Online Productions
At the start of 2020, like every other theatre in the country, we had a full programme of events ready for the year ahead. Our SCDA entry was lucky enough to reach the Regionals in Nairn and take home a 2nd place trophy, with the team being all set to head up to Thurso for the Divisional round in March. However, this was sadly to be the last live performance of the year for us after the Coronavirus pandemic hit Scotland in February 2020. Traditional live theatre ceased to be viable throughout the UK and suddenly every theatre country wide had to close their curtains until it would be safe to welcome audiences back again.
It soon became clear that this pandemic was here for the long haul as the UK remained in a state of lockdown. Professional and amateur theatre companies alike began to branch into the world of online theatre - a new and exciting challenge for many that, not only, gave opportunities for people to perform again, albeit in a new way, but also allowed audiences to continue to be entertained despite so many restrictions.
Here in Inverness, our committee met regularly via Zoom to start the process of putting some productions online. We successfully put together our first live online performance - A Collection of Short Plays by Bruce Kane - in October 2020 and received some brilliant feedback from our audiences. Although there were many challenges faced along the way, we used this as a learning experience and put on an additional performance in April 2021 - The Bard's Delights: An Evening with Shakespeare's Women. We also put together a montage of our pre-recorded panto highlights over the years which was shown in December 2020 in lieu of a live performance.
Below is some information from these productions:
It soon became clear that this pandemic was here for the long haul as the UK remained in a state of lockdown. Professional and amateur theatre companies alike began to branch into the world of online theatre - a new and exciting challenge for many that, not only, gave opportunities for people to perform again, albeit in a new way, but also allowed audiences to continue to be entertained despite so many restrictions.
Here in Inverness, our committee met regularly via Zoom to start the process of putting some productions online. We successfully put together our first live online performance - A Collection of Short Plays by Bruce Kane - in October 2020 and received some brilliant feedback from our audiences. Although there were many challenges faced along the way, we used this as a learning experience and put on an additional performance in April 2021 - The Bard's Delights: An Evening with Shakespeare's Women. We also put together a montage of our pre-recorded panto highlights over the years which was shown in December 2020 in lieu of a live performance.
Below is some information from these productions:
A Collection of Short Plays by Bruce Kane
7th - 9th October 2020
7th - 9th October 2020
Directed by Fiona Grant
Technical Support by Geoff Burns
Narration by Rob Kenyon
Technical Support by Geoff Burns
Narration by Rob Kenyon
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"Mirror Mirror" (10 minutes)
This was the first of the Bruce Kane plays in our online production. Sleeping Beauty got a 90210 facelift as the jealous stepmother took drastic action when she found out she'd been surpassed in the looks department by her stepdaughter in this funny one act play. Imagine the Kardashians dropped into the middle of this popular fairytale!
Cast
Mirror: Brian Howlett
Stepdaughter: Lisa Senior Stepmother: Aileen Hendry Prince Charming: Gareth Williams |
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"Under the Balcony" (10 minutes)
This was the second of the plays in our online production. Shakespeare's famous balcony scene got slightly askew when a fleeing Casanova showed up to turn Romeo from a lover to a seducer under Juliet's balcony.
Cast
Romeo: Matthias Kremer
Casanova: Gareth Williams Juliet: Aimee Vincent |
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"Ruby of Elsinore" (20 minutes)
The third play by Bruce Kane in our online production was “Ruby of Elsinore”. A slovenly and indecisive Hamlet, a marriage bent Ophelia, an oversexed Gertrude, a power hungry Claudius and a revenge seeking Ghost let their hair down to Ruby, Elsinore's hairdresser with attitude in this award winning one act play.
Cast
Ruby: Morag Barron
Claudius: Gareth Williams Hamlet: Matthias Kremer Gertrude: Christine Fletcher Ghost: Brian Howlett Ophelia: Aimee Vincent |
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"Cindy & Julie" (10 minutes)
This was the fourth and final play. Cinderella and Juliet commiserated about romantic love, happily ever after and what went wrong with their marriages in this popular ten minute play.
Cast
Cinderella: Lisa Senior
Juliet: Aimee Vincent Young Woman: Aimee Ironside |
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The Bard's Delights: An Evening with Shakespeare's Women
1st - 3rd April 2021
1st - 3rd April 2021
For this online project, we took inspiration from our member John Claudius who had always been an ardent Shakespeare fan - he had directed and starred in numerous of the Bard's plays over the years and we wanted to create an online production for him to enjoy during lockdown. Sadly, John passed away in December 2020 before our project began, and so in his honour we tried to put together a production that would have made him proud.
During the production we performed a series of excerpts from different Shakespeare plays, featuring his most prominent female characters. Each scene was pre-recorded and then edited together into one performance by our production manager Geoff Burns.
During the production we performed a series of excerpts from different Shakespeare plays, featuring his most prominent female characters. Each scene was pre-recorded and then edited together into one performance by our production manager Geoff Burns.
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Play
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Scene
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Cast/Production
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As You Like It
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Prologue
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Maureen Pringle
Aimee Vincent Lisa Senior Caroline Nicol Fiona Grant |
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Romeo and Juliet
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Scene 1: A Balcony in the Capulet's House
Scene 2: A Garden in the Capulet's House
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Director: Alan Holling
Juliet: Aimee Vincent Nurse: Christine Fletcher |
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Twelfth Night
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Scene 1: Duke Orsino's Palace
Scene 2: A Room in Olivia's House Scene 3: Duke Orsino's Palace |
Director: Maureen Pringle
Duke: Alasdair Davidson Olivia: Sasha Devine Viola: Alison Ożóg |
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The Taming of the Shrew
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Scene 1: A Room in Baptista's House
Scene 2: A Room in Baptista's House |
Director: Alan Holling
Bianca: Aimee Vincent Katherina: Fiona MacDonald Baptista: Graeme White Petruchio: Matthias Kremer |
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It Was a Lover and his Lass (Song)
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Music: Thomas Marley
Vocals: Elise Hendry Guitar Arrangement: Sam Talbot |
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The Merchant of Venice
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Venice: A Court of Justice
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Director: Alan Holling
Duke: Geoff Burns Portia: Caroline Nicol Shylock: Trevor Nicol Antonio: Matthias Kremer Bassanio: Graeme White |
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Antony and Cleopatra
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Scene 1: A Room in the Palace
Scene 2: A Room in the Palace |
Director: Alan Holling
Cleopatra: Aileen Hendry Charmain: Fiona Grant Messenger: Lisa Senior |
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Scene 1: A Room in Leonato's House
Scene 2: Balcony of a Church |
Director: Maureen Pringle
Beatrice: Sasha Devine Benedict: Alasdair Davidson |
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Scene 1: A Wood Near Athens
Scene 2: Another Part of the Wood Scene 3: Another Part of the Wood |
Director: Maureen Pringle
Fairy: Lisa Senior Oberon: Alan Holling Titania: Christine Fletcher Bottom: Trevor Nicol Hermia: Alison Ożóg Helena: Fiona MacDonald |
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