Letter to the Editor of The News

I am pleased that Valerie Jeffrey enjoyed her visit to the show at TAPAS recently but the comment of her friend that ‘You wouldn’t encourage your children to read badly written books so why take them to see amateur dramatics’ shows a woeful ignorance of the theatre that is available both here and when visiting English speaking communities around the world. Of course standards vary but perhaps my, fairly typical, experience as an amateur (mostly) performer can illustrate what she and her friend could be missing. I began with an amateur company in West London at a time when Arnold Wesker was encouraging professionals to be involved with communities. (I remember Simon Ward playing Hamlet in the local secondary modern school) All the teachers on the course I took came from RADA or Central. While I was at the Questors(now the largest amateur theatre company in Europe with three theatres and 3000 members) two plays written for members transferred into the West End and an important playwright (James Saunders) was discovered. Like many amateur actors I have spent many hours in workshops and short courses and I believe we all take improving our standards to be one of the reasons we continue to perform. And we don’t get cast unless we do!

Subsequently I have worked in amateur companies with young professionals who were showing off their skills to agents etc.  and who wanted to make sure the rest of the cast were good enough to prevent  the agent heading for the door, with older professionals who couldn’t reconcile a touring, away from base life, with family life or with actors who were honing their skills with more demanding parts than they could currently get in the theatre. On occasion the majority of the cast held equity cards.  Rarely could an outsider tell which of us were which.  And the equity card holder didn’t always have the leading part. There have been other occasions when plays began as an unpaid theatre work and then built to the West End. In Brighton I was one of a small audience above a pub for the beginning of the hit Musical ‘A Slice of Saturday Night’. What an amateur night that was! Also incidentally I was one of the audience when a distinguished and famous professional forgot so many lines the pre West End show was almost called off at the Theatre Royal.

Here I have performed at the Salon Varietes with actors who have appeared in the West End and on TV and with young actors setting out with high aims. The very edition of the News which had the letter from Ms.Jeffrey also had the ‘WOW’ factor final with a rave review from your editor. There were three Salon performers , one of whom won it.  This year The NEWS has reported that two former performers at our theatre have done extremely well with one getting a final place on Operation Triunfo and another appearing in ‘The Tudors’ before heading off to a contract in Hollywood. Currently I am working with some very talented young people in a production of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Endgame’ In English at the ESAD Theatre in Malaga. The Director is heading for a Masters at RADA and the other members of the cast already cover much of their student costs with paid for professional work. I am sure I shall see some of them on TV or film one day. It has been a demanding and rewarding experience working with them.

To sum up, theatre operates on a spectrum from the great subsidized theatres via West End to local theatres then profit share , unpaid work (the London fringe has some really good stuff but they are amateur when they do it) and serious committed amateur theatre of a high standard to what I call ‘am dram’ – village hall fun productions, worthy but you know what to expect and it can still beat the telly.

I hope that Ms. Jeffrey’s friend reconsiders her unwise remark. She must have already missed so much good stuff it would be a pity to miss any more.

The trip of the Vine

Thursday March 17th is the date for our next trip. Trips to the interior of Andalucia seem to be particularly popular and so we thought a visit to the area around Montilla would be a good idea. This is one the areas known as D.O. - roughly equivalent to the French appellation controlee.  


The oldest bodega in Andalucia is in the centre of town. Its name is Bodega Alvear and we shall visit. The wines produced here vary in style but the most famous is an amontillado produced in the same way as the sherries of Jerez (which it once was sold as). The visit will include a tasting as well as the guided tour from one of the Bodega's own guides.


The local countryside probably doesn't have this style of agriculture anymore on its gentle clay slopes. The countryside has not always been peaceful and it was here that Julius Caesar defeated the sons and supporters of his great rival Pompey. Moors and Christians have fought here too but today the soil has more peaceful uses and it is to the next one that we shall spend the afternoon.

la Rambla is a small town famous for its ceramics. The products vary from the artistic to the useful and the plan is to visit a workshop.

If that doesn't appeal the town is very pretty and a quiet afternoon tea in the square would be as good a way as any to while away the time before the coach takes you back to Fuengirola.








As ever the coach will leave from outside Solbank at 9.00 and return about 7. The price will be notified after our Committee meeting on Tuesday but is likely to be 32 - 35 euros. The visit to the Bodega making it a little more than our last trip.

The Route of the Oranges - February 17th

Juan, our regular driver, has given this name to a trip which takes us past Ardales to the town of Teba some 15 kms further on and later includes a visit to Olvera.

We glimpsed the castle of Teba on our trip to Arcos and heard something of the famous connection with Scotland. it was here that Sir James Douglas, known as Black Douglas, fought alongside Alfonso XI of Castille on August 25th 1330. He was carrying the heart of Robert the Bruce to the Holy Land in a casket and saw an opportunity to Crusade nearer to home. Unfortunately for him the Moors won this battle and killed Black Douglas. The heart now rests in Montrose Abbey.
Scottish connections do not end there as a year later the Earl Of Selkirk tried again to oust the Moors and the souvenir of his visit is a one ton slab of Dumfriesshire marble now in the Plaza de Espana. It was not until 1339 that Alfonso reclaimed the town from the Moors.

Today you see an impressive 18th century parish church which contains a 16th century cross given by Ferdinand and Isabella (the conquerors of Granada) and wonderful views out over the River Guadalreba to the dam and lakes below.

Our trip will then move on to Olvera. the start of the Publos Blancos route.
  
The main monuments are the Church and the Arab Castle which was apopular vantage point on our last visit to this lovely town.

Thursday February 17th 2011 at a cost of 30 € which will include our usual stop for coffee and tostado and lunch

Some Highlights

With a payment of 2,500 Euros FOTA has broken the 40,000 euros barrier in donations to SALVA in the past couple of years (actually now 41,848.12). A look at the theatre's accounts will show just how important this has been in keeping the theatre going. Not directly as a box office substitute but in the many different ways that the mostly unseen (until it goes wrong) activities contribute to the final effect from better sound and lighting to more comfy seats. Of course this couldn't be done without the backing of members of FOTA and non members alike. Whilst coming on a fantastically good value trip which then makes a profit isn't a hardship, buying raffle tickets at some of our shows is something we can only give thanks for.
During the year we have organised a monthly lunch, now at a regular venue, at which 20 -30 members enjoy both good food and a chance to meet each other. We don't charge any extra on the restaurant's regular price but we do try and persuade guests to buy a raffle ticket. This coming Thursday, December 16th,  we are moving venues to El Coto to the El Brujo restaurant for our Christmas Lunch. Always popular we hope that around 50 will enjoy the meal and maybe have a little theatricality thrown in!
The next venture though will be a little different as we are going to hold an evening dinner, with entertainment, early in the new year. Watch this space for more details.
Our trips have been good value and generally successful. Although we had to cancel one trip we have had full coaches for others. The last trip to Arcos de la Frontera was particularly successful and from it came the wish to visit the same area seeing some of the places that looked enticing from a coach window. So our next trip will be 'The Route of the Oranges' and will include visits to Olvera and to Teba. The last will especially appeal to our Scottish members as Teba features in Scottish history in a dramatic and rather romantic way.
After that we are going further north for the trip in March to the area of beautiful valleys and hills of Malaga grapes and wine.

Our trip to Arcos

I haven't tried this before so let's hope it works but these are most of the photos I took on our day out last week. A day which everyone seemed to enjoy - especially lovers of lamb.

http://picasaweb.google.com/116191218876174675837/ArcosTrip2010#

ANYTHING GOES November 5th to November 14th

I booked yesterday (Wednesday) for the Sunday performance of 'Anything Goes' and there were only a few seats left. If you can go during the week there is a much better selection but whatever you do, do go!
ANYTHING GOES opened on Broadway on November 21st 1934 and ran for 420 performances. During the depression that was considered pretty good and it was the fourth best run of the 30s. What is outstanding about it is the number of revivals there have been. In 1987 a revival with Patti LuPone ran for 784 performances. This wa seen by Elaine Paige who decided she had to buy thye rights to bring it to London so that she could star in it - with a young man called John Barrowman who then went on later to star in the 2002 show at the National Theatre in London before it transferred to Drury Lane.

Time I thought for a musical break.
Of course it wouldn't be complete without Ethel Merman:
OK a bit old for the part ( when did that worry the Salon?) but she starred in it in 1934 and then in the film in 1936 so she is important in the show's history. Big names who worked with her in the show were Bing Crosby, who was in the both the 1936 film and the 1956 one and Frank Sinatra who was in the 1954 TV production with Merman and Bert Lahr.
So a pretty successful musical. Cole Porter could be proud of himself. Among his collaborators on the show was P.G.Wodehouse. What a pedigree.
What's it about? It's a pretty complicated story but in the end is really simple. Boy meets girl, there are complicated madcap antics and mistaken identities on board an ocean liner. Will it get sorted out and love conquer all? What do you think!

ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA AND WHITE VILLAGES

Our next trip on Thursday November 18th will be to
    ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA and THE WHITE VILLAGES

The town hangs on a sheer cliff face overlooking the Rio Guadelete. lesser known than Ronda but just as spectacular It really ought to be a tourist 'must'



Its history goes back to pre Phonecian times but almost all of what we will see is from the Moorish period (711 to 1264) or from the conquest and later.
Central to the tourists must sees is the Plaza del Cabildo. On one side is the Parador , on another two are the walls of the castle, still privately owned, and the fourth side offers views as spectacular as anything that Ronda can offer across the valley of the Rio Guadelete and the vega.

             The Church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion

It's a good video but it doesn't quite fit the blogger format - at least for me so let me know if you know how I can do it properly - in the meantime right click on your mouse and select 'watch on You Tube'. Nov 4th -got it working now and changed the layout of the blog. Do you like it better?

 Our trip includes a stop for coffee and tostado and lunch and costs 30 euros
Come and see us on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at the theatre.

Black Coffee

Black Coffee opened last night to the largest audience ever for a first night of a play. (confession first - I'm in it) and the audience after the show were much more enthusiastic than they thought they were going to be. Agatha can still do it even in the age of CSI New York!
FOTA's interest is that there are three board members in the show but this isn't really important compared with encouraging all FOTA members to come along and have a really entertaining evening. The show starts at 8  except on Sunday when it begins at seven.
Why not have a drink afterwards and say hello to the cast.
Last night is next Tuesday so you may need to re-prioritise your weekend. It'll be worth it.

Cancellation -Sorry

Unfortunately we couldn't get a sufficient number of members and guests to book for the TARIFA trip and we have had to cancel it.


Refunds are available from the desk. We are sorry but we can only keep our prices exceptionally low by nearly filling the coach.


We hope you aren't too disappointed and if you have any ideas for trips which are going to give a full coachload a good day out then do let us know.

Audition Notice for 'Move Over Mrs Markham'

  M0VE OVER MRS MARKHAM

 Directed by PETER BROOKS

Joanna Markham     45  - 55    attractive and sophisticated

Alastair Spenlow       30 – 45    “camp” interior designer but definitely NOT gay)

Sylvie                           25++       Swedish beauty

Linda Lodge              40 – 55    “frustrated” with her husband

Philip Markham       50 – 60      Publisher of children’s books (comedy timing essential)

Henry Lodge             40 - 50      Playing the field

Walter Pangbourne  40 – 60     Linda’s “bit on the side”

Miss Smythe               40 – 65    Brilliant character, eccentric children’s authoress  

    

Miss Wilkinson           25  - 40   Henry’s “bit on the side”

  

Auditions will be held on Saturday 30^th. October at 11.30 at the Salon Varietes, Fuengirola.

Production dates      14^th. – 19^th. January 2011

Audition pieces will be available at the box office from the 16^th. October.

If any potential auditionee would like to read the script or know more about any of the characters please telephone

 PETER BROOKS ON

 EITHER: 952887372     /      617 520 923 

Tarifa where the Atlantic and Med meet.

Trip to Tarifa and Estepona - October 21st

Tarifa was where it all began. In 710 a Moorish leader called Tatif ibn Malik probed the defenses of the peninsula in preparation for the invasion the following year and the history of Al Andalus began. The restored castle gives great views out over the Straits and you should be able to see Tangier in the distance and the busy shipping lanes of this very congested stretch of water.

The most famous story of this castle concerns the siege of 1292 when the
Moors had captured the son of the commander, Alonso Perez de Guzman and threatened to kill him if the castle didn't surrender. Guzman threw down his knife saying 'I prefer honour without a son to dishonour with one.

Looking the other way from the rampart gardens you can see the narrow lanes of this town that began with the Phonecians and was important to the Romans. Today it is one of the most important windsurfing centres in the world.

Don't bring a floppy hat

The castle isn't the only attraction. The crumbling baroque exterior of the church of San Mateo disguises a fine Gothic church with interesting modern stained glass windows and a crucified Christ by the great eighteenth century sculptor Pedro de Mena.

There is also a modern icon by one of the most famous of modern Tarifans (?) Guillermo Perez Villalta.                

 For those who don't like castles and museums there is a daily street market and a delightful square - the Plaza de Santa Maria - where people watching is a must. Because of the windsurfing Tarifa attracts some really interesting people watching material.

Then we thought we would go to Estepona. Initially much discussion in the committee but then we realised that most of us had always meant to go there one day but never had. It is regarded as probably the best of the Costa del Sol towns. A good paseo, some lovely squares and a proper old town. Just the place for afternoon tea.

Join us for a lovely and inexpensive day out. Just 32 euros to cover morning coffee and lunch. We'll be at the desk Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Tuesday week is our first Committee of the new season so if you have any ideas let us know, whether for trips or lunches or some social occasion we should be organising. (not theatre policy, that is entirely SALVA's responsibility.

The Theatre's Autumn Season

I know many of you like to include plans to see a show when you are here and the Autumn Season at the theatre has been announced. This is it:

September 17th - 21st - Curtain Up a play by Peter Quilter.
Peter Quilter has had his plays translated into 20 languages in 31 countries around the world and this was his first. Originally called 'Respecting Your Piers' it is the story of 5 women who inherit equal shares in a dilapidated theatre and are in urgent need of money. In the time honoured fashion they put on a show using local talent and a big star they have roped in. Of course things go wrong and the play becomes a fast paced and very funny comedy.

October 1st to 5th - Razzle Dazzle 'Em this is a Musical revue produced by Lizz Freeman so little more needs to be said. I imagine the wardrobe department will have a lot to do. Who knows, with so many costumes in the dressing rooms and on the stage they may be able to spring clean an empty room!

Wednesday October 13th - Cor Merched Cwm Llynff ladies Choir I deserve a drink if I've typed that right. Welsh Choirs always go down well and I can't remember a ladies one before so something a bit different.

October 22nd - 26th - Black Coffee by Agatha Christie. Agatha is always a highlight of the year. This was the only play she wrote for Hercule Poirot played here by long time favourite David Vincent. For FOTA members an extra bonus is that the cast includes President, Treasurer and Secretary!
Reviews of the play when it was first produced in 1930 called it 'craftsmanlike and entertaining' the Telegraph theatre critic called it a 'sound piece of detective storywriting'. It has twice been turned into a film and has been a firm favourite of community theatre groups all over the world.

5th - 14th November - Anything Goes. What would Autumn be without a Peter Mitchell musical? This is one with songs and music written by Cole Porter and concerns the madcap antics on an ocean liner going from New York to London. Another 1930s favourite, when it starred Ethel Merman and ran for 420 performances on Broadway making it the fourth longest running show of the decade. She did it again in 1989 in the West End with John Barrowman who was later in the National Theatre production in 2003. It is being revived next year on Broadway. Songs include: Anything Goes, You're the Top, I Get a Kick Out of You and It's DeLovely.

26th - 30th November - The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomens Guild Dramatic Society's Production of a Christmas Carol. What could be more festive than to welcome the Ladies, and their long suffering male assistant, at this time of the year to give us their 'Christmas Carol'. Mind you if there isn't total mayhem and chaos resulting in much unintended hilarity in the audience I shall be very surprised. The Ladies are well known for not exactly getting it right. I don't know whether they inspired Michael Green's 'Art of Coarse Acting' but they would have done well at the his annual Coarse Acting contest at the Questors in Ealing!

4th and 5th December - Christmas with TIMS. sanity returns.

An audition - even in summer

I hope that you are all enjoying summer. There isn't much to post about on the blog when the theatre is closed and I don't hear much gossip. Biggest news is that Alex, who has been running the bar ever since I came along nine years ago, is going back to Argentina. She has had some serious health problems lately and we all wish her well. Lets hope that, like many of us, she finds her own country fully supportive.
I hope those of you staying here for the summer are coping with the weather. We have just had nine days in Norway (wonderful)  and really enjoyed the rain and the temperatures. When we took off from Oslo to come back here the pilot told us it was 19 in Oslo and 35 in Malaga.
AUDITION


NOW for the bit you have been waiting for. Lizz Freeman is putting this notice in the papers this weekend: 


Ever wanted to Tread "The Boards"   Auditon Notice 

The Salon is presenting a Musical Revue from the 1st until the 5th Oct.
We need singers, rock, pop, classical, standards, plus  dancers of all styles,are you a group that could perform flamenco, line dancing, anything up beat and happy, then come for the Auditon which is on the  Saturday 31st of July at The Salon (stage door entrance) at 12 noon . I must stress that it is unpaid, and needs total dedication and commitment  to rehearsal time. please bring a CD or backing track. 
Director Lizz Freeman, more info on 952930039 or 606611228


Go for it!


Any news you have will be gratefully received. I'd like to keep this interesting during the summer. 


Keep cool. 

FOTA AGM Minutes

The posts are a little out of sequence but that is because these minutes have been reviewed by the Board members so they should be pretty accurate but they are still draft minutes and if there is a correction please make a comment.

 FOTA – Friends of the Theatre Association.

Minutes of the AGM held May 12^th 2010

The meeting was called to order on the second call at 6.30 p.m. The President thanked the 13 members for attending.  

Board members present: President David Radford, Vice President Pauline Naylor, Treasurer Arthur Hill, Secretary Graham Cherry,  Helen Tomlinson, Norma Wilson and Helen Young.

Apologies were received from Pat Suart, Sid Wright, Julia Bretton, Doreen Slater, Eddie Barnett, Reg Harding, Frank Morris, Wendy Smith, Ellie Bennetts.

Minutes of the 2009 meeting were taken as read unanimously and there were no matters arising.

President’s report

The President presented his report and drew attention in particular to:

The absence of Pat Suart for much of the year meant that the Board operated with 7 members and efforts to increase this had proved unsuccessful. He considered that there was no urgent need to increase the number of Board members but expressed concern that ano domini was having an effect.

The raffles held this year had been a great success and this change of direction would continue.

The anniversary booklet had been produced and was adjudged a success. Financially there was a profit due to thirteen sponsors of 100 euros each and 2 reprints had been made. 731 copies had been printed and 100 remain to be sold. There were two additional outlets at David’s Bookshop and Woodys. He explained the difficulties with the substandard work of Xpress print. The sense of the meeting was that the matter should continue to be pursued.

He thanked the desk helpers for their work in the year.

Acceptance of the report was proposed by Gloria Harding and seconded by Sweelan Ford.

Treasurers report

The Treasurer presented his report. He drew attention to good attendance at the lunches which although they made no direct profit produced a good raffle return. The trips had been well attended particularly the later ones.

Profits had increased by 2000 euros and 11000 euros had been handed over to SALVA.

Revenue from cards again declined slightly and it was thought this would continue as more people relied on e mails as a cheaper alternative or simply cut back with the increase in postal charges.

Acceptance of the report was proposed by peter Pillinger and  seconded by Gina Foster..

Re-election

The retiring members of the Committee were re-elected unopposed.  

Any Other Business

The organizational relationship with SALVA was discussed and it was explained that at present FOTA came under the aegis of SALVA. It was possible that FOTA could become more firmly the social and fundraising subcommittee of SALVA but the necessary constitutional arrangements were being examined by Howard John who is currently indisposed.

Ana Atteck told the meeting that as the maximum revenue handed over in any one of the last five years fell below 25,000 euros it was possible for FOTA to be an independent legal entity and this possibility of keeping FOTA independent of SALVA would be pursued with Ana’s help.

Questions were asked as to the frequency of raffles and why there were no plans for one for ‘Putting on the Glitz’. The President explained that the Board considered that it was only worthwhile with the longer running big musicals and ‘raffle fatigue’ might become a problem.

The President informed the meeting that an examination of the early minutes of FOTA revealed that the 25^th anniversary of FOTA was on June 1^st. 

The Secretary told the meeting that the blog had been expanded a little so that members could be kept informed of productions and auditions as well as Trips and Lunches etc.

A group called ‘Fuengirola’s Theatre Friends’ had been set up on Facebook – the name FOTA could not be used as this was used by the Formula One Teams Association – and currently had 119 members. This meant that some information of FOTA’s activities was getting out to non members who were cross referenced to the blog.

The Secretary of SALVA conveyed the thanks of the Board of SALVA for the efforts of FOTA at fundraising and informed the meeting that SALVA had improved profits by 20,000 euros in the past year (this included the 11,000 euros from FOTA.

There being no further business the meeting concluded at 7.20

Cordoba Trip

Delighted to say that we set off with practically a full coach and produced over 400 euros for FOTA and hence the theatre's funds. I am told the highlight was the visit to the Alcazar gardens which were stunning.
I had been to Cordoba the week before as a birthday treat so didn't go on this trip. That means if you took any photos and want to upload them for everyone to see feel fee to do so.
Any other comments?

FOTA Day Trip to Cordoba

When you look in travel agents windows and see the cost of day trips you wonder how we can possibly do it for the price. The trip to Cordoba is 35 euros and that is less than operators are asking for when they offer a simple excursion day. Our trip also has a break for tostado and coffee and lunch included and the incomparable Gina as hostess. So how do we do it. Well partly by aiming to do something special for members and partly by not making a profit until the coach is practically full.

Although we intend that you will see the other places for which Cordoba is famous the Mezquita cannot be ignored. Once one of the most beautiful buildings in the world it proved a template for Islamic buildings everywhere. Even if you have been a hundred times this is not a building where you slope off for another coffee whilst the party goes in.
But Cordoba offers more. The Alcazar and its gardens are both beautiful and tranquil.





Not far away are two more sites. The Roman bridge has been recently restored as have the Arab baths where the Caliph held daily meetings.

 Cordoba isn't a large town and these buildings are near to the area known as the Juderia. A maze of twisting streets they are the picture book image so many people have of Andalucia. In early May the patios of the houses are open to show off the flowers in thousands of pots, baskets and containers. The festival will be over by the time of our visit but the flowers remain and are lovingly nurtured through the year.There are some famous and intriguing photo opportunities round here.

Taking Steps

This Friday marks the opening of the last play for this season and it is a corker. Alan Ayckbourn reckons to have only written two farces, a job for the experienced playwright, and this is one of them. It was dedicated to the immortal farceur Ben Travers when it opened on September 28th 1979 in Scarborough where his plays regularly first see the light of day. The opening night ran for 17 minutes longer than the dress rehearsal because of the laughter. This was so loud it blew the theatre's ancient relay system.
It went on to become one of the biggest hits at the theatre since it opened in 1955 and a huge commercial success there becoming the first play to run for more than 100 performances there.
Michael Billington describes it as: a 'riotously funny farce – it also reminds us that farce at its very best is inescapably about something: in this case, women's hunger for freedom and the difficulties of rational communication.'
Ayckbourn talks of plausible people in improbable situations.


The play is directed by Ana Atteck who directed 'Absurd Person Singular' last year. Surviving from the cast of that play are Jules Vander ( also a memorable Mrs Wicksteed in 'Habeas Corpus' to underline her comedy credentials) and Stephen Burns. The cast is made up with  Salon Established performers. 
Enjoy.

Audition Notice for next October's Agatha Christie

FOTA members may want to make a note in their diary for the audition for 'Black Coffee' by Agatha Christie which will be produced next October. it's along way away but at least the summer is there for line learning!

AUDITION NOTICE

     ‘BLACK  COFFEE’    

    by

       

          AGATHA CHRISTIE

          Directed by Peter Brooks

Auditions will be held on Saturday 29^th. May between  11.00 am. – 1.30 pm. for this tight mystery thriller (The first and only play actually written by Agatha Christie featuring Hercule Poirot)

Production  dates    22^nd. – 26^th. October

Rehearsals commencing early September

  

CAST REQUIRED

TREADWELL       (the butler)       50 plus

LUCIA AMORY    (Richard’s wife) attractive  

                                                25 - 30                                                                                                  

MISS CAROLINE AMORY   (Sir Claude’s younger sister)   Straitlaced spinster 60’ish

RICHARD AMORY  (Sir Claude’s son)  30 – 40

BARBARA AMORY    (Sir Claude’s niece) 30’s

EDWARD RAYNOR   (Sir Claude’s secretary)  

                                                35 - 40                                                      

DR. CARELLI     Italian/Spanish sinister 30’s

SIR CLAUDE AMORY       Scientist   65 - 75

HERCULE POIROT  Not a David Suchet look-

                                       a-like  50 - 60                                                                                           

CAPT.HASTINGS   Poirot’s sidekick   50 – 60

DR GRAHAM                   40 plus

INSP. JAPP           Scotland Yard Insp. 40 –60

JOHNSON              Police constable        20 – 30

 

Audition pieces will be available in the box office from Monday May 3^rd. If you are interested but cannot attend on  the 29^th. or would like more information re. the characters please don’t hesitate to telephone Peter on      952 887 372

Peter Brooks  

April Committee report

We began with a nice surprise in that FOTA member and stalwart Stage manager, Gloria Harding, came to say thanks for the CCTV system FOTA have had installed backstage. Having been in two shows recently I can vouch for the benefit it provides not just for the stage crew but also for the poor soul waiting to go on. It was really nice to have the efforts of all FOTA members recognised like this and we hope that the system will not only continue to prove really useful but that we can look at it in operation and improve it if necessary.

Our 'matters arising' included the information that the Facebook Group we have set up to keep members informed had 106 members. (now up to 113 members). If you haven't joined it is Fuengirola's Theatre Friends.

The lunch at Casa Rustica in February had 18 members and guests and the raffle raised 35 euros.

The trip to Grazalema was a very British success as smiles won over adversity thrown by the weather. We couldn't go on exactly the route planned but everyone enjoyed the alternative thought up by Juan and a profit was made.
The financial report from the Treasurer showed a healthy balance and 1000 euros was handed over to the theatre.
We discussed whether it was appropriate to hold an AGM as we are in a constitutional limbo at present but we will go ahead and we set a date of May 12th. Notices have been displayed.

And that was it. We finished at just after 100 which enabled those of us Breaking The Code to get home and have some lunch before the evening performance.