NEWSLETTER - MAY 2021
Hi everyone
In the last newsletter we mentioned our return to live performances with our White Horse Cabaret in June. This month we're really pleased to tell you we'll also be back in a theatre for one night only in July with a full length production.
Plus there's more about our latest audio and film productions, and we take a moment to remember one of White Cobra's dearest friends.
But let's start with our return to the stage and our inaugural cabaret night which takes place at The White Horse in the village of Old on June 26th . Tickets are on sale here, and cost just £5! Most of them were snapped up within 24 hours, but depending on Covid restrictions we may be able to release some more. If you are interested but can't get any tickets at the moment, please let us know and we'll add you to the waiting list. There's going to be a full menu available at the pub, so fingers crossed for good weather and a good night to celebrate the end of lockdown.
By the time you read this rehearsals will be well underway, and Director John Myhill explains what you'll be able to enjoy on the night....
LIFE IS A CABARET...
We're back to doing what we love best this July, and we're delighted to have been asked to take in part in the British All Winners Drama Festival in Coventry. Usually winners of many of the festivals held across the UK take part in the event, but with the absence of theatre over the past twelve months, the Guild of Drama Adjudicators (GODA) has decided to invite previous winners to participate as part of the effort to get theatre back up and running after the pandemic.
It's a massive honour for White Cobra. We've been British Champions on two previous occasions, with Days of Wine and Roses in 2014, and Scaramouche Jones in 2016. So to be asked to be part pf this festival is a huge feather in our cap.
We'll be staging Love Letters, by AR Gurney, which is currently running in the West End at The Theatre Royal Haymarket until June 13th with Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove. In our production Fraser Haines and Bernie Wood will be playing the two characters, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, having originally appeared in our production in 2017.
We'll have more details in the next newsletter, it would be wonderful if anyone is able to get over to The Albany Theatre in Coventry to support Fraser and Bernie, and also the Festival itself.
Work continues apace on our audio and video productions. The first episode of Pride and Prejudice has now been recorded and rehearsals and recording for episode 2 is now underway. We're also in the final stages of filming for Runing4Ever with just two more filming days to go.
Coming next though, will be an audio adaptation of one the short stories to feature Sherlock Holmes in The Resident Patient. It's being directed by Fraser Haines who explains why he wanted to bring the story to life.
THE RESIDENT PATIENT
Finally, May marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Ursula Wright. Quite simply Ursula was one of the finest directors, and one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet. For many years she ran Masque Youth Theatre, and directed many Masque productions including their 80th Anniversary celebration piece at The Royal Theatre in Northampton in 2012.
For White Cobra, she directed our fourth production - The Shakespeare Revue.
It nearly wasn't the case though! It was very early days for White Cobra, I think we'd only possibly done two shows when Kate and I decided we would ask Ursula if she would work with us. We managed to invite ourselves round to see her and her husband Brian on a Sunday afternoon, without even knowing what play we wanted to perform! We had a lovely afternoon drinking pots of tea and eating Ursula's excellent homemade biscuits, with both Kate and me willing the other one to bring up the subject of directing for White Cobra. Around two hours later after a smashing time we left, with neither of us having had the courage to bring it up! However we managed to blag another visit, and this time found the courage and were surprised and delighted when Ursula said yes without hesitation.
There followed an incredibly happy production, culminating in an invite to perform at The Southwold Arts Festival. We had a glorious time by the seaside, on the show, stayed in a fabulous holiday cottage and laughed and laughed.
Ursula had agreed to direct for us again, sadly it wasn't to be as she became ill before we could get the project up and running. She was a talented, inspiring, educated smart lady, with a unique ability to get the best out of everyone. And she had a wonderful ability to use some of the greatest Anglo Saxon terminology!
We remember her with fondness and miss her.
Richard & Kate x
In the last newsletter we mentioned our return to live performances with our White Horse Cabaret in June. This month we're really pleased to tell you we'll also be back in a theatre for one night only in July with a full length production.
Plus there's more about our latest audio and film productions, and we take a moment to remember one of White Cobra's dearest friends.
But let's start with our return to the stage and our inaugural cabaret night which takes place at The White Horse in the village of Old on June 26th . Tickets are on sale here, and cost just £5! Most of them were snapped up within 24 hours, but depending on Covid restrictions we may be able to release some more. If you are interested but can't get any tickets at the moment, please let us know and we'll add you to the waiting list. There's going to be a full menu available at the pub, so fingers crossed for good weather and a good night to celebrate the end of lockdown.
By the time you read this rehearsals will be well underway, and Director John Myhill explains what you'll be able to enjoy on the night....
LIFE IS A CABARET...
We're back to doing what we love best this July, and we're delighted to have been asked to take in part in the British All Winners Drama Festival in Coventry. Usually winners of many of the festivals held across the UK take part in the event, but with the absence of theatre over the past twelve months, the Guild of Drama Adjudicators (GODA) has decided to invite previous winners to participate as part of the effort to get theatre back up and running after the pandemic.
It's a massive honour for White Cobra. We've been British Champions on two previous occasions, with Days of Wine and Roses in 2014, and Scaramouche Jones in 2016. So to be asked to be part pf this festival is a huge feather in our cap.
We'll be staging Love Letters, by AR Gurney, which is currently running in the West End at The Theatre Royal Haymarket until June 13th with Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove. In our production Fraser Haines and Bernie Wood will be playing the two characters, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, having originally appeared in our production in 2017.
We'll have more details in the next newsletter, it would be wonderful if anyone is able to get over to The Albany Theatre in Coventry to support Fraser and Bernie, and also the Festival itself.
Work continues apace on our audio and video productions. The first episode of Pride and Prejudice has now been recorded and rehearsals and recording for episode 2 is now underway. We're also in the final stages of filming for Runing4Ever with just two more filming days to go.
Coming next though, will be an audio adaptation of one the short stories to feature Sherlock Holmes in The Resident Patient. It's being directed by Fraser Haines who explains why he wanted to bring the story to life.
THE RESIDENT PATIENT
Finally, May marked the fifth anniversary of the death of Ursula Wright. Quite simply Ursula was one of the finest directors, and one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet. For many years she ran Masque Youth Theatre, and directed many Masque productions including their 80th Anniversary celebration piece at The Royal Theatre in Northampton in 2012.
For White Cobra, she directed our fourth production - The Shakespeare Revue.
It nearly wasn't the case though! It was very early days for White Cobra, I think we'd only possibly done two shows when Kate and I decided we would ask Ursula if she would work with us. We managed to invite ourselves round to see her and her husband Brian on a Sunday afternoon, without even knowing what play we wanted to perform! We had a lovely afternoon drinking pots of tea and eating Ursula's excellent homemade biscuits, with both Kate and me willing the other one to bring up the subject of directing for White Cobra. Around two hours later after a smashing time we left, with neither of us having had the courage to bring it up! However we managed to blag another visit, and this time found the courage and were surprised and delighted when Ursula said yes without hesitation.
There followed an incredibly happy production, culminating in an invite to perform at The Southwold Arts Festival. We had a glorious time by the seaside, on the show, stayed in a fabulous holiday cottage and laughed and laughed.
Ursula had agreed to direct for us again, sadly it wasn't to be as she became ill before we could get the project up and running. She was a talented, inspiring, educated smart lady, with a unique ability to get the best out of everyone. And she had a wonderful ability to use some of the greatest Anglo Saxon terminology!
We remember her with fondness and miss her.
Richard & Kate x