The Big Ending produced; Around the Pond published; A brand new kids’ show; the Stephen Sondheim Prize

Well, we've finally cleared our heads after producing The Big Ending at The Rosemary Branch Theatre. The audiences loved it and were all keen to see it transfer to a bigger space, but you can see the reviews below for the official version. We'd like to thank the cast and crew, Cec and Cleo at the Rosie, Director, Ben Thomas, Dead Men regulars, Jan Rosser (design) and Paul Chilvers (MD) and lastly - but certainly not leastly - our very generous Dead Men Angels, who stumped up cash enough to mount a delicious-looking production. Their reward will be in Heaven, unfortunately, as we struggled to get enough reviewers to come and see the show and, consequently, seats were not filled with the requisite number of bums. As a whole, though, we learnt a lot about the show, its structure and songs, and as such the process has to be viewed as a success (but try telling that to our bank manager). We're currently in talks with a film director about maybe turning it into a movie. Who knows?

Around the Pond in 80 Days is finally in print and you can link directly to the Samuel French website to check prices and such-like. Already we have heard of a theatre company in Lancaster who are mounting a joint adult/kids cast with full professional band this summer. We wish them the best of luck with their show, and might even sneak north for a peek if we get the chance.

On a similar note, we had a brand new children’s musical, Sherlock Gnome’s Hound of the Baskervilles, which premiered this July at Ibstock Place School, Roehampton. They were kind enough to premiere Around the Pond in 2004, so we are very pleased to be able to try some new stuff out on the unsuspecting schoolkids. They loved it, of course, though who could fail to be intrigued by the most famous tale of the most celebrated gentle-gnome detective from 221b Baker Street (Hounslow)?

When Lord Baskerville the Fishing Gnome goes missing, the garden ornaments in Mrs. Hudson’s prim and proper garden suspect it is the work of a mythical hell-hound. But superstition plays no part in Sherlock’s logical and reasoned investigation, in which he is aided by his capable assistant, Dottie Watson. He draws up a list of suspects such as Harriet the Heron Pond Protector, Spike the Hedgehog Bootbrush, Hildegaard the Wheelbarrow Gnome, Selina the Sundial Fairy and Ziggy the Shed Doorstop Gnome, all of whom bore grudges against His Lordship. But then a new fishing gnome, Henry, is purchased from Baskerville’s Gnome Emporium and it seems only Sherlock Gnome can save him from the curse of the Hound of the Baskervilles.

And finally … a song from The Big Ending, Sorry Makes It All Alright, was selected for presentation at the first Stephen Sondheim Society Prize for the Student Performer of the Year. It was sung by Helen Bradbury from LAMDA who did a really great job and we wish her every success in her future career. As well as singing a song from Sondheim’s catalogue, the competitors - the brightest and best from UK drama colleges - were asked to choose from a list of MMD Associates’ songs. So we were naturally delighted to be one of only 10 chosen out of 80 songwriting teams who submitted.

So that’s it for another while. Shrubshall is busy with his latest entry for Haringey In Bloom, while Free is fretting over which Welsh footballers get transferred into the Premiership. Soon we’ll actually get on with starting a new musical. Blank pages – don't’cha love em?

What’s New?…...........August '06

THE BIG ENDING is coming to a theatre near you!

Or rather near us. It could be near you, of course, if you live in Islington as we’re doing it at The Rosemary Branch Theatre, Shepperton Road, N1 3DT, (Bookings - 020 7704 6665). The show goes up on 21st Nov. and runs ‘til 10th Dec.
Check out The Big Ending page and listen to some of the songs – although after an extensive rewrite, who knows if any of them will actually still be in it? Better still, don’t listen to the songs. It’d only spoil the surprise.

The double-bill of The Big Ending/The Big Beginning is also getting another outing as it’s been chosen for a presentation at this year’s Village Originals Festival in Seattle. We’re really happy that people keep liking it enough to put it on at prestigious festivals around the world – now if only we can get them to like it enough to pay us lots of money…
YEE-HAW!! had an exclusive rehearsed reading at The Diorama recently with a cast which included Matt Devitt (WE. Forbidden Planet, From A Jack To A King), Shaun Prendergast (WE. Hamlet, Much Ado), Allison Harding (WE. Forbidden Planet) and Joseph Attenborough (RNT. The History Boys). Chris Wallis at Watershed Productions wanted to show it off to some bigwig theatre types, who all seemed to enjoy it. Some West End producers even smiled occasionally. Wagons set to roll, spring 2007.

Just finishing checking the proofs of Around the Pond in 80 Days. How picky do they want us to be? We’re pretty picky. Hell, if we don’t correct it now it will haunt us for years to come. Pick away, Mr. Picker. Publication date to be announced soon, but you can already order it on the Samuel French website.

We did some work for our good friend, Danny Charles, recently. He’s written a show, Brotherly Love, with fellow thesp Owen Brazendale (recently seen in the Coogan vehicle, Saxondale). They were performing it at the Rosemary Branch Theatre and wanted some incidental music which we were happy to supply and some dramaturgical notes which we were even happier about. Giving notes to other writers is such a doddle we’re thinking of doing it professionally, calling ourselves dramaturgs or writer/consultants or, dammit, critics. How easy would that be?

Otherwise, Free is off on holiday and Shrubshall is taking a big band to Paris for some swinging concerts – in the vain hope of perking up the spirits after failing to place at this year’s Haringey In Bloom (container garden section).

What’s New?…........... 22nd November '05

2005 has been a busy year so far for S&F. The ongoing Double Bill project, for which they contributed The Big Ending as a partner one-act to Scott Guy and Ross Källing’s The Big Beginning, reached its culmination in a series of performances under the über-title of The Big Deal. In April, the double-bill had a staged reading at the Century City Playhouse, Los Angeles. This was followed in August by 2 performances at Theatre Building Chicago as part of Stages 2005. New York came next with NYMF in September and shows at the 45th St. Theatre. Lastly came London with a staging at the Theatre Museum, Covent Garden. S&F are thinking of expanding the piece from its original length of 50 minutes to 1hr 15mins so that it could function as a one-act show on its own without the need for a second act.

In March, Around The Pond In 80 Days was selected for a showcase at Greenwich Theatre’s Musical Futures. This was a tremendous success and has led to the show being licensed for publication by Samuel French Ltd.

The performance rights for YEE-HAW!! have been acquired by Watershed Productions and a rewrite is underway, with a little help from Matt Devitt from Hornchurch and Rick Juckes, Liverpool Everyman. A production is scheduled for late Spring, 2006.

Watch this space…

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