Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

This year sees a group of amazing Grecians putting on a play - Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream. It will not be the full version, nor the fully costumed one, as this would be prohibitively expensive and complicated.

Anyway, what do people recall of Grecian's Plays? There are some I'm sure that went down as legends in their own rights.

As a lesser point, does anyone know of anyone who might like to help the Grecians with the cost of it?

darthmaul wrote:This year sees a group of amazing Grecians putting on a play - Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream. It will not be the full version, nor the fully costumed one, as this would be prohibitively expensive and complicated.

Anyway, what do people recall of Grecian's Plays? There are some I'm sure that went down as legends in their own rights.

As a lesser point, does anyone know of anyone who might like to help the Grecians with the cost of it?

We didn't have Grecians plays as such - there were school plays and house plays.

School plays were always Shakespeare (the play set for O level English Literature where you had to know the play word for word and understand all its nuances) and were generaly well performed. Of course outsiders were not allowed - some of them might have been female and the thought of that was well beyond the pale.

House plays were a different matter. Generally they were an embarrassing load of cr[ ]p, performed in the house (push all the tables into a stage at one end and rig up a curtain from last century, etc.).
However, in my last year we (Col A) did the Pirates of Penzance in the Prep hall together with full lighting, decent curtains, flood and spot lights - the lot. I can't remember if we had an orchestra or a record - probably a mini-orchestra. Tape didn't exist then AFAIR.
I'm surprised I survived - the lighting was controlled by a bank of huge rheostats over which the lighting bod (me) had to lean. Apart from singing to help build the soloist and chorus sound it was so hot that I was dripping perspiration into the coils which were sizzling.

That was the only decent production Col A did in my time; I had had all sorts of pressure from Kit to perform but a slipper would have been (and almost was) preferable to getting on that stage.

As for cost, that had to be kept to a minimum - lights etc were borrowed from Big School, curtains etc were part of bthe hall furnishings and I suspect most costumes came (before adaptation) from Big Schpool as well. Of course in those days nobody had heard of copyright etc.

darthmaul wrote:This year sees a group of amazing Grecians putting on a play - Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream. It will not be the full version, nor the fully costumed one, as this would be prohibitively expensive and complicated.

Anyway, what do people recall of Grecian's Plays? There are some I'm sure that went down as legends in their own rights.

As a lesser point, does anyone know of anyone who might like to help the Grecians with the cost of it?

Well there were certainly grecians' plays in my time. In 1955, instead of the usual play, we departed from tradition in that we did some sort of review, I think. I have a feeling that a member of staff might have been involved in the production. Jesson-Dibley perhaps?? I can now only remember three things about it with any degree of clarity:

1. Someone wore nothing but a handkerchief neatly folded into a very small triangle
2. I was in some sketch which involved driving a car to the seaside - we had to joggle around in unison on four chairs to replicate bumps, gear changes etc. and
3. it was in the Prep Hall with lights as described in previous posting.

What was much more memorable were performances given in consecutive years under the direction of two quite remarkable boys (later to make their own significant contributions in their chosen fields), namely Roger Martin (Barnes A?) and Frank Warner (Mid B). In the first of these ventures, a bombed out church off Shaftesbury Avenue (St Anne's, Soho) was transformed into an outdoor theatre and medieval songs and plays were performed to packed audiences thanks to the publicity the venture received in the national press at the time. The song "Pastyme and Good Companie" still haunts me to this day and I have a recording (cut individually on soft vinyl in the music school) which I would dearly love to have transcribed on to CD. (we were told that, with a fibre needle, the record might last some 30 playings. As a result it has only had about 10!) Any offers to do this would be much appreciated! Incidentally, I think I have a surviving photograph of me (one of only a very few ever taken of me in Housey uniform) in the dressing room at the church applying make-up to some poor unfortunate. I was a singer, not usually involved in make-up, but the press photographer wanted someone in uniform and I was there!

The second venture was a tour ing production of Murder in the Cathedral, produced by Frank Warner, in which, I believe, Roger Martin played the part of the archbishop. I was both 2nd Tempter and 3rd Knight and fell in love, for the first time in my life, with a pretty girl from the Avery Hill Training College which provided the Chorus of Women. (I don't think the girl ever knew this, as I was much to shy to confess my adoration for her and now, I cannot even remember her name. However, her beauty, her youth and her innocence have remained unaltered despite the passing of the years!) We performed, I think, in Southwark and at Rochester - possibly even at Canterbury tho 'I cannot now remember.

I don't recall a Grecian's play, as such.

1958, my first year in Prep B, the school play was MacBeth, (Or should that be THAT play if you are of a theatrical bent ?) This was my introduction to the Bard.

Did Henry V and GBS's 'St Joan' for 'O' level. Went to Chichester to see Joan Plowright play the lead. This 'opened my eyes' and nurtured my love of reading.

I remember being a stage hand for a play called "penny for a song". Can't remember if it was a house play or school play.
The directo/producer was Andrew Wickes, who went on to be a stage director for Opera North, I have searched the internet to see what he is doing now but can't find any reference.

AKAP wrote:I remember being a stage hand for a play called "penny for a song". Can't remember if it was a house play or school play.
The directo/producer was Andrew Wickes, who went on to be a stage director for Opera North, I have searched the internet to see what he is doing now but can't find any reference.

Just looked on the net, and found numerous refernces to his productions (mainly operatic).
I wonder what he is actually involved in now.
Perhaps Rex will comment.

Darthmaul: if you can find an e-mail address for him, it might be worth sending of an e-mail. The worst he can do is ignore it, he was always pleasant at school, but obviously much brighter than the average.

I think a Midsummer Nights's Dream is excellent for schools, there are all sorts of parts big and small.

It doesn't need to be expensive. There was a recent production which was set in the Victorian era.
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0140379/

Baz Luhrman set Romeo and Juliet in Verona Beach California

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0117509/

All you need is some imagination, and from what I have read on here there is certainly no shortage of that at CH

englishangel wrote:I think a Midsummer Nights's Dream is excellent for schools, there are all sorts of parts big and small.

It doesn't need to be expensive. There was a recent production which was set in the Victorian era.
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0140379/

Baz Luhrman set Romeo and Juliet in Verona Beach California

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0117509/

All you need is some imagination, and from what I have read on here there is certainly no shortage of that at CH

Hmmmmm !!!!!!

J.R. wrote:Hmmmmm !!!!!!

Imagination is abundant here....

darthmaul wrote:

J.R. wrote:Hmmmmm !!!!!!

Imagination is abundant here....

no , JR just has a one-track mind

Euterpe13 wrote:

darthmaul wrote:

J.R. wrote:Hmmmmm !!!!!!

Imagination is abundant here....

no , JR just has a one-track mind

Is he really 58? Stuck in adolescence I think.

Euterpe13 wrote:

darthmaul wrote:

J.R. wrote:Hmmmmm !!!!!!

Imagination is abundant here....

no , JR just has a one-track mind

I shan't get in the way then - I'll get on with the play instead

englishangel wrote:

Euterpe13 wrote:

darthmaul wrote: Imagination is abundant here....

no , JR just has a one-track mind

Is he really 58? Stuck in adolescence I think.

or else early senility....

Euterpe13 wrote:

englishangel wrote:

Euterpe13 wrote: no , JR just has a one-track mind

Is he really 58? Stuck in adolescence I think.

or else early senility....

You won't provoke me into a Shoz type of 'knee-jerk' reaction.

I have a great sense of humour, and I'm proud of it.

Na-Na-Nee-Na-Na !!