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KDC Member Survey

To give all you lovely members more of a say in what KDC delivers to you, we’d like you to take a couple of minutes and fill in the survey. If you include your email address, you’ll enter a draw to win a pair of tickets to one of the Spring shows. We have four pairs to give away. Thanks for your feedback!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B78FJ5R

Reasons to be Excited!

A message from Andy, our chair:

We want you! We want you to have a great time with us, and enjoy some top quality drama, so I, your steamed Chair, am here to tell you not just what’s coming up, but what’s going to be so great about it!

Okay, so let me tell you about the first show, our first OFFICIAL Spotlight Showcase, THE EARLY BIRD.

Usually with KDC, when we look for shows, we think of what would be a fair cast size to encompass our membership as much as possible, so usually we aim for about 8 people in a show at least. Problem with that is that there are an awful lot of amazing plays that don’t get the benefit of being staged, and an awful lot of brilliant actors and directors that never get the opportunity to really fine tune a piece to the last molecule.

So Emma, our Artistic Director, and myself decided to put the word out for a “Spotlight Showcase” – a show specifically for two or three actors to work intensively together. Zoe Thomas-Webb came to us with the brilliant and dark play THE EARLY BIRD and some really cool ideas for the show. This is a really new idea for us, and it’s going to be great to see our two Spotlight Showcase Actors, Thom Petty and Kate Sketchley (both new to KDC Theatre!) in action!

This is our first show up, and I’m personally really excited about it!

Go to , or to our homepage to book tickets.

So after that, we return to one of KDC Theatre’s Strengths with a new writing double bill.

The first time I got involved with KDC was in a piece of New Writing called Madman William, where I was cast as a rather groggy and frustrated writer (which is basically me). Since then, the new writing at KDC has increased in leaps and bounds, with Eddie Coleman, and later yours truly pushing forward ideas like Round Table Readings of new plays, Rehearsed Readings and a fast and loose and fun concept called “Play in a Day”. Out new writing has also extended to an anniversary piece (The Long Run), a collaborative piece (Summers Gone) and most recently, and incredibly well received contribution to the RSC’s Open Stages project, The War Of The Waleses.

So… new writing is a big deal at KDC and something I get totally revved up about. We have two plays;

One is a fantastic piece all in rhyme, by long time member Matthew Partridge, directed by our very own Fiona Thomas called The Player Played. When we read this at one of our reading nights it really tripped off the tongue and is sure to be be a real crowd pleaser.

Back to back with this one we have Stag Nation. A bawdy, booze stinking hangover riddled play, very much about the morning after the night before. Kat Wootton, who directed the brilliant Sister Mary Ignatius last Summer has the reins on this one.

Tickets here

And last, but by no stretch of the imagination, least – Richard III. Shakespeare. Classic Text. Well know play. Female Richard…

Wait, what!? That’s right! A female Richard. Christopher Warren’s adaptation of this legend of a play stemmed from this initial idea, then took root in his brain until it burst forth from his mouth as a fully rounded pitch. The potential discovery of Richards remains is PURELY circumstantial and is in no way a publicity stunt for this show. IN. NO. WAY…

This is our Ensemble piece for the season, made Glorious Summer with new member Thea Beyleveld taking the title role.

Tickets for Richard III are at and KDC website.

But before all that, THIS THURSDAY at the HOOP AND GRAPES it all starts with one of our tried and tested Thirsty Thursday events. These are not simply your bog standard “nights in a pub” – oh no. This is us, as a community, all together, all from different shows, hanging out, talking about what’s coming up, sharing our interest and enthusiasm.

It’s a place where you can see our drunken Stags hanging out with Richard III or one of her cronies, or see the rare sight of a director buying a round.

It’s free, it’s not exclusive to people in shows, and it may well be that “way to know the company” that you were looking for.

Be seeing you! Regards, Marchie

Christmas 2012 message from the Chair

Hello there KDC!

I hope that, unlike myself, you are well, and have no tickles in the throat, or sniffles to irritate your colleagues and loved ones!

Another year done for one of the hardest working theatre companies in London! Who would have thought that just about 12 months ago we were thanking the directors of our 2011 Winter Season, and preparing for an exciting Spring!

It’s been a great year for us, with some amazingly popular shows and some exciting stuff in general! We’ve had 11 shows (one of which performed in a total of FOUR different venues!), one new season, and two new venues! From our Shakespearean Spring of Measure for Measure, The Tamer Tamed and War of the Waleses, all three Assistant Directors went on to direct for our Summer Season of one act plays. Richard Williams brought back the ever popular Devised Piece. Sarah Heenan took War of the Waleses to Camden, Ealing and STRATFORD UPON AVON. Duncan Moore helmed our very first Halloween play in Dracula! We had some adaptations of Dickens Ghost Stories which we WON’T have seen the last of! We’ve said goodbye to some of our great committee members, Anna Marx and Sandy Nicholson, and said hello to others, Aruna Buchanan, Kim Morrison and Dave Balfour. And our amazing year finished off with the fantastically funny and appropriately seasonal productions of The Lying Kind and The Priory!

So as it tradition, my thanks go out, not just for this season, but for the year in total to YOU, our community and membership for your continued support, and ALSO, to those who’ve thrown so much in for 2012, so thank you…

Duncan Moore, Emma Knott, Dan West, Charles Golding, Steph Urquhart, Doug Baker, Sally Wilks, Lucy Hill, Fiona Thomas, Juliet Colbert, Tracie Laurinaitis, Alan Maddrell, Jimi Odell, Will Baltyn, Chris Stooke, Marcus Mollan, Mark Ewins, Anna Marx, Catherine Kolubayev, Kate Moore, Su Vigus, James Laing, Ronan Fitzgerald, Tracey Pocock, Bernard Doogan, Dawn Williams, Richard Evans, Imogen Levy, Adam Moulder, Chris Warren, Stephen Russell, Neil Duggan, Fran Rafferty, Layla Estasy, Sophie Head, Isabel Eriksson, Pip Brewer, Matthew Partridge, Kathy Robbins, Charlotte Blake, Zoe Ashdown, Ernesta Vainovskaja, Michael Barry, Zoe Thomas-Webb, Mary Groom, Amy Bird, Julia Collier, Kathy Petrakis, Sarah Hennan, Carl Fletcher, Frances Bushe *DEEP BREATH* Helen Niland, Katherine Wootton, Richard Williams, Ciara Robley, Sian Davies, Carrie Johnston, Amy Jackson, Helen Jackson, Peter Cabrera, Trina Hasthorpe, Govind Hodgson, Bernard O’Sullivan, Michael Johnston, Lisa Moore, Nick Dastoor, Jeremy Small, Alex Waddington, Samantha Merrydew, March Fothergill, Fiona O’Sullivan, Anna Whitelock, Catherine Ion, Kevin Morin, Oli Wilson, Caleb Watson, Francis Whittaker, Invo Dinkov, James Tulley, Kim Morrison, Maeve McClenaghan, Vanessa Okello, David Balfour, Nick Franco, David Crackles, Jacqui Adams, Asma Mani, James Killeen, Tracie Laurinaitis, Sarah Beebe, Jess Battersby, Matt Hudson, Elizabeth Daly, Hayden Bennett, Ida Scofano, Marlies Kunnen, Lucy Walker, Sky Bembury, Alice Jeffrey, Jules Cross, Tash Muntoni, Chris Penney, Eddie Register, Clive Eliot, Alexis Coward, Cara Baressi, Abi Deffee, Beccy Reese, Rob Timbrell, Ciaran Cunningham, Matt Matravers, Simon Hill, Julia Collier, Alex Wheeler, Rebecca Ison, Alexandra Mackenzie-Smith, Catlin Homes, Nigel Barker, Sarah Lowes, Leila Mountford, Rebecca Shoot, Rob Britton, Melissa Reardon, Tom Mannings, Claire Stone, all our contacts at Questors and the RSC, Charlotte, Martin and Ryan and the other guys at the Etcetera Theatre and George, Bianca and all of the Giant Olive guys at The Lion and Unicorn!

We’re already off to a flying start for 2013 too! You Decide is a VERY cool new thing we’re trying in the shape of an audience interactive theatre pieve – Auditions are TONIGHT Monday 10th. Details are on the website! We also have two of our plays in place for our Spring Season! A Spotlight Showcase for two actors, in the form of The Early Bird, to be directed by first time collaborator, long time friend, Zoe Thomas-Webb, and our Ensemble Classic, Richard III, to be directed by Chris Warren, formerly of The Priory, Measure for Measure and Anna Karenina! You can find out more from THEM at our pub quiz in The Hoop and Grapes on Thursday!

Phew! If you’ve made it this far, treat yourself to a cookie.

My fingers are numb, but my note is complete!

See you ALL very soon!

Bring on 2013!

Andy Marchant

KDC Chair

Audition Notice – You Decide

Audition Notice for a new KDC production tonight Monday 10 December.

You Decide is a modern fairytale and an audience interactive theatre piece. During the play, the audience will help the hero make major decisions, sending the tale into a new direction so that no two performances will be the same. The play is largely scripted, with some improvisational elements. The improvisational aspect is very structured, so actors do need to be comfortable with improvisation but complete proficiency is not required. This exciting and innovative project has been workshopped by KDC members over the last month and will perform before the Spring season begins next year, allowing actors to appear in both this show and audition for next season as well. This tight timeline means that the show will be a considerable commitment; actors will need to be available for 2-3 table work rehearsals the week of December 17 and regular rehearsals will begin on January 2.

Performances will be on the evenings 24, 25, and 26 of January at the Pirate Castle in Camden. Auditions are next Monday evening (10th December) at Ocean House (near Mansion House tube, see www.kdctheatre.com/venues). They will run from 6pm in 30 minute slots and will consist of improvisation exercises, so no preparation is required.

E-mail Director Sarah Provencal to register your interest and get your 30 minute time slot or with any questions. Callbacks will be Tuesday, December 11, by invitation only and will consist of readings from the script.

Pitches for Spring 2013

This is the month for you to put your directing minds, if you are so inclined, towards launching KDC Theatre into next year with some suggestions for our 2013 Spring Season.

We will be returning to our friends in Kentish Town at the Lion and Unicorn on weeks beginning 25th March, 1st April and 9th April, so as with last Spring, will be presenting THREE WEEKS of exciting and engaging shows. What are these shows you may ask? Well… right now that is up to you! We need YOU, our membership, to pitch to us!

If you have directed or produced or acted or stage managed for us before, we want to hear from you! If you have directed for one of our sister theatre companies like SLT, Tower, or SEDOS, we want to hear from you! If you’re interested in directing but want to build up some experience and attach yourself to the shows we choose, we want to hear from you!

Last Spring we embraced the Shakespearean. In Summer we went into the one act fringe world. This winter we are being seasonal. This is what we are looking for for our Spring Season:

1) A classic play with a broad range of roles. Something established that can really bring in that sense of cast community that KDC loves to embrace. Something Greek with a chorus perhaps? Or a contemporary of Shakespeare? A hint of the fancy with something along the lines of Moliere, Goldsmith or Sheridan? Perhaps something from Oscar Wilde’s era takes your fancy?

2) Directors for our new writing. We will be having readings this season of some of our work, as well as having plays already in our new writing bank on offer. Please email us to express an interest in this and we will send you further details of what’s in the bank.

3) A KDC Spotlight. A cast of UP TO four to really showcase our actors and directors with a smaller cast and a tighter focus. Last winter, Vic Craven brought us his extremely funny production of Talking Heads and this Summer we had Caryl Churchill’s two-hander A Number. So it could be a four person play, or it could be a series of monologues like Bash, or even something as intense as Waiting for Godot (rights permitting!)

The pitches are open NOW and will CLOSE ON SUNDAY 4th NOVEMBER.

We encourage our pitchers to come up with 2/3 options that we can consider, but the process is open to all. If you are interested, please drop me a line at [email protected].

We hope to hear from you soon.

Introducing the 2012-2013 KDC Committee

On Tuesday 28 September, KDC held its Annual General Meeting. An opportunity for the members to learn about the progress of the year, the changes made to KDC, and the financial situation of the company. Also, it is an opportunity for new members to step up and nominate themselves to become a part of the committee and have an active hand in shaping the direction of the company.

We have four new faces on the committee for the next year. Dave Balfour has joined Fiona Thomas on the technical side of things, after having stepped up and been the lighting guru for shows during the past few seasons. He even brought a gobo! Sarah Heenan is taking up the post as the New Writing Coordinator. Sarah was a writer for Summers Gone and The War of The Waleses (as well as the director) as well as being an active actor/socialiser in the KDC circuit. Kim Morrison joins us as Secretary, replacing Anna Marx. Kim is very new to KDC having just appeared in the devised piece, Pub Quiz Champion. And finally Aruna Buchanan-Brown has come forward to fill the long vacant position of Publicity Officer, so you can expect to see a lot more tweets, facebook invites and emails from her!

I would also like to that a massive thanks to Anna Marx and Sandy Nicholson who have been on the committee for… ooof… can’t quite remember how long. I blame the Hoop. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done to contribute with the committee, Anna for the bookings, the general crisis resolution and Showdown, Sandy for your help with the Round Tables, the new writing, both for stepping up as Liaison and Audition reps. Thanks both!

So our new Committee for 2012/2013 is as follows (contact page):

Chair: Andy Marchant
Deputy Chair: Steph Urquhart
Artistic Director: Emma Knott
Treasurer: Richard Williams
Secretary: Kim Morrison
New Writing Coordinator: Sarah Heenan
Technical Directors: Fiona Thomas & David Balfour
Publicity Officer: Aruna Buchanan Brown
Social Secretaries: Carrie Johnson & Tracie Laurinaitis
Lockup Manager: Tracey Pocock
Website Administrator: William Baltyn
Executive Officer: Steph Urquhart

Stay tuned for more information about our forthcoming Newcomers Night on the 13^th September, and our subsequent auditions for the fantastic plays for Winter 2012: THE LYING KIND and THE PRIORY

See you soon,

Andy Marchant
KDC Theatre Chair

‘What The Dickens!?’ Ghost Story Adaptation Project

We’re doing our first ever Halloween Show this year, Liz Lochhead’s Dracula, directed by Duncan Moore.

In honour of this witching hour seasonal spectacular, and also to match up to Charles Dickens’ 200^th anniversary celebrations, we are issuing a new writing challenge.

I, your humble chair and servant, would like to open up the opportunity to you, our members, to adapt one of Dickens’ short ghost stories into a script, which we will then have readings of in October. The man wrote a whole variety of these, including, most famously, A Christmas Carol.

If you are interested in creating an adaptation – it could be five minutes or fifty – simply drop me a line to [email protected]. The adaptation style will be totally up to you. It could be a straight translation, a modern update, a Greek Choral effort… anything! You don’t have to know Dickens. You don’t need to have written a play before. This is just an exercise in fun, so conjure up some ghosts and ghoulies for Halloween.

There are lots of these stories around if you wanted to do some investigation online, but just get in contact if interested, or if you have a request, and I will assign you a task (to avoid repetition)

For further reading, some examples of these stories (but there are many more!) are: ‘The Queer Chair’ (from The Pickwick Papers), ‘The Baron of Grogzwig’ (from Nicholas Nickleby), ‘The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain’, ‘To be Read at Dusk’, ‘The Ghost in the Bride’s Chamber’ from ‘The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices’ and ‘The Signalman’.

What the Dickens New-Writing Project