A Busy Time In The Theatre
Look around you, maybe at the interval, and you will notice quite a few changes in the Fontilles Theatre since your last visit. Alright, the seats are still unpadded, but we're getting there!
Probably the most noticeable new feature (how could you miss it?) is the lighting bar suspended from the roof just in front of the stage. This holds six "Fresnel" lanterns, each of 1,000 Watts, which we bought second-hand in England and shipped out here in October. Also new are the seven new, beam lanterns on the side walls and onstage. Together with the six large lanterns which we installed last year on the side walls of the balcony, these give us almost as much lighting variation as we need from in front of the stage.
If your seat is in the balcony you will have also seen the two large follow-spots which we, again, bought second-hand in England and brought out this Autumn. Both are two kilowatt lamps and certainly add a spectacular element to our presentations. Let's hope we don't melt the make-up!
At the back of the stalls you may notice that what was the old cinema projection room has undergone something of a facelift. A new, open window has been cut in the front wall and behind here sit our sound and lighting board operators. There's no glass because the sound operator needs to be able to hear exactly what you are hearing in the audience, as well as the balance of sound on his headphones. From their vantage point, each operator has a large desk with dozens of knobs and sliders to control every light, every microphone, and every speaker in the theatre. These operators, and the follow-spot operators are in constant, two-way radio contact with their boss, the Stage Manager, from his position in the wings.
The sound and lighting control equipment we have bought over the last eighteen months. All of it is second hand or reconditioned. Not only has this been a considerable investment, but it has involved many hours of work to get the whole system installed and up and running. Above your heads in the ceiling, and also beneath the gangway, running centrally from front to back of the auditorium is a maze of wires connecting all these electrical and electronic elements together.
We have also resurfaced the entire stage and introduced new safety features backstage. The old stage is tongue-and-grooved and each board has warped laterally with age. Consequently, the stage was a mass of little ridges which the dancers, in particular, found difficult to cope with. The woodworm in the old stage has been treated and new, marine ply boards have been screwed down on top to give a superb, new surface. This timber, too, has been given all the right preservative treatment before getting a coat of matt black paint, which can be renewed as and when necessary.
There have been other, minor alterations carried out as well, such as numbering of the seats and building a third dressing room, but the result of all this work is that the theatre is now beginning to work as it should, for the benefit of performers and audiences alike. There is more work still to do! We mentioned the seating earlier and, when we are able, we want to cushion all the seats. Loose cushions are unsuitable as they could provide an obstruction in an emergency, so we need to do the job properly, and we recognise it as being a priority. We also need more strong lanterns on stage, to allow us to illuminate particular areas of the stage individually or in different colours. It would also be nice to create a small but practical foyer, and this is something we shall be considering for the future.
A Traditional Pantomime by DUGGIE CHAPMAN |
|
The Entire Production Directed by |
JOHN A. BOOTH |
CAST, in order of appearance |
|
Fleshcreep |
 Brenda Cook |
The Good Fairy |
|
Giant Gargantua |
 Graham Denyer |
Apprentice Fairy Fluff |
 Kelly Wright |
King Benny |
 John Eland |
Princess Jill |
 Lisa Love |
Dame Trott |
 Rick Rosewell |
Daisy the Cow |
Elaine A. Farrow & Rita Brett |
Silly Billy |
 Graham Chadwick |
Jack Trott |
 Candida Wright |
Choreographer and Chorus Mistress: June A. Booth, A.R.A.D.,A.LS.T.D. |
|
Chorus and Dancers Olive Baker, Jean Barber, Shirley Barrett, Rita Brett, Margaret Cordery, Shiriey Dagger, Lynda Denyer, Elaine A. Farrow, Ray Hatch, Pat Johnston, Violet Lorraine, Jean Martin, Gill Orchard, Lynne Parsons, Betty Pitt, Hazel Worrali, Debra Wilkins, Paul Chadwick, Terry Farrow, Roy Martin, Dave Orchard, Bill Parsons June's Juveniles Caitlin Cotterill, Megan Cotterill, Josephine Penny, Alex McEnery |
|
Musicians: David Ash (Keyboard), Brian Lintern (Drums) |
|
Linda Chadwick 