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Chairman’s Report 2007-08 For my report I
would like to comment on the Players as a whole and as a working group rather
than reporting on the individual productions. So as not to lose sight however
of the year's activities they are listed separately and more details are
always available from the Website and newsletters. -------------------------------------------------------- I think the
Somborne Players is an enthusiastic group and is constructively building on
the work of previous years. Producing Plays and Pantos is a big effort for a
relatively small organisation and we try to involve more people now to share
this work and hopefully have more fun. A lot of time and effort has gone into
improving communication infernally and externally with our Website, prompt
minutes and regular newsletters. We have been invited to provide
entertainment for other village groups and we are working hard to be
accessible to as many people as possible though the Panto and forthcoming
Children's summer production. All of this and
the momentum created is really good and I would like to highlight some key
points which I think are contributory factors as well as point out some areas
for improvement. Energy and
Enthusiasm We have had two
good and well attended productions this past year, a mini entertainment for
the Harvest Supper and nine social events and more in the pipeline. I put this down
to a hard working committee, lots of ideas and very supportive members of the
group both new and existing. Sharing
enthusiasm is vital here, along with a can do attitude - it all helps to give
everyone energy for the job. So come along to those socials, enthuse and
encourage others as well. Communication The web site
was particularly successful in drawing in a big audience for " An Inspector
calls" with a large school party attending. This public interface is
also important for attracting new members as well as a communication tool.
The social events are perhaps an area to build on here so that newcomers feel
they could dip in and find out more about us in a relaxed manner. Commitment
and Forward Planning Members are
more conscious of the need to commit to rehearsals. Again this makes
rehearsals easier and is more supportive of fellow cast members. Some of the
best laughs are during rehearsals so don't miss the fun. That said we could
still improve with greater forward planning - we do try but we haven't
cracked this area yet. Up front commitment to dates and productions in
general is essential for better planning and I think would give those
Directors waiting in the wings much greater confidence to have go. Community
Involvement The Panto as I
see it is the perfect opportunity to "have a go" and the perfect
vehicle to involve whole families. The juniors dancing and singing worked
particularly well this year. Our thanks to Kelda and a huge amount of work on
her part. The scripts
haven't always been exactly what we want so I am keen that we work towards
making if much more of a village panto, with greater village references and
well known members of the community making an appearance! The Panto should
belong to the Village. We are very
lucky to have such experienced and professional talents for our sound and
lighting with Bill Sutton and Andrew Flanagan. We can't replace this
experience overnight so its good to see new faces at the lighting desk and
for these specialist roles to be shared. So come on Bill how about a turn on
the stage? Generally I
feel the standard of our performances is improving and I would like to see
more workshops on movement and character development etc at the start of each
play. Latterly line
learning for the first rehearsal has turned into a bit of a competition and
it has paid dividends if the cast have cracked their tines early on. It may
be stating the obvious but it does give both the Director and cast more time
to polish other aspects of a production. I think the result has been
reflected with performances that are more confident and slick, So lets focus
and keep this momentum up - we are aiming for a really good reputation and
bigger audiences. Vicky Burden 8th May 2008 |
