Membership

Acting

A lot of people would like to act but they are concerned about jumping in.You are very welcome whether you have experience of acting or not. If you haven’t acted before it might seem very scary to take the first step, so it’s probably best to come along to a rehearsal or a production to get an idea of how things work, and to decide whether we are the group for you.

When you do take on a part, it’s best to take a small part with just a few lines or a non-speaking part. Although we’ve seen people who have taken on a lead part for their first acting role and very successfully too, it’s probably best not to run before you can walk.  It’s best to take on a part that you are comfortable with doing and which you can fully commit to.

Singing, Dancing and Playing an instrument

We are mainly a drama group but there are still opportunities for singing and dancing. Out aim is to perform one production with music a year. They are hard work but great fun to do.

 Prompting

The prompt is a very important member of the production team. Ideally the Prompt will attend most of the rehearsals so that they can get used to the script and the Actor’s weak points and know when they might need to prompt. Essentially the Prompt needs to go through the script and be ready to prompt should an Actor forget their lines. It takes a lot of concentration and discretion. It is a job that is sometimes taken on by the Director.

Director, Assistant Director and Producer

The Director is the one that facilitates and leads the Actors. It is hard work, it can be very frustrating and it should only be done by someone that is confident with what they are doing.

There isn’t always an Assistant Director, but it is a good idea if there can be. They can give a different point of view and ideas. They can direct parts of the play separately and fill in if the Director cannot make a rehearsal. They are also very useful for collecting rehearsal fees and it is a good way of learning about Direction.

The Producer brings everything together. They book the venue and keep an eye on everything. They make sure that everything comes together for the performances. It is a job that is often taken on by the Director.

Writing

If you are a Writer, or interested in writing, getting involved in a group like ours is (in time) a great way to get your works on stage.

Set construction and Design

Anyone who has an interest can do this. If you are handy with tools and can work in a safe way, or you are good with a paint brush, your help will be appreciated. We have a scenery workshop and clothes and props storage, which is called The Barn, and at the moment we are very keen to recruit new blood to help with the building of sets.

Costumes and Props

We need people to find or make props and costumes. This is a job that is often done by members of the group, but some props and costumes are very difficult to find and it really helps if someone is there to co-ordinate.

We also need someone that can organise and manage the props during a performance. Make sure that all the props are available, on stage at the right time and replaced on the props  table afterwards – you’d be amazed how often and how quickly they can go missing!

Hair and make-up

Make-up is rarely used but is sometimes needed.

Hair dressing can make a show spectacular, especially a period show. There is no real need to attend rehearsals although a little bit of preparation is helpful beforehand and they usually need to attend performances.

Help at rehearsals, front of house and help at fundraising events

This is essentially making tea and coffee, helping to set up and clear away etc. selling raffle tickets, taking money etc. It makes life much easier if we have someone to help and it can be great fun too, a good way of getting to know people in the group and finding out if am dram is for you.

Publicity

Publicity is so important because if people don’t know about us and our productions, then they won’t know that we want them to come. We have this website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. We have a good online presence. We have a publicity committee and new members and their ideas are alsoways very welcome.