Welcome to 2019, dear reader. Don’t be deceived by a lack of blog activity lately; we have been busy rehearsing ‘Allo ‘Allo. There is at least one thing in this country related to Europe that is going well…
It’s hard work, being an actor, but someone has to do it!
Picture the scene: Europe is divided and Britain stands alone, its values, its way of life, even its continued existence threatened as never before by the relentless onslaught of far-right extremism…
But enough about Brexit; let’s talk about World War II instead.
In April 2019 BaCStage will be saying ‘Allo ‘Allo to René and all the regulars at his café.
Based on the hugely successful British television series than ran for seven seasons, this uproarious comedy relates the adventures of hapless café owner René in occupied France. You’ll see all of your favourite TV characters in the flesh, including René’s tone-deaf wife Edith, Crabtree the British spy who thinks he can speak French, and Herr Flick of the Gestapo.
René and his wife have stashed a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis in a sausage in their cellar, where two British airmen are also hiding until the Resistance can repatriate them. Communications with London using the wireless that is disguised as a cockatoo add to the many embarrassments this intrepid proprietor endures in the company of his patrons. News that the Führer is scheduled to visit the town inspires tricksters disguised as Hitler to frequent the café. Meanwhile René summons all the wit he can muster to save his café and his life.
After three successful and entertaining auditions we’re delighted to be welcoming some new faces to BaCStage as well as welcoming back some original BaCStagers who we haven’t seen much of recently.
The French
René . . . Ash
Edith . . . Christine
Yvette . . . Sue
LeClerc . . . Ross
Michelle . . . Julie
Mimi . . . Becky
The Germans / Italians
Colonel Kurt von Strohm . . . Ron
Capt. Bertorelli . . . Thomas
Herr Otto Flick . . . Luke
Helga . . . Julie-Ann
Lieutenant Gruber . . . Steve
General von Schmelling . . . Kevin
The British
Officer Crabtree . . . Gary
Airmen . . . Zara & Phillip
Director . . . Gordon
Stage Manager . . . Denise
Sound & Lighting . . . Jason & Dan
We are diluted to be finishing the year on such a hoe. Merry Crustmess to every win of you!
This amateur production of ‘Allo ‘Allo is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH LTD.
We have just one more audition for ‘Allo ‘Allo, on Tuesday evening. All are welcome to come along any time between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. It’s been great to see new faces at both of the auditions we’ve held so far, and we’re well on the way to casting the show, but it’s not too late to get involved!
Extra audition – Tuesday November 27th, 7:30pm
Download the ‘Allo ‘Allo Audition Pack for more details, including a description of each of the characters.
We had some new faces at our first audition for ‘Allo ‘Allo last night. We have two more auditions, on Saturday morning and Tuesday evening. If you fancy giving acting a go, just turn up – you don’t need any previous acting experience, you don’t need to bring anything – you don’t even need to tell us you’re coming. We like surprises at BaCStage!
Open auditions for our next production ‘Allo ‘Allo are taking place next week at the Old Day School in Bluntisham.
Saturday November 24th, 10:30am
Extra audition – Tuesday November 27th, 7:30pm
Download the ‘Allo ‘Allo Audition Pack for more details, including a description of each of the characters.
Open auditions for our next production ‘Allo ‘Allo are taking place next week at the Old Day School in Bluntisham.
Thursday November 22nd, 7:30pm
Saturday November 24th, 10:30am
Extra audition – Tuesday November 27th, 7:30pm
All are welcome, no previous experience is needed.
Download the ‘Allo ‘Allo Audition Pack for more details, including a description of each of the characters.
If you fail to attend we will be notifying Berlin.
We will be holding open auditions for our spring 2019 production ‘Allo ‘Allo on November 22nd and 24th.
Those of you who have been paying attention will know that our production for the spring of 2019 is ‘Allo ‘Allo, the classic TV sitcom transferred to the stage by the original authors Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. Cafe Rene will be opening its doors in early April, and as soon as it does it will be full of Germans, the French resistance, that Italian captain and even that English twit who thinks he can speak French. How is a decent, honest cafe owner supposed to conceal from the Germans the two British airman he his hiding, not to mention conceal from his wife the two affairs with the waitresses that he is having?
If you would like to be part of ‘Allo ‘Allo come along to one of our open auditions on
Thursday November 22nd at 7:30pm
Saturday November 24th at 10:30am
at the Old Day School, Bluntisham
No previous acting experience is required. You don’t need to prepare anything for the audition, just turn up.
Rehearsals will start early in the new year. Production week runs from Saturday March 30th to Sunday April 7th 2019. You will need to be available for that week, and for a minimum of 80% of the rehearsals.
As well as all the much-loved characters from the TV series, the stage play also features a number of parts for non-speaking extras (customers at the cafe) which give you a chance to get a taste for being on stage without the need to learn lines!
Download the Audition Pack for more details.
It’s been a bit quiet round BaCStage Towers lately. We have mostly been melting in the heat. You know the heat wave has gone on too long when even the trashy papers can’t be bothered with headlines about it being hotter than Rio / Madrid / Mallorca / Mordor / the centre of the sun / the fires of hell / my pants (delete as appropriate).
However, lack of outward signs of activity does not mean we haven’t been busy. Besides wilting, and avidly following / avoiding / ignoring the recent World Cup (remember that?) we have been busily working on our next two – yes, two! – productions.
A timeless classic, with a twist
Firstly, after successful auditions in June we have cast It’s a Wonderful Life for our Autumn 2018 production. Rehearsals started last week, and we’re delighted to welcome another newcomer, Alan. The full cast will be published here soon.
It’s a Wonderful Life, based on the timeless classic Frank Capra film, has been adapted as a “radio on stage” play by Tony Palermo. The performance focuses on the voice characterisations of over 30 characters by just eleven actors, so most of us will be doubling, tripling or even quadrupling up on the number of parts we play. Will we be able to pull it off? Come along in October to find out!
An English farce with a European story line
Looking further ahead, in April 2019 we are planning a production of ‘Allo, ‘Allo. Written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, the same authors as the hit TV show, the stage version of ‘Allo ‘Allo plays like a feature-length, “greatest hits” version of the sitcom featuring favourite characters – and jokes – that made it such a big success. It is also very timely – what could be more appropriate as our first post-Br*x*t production than an English farce with a European story line?
We will be holding open auditions for ‘Allo ‘Allo in November (once we’ve completed It’s a Wonderful Life) with a view to casting it before Christmas* and starting rehearsals early in the new year.
Social media in “positive outcome” shock
In more good news, we’d like to thank Manda for coming forward and volunteering to help us with our treasurer vacancy after seeing our advert on that there internet. Thank you Manda!
Stay tuned for more details on all things BaCStage…
* apologies for using the C-word in early August, and for using the B-word at all, in any context, ever.
Two weeks ago (already!) we completed our successful run of Secondary Cause of Death. You can see photos of the production itself over in our production photos section. Here are some pictures from behind the scenes before, during and after the show.
We’ve finally broken him, if not his sets. Long-time set-builder and occasional gorilla Nick is retiring to the seaside. This could well be the last BaCStage show he is actively involved in. It is indeed the end of an era.
Nick’s construction legacy will live on, though. We have many instructions to follow. Whether this bunch of numpties is capable of following instructions remains to be seen, of course.
You couldn’t run us off another dozen or so handrails before you go, could you Nick?
The pace on set-up day was relentless.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – tea does not drink itself.
Lady Isadora’s hair took almost as long to construct as the rest of the set.
We are sticklers for attention to detail at BaCStage including, on this occasion, authentic wartime hosiery.
It was a warm one on opening night. Fortunately the BaCStage fan club was in attendance.
Time for a little game. Spot the ball? No. Spot the dog? No. It’s…
… spot the lighting engineer! He’s in there somewhere.
Spoiler alert – the next couple of photos are plot-spoilers. Even if you didn’t see the show, you might be able to guess from other posts and photos which plot points they are giving away. If you did see the show and you still can’t work it out, I’ll leave it as an exercise for the reader…
It’s that “bloody” nurse again!
And now, dear reader, we face the final curtain – and what a curtain it is! It takes seven people just to iron it!
It’s curtains for that lot, and indeed for this production. A big “well done” to everyone involved, and an enormous “thank you” to everyone who has supported us.
Right then, time to get started on the next one. More details coming very soon…
The storm clouds gathered over Bagshot House on Saturday night but there was barely a drop of rain, much less the snow that features in the plot. Subsequently it was another warm one for both our near-capacity audience and actors alike.
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to see Secondary Cause of Death across the three nights. We couldn’t put on the shows we do without you. We had bumper crowds each night, and if you had half as much fun watching as we had putting this show together then you’ll have had a jolly spiffing time. Don’t worry if you lost the plot along the way – this Pratt still hasn’t worked it out!
So is that the last we’ll see of Inspector Pratt? Not nessa…celery.
Pratt aficionados will already know that Murdered to Death and Secondary Cause of Death are the first two parts of a trilogy. Part three, Death by Fatal Murder, takes place in the winter of 1940. Pratt meets the new owner of the house, Nancy Allwright, and soon he is embroiled in more mystery, aided and abetted by Miss Maple and Constable Thomkins. Upper-crust Ginny and Italian gigolo Enzo help with enquiries but danger soon looms with an unexpected arrival, and a frightening suggestion by Welsh busybody Blodwyn Morgan.
Never fear whilst a Pratt is near!
It was another warm one last night. If you were in the audience and feeling the heat, spare a thought for the actors – those stage lights push out more heat than a three-bar electric heater, inside an oven, in a glass house full of chilli plants on a hot sunny day… on fire. If the Inspector had fastened up his coat we’d have had boil-in-the-bag Pratt. Still, it wouldn’t be Britain if we weren’t complaining that the weather was too hot / cold / wet / dry (delete as appropriate).
Whatever the weather, we’ll be doing it all one last time tonight. It’s your last chance to find out who is the murderous miscreant of Bagshot House!
SECONDARY CAUSE OF DEATH
(the sequel to Murdered to Death)
by Peter Gordon
April 19th, 20th & 21st 2018 ~ Bluntisham Village Hall
Tickets still available
You can buy your tickets online at TicketSource
or in person at Bluntisham Service StationTickets are £8 in advance, or £8.50 on the door.
