Special Jack the Ripper NODA Evening

PBGS is holding a NODA evening for our performance of Jack the Ripper on Thursday, 11th October 2012 at 7.15pm for a 7.45pm performance.

All members of societies affiliated to Noda are welcome to join us at the concession ticket price of £11 and will receive a free programme and a complimentary drink. To book your tickets for the Noda night, please call the PBGS box office on 07946 264886 (please do not book through the theatre).

As well as a great night out, this is a wonderful opportunity for members thinking of doing the show or looking for something that has terrific scope for principals and chorus!

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Christmas Meal

 Fun and frivolity at the 2011 PBGS Meal

Yes! Seriously! Where did the summer go?

The PBGS Christmas meal has already been arranged and will be at The Raven in Hexton on Tuesday 18th December 2012, 7.15pm for a meal at 7.45pm. The 3 course meal + coffee looks really yummy with plenty of choice and costs £23 per head. Paula would like to have it booked by the end of this month so please get in touch with her or catch her at rehearsals to book your place and pay your £10 deposit or, better still, the full amount. Partners very welcome, of course!

Clicky clicky here for a PDF of the full menu and all the details.

'What a life'

We’re continuing the build-up to our Show, Jack the Ripper by Ron Pember and Denis de Marne, with a look at the lives of the people who lived in Whitechapel, brought vividly to life through music, drama, tragedy and the wry comedy that binds people together through the worst of circumstances.

By the time of the Ripper murders, Whitechapel had become a place of poverty, unemployment, overcrowding and vice of every kind. Nearly 80,000 people were crowded into dismal living conditions, caused by rising rents and the tearing down of unsanitary buildings under the 1875 Artisans and Labourers Dwelling Act. The new buildings meant to replace them were too expensive for people to move back into and the common lodging house became the only thing between most people and the streets. Overcrowded and filthy, many social reformers of the time believed the lodging houses were rife with vice and prostitution, adding to the 63 East End brothels.

Unemployment was high, with an influx of European immigrants fleeing persecution adding to the tension. Most of those lucky enough to be in employment worked 18 hour days in overcrowded sweat shops for minimal wages. Many Whitechapel residents escaped from their grim living conditions, poverty and the grind of sweated labour by spending most of their spare time in the numerous public houses, where drunkenness was rife, leading to more disease and unemployment. Worst of all it led to violence which was so commonplace and accepted in the East End, especially against women, that the journalist George Sims commented before the Ripper murders in 1883 that "the spirit of murder hovers over this spot, for life is held of little account."

For many women, the only way to make a living was through prostitution. Out of the five known ripper victims, three were known to have been previously married, but had been abandoned by or left their husbands. The 1881 census tells us that Elizabeth Stride was married to a carpenter and had moved to London from Sweden, where she had previously worked as a prostitute. By the time of the Ripper murders she was a widow. Catherine Eddowes had a husband and two children at the time of the census and was working as a charwoman, but fell into prostitution to pay the rent on her Spitalfields lodging house. Annie Chapman was married to a stud groom and living near Windsor at the time of the census, but after a series of tragedies, including the death of their 12 year old daughter, they turned to drink. After separating, Annie returned to London and the streets. There is no census information on Nichols, but we know she was born in Limerick, lived in Cardiff and worked in a brothel after arriving in London in 1884. There is no census information on Chapman either but The Star newspaper reported after her horrific murder in 1888 that she “had perhaps a happy and innocent girlhood, and was once a wife, had to turn out and seek the sale of her body for the price of a bed."

The police turned a blind eye to prostitution in the East End where it was rife but rarely came to the attention of the respectable. For the most part the women were left to their trade - prostitution wasn’t a crime and the police could only arrest a prostitute if they create a public disturbance.

It was in this hotbed of poverty, vice, slum conditions and little regard for life that Jack the Ripper carried out his murders, the horror of which finally shed a light on the lives of the people of Whitechapel.

You can join us in the Music Hall and on the streets of Whitechapel by booking your tickets for Jack the Ripper on-line at the Queen Mother Theatre. You will also find alternative booking details here.

Reference:
Essays in history
History of the Metropolitan Police
Daily Mail

'The Ripper's out to get you....'

In the late 1880’s the British public was gripped by the grisly murders of several East End prostitutes. Out of 11 Whitechapel murders between 1888 and 1891, only five are still linked to the infamous Jack the Ripper: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Lizzie Sride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. All had their throats cut and suffered mutilation, leaving the women of the East End gripped with fear. So much hype and mystery surrounded the unsolved murders that, even today, the name ‘Jack the Ripper’ is synonymous with terror. The crimes were considered too much for the local constabulary to tackle and Scotland Yard was brought in, leading to one of the Victorian periods greatest and most notorious man hunts. On 27th September 1888 the Central News Agency received a chilling letter. Beginning “Dear Boss” it went on to say “I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled...”. Signed ‘Jack the Ripper’ it gripped the imagination of the public and gave the murderer his infamous name. After the Eddowes murder on 30th September 1888 the case was so famous that it appeared in newspapers as far away as America and countless theories were being put forward – the Ripper was a doctor, someone working in a slaughterhouse, a lunatic – the tabloids printed lurid pictures of a shabby doctor like figure with a hat and a bag, countless men were arrested on suspicion and released, and vigilante groups started patrolling the streets. The police’s problems escalated when they were flooded with copycat letters from people claiming to be the Ripper. The height of the panic came with the gruesome murder of Mary Kelly in November 1888, which exceeded anything seen before and coincided with the resignation of the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police, Sir Charles Warren. Although there were two further Whitechapel murders, Kelly was probably the Ripper’s last victim.

The true identity of Jack the Ripper and why the murders suddenly stopped is one of criminology’s enduring mysteries, spawning countless books, theories and discussions which continue today. The focus is usually on the Ripper, but our Show, Jack the Ripper by Ron Pember and Denis de Marne, finally gives the victims the chance to speak. Over the next few weeks we will be posting more dramatic cast photos to give you a taster of our production, which runs from 10th - 13th October.

Our rehearsals are picking up pace and we can promise a fascinating Show where memorable music, words, humour and tragedy allow the lives of the Ripper’s victims to finally take centre stage over the notorious murderer himself. Set in a Music Hall and on the dark and grimy streets of London, we invite you into their world.

You can book your tickets for Jack the Ripper on-line at the Queen Mother Theatre. You will also find alternative booking details here.

Reference details taken from: History of the Metropolitan Police. 

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Reviews: Yeoman and The Grand Duke

Richard D has sent us a link to a review by Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph of the BBC Proms Yeomen of the Guard:

Here, outstandingly, we had the magisterial Felicity Palmer as Dame Carruthers, that expressive and stylish tenor Andrew Kennedy as Colonel Fairfax, and the assured Heather Shipp as the flirtatiously resourceful Phoebe Meryll. The most strikingly original interpretation came from Mark Stone, who played Jack Point younger and jauntier than usual, making his final collapse all the more moving for being unexpected.....

You can read the full review here. Don't forget that it's being broadcast on BBC2 this Saturday!

I also have another Rupert Christiansen Telegraph review of The Grand Duke at the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. Christiansen points out that this was 'a historic occasion: the first staged professional production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s final collaboration since its premiere in 1896'. As you might expect, the Grand Duke itself garners little praise:

After the opening, the pair never spoke to each other again. The result of these tensions is a rather plodding and joyless affair that gives the distinct impression of having been created on autopilot.

But he gives the company credit for doing:

a sterling job of trying to pump some life into the corpse, in front of a full house generous with its applause.

You can read the full Grand Duke review here.

Thank you Richard!

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Yeomen Prom performance on TV

For all you Yeomen lovers that can't get to the Albert Hall, this Sunday's Prom performance of The Yeomen of the Guard will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and - even better - will be televised on Saturday 25th August on BBC 2 at 8pm. You will find full details here on the BBC Proms Website. This is a fantastic cast, so definitely one not to miss : -).

Thanks to Richard D for the heads up.

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Jack the Ripper now booking!

Jack the Ripper is now open for booking! Tickets are available online through the Queen Mother Theatre or by ringing the Box Office on 01462 455166 (please leave a message). Or you can ring PBGS directly on 07946 264886. Full priced tickets are £13 and concessions £11 (For performances on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th October only).

Rehearsals are well under way with the cast enjoying creating all the different characters of London's East End. Jack the Ripper is already generating a lot of interest and we can promise you a wonderful production, so make sure you book early to avoid disappoinment.

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Noda Nominations!

Paula as 'Patience' © XMO4 PHOTOS

Congratulations to Paula Fraser who has been nominated for Best Comedy Performance for Patience in 'Patience' in NODA's 2011-2012 District 3 Awards!  PBGS has also received a nomination for Most Colourful/Suitable Costumes.

The winners will be announced at the District Meeting on 9th September 2012, with the runners up also receiving a Certificate of Distinction. Way to go Paula!!!! And all of us for wearing those costumes so well : -).

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Follow us on Twitter

So you won't miss any PBGS news you can now follow us on Twitter. You'll find us at https://twitter.com/@pbgands or by clicking on the button on the right of this page. I wonder what wonderfully pithy patter song Gilbert would have written about tweeting if it had been around in his day? Bet he would have loved it!
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Jack the Ripper Casting

We are urgently looking for someone to join our Jack the Ripper cast in the part of  'Dinky'. Dinky is:

Number 2 in the gang, but a bit brighter than Dan (the self proclaimed leader of the gang) and has a bit more social knowledge. Gets very excited about being violent but never normally gets to do anything. A bit of a snitch and tries to drop Marie in it. Good timing required and energy. Needs to move. Baritone with solo parts within ensemble parts.

If you can see yourself playing Dinky and would like to have a go, then please contact us. Rehearsals are on Tuesday nights (Company) and Sunday afternoons (Principals) at Streatley Village Hall.
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For he is an Englishman

©Allied Stars Ltd/Enigma Productions

What has the Olympics got to do with Gilbert and Sullivan. Well… not a lot, but with the Olympics only a hop, skip and a jump away I have managed to find a connection – 1924 Olympic Hundred Metres Champion Harold Abrahams. You will remember him from the 1981 film Chariots of Fire which, with excellent timing, has recently been given a new lease of life as a new play

‘…stuffed full of patriotic anthems and lashings of Gilbert and Sullivan…’

Natasha Tripney, Theatre Mania

If you remember the film (which is also being re-released in British cinemas this month), you’ll remember that Abrahams was a huge G&S fan and was a member of Cambridge Gilbert and Sullivan Society while studying at Caius College. Along with plenty of Vangellis, the film had 5 G&S tunes in the score, including “For He is an Englishman” from HMS Pinafore. In the film his fiancée is wrongly depicted as D'Oyly Carte singer Sybil Gordon, shown singing Yum-Yum, a role which she never actually played. In reality Abrahams married mezzo-soprano Sybil Evers, who sang small roles with D'Oyly Carte in the early thirties and who he met a decade after his triumph at the Olympics. As a mezzo, she never played Yum-Yum either. A muddle of identities which would have made Gilbert proud. At least they were both called ‘Sybil’ and film goers got a chance to sample some G&S!

As well as being a G&S lover, Abrahams was born locally in Bedford!

If you like Gilbert and Sullivan with your Olympics and are interested in the new play which tells the story of both Abrahams and Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire premièred in May at the Hampstead Theatre and moved to the Gielgud Theatre on June 22. The run continues until November 12. You will find a selection of reviews here and booking details here.  There is even an on-line trailer for the play.

SW

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Jack the Ripper Cast

We now have a cast for our next production of Jack the Ripper:

Marie Kelly - Alice Bridges
Lizzie Stride - Alison Gibbs 
Annie Chapman - Nicole Santlemann
Polly Ann Nichols - Stevie Gibbs
Cathy Eddowes - Gill Davidson 
Liza Pearl - Jo Bigg 
Martha Tabram - Louise Thonger 
Frances Coles - Justine McCreith

Druitt / Toynbee - Barny Shergold 
Chairman - Richard Fraser 
Sergeant - Peter Johnson 
Slop - Mike Costabile 
Lord Overcoat - Frank Banks 
Dan - Paul Kerswill  
Dinky - Kush Depp
Bluenose - Graham Gibbs

Congratulations to everyone who was successful after an evening of excellent auditions all round.

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Yeomen at the Proms and G&S in Welwyn

 Grossmith as the original Jack Point

There will be a performance of Yeomen of the Guard on Sunday 19th August as part of the BBC Proms. It's semi-staged and looks like a terrific cast of singers:

Leigh Melrose Lt Sir Richard Cholmondeley
Andrew Kennedy Colonel Fairfax
Lisa Milne Elsie Maynard
Victoria Simmonds Phoebe Meryll
Felicity Palmer Dame Carruthers
Mary Bevan Kate
Mark Richardson Sergeant Meryll
Tom Randle Leonard Meryll
Mark Stone Jack Point
Toby Stafford-Allen Wilfred Shadbolt

BBC Singers
BBC Concert Orchestra
Jane Glover conductor
Martin Duncan stage director

Full booking details are on the BBC Proms website.

There is also some local G&S coming soon to Welwyn:

This looks like a fun event for G&S fans. The World of Gilbert and Sullivan is on Saturday 23rd June, at St Mary's Church in Welwyn. This is a fundraiser for the Acorn Playgroup and Preschool and a chance to hear the Wandering Minstrels. If you haven't come across them before, there is more information here on their website.

'The Wandering Minstrels' is an highly accomplished group of six singers and a pianist who specialize in staging songs and scenes from the immortal Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Their concerts of Savoy classics, presented in period costume and performed in traditional style, are events to remember.'

Patience Review

Our thanks go to our Noda rep, Nova Horley, for this wonderful Review of our May Production of Patience. Well done everyone!

'A thoroughly entertaining production, the humour was to the fore, aided in no small amount by the adoption by Paula Fraser of a broad Brummie accent!

The story as always with G&S is slightly tenuous, but there were some lovely OTT character studies, and the ladies chorus singing beautifully, whilst the men’s chorus were strong and authoritative as befits the Dragoon Guards.

The set was nicely thought-out, very solid and well-used by the cast. There were no surprises with the lighting which was suitable for the show and sound was good.

Margaret Johnson had created exactly the right sound from her small band – they accompanied well, and the balance between singers and band was good, but they came to life in the overture which was lively, and extremely musical in quality.  I just feel it is a shame that the band had to be in the middle of the stage, with the MD encroaching on stage space – I wonder if there would be room to place the band slightly to the side, with the MD at the far side facing the middle, which would give an almost uninterrupted view of the stage – as with cast sitting, lying, kneeling on the stage the audience sometimes miss some of the action.

The placing of the ladies for the first number was a little suspect, we had ladies on the floor and on seats who were totally obscured by other ladies, the stage isn’t big, but there was plenty of room to place everyone so that they could all be seen.

Mostly the costumes were good, they looked fresh and the Dragoons all looked very smart.   I loved Bunthorne’s gold outfit and Grosvenor’s green number! The only two costumes that were slightly out of kilter were the Major’s grey velvet suit, which showed a large expanse of bare flesh, which could have been solved by wearing a white T-shirt tucked into his trousers under the white shirt, and the young Bunthorne’s green trousers were definitely in need of pulling up with a pair of braces, and his white socks/stockings were seriously creased – which spoiled the look of the ballet, as the young Patience’s costume was so pristine and charming.

Paula Fraser was a very funny and lively Patience, injecting the optimum fun into her musical numbers and lib.

Tim Sell again created a lovely OTT Bunthorne, the lusted after poet – his facial expressions were very good and added much to the performance.  He also moved well, and kept the bounciness of his character going throughout.

Richard Fraser as Grosvenor created a very saucy character, making use of his eyes to convey so much, a very telling portrayal.

The three officers of the Dragoons, Richard Dean as the Major, Graham Gibb as the Duke of Dunstable and Peter Davis as the Colonel, complemented each other well; although I heard some pitching problems at times.

Sue Wookey was a super Lady Jane – Sue always gives us a good portrayal, and this part suited her voice well, and gave her scope to be amusing as well; another person with a very expressive face.

I liked the three ladies, Angela, Ella and Saphir, played by Margaret Snape, Eve Rapley and Alice Bridges – they gave contrasting portrayals, and their voices blended well. Again they really brought out the humour.  I also liked the number with Patience and Angela, their voices sat well together, and were musically secure.

In the main the ladies wigs were excellent – I particularly liked those of Patience and Jane.

The ballet was nicely choreographed, and created a new dimension whilst not detracting from the song.  It was imaginative, and nicely danced, with one small comment to the dancers, look out for sickled feet in the lifts and jumps, however the arabesques were good from both dancers, and the lifts accomplished well.

I was pleased to see a full house, which is very unusual for these days, and everyone appeared to enjoy what was a fun and uplifting production, Alison Gibbs had done well, and injected her cast with enthusiasm which projected to the audience.

Thanks to PBGS for the hospitality and another good evening’s entertainment.'

Congratulations to everyone involved with our PBGS production of Patience, especially our Producer, Alison Gibbs and our MD, Margaret Johnson. A lovely end to on all that hard work (although it never felt like anything but fun!).

 

All photos © XMO4 PHOTOS 

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Jack the Ripper Notes and Audition Pieces

If you are thinking of auditioning for our Autumn Show, Jack the Ripper, we already have the libretto and music audition pieces available:

Libretto Auditions
Music Auditions

To help you get into your part we also Character Notes and Director's Notes, which will help you become familiar with the show and start you thinking about which parts might suit you.

Producer Paula Fraser will be talking about the show and the different characters at our first rehearsal on Tuesday 15th May. Auditions are on Tuesday 12 June from 7.45 at Streatley Village Hall. There is a map on our Contact Us page.

If you have never auditioned before, don't be shy, just give it a go. The show is a new experience for all of us and there are a lot of parts.

Just to remind you, the Society will be hiring some scores, but if you would like to have your own copy scores and libs are available to buy from Samuel French Ltd. They cost £17 for the score and £9.25 for the libretto.

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Merrie England at Wolverton

Wolverton G&S are presenting Merrie England on 26 May at St George's Church Wolverton. Click on the poster to enlarge it for full details! The music for Merrie England is wonderful and this is a rare chance to hear it. The Show has rousing chorus's and a story filled with intrigue and romance set in the court of Good Queen Bess:

'Merrie England is an English comic opera that concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.

The Queen is jealous of Sir Walter Raleigh’s affection for Bessie Throckmorton, her lady in waiting, whilst Essex has his own romantic designs on the Queen. Throw in a bratish May Queen, a mad woman and her cat, a witch hunt, Robin Hood, a dragon, a deluded Shakespearian actor, several songs about fish, Herne the Hunter and morris dancing and you’re guarenteed some right royal Tudor mayhem.

Songs from the opera include "O Peaceful England", “God Bless Elizabeth” and "The Yeomen of England”.'

Paula Fraser is singing Bessie Throckmorton, and Louise Thonger and Graham Breeze will also be familiar faces to PBGS followers!

Patience 'flippin' fabulous'!

Our run of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience ended last night and we all had such a fantastic time I think every one of us was sorry to say goodbye to our lovesick maidens and heavy dragoons!

It was wonderful to hear all our audiences laughing and enjoying themselves so much throughout the week - it was a real boost, especially as our Friday and Saturday nights sold out. The QMT Theatre Management made sterling efforts to put in extra seating to accommodate the queues! Thank you to everyone who made the trip to Hitchin to support us. We are really look forward to presenting our next Show to you in October 2012. Moving away temporarily from G&S we will be performing Jack the Ripper: The Musical, under the able direction of Paula Fraser who gave us the wonderful G&S Sketch Show last year.

There is already a lot of anticipation for this show, set in a Victorian Music Hall and on the streets of London. If you would like to be involved (especially men!!!) then please contact us. Rehearsals start on May 15th at Streatley Village Hall, Beds, and this would be a very good time to join PBGS. New non-performing members are also very welcome as there is always a lot of essential work to do behind the scenes. The people you see prancing about on the stage are only part of the effort that goes into every production!

If you are already missing your G&S, we have a fantastic triple bill of shorts coming up in Spring 2013 - Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial By Jury, Gilbert & Burnand's Cox and Box, and Sullivan & Stephenson's The Zoo. All equally funny and all in the spirit of classic G&S.

We look forward to seeing you all again at the Queen Mother Theatre!

Patience Ticket Update

We have been told that a few more seats can be put in for this Saturday's performance so if you can only come to see Patience on that night, ring the QMT Box Office on 07946 264886!

There are still plenty of seats for tonight and it would be lovely to see a full house.

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PBGS Patience opens tonight!

Final Patience rehearsal at Streatley

Well - tonight's the night! We've settled into the Queen Mother Theatre (our home from home for the week), managed to get through the Dress with no mishaps and can't wait to show all our efforts to an audience. There are still tickets available for all nights, although Saturday is nearly sold out. It would be lovely to fill the theatre so if you are still thinking about coming, be assured that you can park right in front of the QMT and you can see perfectly from all seats! Tickets are £12 with £10 concessions tonight and tomorrow.

Patience is showing from:

Wed 2nd - Sat 5th May

Queen Mother Theatre

Walsworth Road, Hitchin Herts SG4 9SP

Box Office: 01462 455166 or 07946 264886

Paula (Patience) and Tim (Bunthorne)

PBGS rehearse Patience

Graham Gibbs gives it his all as the Duke of Dunstable

Only a few days to go now before we open with Patience at the Queen Mother Theatre in Hichin! There are tickets left for all nights, and if you are in any doubt as to whether this is going to be a fantastic night out, then maybe these rehearsal photos will clinch it for you.

Tim Sell defies the laws of gravity as Bunthorne

No Bunthorne is complete without a Lily...

Paula Fraser (Patience) learns about love

Paula (Patience) and Margaret Snape (Angela) sing one of G&S's loveliest duets

Margaret (Angela), Graham (Duke), Peter Davis (Colonel), Richard Dean (Major) and Alice Bridges (Saphir) try and sort out their matrimonial arrangements...

Richard Fraser (Grosvenor) and Tim (Bunthorne) try to decide who is the fairest of them all

Tim (Bunthorne) is not amused by the results!

Patience opens on 2 May. Full booking details can be found here.

All photos © Sue Wookey