GRAVESEND & DISTRICT THEATRE GUILD PRESENT.....Guys and Dolls

LOCAL NEWS

THE GRAVESEND & DISTRICT THEATRE GUILD PRESENT.....Guys and Dolls

23-26 March 2011

7.30pm

The OWG Centre

Hamley Road

Dartford

DA1 1PX

Box Office 07981 792101

www.gravesendtheatreguild.org

Guys and Dolls has music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, it is loosely based on Damon Runyon’s short stories "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure". It premiered on Broadway in 1950, ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. A film version was made in 1955 starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. There was tension between the two stars, as Sinatra had wanted to play Sky, and not Nathan. Sinatra got his revenge afterwards by recording the songs Sky sings in the show. A comic morality tale set to a hot jazz score, “Guys and Dolls” is a New York love-story filled with memorable songs including “Luck Be A Lady” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat”.

Set in the shadier parts of 1950s New York frequented by gangsters and racketeers lead by Nathan Detroit, who, with his sidekicks, Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet are desperate to find somewhere to hold their next crap game. Nathan's fiancée, Adelaide a singer at The Hot Box club, hates the crap game almost as much as Lt. Brannigan, who tries to foil Nathan's efforts. Sister Sarah Brown of the Save-a-Soul Mission is trying to get the gamblers to lead better lives but is finding it hard going and the Mission is under threat of closure.

Sky Masterson, the renowned womaniser and gambler, is in town and Nathan needs to find $1000 to hire Biltmore's Garage for the crap game. In an attempt to get the money he bets Sky $1000 that he cannot persuade a "Doll" of Nathan's choosing to go with him to Cuba. Sky thinks he is onto a winner until Nathan chooses Sister Sarah as the "Doll"! Sky uses his charm and persuades Sarah to go to Havana, promising to provide twelve sinners for the Mission. Meanwhile, in her absence the gamblers use the Mission for the game, but everything is spoiled when Lt. Brannigan arrives.

The next night, at the insistence of Big Jule a hustler from Chicago, Nathan is forced to hold the game in the only place left – the sewer! Trouble develops when Big Julie proceeds to cheat Nathan out of all the money he has made from setting up the game. Sky arrives and offers to play dice with the men. If he loses, they each get a thousand dollars - if they lose, they must attend the midnight prayer meeting at the Mission.

Sky wins, the gamblers attend the meeting and the Mission is saved. Adelaide and Sarah meet by chance and decide on a strategy to get their “Guys” and a happy ending is in sight.

THE HAYES PLAYERS (NEAR OUR HAYES STUDIO) PRESENT ....

Lettice and Lovage

by Peter Shaffer

16–19 February 2011

Hayes Village Hall

Wednesday – Saturday at 7.45pm

Box Office: 07905 210718

Tickets: £7

Lettice Douffet, an expert on Elizabethan cuisine and medieval weaponry, is an indefatigable enthusiast of history and the theatre. She is a tour guide at Fustian House ‘one of the least stately and least interesting of Britain's’ stately homes. Lettice begins to embellish its historical past and her lecture gains theatricality and romance as it strays from the facts. Lotte Schoen, an inspector from the Preservation Trust, is not impressed or entertained by these uninhibited history lessons. She fires Lettice, but gradually becomes fascinated by her unusual past, her romantic world-view and her refusal to accept the mediocre and the second rate. The two women forge an alliance to awaken their fellow citizens to the dreariness of modern life.

DRAMATIC MINE DISASTER IN BROMLEY

This week, 8-12 year old children in the Bromley area classes of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy

COMMENCEMENT OF TERM - SEPTEMBER 2010

After a lovely summer break, Helen O'Grady students can look forward to coming back to their drama classes next week.  The teachers and I very much look forward to hearing all about the children’s summer adventures!

Classes begin the week commencing Monday 6th September.  Fees for the 13 week term are £91 (£71 if you paid a £20 deposit) and as usual, a family discount will apply for two or more children: the fee for two children is £164.00 (£124.00 if a £40 deposit has been paid). Fees are payable on the first day of term please, you may find it easier to send payment directly to the office address below. As we have over 300 students now, it is vital we keep a tab on class numbers.  If your child is going to be absent for the first lesson, please let us know so that we don’t overbook our classes!

This term, the lower primary children will be working on a different play each week. The children will be playing many roles from pirates to aliens! I feel that dressing up or working with props is invaluable to children because it unlocks doors of reality and allows them to extend characterisation through play-acting. Therefore, many lessons will involve the use of the aforementioned - don’t panic! All will be readily available around the home!! The children will also be able to develop conversational skills through short dialogues.

All upper primary classes have a selection of improvisations and mini-scripts this term. Their plays include titles such as: “I’ve Been Robbed” and “A Night At The Waxworks”! Mini-scripts allow each child to develop their own creativity and imagination as well as linking in the speech work we cover each week. Each primary class will also be acting out Mimes to Music. These include: “Tropical Storm” and “The Crafty Crockery”.

Our Youth Theatre students can look forward to a varied curriculum this term. As well as the all important voice work, students will be able to demonstrate creative ability via improvisation, experimenting with various theatre games, script work and working individually on some challenging monologues.

We all look forward to another exciting term!

A Dramatic Half Term

We are preparing for a very busy half term in the Bromley & West Kent Branch of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy. Lessons will take place during half term for the classes in Gravesend Wrotham Road, Sevenoaks and Petts Wood to make up for the lessons that were cancelled in January due to the heavy snow.


After half term all the children in our Lower Primary Classes (5-8yrs) are invited to dress up as bears for the very charming play 'A Big Box of Bears.' Our Upper Primary Classes will be dressing up as characters at a Live Television Recording! We expect to see lots of Camera Operators, Floor Managers, Television and Pop Stars and some zany Audience Members too.


This term the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy have been offering a FREE TRIAL to new students and when they join a FREE HELEN O'GRADY T-SHIRT! After half term all existing students can Bring a Friend to class to dress up and join in the fun.


We look forward to having lots of fun and to seeing all the very imaginative costumes, created from low cost bits and pieces!

Lions and Tigers & ... Frogs .. Oh My!!!

This week our students will be dressing up for the plays in class! The lower primary classes, aged between 5 and 8 years will be dressing up as their favourite animal as we take a trip to the zoo. Our Upper Primary students aged between 81/2 and 11 years will be coming to class as frogs for the play, "Fly Society"

This term we are offering new students a FREE Trial and a FREE T-shirt when they join and pay for the term, so existing students can bring along a friend, who can dress up and join in too!

We always have lots of fun at class and look forward to seeing which animals come to class this week!

NATIONAL TALKING DAY!

NATIONAL TALKING DAY!

FRIDAY 13^TH NOVEMBER 2009

“PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!” is the message from the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy this year as they launch their annual fundraising for Children In Need.

The Academy, renowned for helping children develop confidence, self esteem and verbal communication skills, is encouraging everyone to take part on this day by putting their communication skills into action to raise money.

Anyone can join in! There is a series of topics for different age groups to speak on: all that is required is someone to talk to! In these days of social networking, what better way to revive the art of conversation?

In 2008, all over the country, children attending drama classes devised ways to raise £20,000 to present to the charity. In this, the Academy’s 30^th Anniversary year, we will be encouraging students to gain sponsors to help raise the massive target of £50,000!

However, this is not only limited to Academy students. To become a part of this momentous day, please call the Academy or go to www.helenogrady.co.uk and download the Information pack for parents.

The Academy is proud their students once again have the confidence to join in all these activities and raise money for children less fortunate than themselves.

So please, put your money where your mouth is and help us achieve our target and make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of children.

Contact:

Helen Walls, Principal 01689 812336

Email: Bromley@helenogrady.co.uk

Admin email: helenogrady@ntlworld.com

WEB: www.dramabwk.co.uk

National website: www.helenogrady.co.uk

www.helenogradydramaacademy-ukeurope.blogspot.com