Curtains!!! Project: John Earl article on Frank Matcham at the Frank Matcham Society

The Curtains!!! book had several writers contributing to it and one of these was John Earl who is an expert on the subject of Theatre Architect Frank Matcham. After the release of the Curtains!!! book Earl joined the society for Frank Matcham which aims to raise the profile of the mans great work and to protect and preserve those venues designed by Matcham that are still standing. It was on the society's website, which is viewable here, that I found a brilliant article by John Earl and I thought I would post it here.

To read this article about Matcham's theatres then please click here. The article is three pages long and is a fascinating read.

Kenton for Keeps Campaign... just days before a disaster that we can all help avert.

It is a sad sign of the times when organisations which are a boon to local trade and culture are forced to shut down because of 'cost cutting measures' but yet again here we are with another theatre that looks ready to close. The Kenton Theatre in Henley Oxfordshire is the fourth oldest Theatre still standing in the UK and they have been given the opportunity to purchase the freehold for the venue from the current owners. They have until the end of this month to pay the full amount agreed which will ensure the theatres safety and continued use to the community. However during June the theatre suffered a major setback, when the Theatre believed they only had £70000 left to pay, still a huge amount but it was reachable, a group retracted their funding of £100000 and now they have merely days to make up the amount. Nearly £200000 needs to be found for this great piece of our theatrical heritage. Built in 1805 this truly is a gem of both cultural and social history which it would be a great shame to lose, so I implore you all to donate to the 'Kenton for Keeps' campaign before we lose yet another great Regency theatre to a dull and history damaging property development. Following are links that give you more information on the Theatre and its campaign and also the Facebook page which gives you information on how to donate money or even time to save this theatre.

4 days to go!

Theatre Trust: Kenton

Funding the Freehold of Kenton Theatre

The Kenton Theatre

Facebook Page for Kenton

Performing Arts treats on the Box Monday 26th and Tuesday the 27th of July

Monday

 14:00 Sky Arts 1 Hugh Laurie on In The Artists Studio, Laurie talks about his career pre House.

14:00 Sky Arts 2 Amadeus Directors Cut, adapted from stage play. Fantastic film starring Broadway producer Tom Hulce in a genius portrayal of Mozart.

9pm BBC1 Rupert Everett on Who Do you Think You Are?

23:05-00:35 BBC1 Importance of Being Earnest 2002. Following WDYTYA is Everetts performance in this Oscar Wilde Classic.

18:20-21:00 Film4 Coach Carter (Samuel L Jackson Movie, renowned for his powerful performance)

Tuesday

 01:20 Film4 Venus starring Peter O Toole as a down on his luck actor

12:05 Channel 4 Gaslight 1940. The British film version of this classic play.

14:00 Sky Arts 1 Forest Whitaker on In the Artists Studio

20:00 Sky Arts 2 Matthew Bournes Swan Lake. A revolutionary piece of dance theatre from an all male cast of ballerinas.

Update of classic TFMH post: Curtains!!! The Old Stagers

Here is a repost of my earlier blog on the Old Stagers company based in Canterbury. As I mentioned in the article, see below, the company announced a show was going to be presented between the 2nd and the 7th of August however it has  now been revealed that the show being performed is Oscar Wilde's 'Lord Arthur Savilles Crime'. The play has most recently been revived in a national tour starring Lee Mead, of 'Any Dream Will Do, in his dramatic debut playing the titular character. This late Victorian melodrama is known as a light hearted romp. With a 159 year reputation to uphold the Old Stagers will surely put on a fantastic production, tickets are available from this website.

The Old Stagers is an amateur Theatre Company that I have recently come across during my research into the Theatres of Canterbury for my Curtains!!! Project. One of the venues which I have looked up and researched at great length is the Theatre Royal Canterbury and whilst looking at the Times Digital Archive found reference to this group going back over a hundred years.

Formed in 1842 The Old Stagers hold a very strong claim on being the longest surviving amateur Theatre Company, originally founded by the Honorable Frederick Ponsonby it was set up to provide extra events for Canterbury's Cricket Week. According to their own website the actors were the cricket players! This of course left them little time to rehearse and on their website they talk about how they would rehearse on the green and in the tents. However reviews of these performances from 1908 onwards give these performers great respect and commend them for providing a lot of fun during the evenings before the next days cricket.

I cannot imagine a better day out really than a fine Kentish Ale in Canterbury watching the Cricket in the August Sun and then a piece of theatre in the evening. Sounds like my sort of Summers Day.

The next Canterbury Cricket Week is in August and the Old Stagers Website is advertising dates of August the 2nd until August the 7th.

For more information on Kent Cricket please go here.

For tourist information on the beautiful city of Canterbury please look here.

Xtofer