StageWrite
The Stables magazine (December 2012)
The Stables magazine (December 2012)
Chris Lacey
I mentioned at the extraordinary general meeting on 22 October that too often I hear the phrases “they told us” or “them and us” when referring to the relationship between the council of management, the artistic planning group, departments within the theatre and members. We are all volunteers, none of us get paid for our time—if we were then the Stables would very quickly run out of money. read more
So as way of a New Year’s resolution may I ask that we start to think about us and we; that we welcome new volunteers and new audience members. We need this influx of new ideas, new energy from new and existing members, young and old, male and female. The status quo is not acceptable; custom and practice more suited to the 1970s is irrelevant to this theatre in 2013.
Talking about new ideas, in October Zoe Morgan put forward the idea of a suggestions box in the foyer—within two weeks it was there. All at the Stables welcome new ideas, comments, suggestions for plays and how we can improve generally. So please use it, with emails, letters and telephone calls, we are open to you.
I am pleased to report that, overall, in 2012 our own Stables productions attracted good, and even record, audiences. And the wonderful evening with Tom Baker and friends in October raised an astonishing £13,430 for St Michael’s Hospice. Well done to all concerned!
With this mailing comes a nomination form for the elections at the annual general meeting on Monday 25 March 2013. Following the approval of the resolution regarding tenure and numbers on the council of management, the new system will come into play from this year’s AGM. We ask that nominations for the council are received by Thursday 31 January. The council are our trustees and board of directors, as recognized by both the Charity Commission and Companies House, and thus legally responsible for the Stables Theatre. Please come forward to serve. Several of our long-standing members are standing down this year but remember, as with other areas of the theatre, we are asking for your time and commitment.
2013 sees fresh productions and new directors. I can assure you that this year will not see one director because of force of circumstance or accident taking on three productions. There is a limit in terms of health and sanity. So we welcome back Nicky Harris with Calendar Girls, then three directors new to the Stables—Lyndsey Meer with Ghosts, Ian Morson with Crown Matrimonial and Matt Turpin with Silly Cow. Please support these debuts.
Auditions will also be coming thick and fast during the first half of 2013. Our home-grown productions are the artistic and financial lifeblood of the theatre, so if you have enthusiasm and some talent come along and take part. We also need active volunteers to help on the box office, the bar, front of house, housekeeping, with props and costumes, and particularly back stage and with the technical department. Your council is actively succession planning; none of us are getting any younger—though working at the Stables does keep us on our toes. So another resolution for 2013, get involved and support your local little theatre.
We are delighted to welcome on board a new sponsor: Battle Abbey School has generously agreed to sponsor each of the four Stables productions publicized in this What’s On, and we look forward to what we hope will prove to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
Chris Lacey
Talking about new ideas, in October Zoe Morgan put forward the idea of a suggestions box in the foyer—within two weeks it was there. All at the Stables welcome new ideas, comments, suggestions for plays and how we can improve generally. So please use it, with emails, letters and telephone calls, we are open to you.
I am pleased to report that, overall, in 2012 our own Stables productions attracted good, and even record, audiences. And the wonderful evening with Tom Baker and friends in October raised an astonishing £13,430 for St Michael’s Hospice. Well done to all concerned!
With this mailing comes a nomination form for the elections at the annual general meeting on Monday 25 March 2013. Following the approval of the resolution regarding tenure and numbers on the council of management, the new system will come into play from this year’s AGM. We ask that nominations for the council are received by Thursday 31 January. The council are our trustees and board of directors, as recognized by both the Charity Commission and Companies House, and thus legally responsible for the Stables Theatre. Please come forward to serve. Several of our long-standing members are standing down this year but remember, as with other areas of the theatre, we are asking for your time and commitment.
2013 sees fresh productions and new directors. I can assure you that this year will not see one director because of force of circumstance or accident taking on three productions. There is a limit in terms of health and sanity. So we welcome back Nicky Harris with Calendar Girls, then three directors new to the Stables—Lyndsey Meer with Ghosts, Ian Morson with Crown Matrimonial and Matt Turpin with Silly Cow. Please support these debuts.
Auditions will also be coming thick and fast during the first half of 2013. Our home-grown productions are the artistic and financial lifeblood of the theatre, so if you have enthusiasm and some talent come along and take part. We also need active volunteers to help on the box office, the bar, front of house, housekeeping, with props and costumes, and particularly back stage and with the technical department. Your council is actively succession planning; none of us are getting any younger—though working at the Stables does keep us on our toes. So another resolution for 2013, get involved and support your local little theatre.
We are delighted to welcome on board a new sponsor: Battle Abbey School has generously agreed to sponsor each of the four Stables productions publicized in this What’s On, and we look forward to what we hope will prove to be a mutually beneficial relationship.
Chris Lacey
Barbara Flynn
Amber Rudd
Darren Boyd
Jeremy Birch
On 30 September, we welcomed Barbara Flynn to the theatre to talk to the cast of Cranford and to make presentations to Leslie Adams and John Prior, our new honorary vice-presidents. In November, we welcomed our new patron Darren Boyd to the Stables to film for Sky TV. read more
Amber Rudd MP had already joined the audience of The Winslow Boy earlier in the year and later tweeted her praise of the play. We can now welcome to the list of Stables patrons Jeremy Birch, leader of
Hastings Borough Council and one of the architects of Hastings’ regeneration.
We are very grateful to all of our patrons for giving their time and support to the Stables.
We are very grateful to all of our patrons for giving their time and support to the Stables.
Siobhan O’Hanlon
For the play Accidental Death of an Anarchist, local artist Yvonne Rees, a Hastings Arts Forum member, created a colourful backdrop of a Milanese-style cityscape.
Geraldine Wheeler’s rich interiors and seascapes, currently on show until the end of December, are complemented by Anne Bertoluzzi’s glittering jewellery—bringing a real sense of glamour to the festival season.
And finally our thanks go to all the wonderful musicians who have entertained at our special Saturday morning viewings and been so widely appreciated.
Siobhan O’Hanlon
Geraldine Wheeler’s rich interiors and seascapes, currently on show until the end of December, are complemented by Anne Bertoluzzi’s glittering jewellery—bringing a real sense of glamour to the festival season.
And finally our thanks go to all the wonderful musicians who have entertained at our special Saturday morning viewings and been so widely appreciated.
Siobhan O’Hanlon
To assist local residents and business people, we are making permits available for use of the Stables car park during our quieter hours. The cost of £40 per month (about £1.60 per day) compares extremely favourably with other parking charges in the area. read more
The permit allows daytime parking for one vehicle on Monday to Saturday until 6 pm. Permit holders will need to vacate the car park between 6 pm and 8 pm and on Sundays, leaving the car park free for Stables patrons and volunteers our normal parking enforcement will operate at these times. We do not enforce parking restrictions between 8 pm and 10 am.
The number of permits is limited to 10. Although it is unusual for the car park to be full during the hours of the permit, a vacant parking space is not guaranteed.
We expect the hours offered to appeal mainly to the local business community but, of course, anyone is welcome to apply. Anyone interested should email or ask at the box office.
The number of permits is limited to 10. Although it is unusual for the car park to be full during the hours of the permit, a vacant parking space is not guaranteed.
We expect the hours offered to appeal mainly to the local business community but, of course, anyone is welcome to apply. Anyone interested should email or ask at the box office.
As reported in Chris Lacey’s column, when you visit the Stables in 2013 things may start to look rather different. We are proposing a major programme of redevelopment and redecoration of the box office and other front-of-house areas as well as substantial upgrading of the heating and ventilation in the theatre. read more
Proposed changes will include a new, smaller box office counter; improved lighting and display areas; a new display of the Stables’ history on the stairs; and provision of more storage space behind the scenes, leaving the
foyer fresher and tidier. We will keep you up-to-date as things progress.
The director of each Stables Theatre production writes a personal view of the play they are directing for StageWrite. These can be found on the web page for each production.
