The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company News

Commercial news? we hope so!

29/4/2022

Delighted that we have been approached by a very large national company seeking actors and extras for a new online and tv commercial.
While we are still confirming with them about payment rates etc before formally roll-calling the actors currently involved with us to see who is interested and available, this seems wonderful news and part of what we are all about; getting local freelance actors and creatives recognised, working, portfolio building etc- we create our own work of course and also love to collaborate with other organizations wherever possible.
Photo of “beach office” just for attention
#theatre #filmmaking #tv #devon #actors #actorslife #acting #devonactors #creative #britishactors #equity #performingarts #happy #positive #brixham #paignton #torquay #torbay #raisingaspirations #collaboration

Promotional photoshoot for Ben Hur

17/2/2022

Few rehearsals have resulted in some fabulous photoshoots for as many of the Ben Hur actors as could attend the shoots at Brixham Theatre last Sunday after rehearsals. Photos by Laura Jury at the South Devon Players and Paul at Brixham Theatre

Tickets are on sale at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/box-office.html for Brixham Theatre and all other show venues.

Education pack addition - Ben Hur: British Sign Language

26/1/2022

Part of our show education packs for students traditionally, is a video showing ten words from the show in BSL (British Sign Language.)
Sarah Gregori has kindly created this video for our Ben Hur education pack, and also added in the full alphabet in BSL as well.
This video is subtitled as well.
Feel free to share to anyone who may find it useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9URt2-OlrE

Covid safety document updated

25/12/2021

We have updated our Covid-safety document in order to formalise and describe what we are doing to keep our actors, crew, and venue visitors/ staff safe.

This is of course a living document as regulations may change at any time

Venues will have specific safety policies in line with the venue needs and legislation in place at the time of the shows, which we will also share with our cast & crew, and on the box office page.

Our document updated for December can be downloaded here:

2022-covid_safety_august_onwards__2_.pdf
File Size:	82 kb
File Type:	pdf

More external work coming in for our lovely people

16/11/2021

Absolutely thrilled to be contacted yesterday by another film production casting for regional actors - and a role being suitable for one of our lovely ladies from Ben Hur- who is now submitting her selftape. We wish her all the best of good luck with it!
Getting brilliantly talented local people “seen” and on the performance career ladder, is a huge one of our aims.

#filmmaking #castingdirector #brixham #acting #actor #theatre #devon #regionalactors #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre #castingcall #creative #arts

A new range of handmade items on our ebay

16/11/2021

A lovely local lady, Sally-Ann, whom we have worked with on and off for many years, is creating these beautiful one-of-a-kind hand crocheted throws for our fundraising. It helps with her health and she wants to help support our work too. Its enormously appreciated. We have the first four listed. More will be added as and when available.

Link to view the currently available ones:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Home-Furniture-DIY/11700/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&_ssn=southdevonplayers&_sac=1

#theatre #arts #handmade #brixham #torbay #devon #crochet #homewares #fundraising #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre #performingarts #ebay

Unveiling of the WW2 "Shadows" art project - Brixham

12/11/2021

We are delighted to have been able to assist a community event with some video. The more the local community can come together like this, the better - a truly moving event.

The plaque is next to the WW2 wall mural in Brixham town centre carpark, if you would like to see it for yourself.

Filmed and hosted on behalf of Brixham Future CIC (https://www.brixhamfuture.co.uk)

This event took place in the Bastins Car Park, on November 11th 2021, at 12 midday.
The "Shadow" plaque of Sir Winston Churchill was unveiled by John Bates, in memory of his father, Fred Bates, a local WW2 veteran who passed away recently at 105 years old.

(Historical notes taken from the service booklet for the event)
By Thursday 11th November 2021, it was over 76 years since the end of WW2, when years of war and carnage came to an end. In 1939, Brixham was a small coastal fishing port with a population of around 8,000. Over 125 local inhabitants were killed during the War.
The War ended formally in Europe on May 8th 1945 (VE Day) with the formal surrender of Nazi Germany, but continued in the Far East until Japan surrendered formally on September 2nd 1945.

Presiding Minister: Reverend Yates
Address by Cllr. Paul Addison (President of the Royal British Legion: Brixham Branch)

Other Guests of Honour: Mr John Bates & Family
Anthony Mangnall, Member of Parliament
Mrs Tracy Hallett - Clerk of Brixham Town Council
______________
Filmed by Laura Jury, of The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company, by request of John Brennan, founder of Brixham Future CIC.

Theatre Buddies inclusion project update

19/10/2021

We had a brilliant meeting with our volunteer Vikki, to discuss the launch of the test phase of our free inclusion project, Theatre Buddies, helping local people struggling with isolation and loneliness to access and enjoy theatre- and make friends.
The draft ideas are at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/buddies.html

Due to autumn availabilities for Vikki, and Laura (group founder) being seriously ill and currently unable to take on extra things, Vikki and Laura sadly agreed that Theatre Buddies will publicly launch in Spring 2022. This allows more time for preparing the project. This is later than we would have liked but with illness and life commitments eating time this autumn, there has been no choice but to push it to Spring 2022.

It will center around a befriender being available to meet with people who would like to attend our shows at the theatre but have nobody to go with and are anxious about going on their own. The befriender, Vikki, will provide that welcoming, friendly face at our shows. We are also considering having social meetups, maybe once every three months or so, where local people struggling with isolation, depression and loneliness, can meet up with others who have the shared interest of theatre.

Great news! More external work offers coming in!

9/10/2021

Dear Casts of both Ben Hur and Henry V;
Some more external work offers have come in. especially for you lovelies, (this time for Halloween scare actors). Please check the respective production facebook groups for more information and how to apply.
This is fab stuff. Well done for being so awesome.
Laura

In addition to that, two of our team have also been asked to assist with the pirate fight choreography for a new short film being made in Brixham next week.

This is one of the outcomes that we love - as well as producing our inhouse shows, we love it when external acting work comes in and is offered to the people currently working with us. Getting into professional freelance acting is a huge and thick glass ceiling especially down here in Torbay (its why we were founded in the first place, lol!) without drama schools and local agencies etc.
Lots of productions come down, and lots of acting work looks further afield to bring people in, when in reality, there is a ton of fab talent right here.

Seeing talented people get additional opportunities is one of the most rewarding things you can imagine.
<3

October 02nd, 2021

2/10/2021

We are so pleased to be closing the call for the tech crew, and welcoming some great people who will be getting involved with us.

With the pandemic, our most frequent tech, Simon, is also a paramedic, and is snowed under with his job, so we all agreed to put the call out for some other people who would like to get involved with the tech side of theatre, with lighting and sound etc. We agreed to find two other people, so that shows could be teched reliably, working alongside everyone's availabilities and commitments of life, work, etc, - and to be willing to provide training as well.

As it has turned out we will be welcoming three fabulous ladies who will be learning to run tech on the shows. Over the coming rehearsals, they will each be coming to visit and sit in on a rehearsal to see and meet the rest of the team. Then, we will be arranging the tech training sessions for when they, and Simon are all available - that may take a few weeks to sort out around everyone's availabilities, but we will get there!!!

Ultimately between the four, we should always have at least one, ideally two, techs on each of our upcoming shows.
It is going to be so exciting to welcome them to work on our shows.

- Laura Jury

(photo: stock image at local theatre)

#theatre #theatrelife #stage #acting #stageshow #stagelife #stagelighting #stagesound #brixham #devon #torbay #britishtheatre #womenintheatre