Newsletter – October 2013
Hello!
It’s been a while since our last newsletter so here goes…
Welcome to Miranda!
We have advertised over the past few weeks through Arts Council England and through Equity for just the right person
to join us and we have finally found her! It is my great pleasure to introduce Miranda Parker, our new resident Drama
Coach to the Wild Things Team. Miranda has a vast theatrical background as an Actor, Stage Manager, Director and
Writer for both stage and screen. Miranda trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and has had a rich
and varied career in performing arts, including more recently as a Director at The Lowry and Contact theatres. As well
as her dedication to professional performance, Miranda currently works as a Peforming Arts Teacher at the Oldham
College. And if that wasn’t enough, she is also mum to 3 children! Miranda is very much looking forward to being part
of the Wild Things team and I’m absolutely certain she will bring a lot to our already fabulous Wild Things family.
New Weekly Class for 7-11s (10.30-11.30 from 9 November)
I have discussed the idea of a new class with as many of you as I have had the chance to chat with. Although the
current structure of classes has worked fantastically for the past 5 years, we now have quite a number of students and
some at the older end of our 9.00-10.30am class are ready for a little extra. From Saturday 9th November, we will be
offering a ‘character’ class for 7-11 year-olds. This class will focus predominantly on script work and the creation of a
character using methods such as Stanislavski’s ‘system’ and Lee Strasberg’s ‘method’. The students studying
character/script will have the opportunity to enter for a LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)
examination, should they wish to, in May of each year, when they will also showcase their work to parents and
family/friends. This new session is optional and our first session (our ‘imagination’ group) will still be available to
children between 3-10 years old. Our older (‘development’) group will still run as usual, but at the later time of 11.301.30. We will have a 15 minute break at 12.30 for our usual cuppa tea and students can bring a sandwich too should
they feel they might starve otherwise! The monthly fee, for whichever class a student attends, will stay at £24 per
month and there will be a 50% reduction on the second class if a student wishes to attend two classes (so just £3 for
the extra class). If you would like to put your name down for the new ‘character’ class, please fill in the attached slip
and hand it to Gail on the front desk. To clarify, from 9 November, classes will run as follows:
- 9.00-10.30
- 10.30-11.30
- 11.30-1.30
‘Imagination Class’
‘Character Class’
‘Development Class’
(3-10s)
(7-11s)
(approx 11-18s)
Xmas Show Fundraiser
As you may know, we would like to fundraise in the run up to each of our shows in order to have some kind of (even
minimal) budget for set/costume/technical requirements. Until now, we have had to beg, steal and borrow each time
we have had a show – and although we have managed fabulously between us, it would be great if we had an actual
budget. We had discussed having a ‘swish’ (clothes exchange party), but it is proving difficult to arrange – and so
we’ve settled on the idea of having a weekly raffle. Every week, from Sat 18th October, we are going to raffle off one
item of the lovely new Wild Things merchandise! As you will have seen, we have a number of gorgeous new items,
from t-shirts, to hoodies, to bags – and each week for 4 weeks you will have the opportunity to win one of these items
by buying a raffle ticket! Winners will be announced the following Saturday and the appropriate sized item can then
be ordered for the winner. All proceeds from the weekly raffle will go directly to the Christmas show.
Wild Things Merchandise
As mentioned above, Wild Things merchandise is now available to order. You should all have received an order form in
your packs, but if you haven’t, we have extras available on the front desk – and from this week, you should be able to
order them online from our website. Orders have started to pour in, and I think you’ll agree, the tshirts/vests/hoodies/script bags/satchels/rucksacks look great!
Wild Things Drama | Rees House, 160 Huddersfield Road, Newhey OL16 3QD
www.wildthingsdrama.co.uk | 07891 908912 | [email protected]
Theatre Trips
There are currently two theatre trips that are available to Wild Things students/families:
‘That Night Follows Day’ – Contact Theatre, Manchester – Saturday 2nd November, 2pm
This is a FREE rehearsed reading of a text which uses adult’s words and stars children aged 8-14. The work explores the
ways in which adults’ worlds and actions define young peoples’ experience. The recommended age for this show is
16+, but subject to parents’ feelings o the matter, we would be happy to escort young people from maybe 12+ to the
performance. We do, however, need to know how many people are going to come so we can make sure we have
enough tickets and have arranged enough transport to and from Denshaw Village Hall. We are looking to leave
Denshaw straight after the second class on 2nd Nov at 12.30pm. Please fill in the attached slip if you will definitely be
coming.
‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ – Oldham Coliseum – Monday 23rd December, 2.15pm
It would be FANTASTIC if we could get a big group of us to the panto this year. We have managed a reasonable-sized
group once before at the Gracie Fields, but let’s aim for a takeover of Oldham Coliseum’s panto this year! I have
provisionally reserved us 35 seats, but will need to pay a deposit in a few weeks’ time. So if you’re interested in
coming along, fill in the attached slip and I will book your seat (prices are also on the slip). If you are coming, we will
need your cheques by 2nd November. Parents and other family members are more than welcome! The plan is to meet
at the theatre itself at 1.30pm to organise seats and buy our sweeties!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PLEASE FILL IN, TEAR OFF AND RETURN TO GAIL AT THE FRONT DESK
Reservation form for new ‘Character’ class – weekly at 10.30-11.30 from Sat 9 November 2013
Student’s name:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
D.O.B.:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Will you also be continuing to attend another class?
Y
/
N
If yes, which other class will you be attending?
9.00-10.30
10.30-11.30
(please delete as appropriate)
‘Imagination’ group
‘Development’ group
PLEASE FILL IN, TEAR OFF AND RETURN TO GAIL AT THE FRONT DESK
Reservation form for ‘That Night Follows Day’ – FREE Performance at the Contact Theatre, Mcr, 2nd November, 2pm
Student’s name:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
D.O.B.:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Can you provide transport to/from performance for other students?
Y
/
N
PLEASE FILL IN, TEAR OFF AND RETURN TO GAIL AT THE FRONT DESK
Reservation form for ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ Panto at Oldham Coliseum, Mon 23 rd December, 2.15pm
Student’s name:
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Number of adult tickets @ £18.50
………………………….
Number of concessions (student/senior) @ £15
………………………….
Number of child tickets @ £14
………………………….
Wild Things Drama | Rees House, 160 Huddersfield Road, Newhey OL16 3QD
www.wildthingsdrama.co.uk | 07891 908912 | [email protected]