dreams Are Free. "It’s been great to be part of the ‘Dreams are Free’ team which includes a cast of all experience levels and ages.  It’s exciting to see the show; directed and choreographed Robyn, musically directed and scripted by Denise, costumed by Marion, stage m...

Living her best life!

It's lovely to have Anna and her mum, Sue, back on board for another show.  Here's what they have to say about it.Anna:  "I like being a part of the show, Dreams are Free.  I like to sing and dance in the show, Robyn is a great teacher. She teaches us dancing. She does all the hard work into music and lighting on the stage.  The stage looks amazing. We have 8 shows to perform.  I love to be in the show from Anna." Sue: "This is the second show that Anna ha...

Views from the stage

One of the best things about being in a show is the camaraderie of being part of a team of people who are giving their best and supporting each other.  Here are a couple of our lovely cast members with their reflections on Dreams Are Free. Nathan is in the scripted 'committee meeting' that links the show together and also in several chorus numbers. "Well, this has been the first production I've had the pleasure of being around, since 2014 in my final year of high school. It's been awesome t...

From the horse's mouth

Robyn Gardner is our very talented and experienced director and choreographer.  The veteran of many shows, her ability to organise everything from the rehearsal schedules to the lighting plan is awe inspiring - not to mention how well she has choreographed every number in the show with a cast whose dancing expertise is, shall we say, varied.Robyn says: "I couldn’t believe how great the auditions were with such a strong line of talent.  The hard bit was then making sure all that talen...

19 rehearsals to go.....

That sounds like a lot of rehearsals doesn't it?  But it really isn't!  With songs and dances to learn, costumes and changes and entrances and exits to get right, there is so much to perfect, it feels like we need twice as many!  But there is something magical in the process of theatre that never fails to surprise. Gradually, we go from stumbling and bumbling around the stage, tripping over our own feet and singing the wrong words with the wrong notes at the wrong time to becoming...

Rehearsals are fun....honestly!

Ok, so they are also hard work, but hey, hard work is fun too.  It's satisfying to come away after two hours of concentrating, learning, practising and doing.  We are making progress so quickly, thanks to the dedication of everyone involved.  As you can see, rehearsals are well under way now for Dreams Are Free, our musical show for August.  We have a great cast, with some new faces and new talent joining us for the show, which is shaping up to be an exciting and varied eveni...

Playing Around

It's the final week of rehearsals this week - the last chance for the cast and crew to iron out all the gremlins (can you iron a gremlin?) and get this year's Playing Around ready to go.   This is our fourth Playing Around and something we all enjoy doing, for a variety of reasons.  It's nice to get out and perform in other places, reaching new audiences and rising to the challenges that new venues pose for us.  We've dealt with a few over the years - tiny stages, no backstage are...