The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company News

Les Miserables cast photoshoot

25/4/2023

In April, we had a cast photoshoot for our Les Miserables team, which most of our cast and crew were able to attend. If you want a look at the actors bringing this super show to you in May and June; here you are!
With enormous thanks to our friends at the Crafty Cwtch cafe on Middle Street, Brixham. for being the fab base camp for our actors photoshoot on nearby streets,

Photos by Laura Jury and Sacha Spencer.

Visit our Box office page (click here) to book and find out more details of the show :) we would love to see you at any of the venues

Les Miserables: The Memoirs of Jean Valjean is a 3 hour stage drama (not the musical!) bringing Victor Hugos's famous novel to life.
This is a show suitable for all ages, and is a classic tale of redemption, compassion and revolution; set between 1815 and 1832 in France.

Great showcase/ workshop, concluding the 2022-23 winter theatre school

17/3/2023

We had a great conclusion to the theatre school as the final session of the six month drama classes, in which most of our students and a couple of guests from our production or Les Miserables performed a monologue, which was filmed for their portfolios.

The theatre school will return again next winter subject to funding to cover the costs, with various other workshops etc before then we hope. Well done to all the amazing people involved tonight and a huge thank you to Brixham Theatre for hosting the classes!

Beowulf the tour

11/12/2022

And this weekend, our tour of Beowulf concluded with an excellent performance at Torquay's Royal Lyceum theatre.
Now, the plans for over Christmas and the New Year, include sorting out our props and costumes from Beowulf (putting them away) and getting our props and costumes etc, for Les Misérables.

It has been a fantastic show run - after a shaky start and some recasts, it came to have fabulous feedback, with a small but an amazing cast, most of whom plan to return to the stage with us in future shows and projects, and fabulous permanent relationships forged with new venues.

Fab feedback from our Brixham Theatre productions of Beowulf

25/11/2022

We have now performed our run of three performances at Brixham Theatre, with great audience feedback, and are now getting ready for our performance at Exeter Barnfield theatre on December 2nd.

Tickets available from Exeter Northcott.
You can book tickets in advance or on the door. This theatre show is suitable-for-all, based on the classic 10th Century epic poem, (also a Key Stage 3 school text).

The second class at Brixham Theatre

11/11/2022

Lovely evening yesterday working with our actors training class in partnership with Brixham Theatre, last night was working on script analysis and characterisation. It was truly fabulous to see how everyone's confidence and skills developed through the evening - cant wait for the next class!
#theatre #acting #actors #actorslife #brixhamtheatre #devontheatre #educational #torbay #brixham #performingarts #stage #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre #devon #DevonActors

first class on the course :)

14/10/2022

Tonight the amazing Gareth launched our theatre classes at Brixham Theatre- session 1 was about building confidence and overcoming anxiety.
Next month we will be moving into performance skills with exploring stagecraft and working on and around a stage.

It was sad we had some noshows including on some of the funded places but the small group of students we have are awesome and we are happy to welcome newbies on the next one

#brixham #brixhamtheatre #theatre #acting #actors #education #theatreschool #creative #devon #devontheatre #regionaltheatre #stage #actorslife

Press release materials for our Devon tour of Beowulf

10/10/2022

Press Release
Internationally award-winning Devon theatre company bringing Beowulf to Plymouth, Brixham, Exeter & Torquay
Issued October 10th 2022

For Immediate Release
The classical 10th century epic poem, with heroic warriors, legendary trolls and dragons, based on olden mythology, is brought to life in a new action drama for the stage, by an awardwining theatre company from Brixham in Devon.
A drama suitable for all ages, based on the classical 10th century poem Beowulf, a Key stage 3 text in schools, and featuring passages of the translated poem itself. This is an action drama based around Saxon and Norse / Viking mythology.

A chieftains magnificent royal hall in Denmark, is ravaged by a newly woken creature of the night, and Beowulf, a warrior hero, alongside his small band, travel to the hall to destroy the creature. He is successful, although encountering two such creatures instead of only the one, before travelling back to his homelands, where war and strife between clans, eventually lead to him being crowned King. But there are other creatures that dwell in the dark places. An escaped slave, stealing a golden cup, awakes the dragon, and once again, Beowulf is called upon to defend the people once more....

Staged with drama, action, and larger than life puppetry, as well as excerpts of the original poem, this is an all-new retelling of the drama, by an awardwinning theatre company from Torbay.
With both regard for production costs and for the environment, the shows set, props and costumes are all created from recycled and salvaged materials, with no loss of quality in the production itself. Similarly the cast, drawn from Torbay and Plymouth, range in experience from those who have performed professionally for decades, to those who are completely new to performing but are seeking to launch their career as actors, with a wide range of ages and skills. The show is created around the performing strengths of each actor.
The actors and crew for Beowulf have worked together since August on this show, in and around their wider lives, jobs, studies, family commitments, etc; creating the costumes and props mostly from recycled materials; choreographing the action scenes, as well as working on the technical logistics for touring this show including soundscapes, and larger than life creature suits,- and all on a budget of selling second hand books and things on ebay, to fundraise.
Now, with a show in the final stages of rehearsals, the case and crew are beyond excited to bring this groundbreaking show to the public at long last.
The show is female led; Laura Jury, who adapted the script from the original poems, has been an actor since 1996, and directing since 2000, she is also one of four theatre directors nationally on Equity's Directors & Designers Committee, which meets regularly to discuss and advise on best practice and improving theatre working conditions on a national basis. Laura has an especial interest, born of experience, in championing regionally and rurally created theatre on a national scale.
Laura Jury breaks many stereotypes, as an autistic woman of colour in a professional leadership position.
The show - and theatre company - itself breaks down barriers for creatives. Laura also founded the South Devon Players, a not-for-profit theatre company based in Brixham, Torbay, in 2005 and led it to national and international arts awards for previous shows- the show creates opportunities for local Devon actors and creative talent of all backgrounds to showcase their skills towards, or to further, developing a career in theatre and the arts

All dates and tickets can be found on the box office page at www.southdevonplayers.com.
The show comes to Plymouth at Stoke Damerel Church on November 4th, Brixham Theatre on November 18th & 19th, the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter on December 2nd, and the new Royal Lyceum Theatre in Torquay on December 9th.

END of press release

Attachments:
Group cast photograph photos (actor name as character, back left to right, front left to right) . Other roles are played by the same actors, also doubled up.
Robin Purdie as King Hrothgar, Lisa Highton as Wealhtheow, Lily Marlow as Headred, Ruth Willis as Eadgils, Brooke Harris as Hygd
Laura Jury as Hygelac, Rich Sandford as Beowulf, Sascha Spencer as Waegumund.
Show posters (self-explanatory)

More information: https://www.southdevonplayers.com/box-office.html

Contact:
Laura Jury 07855 090589,
southdevonplayers@gmail.com
Mail: care of our rehearsal venue at Chestnut Community Centre, 1-3 Poplar Close, Brixham, Devon TQ5 0SA

Members of the press and media are cordially invited to get in contact for any additional information, or to be invited to rehearsals and see behind the scenes of our work.

Downloadables:

beowulf_press_release.pdf
File Size:	61 kb
File Type:	pdf

Google Drive of all press materials
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CyBN-YXSIzJ8W8P_wfGiKIqOlj7kBaEj?usp=sharing

Cast photo
Bigger photo available in the Googledrive above, names of actors in press release.

Show posters

Our classes are a sellout!

8/10/2022

Fab news, our professional theatre course at Brixham Theatre is now filled - all places are sold out as of this morning. Starting on October 13th on stage at Brixham Theatre - run by Laura Jury and an opening session from Gareth Foreman.
All registered students will recieve an email over the next few days with details for the first session and arrival.
#theatre #acting #stage# #brixhamtheatre #devontheatre #brixham #actors #actorslife ##britishtheatre #torbay #devon #performingarts #stageschool

Lovely Maggie supporting our fundraising

2/9/2022

More stock for the craft sale at #scalahallbrixham on Saturday 10th September. In addition to my cards, there’ll be lots of toiletries, costume jewellery and other goodies, raising funds for the South Devon Players, your local Brixham-based theatre group, fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe! Come along and support local creatives
#devonsentcards #brixham #brixhamart #brixhamartist #torbay #torbayart #torbayartist #devonart #devoncreatives #handmadecardsforsale #localtheatre

Opening theatre classes at Brixham Theatre

23/8/2022

We are opening theatre classes at our partner venue Brixham Theatre, in October 2022.
Bookings: https://www.southdevonplayers.com/learning-zone.html
All but the final session takes place on the second Thursday of each month - the final session of the course takes place on March 16th 2023.
The course is designed for those new to performing, who want to make it into a career, or course of study, and will cover basic acting and stagecraft, as well as how to apply to agents & castings; and avoid the common pitfalls.
The final session is a showcase where each person will create a performance monologue or duologue which will be filmed on stage, alongside headshot photos, for applying to wider productions.
This course is taught by a qualified drama teacher (Masters of Education from the University of Exeter), who is also a theatre director, one of four nationally on Equity's Directors & Designers Committee.
Due to a generous grant from a private donor, we are able to offer 8 places to people from Torbay on a low income who would not otherwise be able to access theatre training.

Registering for a free place on the course is on the understanding that you attend all sessions unless illness or an emergency occur - this is to prevent free places being taken from other people who would otherwise benefit from the donors generosity. If someone stops turning up, with no communication, they will be invoiced for the full price of the course, and the place re-offered to someone else on a low income.

Classes take place at Brixham Theatre, Bolton Cross, Brixham, TQ5 8TA; starting at 7pm. Students please come to the stage door.

Students must be aged over 18.