The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company News

Audience research 2021

8/8/2021

To get an idea of getting our shows advertising again after the pandemic, we ran a small survey about theatre-going. It wasn't enormous, we had 16 replies so far (it is stilopen) and we need to thank everyone who filled this out as it has revealed some very useful trends and information which we will be taking into account. For anyone wishing to still do the survey, it is online HERE

For theatre practitioners elsewhere, putting this into context, this survey was mainly shared around local discussion groups and forums in the rural southwest of England, aiming at reaching "the ordinary person in the street" to capture their views and feelings.

If you wish to share this information in a publication etc, please credit The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company, 2021.

Play the #Torbay Lottery for just £1, support our #theatre work & creating arts opportunities for local people

14/7/2021

Play the #Torbay Lottery for just £1, support our #theatre work & creating arts opportunities for local people - AND be in with a chance to win a luxury #staycation- to enter, visit:
https://www.torbaylottery.co.uk/.../the-south-devon-players

Launching a crowdfund for our Ben Hur project

6/3/2021

Details of the crowdfund can be found at https://crowdfunder.co.uk/benhursdp

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, has caused the continued postponement and cancellation of live shows for well over a year, for every performance venue in the UK. Now, the UK government has published an expected roadmap of eventually being able to reopen the theatres by the end of the year.
Ben Hur is the Players' big returning big project, returning to theatrical "normality" after Covid. It is also the company's biggest/ most ambitious show to date, pushing performance, technical, set, lighting and costuming ingenuity to new heights, bringing this beautiful tale to the stage.
Based on the famous novel by Lew Wallace, Ben Hur is set in the first century AD. Judah Ben Hur, a young nobleman of Jerusalem; a city under the occupation of the Roman Empire; is accused of attempting to murder the Roman governor, by his erstwhile closest boyhood friend, Massala, now a Roman commander. Sentenced to life as a galley slave; a sentence which usually led to death within months, Judah survives, and after a pirate attack on the Roman navy in the Agean sea, travels to Rome a hero, having saved the life of the Roman commander in his escape. He once more returns to Jerusalem, seeking his mother and sister, who were imprisoned for the same attack, and finds no trace of them. He does however, find Massala, and blinded by rage, challenges Massala at the annual arena "Games". Massala is killed in the games, with his dying breath, reveals to Judah that his mother and sister were in fact released and driven from the city as lepers. With all hope, and all lust for revenge, gone, Judah is lost, but fate is not finished with him. He eventually finds his mother and sister, who are miraculously healed by a preacher, who has recently come to the city........
A historical drama set in Biblical times, the tale of Ben Hur is interwoven with the life and death of Jesus Christ, who appears twice in the drama. This is ultimately a powerful tale of hope and love, set within the dramatic and often brutal times of the Roman Empire.
The script features a wide range of strong, memorable characters, both male and female, with a large age range, carefully crafted into a show which will not only explore ambitious creative and inclusive theatre-making, but also a show, that regardless of any religious or political belief of the part of the audience members, will remain a powerful, beautiful memory for years to come.

Subject to coming safely out of the pandemic, and in accordance with the UK government's expected roadmap to national recovery from the pandemic, allowing for rehearsals and performances from August onwards, the Players expect to cast the show in August 2021, when they will also begin rehearsals, twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) in the room they rent in their local community centre. The show will be toured to local & regional venues, including theatres, churches, and other spaces, during the spring of 2022. The team usually perform in at least 4 towns and cities, ranging from their home town of Brixham, up to Bristol, but they are also hoping to expand the tour this time for such an exciting show, and are actively seeking new venues. The team will also be filming the show for online broadcast through our website. Should dates of recovery from the pandemic change nationally or regionally, the project dates may change in line with that, but this project will go ahead.

The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company is an internationally awardwinning theatre company based in the beautiful fishing port of Brixham, in South Devon (hence the company name!) in the southwest peninsula of England. Founded in the winter of 2005-6, to create theatre opportunities for local actors in an area of high poverty and deprivation, the South Devon Players specialise in carefully researched historical dramas; often new writing based on new historical research, Shakespeare, and as in this case, staged adaptations of classical literature. Bringing these stories alive on the stage, brings historical research, and some of the great classical tales, to life in an accessible, colourful, experiential format - so much more different than the black and white of the pages of a book.
An inclusive, female led company, the company welcomes actors and crew at all levels of previous experience, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, education, or other kinds of identities/ demographics. The Players hold the belief that talent and professionalism is everywhere, and needs only a chance to shine. The only requirements of the company is that those who join the team have the desire and drive to create groundbreaking top-quality theatre, work positively in a team environment, developing and sharing skills, and that good manners, positivity, reliability and kindness are paramount .

The Players are launching the crowdfund for this project to help support their return to the live stage, with funds going towards costumes, props, and the costs of production, as well as funds towards payments for the actors and crew, facilitating a high quality and positive project to return from the lockdowns and Covid crisis.

The South Devon Players Theatre and Film Company, are developing a proud tradition of creating world-class historical and classical dramas. In 2019, their production of Macbeth, was booked for a second tour and won an international theatre award in New York for its professionalism and creativity. Laura Jury, the director of that production of Macbeth, & many of the Player's shows, and founder of the theatre company, has returned to lead this new project. Laura has also recently been selected to appear in an online Shakespeare project by the Globe Theatre. With lockdown, the Players have been using the internet to perform and stream digital theatre from Brixham, around the world to global audiences, with growing excellent feedback.

A look behind the scenes at DH Lawrence's The Lost Girl

19/1/2021

As we come ever closer to the show for this amazing script, we are now rehearsing with the digital backdrops and most of the costumes for the final performance. We thought you woulld like a look behind the scenes, showing that digital theatre, can be great fun! (oh, and if you want tickets, our box office is over at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/box-office.html) The show itself is online for 48 hours from first broadcast to allow people all around the world to access the show at a time convenient for them.

General news update

29/8/2020

Hello all!
This is just an update with news all in one place!

Overall, the news on theatres reopening remains the same. While some theatres are able to put on subsidised performances, it is impossible for most of us, sadly as outlined in our update on the subject, to return to distanced physical shows, for us and very many theatre companies. Most of the UK theatre industry is awaiting the announcements due in November from the UK government's Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, as to when theatres can re-open. With vastly reduced audiences due to (the very sensible!) distancing, it is impossible to run shows viably, and make enough from sales to pay for a venue and also to pay cast/ crew.

Jack the Ripper
We are now rehearsing over Zoom each Sunday afternoon for this show, with plans for an online performance if the physical shows end up delayed. Jack The Ripper will return to the physical stage as soon as theatres are able to reopen (all being well, our bookings are for the end of January and early Febuary, with ticket sales going live once we know more from Mr Dowdens announcements in September.
The production team are really pleased with how the rehearsals are progressing, with this Sunday being a characterisation workshop session. Our return to the physical stage, in 2021, will also mean that at least one performance of each show run, will be livestreamed to audiences who either are unable to access the venue, or who may still not wish to attend theatre in person after the pandemic.

Shakespeare in 2021
Our 2021 Shakespeare show will be Henry V, as is already being booked for summer 2021. We are also hoping to finally get to tour our production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was postponed due to the pandemic, subject to cast and venue availibility, as it now appears highly unlikely that we will be able to tour the show this year.

Virtual Season
Casting announcements will go out within a few days for the first of our Virtual Season, the dark adaptation of Snow White, by Ashley Griffin. There have been a few delays while the cast are being selected, but we will have that sorted out by the end of this coming weekend. Tickets have already begun to sell, and as soon as the casting announcement goes live, we will be able to send out press releases, distribute posters and online events listiings to really push for the ticket sales. The ensuing plays, The Lost Girl and Sir Walter's Women, will be cast during the later part of September.

Spooky Tales of Brixham
This project telling of our local town's folklore, is well on track, with a release date of Halloween.
We have acquired a wonderful collection of Victorian images of Brixham, for some backdrops and intro cards, and are currently in talks with local filming locations. All filming will be socially distanced, and outdoors in a Covid-secure envriroment.

An update on theatre performances following the August 13th 2020 government announcement.

14/8/2020

We have been very pleased to hear of the UK governments move towards allowing limited indoor performances from August 15th 2020, and the associated guidance on the uk.gov website.
Having reviewed the information as updated, we wanted to set out, for clarity, how this will affect us.
For the time being, we will not be returning to live shows in physical spaces (though once it is safe and possible, we will be back with bells on!) and will be continuing to focus on our Autumn “Virtual season” and while we will regularly review the situation whenever new information and guidance comes out, we are not expecting a return to live physical performances until at least the awaited announcements from the British Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, expected in November 2020.

This decision is for a number of reasons.

Our actors earnings are usually based on the ticket sales (profitshare), and a lower number of seats available for sale, means less earning potential for our cast and crew. Venues also often rely on sales of refreshments etc, to fund the venue, aside from the hire/ box office split, so it is also difficult for a lot of our regional venues right now.
Furthermore, while here in Devon, we are in a relatively safe area with lower numbers of Covid-19 cases, our shows do tour, including to venues outside of the area, some of which do have higher rates of infection. We would be very remiss in exposing our cast and crew to these higher-infection rates, or risking one or more of us bringing it back to family and friends.
A lot of venues, especially older Victorian or earlier buildings (some of our venues go back to buildings from the 1600s and 1700s), do not easily allow for recommended social distancing back/ sidestage, in what is often a quite cramped area.
A number of our regular venues have taken the decision to be closed until the New Year.
Rehearsals still need to take place with social distancing in place, either 2 metres radius between people, or 1 metre with masks/ PPE. Actors also should not face one another unless absolutely necessary. This makes it near impossible (or impossible) to rehearse a naturalistic performance involving physical interaction between people and set (what is called “blocking”.), though it would work for simple recitation (which our shows are not).
Actors and crew, at all times, must remain a minimum of 2 metres from any member of the audience.
We have looked into the possibilities of performing outdoors, however, again we have encountered a number of issues. In addition to the socially distanced rehearsals/ performance issues, when out of doors, you require additional microphone and sound equipment so that audiences can hear you – sound is easily carried away outdoors. While we could borrow a suitable speaker system, we would not have enough microphones for the whole cast (microphones cannot be shared, there was a serious infection case in Northern Ireland, where a cast shared a microphone). Actors of course need access to changing spaces and toilets (audiences also need access to toilets) which means it is not possible to just “set up in a field”. We have found that every event needs a minimum of a calendar month to advertise, market, re-rehearse, and plan the logistics. If you do not have marketing and advertising in place one month before, as a minumum, you will be unable to sell the tickets in a reasonable enough amount. You need a large space again, to make it worthwhile for the cast and crew, with socially distanced audiences (again, down to earning from the ticket sales, and while most of our actors are from the local region, we also have actors and a technician, who come over from the Republic of Ireland to work in our shows.).
From our experience of street theatre, this is again impossible as you cannot charge for tickets, meaning the actors cannot earn, and that is an unacceptable situation unless you are an amateur dramatics club, which we are not. We also found doing street theatre years back , even with marshals in place, that people often will push through an audience, climb over barriers, and physically collide with performers, in fact at least one of those incidents - often more- would happen every single performance, which in this situation is utterly unsafe for everybody., for distancing etc. In addition to which, the scale of our current shows, (full scale 2 and 3 hour plays, professionally performed, with costuming etc for a cast of around 10-12 ) does not allow for performance on a street corner.

In the meantime therefore, we have our Virtual Season, which is allowing for some incredible collaborations to form, and some super broadcast theatre with new and established creatives to our team, working almost entirely online. We are also working with the Arts Council and Torbay Culture, to create a filmed performance piece about local Brixham ghosts and spooky tales, which creates some brilliant fully paid work for some of our actors; and we are in rehearsals for physical shows, to return to the physical stage once it is safe, and cost effective. We are also planning further ahead with writing for new shows, and working with more theatre shows through 2021 and 2022.

When we are able to return to the physical stage, our cast, crew and audiences should be aware that there will likely still be some level of restrictions, or additional guidance still in place, and to work with us on those.

We also recognise that there may still be a number of people, who may feel unsure about attending the theatre in person. We are working to run livestreams of our performances (at least one per production) from the venues, so that for those who would rather attend the theatre from the safety of their own home, they are able to, for the same ticket cost. Early equipment tests are proving very positive, and we are now working on linking the systems to high-quality cameras to provide the best audience experience.

There are also a number of other creative plans, the viability of which, will be looked into through the autumn, and developed from this work. (Some will succeed and others not be deemed as likely to work) so we are using this time as usefully as is humanly possible.

We fully realise that some of these “realities” of why we are not doing the “distanced indoor shows”, are hugely disappointing to many, both our audiences and our creatives, however, we feel that it is very important that we do everything in our power to ensure the wellbeing of our cast, crew and audiences, while also continuing to create work and . It is much better to come back to physical shows, a bit later with everyone well and happy, than to have had some avoidable disaster.
With the understandable confusion already appearing in some articles circulating online, regarding the August 13th announcement, we wanted to take the time to explain in detail, where we stand, and the reasons for our decisions.

Laura Jury

Open Auditions for theatre production: Jack The Ripper.

7/7/2020

Just a reminder that we are currently casting for our steampunk production of Jack The Ripper, and we would love to hear from you. In line with current safety guidelines, we are casting via self-tapes, and will be holding rehearsals via Zoom, a simple video conferencing platform that will not cost you anything to join. Before any possible physical rehearsals or shows, there will be a full risk assessment and safety/ distancing guidelines provided to all cast and crew which will have been checked by Equity and other professional bodies.

Our casting and production process follows Equity policies, promoting fairness and excellence in running all our productions: Manifesto for Casting | Safe Places Policy | Cast It Here | Inclusive Casting Policy | Performance for All

THE SHOW
The show is a researched drama based on a number of the historical theories, surrounding Jack The Ripper, a Victorian serial killer in Whitechapel, London. We never fully reveal who the Ripper is, therefore through the show he is played by different people, all masked the same. The principal main character is the detective Abberline, a brilliant, humanitarian but broken man, tracking down the killer. The show design is stylish, steampunk, and daring. It does not involve any sexual scenes, beyond some of the ladies of the night soliciting on street corners. Originally due to be performed in October 2020, it now looks likely to be moved to Jan/ Feb 2021, due to the Covid outbreak, and will probably be digital only.

CASTING
We are casting for all roles, This spans all speaking roles; which are male and female roles, all ethnicities very welcome. Actors should be aged over 18, but other than that we welcome (and require) actors of any age. We do not charge anyone to work with us - indeed we do our utmost to pay our cast and crew via equal profitshare from the ticket sales at the very minimum (with applications in to various funds with the aim of raising full union standard wages for all cast and crew). No roles are "precast".

We require that all actors, regardless of experience, are able and willing to work to the standard consumate with those expectations. Actors must have the ability to attend required rehearsals and performances on time, note and follow directions/ production details, the literacy to read and learn scripts by deadlines without habitual paraphrasing/ improvising, are respectful of other cast and crew, are calm & focussed in rehearsals and shows, and maintain a positive, stress-free environment.

In your self tape, which you can record on your phone, laptop, or any device, we are not looking for cinematic brilliance, or for you to second-guess "the right character". We are looking for characterisation and those magical split-seconds where for a second the casting director forgets they are watching an actor, and completely believes that it is the character themselves. Bold choices with the audition material are also encouraged.

You will hear back within the week following the closing date as to the status of your application to the show, regardless of whether selected or otherwise.

If you have any questions, please email us on southdevonplayers@gmail.com, or text the director and company owner, Laura Jury, on 07855 090589.

CASTING DOCUMENTS

This is the original audition pack, created before the Covid pandemic. It contains information about our company, our history, and also a full list of all characters open for casting. Please note that dates and times will be changing (Sunday afternoons, will take place as normal, noting the new usage of Zoom for online rehearsals and probably for performances.)

jack_the_ripper_show_audition_pack__original_.pdf
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This audition form, to be sent back with your self-tape, tells us a few things about you to help us with the casting process

audition_form.doc
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For those who have not self-taped before, this document should be helpful, as to what we are looking for.

self-taping_notes.pdf
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And here is the link to the all-important audition sides. Please remember that these are all copyright material, and that the script copyright is registered to us at the Script Vault. When you have recorded your self-tape, please send it, with your audition form, to us at southdevonplayers@gmail.com, marked "Jack The Ripper"
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vAkGRN5zn_xoswQ9rQJZsgsrVsR_QdAV?usp=sharing

PAYMENT
As professionals and aspiring professionals, we do our utmost to ensure that we do our utmost to reward the team members, each of whom recieves an equal share of the show profits, from ticket sales, less venue hire. (As soon as, and whenever, further funding can be found to upgrade everyone to equity rates, this will happen, and supercede all profitshare agreements for the given production.)

All actors and crew are involved on a self employed basis and will need to delclare any money they make to HMRC.

As it stands, we fundraise to cover the costs of rehearsal hall, costumes, props, printing and other production expenses, so that we can pay the maximum possible to our team.

While full amounts can never be guaranteed as it is based on ticket sales numbers; the total amount, whatever it is, is equally shared among all actors and production crew, so that nobody is treated differently than any other. We have never finished a production in the "red".
At the time of payment (usually within 10 days of ticket sale monies being received from venues) we also provide the box-office sales reports from the venues, showing precise ticket sales, and how much the venue has deducted in hire for the space; to the cast and crew.

You will also receive portfolio photos of you performing or working in your crew role during the rehearsal and production process, backstage light refreshments, and anything else that we find we can offer.

We are actively applying for funding to increase our work, including a prioritised aim of being able to offer full rate payments, and at such time as we find such funding, everyone will be automatically upgraded on the spot (even if mid-way through a production).

The current profit share situation is because we are self-funded from market stalls, and sponsored activities to pay for a rehearsal room, costumes, and materials, so that we can then share the ticket takes, less show venue hire only, to all our cast and crew. We are committed to rewarding our cast and crew to the very maximum of our ability.

We have a strict equal opportunities policy

In the Herald Express

18/5/2020

For more information and to book: https://www.southdevonplayers.com/box-office.html

midsummer_nights_dream_online_press_release_upload.pdf
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The Show Will Go On

15/5/2020

Internationally award-winning Brixham theatre company brings Shakespeare's classic Midsummer Night's Dream to life, defying lockdown in an international, online performance, with actors performing from their homes.
“The course of true love never did run smooth ”
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1 scene 1

Shakespeare's classic comedy, is brought to life in a lockdown production, by a theatre company based in Brixham, South Devon.
Already in rehearsals for the live shows, with a national tour being booked for the live shows, when the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, caused postponement and cancellation of live shows for several months, for every theatre in the UK. Of course, many theatres, both venues and production companies had no choice but to close, and work for professional actors temporarily collapsed.
The South Devon Players decided to resist the trend, and as well as postponing (not cancelling!) the usual shows to such time as when it is safe for theatre venues to reopen, the Players decided to create online performances, in which the actors come together to perform online from the safety of their own homes. This in itself has not been easy, as many people in the team, have had to learn new technology & software, and find ways to make it work on household electronics, with the cast and crew working from their lockdown locations mainly in south Devon but also sheltering in place spread across the UK, as well as the Republic of Ireland, and Los Angeles in California.
The first of these online performances, is a full length, costumed production of William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy; A Midsummer Night's Dream. Keeping as close as is possible to the originally planned steampunk styling of the live shows, the members of the team are dilligently rehearsing and learning software online, creating costumes and makeup styles, to create this show, and develop an entirely new way to present theatre using modern technology during this time.
Following this first performance, the Players are also planning further online shows, performing Shakspeare and other classic dramas, in the same way.
The South Devon Players Theatre and Film Company, are developing a proud history of Shakespeare productions, as part of their focus on historical and classical dramas. In 2019, their production of Macbeth, was booked for a second tour and won an international theatre award in New York for its professionalism and creativity. Laura Jury, the director of that production of Macbeth, & many of the Player's shows, and founder of the theatre company, has returned to lead this new project. Laura has also recently been selected to appear in an online Shakespeare project by the Globe Theatre in London. The South Devon Players were founded in the winter of 2005-6, on the proceeds of a carboot sale, to create professional opportunities for local actors, and has flourished ever since; previously winning national and regional arts awards, including the national Epic Award 2017 for England, a national arts award celebrating creativity and innovation in grassroots arts. Based in Brixham, the Players primarily specialise in researched historical theatre productions and old “Classics”.

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream will be broadcast on the evening of May 30th 2020, as a ticketed event online, with tickets costing £5 each. All details on how to book tickets, and receive the online viewing links, are available at the company's website www.southdevonplayers.com.
__________________________________________

Announcing our first lockdown show

4/5/2020

A full costumed production of Shakespeare's classical fantasy drama
This production is the full uncut script.

A production performed via video-conference from our actors homes PERFORMED ONLINE AT
www.southdevonplayers.com (full link made available to ticket purchasers. Link includes the page where the show will be streamed, a virtual programme, and a production blog covering the month running up to the show.. We would like to reccomend that a laptop or PC, or internet enabled television, is used for the best audience experience)

Running time approx 2.5 hours plus half-time interval. Doors open 30 mins before the performance start time. The show will be available to watch back or catch up on for the ensuing two days after the first streaming.
If you have any questions about the show, please feel free to email us on southdevonplayers@gmail.com