" Preparations for the great event "

Date & start time: Jan / Feb 2011.

Location of photos : The Barn, Lorton , Cumbria, Uk

Details : A period of set building ready for the Village Play.

Highest point : Nothing fell down and landed on anybody's head.

Worked with : Keith, Malcolm, Richard, John H, Doug and myself.

Weather : No problem ... we're indoors

Watch this space for photos of the play in a week or two's time.

The time has come . . . we can put it off no longer . . .

The actors are practicing their acting . . . the calendar has changed to the new year . . .

and it's time the rest of us got the stage built . . .

for the 2011 Tethera Valley Players Amateur Dramatics Society performance of

Richard Harris's " Party Piece"

This scene is set in Brian & Margaret's barn in Lorton where the players have been rehearsing for several weeks now.

The room is about the same size as the Loweswater Village Hall stage, so we build the mock up of the set here,

take it apart and then re-construct it in the hall just prior to the required date.

All the stage 'flats' are brought up to the barn in order to make them into the required shape.

The producer wants the outside walls and back gardens of two houses this year

rather than the inside of one room which we normally build . . . time to get thinking how to do it !

Walls and doorways start to take shape.

John and Keith alter one of the scenery pieces to fit it to the required shape.

The boss wants two garden sheds . . .	. . . one old and one new.

I hope they look better on the stage if they get there on time and in one piece.

Oh yes . . . any chance of some upstairs windows ?	How tall was the Village Hall . . . did we check ?

A touch of class . . . curtains on the windows.

These garden walls will fit the bill.	View from backstage . . . as the actors may soon see it.

Our thanks here must go to Theatre by the Lake in Keswick

who let us carefully remove items from their skip at the end of their recent production run of Tom's Secret Garden.

The word "garden" was they key to the idea . . . and the brickwork will fit well with our plans.

Now to think of all the other things we'll need to make up the set . . . This is the smoke machine courtesy of the Workington Playgoers .   All the wallpaper has been bought. The stage lights are organised. Dave is doing the sound. Someone else is organising the rest of the props.   We need some guttering and garden plants. A bit more timber to make the set secure. Anyone thought about the trellis ?   Is it this Saturday we move it to the hall ? HELP !

The show is the comedy “Party Piece” by Richard Harris

which will be performed at Loweswater Village Hall on Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 February 2011.

Richard Harris (b 1934) is a prolific writer. He is primarily known for TV script writing having contributed episodes for series ranging from “The Avengers” to “Darling Buds of May”. His best known play is “Outside edge” set around a cricket pavilion which was also televised and achieved some acclaim.

Our chosen play “Party Piece” is set in the adjacent back gardens of a terrace of houses in a London suburb. Written in 1990 this comedy deals with the often complex relationships between neighbours and families, as well as examining how personality and class differences can exacerbate already tense situations.

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Phone any one of of the following to join in – John Thompson (director) 01 900 85140,

Roger Hiley (stage and set) 01 900 85040

Margaret Herd (general production) 01 900 822349 or

Carol Marples (tickets) 01 900 85575 for the production itself . . . bring yourself and lots of friends.

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Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G10 digital camera and even my mobile phone one time.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a screwdriver and an electric drill in hand.

Go to Top . . . © RmH.2011 . . . Email me here

Previous walk - 8th February 2011 The Aiken Beck Valley

A previous time doing this - February 2010 The Tethera Valley Play

Next walk - 10th February 2011 Sunny Ling Fell

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Click here for the Tethera Web site on Mellbreak Communities