Painting the Chekov

The colour scheme of the Chekov Room wasn't popular. In fact it was hated by many and a decision was taken that a repaint was needed. Of course the theatre doesn't have the money for anything as frivolous as employing a painter to come in and do it so the Committee of FOTA volunteered (or worse) and these are some pictures of the event. It is only fair to say that most of the work was done by John Pyne but I hope you'll agree that now we can score ten for artistic merit (especially the bit over the door into the balcony)









Planning the work
So the green and the orange had to go

















We've gone for plum on the bottom



John and Helen are putting white on the top of the wall























once Helen got started the wall didn't stand a chance

Come and see it soon

Planning for the Autumn

It's a bit early but thoughts of cooler days ahead are welcome at the moment. If you have left the coast to enjoy life in UK or other parts of the world it is unrelntingly hot here so what better time to get out our diaries and plan for the Autumn.
The last committee meeting decided :

Lunches: October 6th - Casa Dori
November 6th - Peppers at Dona Sofia
December 11th - Christmas lunch at El Brujo

Trips: October 23rd - Jaen and an Anise plant
November 27th - Rute or Estepa to visit a chocolate factory

Events: October 11th - Fashion Show (awaiting confirmation)
November 16th - Book Sale
December 6th - Christmas Bazaar

Of course everything is subject to change (when isn't it?) so the most important date is the first one you can make to come and say hello at the desk. We'll be there in September.

draft Minutes of the AGM

FOTA Friends of the Theatre Association

Minutes of the AGM held May 14th 2008.

The meeting was called to order on the second call at 7.30 p.m. The President thanked the 20 members for attending.

Board Members present: President David Radford, Treasurer Arthur Hill, Secretary Graham Cherry, Jaquie Brierley, Gina Foster, Lynn Halliday, Pauline Naylor, Pat Suart, Norma Wilson and Helen Young.

Apologies were received from Y.Peake, Mr and Mrs Pollard, Ted Schepers.

Minutes of the AGM held May 22nd 2007 were taken as read and there were no matters arising.

Presidents Report was read by David Radford. Copies were available for members present. He concluded by highlighting the observation that whilst the trips and the lunches had shown profits for the Association’s funds the ageing of the membership had resulted in two normally profitable events being cancelled because of the physical demands.
Acceptance of the report was proposed by Mr Harding and seconded by Mr Suart.


Treasurers Report

Copies of the report were given to members. The Treasurer made the following observations:
Income from raffles had doubled
The evening dinner had been a great success and he hoped for more
There had been the same number of trips as last year but profit had doubled.
This year there had been four events whereas the previous year there had been seven so income from events was down.
Revenue from the cards had increased by one third.
The major expenditure item had been the hard wired system at 3,748.90 euros but overall expenditure had gone down.
Current Assets totaled 17,352.60 euros
The working profit for this year was 8,616.23 euros and this compared with 5995.445 euros for last year.
The acceptance of the report was proposed by Mrs Harding and seconded by Mrs Akers.

The President commented that the figures for the coming year for profits from recycled cards would be down because stocks of blanks were low.
It was hoped to expand sales of books on the desk, an experiment currently showing success.

Election of Officers:

The post of President was vacant.
The sole nomination was David Radford. He was proposed by Mrs Harding and seconded by Mr Chalkley. He was elected unanimously for a two year term.

The retiring members of the Committee were AH. GF. JB. PN.
They were re elected unopposed and unanimously.

The President informed the meeting that Helen Tomlinson was prepared to join the committee. She was proposed by Doreen Slater and seconded by Ana Atteck.

Any Other Business:

Ana Atteck asked how funds were transferred to SALVA. It was explained that SALVA request items and then the FOTA Committee will approve the expenditure or not. Indeed last year it was decided not to fund some items on SALVA’s wishlist.
This produced a number of comments:
Gina Foster, as President of SALVA, said that bringing the building up to standards had been very expensive. At one point the authorities had closed the building for Fire Precaution work to take place and shows had been cancelled. The electrical surge had cost 100,000 euros to put right. Although audiences and cast see a ‘profitable’ show, costs had rocketed and were now running at 200,000 euros a year. Income was on target to meet this but a stringent watch had to be kept on the finances. Currently SALVA have 30,000 euros in reserve and the summer to see through.
The wishlist from SALVA this year would include items not normally within FOTA’s remit. Among them are:
Smoke Hazer
Replacing the floor at the front of the stage
4 monitor speakers
lantern replacements
new tools for the resident stage manager
recovering legs and flats
motor for the motorised lights
painting the Chekhov Room

D Slater thought the lighting in the Chekhov should be improved.
The opinion was expressed by a number of those present that the Sound Headsets paid for by FOTA were not fit for purpose. There were real problems with the lack of flexibility and trailing wires when working backstage on big musicals. Gina Foster (for SALVA) said they would be modified with longer leads this summer and Eddie Barnett (SALVA) confirmed this and said that the alternative of leadless headsets would have cost 25,000 euros. Concerns about backstage safety of cast and crew continued to be expressed.

Lynn Barnett, as a representative of SALVA, thanked FOTA for agreeing to the wishlist. She amplified the information concerning expenditure on the theatre by adding that the whole of the electrical work cost 220,000 euros. With the theatre subject to instant inspection there was no option but to keep things up to date. She confirmed that the theatre was re building its reserves.

Peter Owen asked whether air conditioning was planned. It was explained that noise, electrical interference to the sound system and the structure of the building all make anything other than the present arrangement impossible. A recent estimate, which failed to meet some of these problems, was for 42,000 euros. Even if the technical problems were overcome the cost would be prohibitive.

B Suart put on record his appreciation of the work done and funds raised by FOTA

The business meeting concluded with a presentation to Gina Foster to mark her period as President of FOTA.

The business meeting was followed by a demonstration of the potential of the sound system which was greatly appreciated.

This week's committee meeting

Let's start with the bad news. Pressure of work has meant that Sian can't run the Fashion Show for us. She has been really busy these past few weeks getting the costumes together first for the musical evening and then for the Railway Children. Anna has set this in 1940ish so there has been a great deal to do adapting and making costumes for the period and she is working hard against the deadline of tonight's final dress rehearsal. Then she has been cast in a leading part in 'Nunsense' with lots of rehearsal requirements so something had to go and, not surprisingly, it was the Fashion Show. The committee didn't express even a hint of criticism for the decision so we hope you will be just as understanding. That doesn't mean we have given up on the idea and we hope that we will be able to do something in October. If you were planning to inspect your wardrobe or thinking of helping out then go right ahead!

While we are on the subject of the Railway Children (well sort of) don't forget it opens tomorrow night for a three night run. It's a lovely show and while you will laugh during it, I am pretty sure you will come out with a cheery grin at the end. I admit to being just a bit prejudiced!

Hot Springs. The last blog covered this trip and there are still places on the coach.

Our AGM

Next Wednesday May 14th is the AGM. Not normally something members get too excited about but there a couple of reasons to come. First we are going to have a demonstration (about 20 minutes) of the sound capabilities of the systems FOTA have raised funds for. If you ever wanted to be in an airport when a helicopter landed on your head........

Then we have, hopefully, someone from SALVA coming to tell us about the theatre's current position. We have had a request for a cash grant from our funds. Our policy has always been to consider requests and buy items which enhance theatre going pleasures and not simply be a 'hand over cash' organisation. We must consider whether this should change.

Another decision we need to take is to elect a President. Leadership is an important matter and for many years it has been in Gina's capable hands. With her move to President of SALVA David Radford took over as President. He will be standing now for the next two years. At the moment he is unopposed but nominations have not closed.

Finally we have to consider next season - not necessarily at the AGM though that would be a good place to do so - and any ideas are welcome. We had an interesting one recently when the Art exhibition at Gaucin - modelled on the very successful idea of the Brighton Festival of opening artists' homes as exhibition spaces - was drawn to our attention. Too late for this year but could be an excellent idea for next. It all came as a surprise to the committee and we wonder whether there more good ideas out there that you assume we know about.

The next report will be after the AGM so if I don't see you at 'The Railway Children' I shall hope to see you there.

The Hot Springs.

Our last trip of this season is set for Thursday May 22nd when we set off for the Hot Springs and the beautiful town of Alhama de Granada.
Here water rich in sulphates and magnesium has bubbled out of the ground to the delight of mankind since pre historic times at a rate of 80 litres a second and a temperature of 47C. The Romans loved the place but the glory days were from the 12th century when the Moors built their baths - still there - and the town became the favourite of the rulers of Granada. Today the baths are still a relaxing and popular way to relieve stress and aches and pains.
The stimulating effect of the waters by the river bank has convinced the locals that swimming in the river, where it has cut a gorge and the hot water from the spring joins the cooler waters from the mountains, is a local remedy especially good for the less pleasant after effects of spending too much time in the nightclubs of the city.

But it isn't just the baths to see. One recent comment on a tavel site said of Alhama:

A magnificent Gorge that, in my opinion, rivals Ronda but without the tourists.


As usual our trip includes a break for breakfast and a lunch.

Book at the FOTA desk at the theatre Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Fashion Show Saturday May 17th sees our fashion show on the theatre forecourt. We have been given donations already but would be delighted with more. It is being organised for us by Sian Hopkins and Liz Pollard so will be really worth going to.

Finally don't forget our AGM which is on Wednesday May 14th at 7.00.

Notice of AGM

FOTA

AGM

The Annual General Meeting of FOTA for this year will be held in the theatre on

Wednesday May 14th

First Call 7.00

Agenda:

1. Attendance and Apologies

2. Minutes of the 2007 AGM

3. Matters Arising

4. Presidents Report

5. Treasurers Report

6. Election of Officers

7. Any Other Business

Due to the resignation of the last elected President the meeting will need to elect a President. The Treasurer is also due to retire and seconded nominations for election can be left at the FOTA desk. Seconded nominations may also be made from the floor of the meeting.

Membership nominations were due on January 1^st. Outstanding subscriptions may be made on the evening of the AGM. Only paid up members can attend the meeting or submit nominations.

Genal Valley amongst other things.

The Genal Valley is our substitute for the cancelled trip to Ubeda. The area from around Ronda back towards the coast has long been famous as the 'White Villages' of Andalucia. Whatever the origen of the 'whiteness' it is now a source of fierce pride to have the village looking immaculate. Woe betide the housewife who doesn't make sure the walls are sparkling in the Andalucian sun. The villages climb up, often very steep, hills and mountains and usually possess at least a fort from Arab times. Sometimes even a picturesque castle knocked about a bit by Ferdinand and Isabella and Father Time. Some pictures to whet your appetite:


Above is Olvera. The Church and the castle dominate the town and both are worth exploring.
To the right is Algar.










This is Grazalema which has the distinction of being the wettest place in Spain. We will keep our fingers crossed no umbrellas are needed.

At the top is a picture of Sentenil de la Bodega. On our last trip to the white villages Juan, who is our usual driver, had the most incredible driving problem here. The street was very narrow and someone had parked inconsiderately (I know it is hard to believe that such things can happen in Spain) He got through with literally a centimetre to spare on either side of his coach but halfway through the manoevre most of us thought he would get stuck with us inside the coach and not enough room for even the skinniest of us to get out. I don't know who felt they deserved a drink the most when we got down the bottom. The bars here are made out of caves and so unusual we just had to go in. So, too, are many of the houses. A fascinating and very pretty town.








There may even be a Roman ruin for you to see.


As usual Gina will be stopping for a breakfast break of tostado and coffee and lunch is included. The trip is a very modest 25 euros.



Other news and plans

We have had some really successful lunches recently both in terms of the numbers of members attending and the general quality of the meal. It was especially nice that a new (to us) restaurant in the middle of Fuengirola proved to be a hit. Take a bow 'Casa Dori' and if you feel like checking them out they are just by the entrance to the underground car park opposite the Tourist Office.
Our next lunch is at the Primavera on April 3rd. Over 40 members gathered too for a great evening out at the Kon Tiki in Los Boliches. . There was general agreement that this should not be the only time we went for an evening 'do' and at the last Committee meeting we decided to investigate a beach side restaurant for early June. I have a feeling that even with so many members heading back to the rain and cold(!) we'll have a good crowd.

The trip for April will be to the Lobo (Wolf) Park. The park is just outside Antequera and we will spend some time there in this ancient and important town. Date is April 17th.




We had a FOTA trip to see the Wolves at night and hear them howling.
Absolutely fascinating.









I've told you about the Fashion Show before and now the date is definitely fixed for May 17th.
A note for your diary.

As the point of FOTA is to keep the theatre going here are some dates for you to set aside:


28th March to April 1st - An Inspector Calls

11th April to 15th April - Uncle Vanya

25th - 29th April - a Lizz Freeman Musical Revue

9th - 11th May - one for the younger members of the family - The Railway Children and note two important things here. The show finishes on Sunday so no performances on Monday or Tuesday and I'm in it.

23rd - 28th May - the final show of the year is Nunsense.

Everyone on the Committee looks forward to seeing members on the theatre terrace and we hope that will include you soon.

Saturday March 1st

The trip to Jaen has had to be cancelled. Quite simply we couldn't get the numbers needed to make it viable. To those who booked we can only say sorry. But we have fixed up a day trip to the Genal Valley and the White Villages, particularly Gaucin and Manilva for March 27th. Full details at the desk.

Thanks to those who came and bought at the booksale. It went well but we have plenty of books left for the next one!

Our trip to Jaen,Ubeda and Baeza

Let me start by saying how pleased we were with the response to the trip to Priego de Cordoba. A full coach, no less, and good weather in a bad week. Feedback so far has been good although a little disappointment was expressed by some who thought they would see glories as great as are on offer at Ubeda and Baeza. Next just a little reminder that next Tuesday February 28th we have an evening social dinner at the Kon Tiki restaurant in Los Boliches.

If you have been dithering( and don't we all) about our trip to Jaen to take in Ubeda please make your mind up soon. We are fast approaching a deadsline for confirming the trip and need to be pretty sure of the numbers. As a help here is a Youtube video of Ubeda. It's in Spanish and it's only part one but part two and other videos are on Youtube and you can get a good idea of the attractions of the town.
We will have an English speaking guide throughout the trip which will be invaluable in understanding how such beautiful towns came to exist on the edge of Andalucia.


We shall be staying in
JAEN Capital of the province of that name at the Hotel Torres 1
Villanueva del Arzobispo

Cost: 230 euros
to include coffee on the way, all meals and final lunch

Finally, our hardworking Treasurer, Arthur, had an accident last weekend and broke a bone in his foot. If you haven't seen him perform at the theatre - he was the General in 'And Then There Was None' and had only just opened as Lane in 'The Importance of Being Earnest'- then you must have met him on a Wednesday morning manning the FOTA desk at the theatre. I am sure you will join me in wishing him a speedy recovery.

Spring Programme

A busy committee meeting this week has put together some plans which move the emphasis of FOTA a little more to the social side. We hope that you will enjoy some - or all - of these events. I'll put a little more detail about them as they come up. Meanwhile if you want to come on the trip to Priego de Cordoba (see the last post) you will have to get a move on. We already have 50 booked so only a few seats left. It's great to see that FOTA members are so keen to experience the beauty of Andalucia.

Starting with our popular lunch programme. We are off to El Cisne in Fish Alley tomorrow and again we have a nice sized group of friends going. Then on March 6th we try a new venue. Members who are resident in the Pueblo Lucia area have been telling us how good a local Spanish restaurant is. Casa Dori is just off Jesus Santos Rein about halfway between the market and the horses head roundabout. After that it is back to old favourites of Primavera, Europa (now remodelled) and Antonio Videra, more later on these.

Our March trip is longer than usual. Three days two nights to Jaen,Ubeda and Baeza. I shall post this separately but for now the reason for the trip is that these towns are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built largely by a 16th century dynasty who ruled Spain in the absence of Charles V at a time when gold was flowing in from America they are regarded as jewels of the Renaissance. Dates are March 25th - 27th and the cost 230 euros.
On April 17th we are going to Antequera and then Lobo Park during daylight (we had a fantastic night time visit there a couple of years ago). I never knew that Wolves could be so interesting and so different from the stories of legend

We are trying out something new on February 26th. Large lunches are not to everyone's taste so we thought an evening social dinner might be a good idea. After every show there is a dinner for the cast and everyone who has worked on it as well as their friends. We have been told how good the Kon Tiki in Los Boliches has been so we have booked to go there.

March 1st sees the forecourt of the theatre transformed into a bookshop for our booksale. Although Gina's garage is stuffed full of books we appreciate very much anyone who makes it a bring and buy. With the exquisite taste of our members(!!!) we can ensure that it is a morning for bibliophiles.

May 3rd sees the return of the fashion show. This time in the very capable hands of Sian and Liz from the theatre's wardrobe department as Maggie is off on holiday. Some donations have been made already and I am told there is some very good stuff there.

As these events come up I'll post more details, hopefully with some pictures to break things up a bit. For now I know that the whole committee joins me in saying that we hope you will like this programme and we will look forward to seeing as many of you as can make it as often as you can make it.

Priego de Cordoba

Day Trip February 21st


Priego de Cordoba, described in one guide as 'an unmissable stop on the Caliphate Route' lies at the foot of La Tinosa, Cordoba's highest mountain.





At the centre of the town is the Ayuntamiento and everything is an easy walk from here







Priego came to prominence under the Moors who ruled from the invasion to 1225 and then from 1327 to 1340 when it became a Christian town permanently. From these times comes the splendid Moorish castle.




The layout of the town with its narrow winding streets is a reminder of these times.








The conquest did the town no favours and it became a quiet backwater until the Dukes of Medinaceli arrived in 1711. Prosperity followed based on the silk industry. The great wealth generated was spent on creating buildings in the Baroque style. Today the textile industry is no more but the Palaces and Churches remain.









This is just one interior. The guide books have a list of a dozen or so to feast the eyes. I suspect a couple will be enough!







So come with us through the Andalucian countryside to the town of Priego de Cordoba.
The trip includes lunch and a coffee break and costs 30 euros.
Book on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings between 11.30 and 1.15.

Congratulations but sadness gloom and despondency

SALVA held their AGM last night and with Elsa retiring, a new president was elected. The vote was between FOTA President Gina Foster and Geoffrey Bennets and by a narrow margin of two votes aGina was chosen. So it is congratulations to her but misery for us as Gina has to resign as our President. We have a Vice President in David Radford who will be taking over and our next committee meeting will have to decide how we re organise. Meanwhiile, of course, howver sad we feel that Gina is leaving us we are delighted for her and know that she will be totally supportive of our efforts in the future.
SALVA's AGM was also noticeable for the announcement by the Treasurer John Mack that after 18 years he will not be seeking re-election at the next AGM and would hope to help ease a successor in before then.
With Elsa retiring completely there was a vacancy on the Board and this was filled by Eddie Barnett.
There has been some uncertainty in the recent past over the lease at the theatre and the Board told us that a five year renewal had been agreed. This is a great relief after the tremendous
expenditure of the past few years particularly in getting the electrical supply sorted out. We were told that all official documentation on that is due to be completed in the next few days and with the theatre in reasonable shape and the bank acoount heading towards full health we can be confident about the immediate future.

December update

The camera is still away for the third time this year so no photos yet of the Ronda trip and there were no excuses for skiving off during the Christmas Bazaar this year to take some to put here. The Christmas Lunch is still to come this Thursday. Last chance to book is on Wednesday. We hope to have about 50 there and with both candidates for the SALVA presidential election the night before, promising to come there will be a chance to speak with the new President. Of course you may prefer the dancing girls. And I have been promised the food is good too.

There is no news yet of how much we raised last Saturday at the bazaar but I hope that I can post that soon. We were very lucky with the weather. When I got up there was a very strong wind and as I drove over the top of the A7 the gale was buffeting the traffic but somehow Fuengirola missed that and we had both calm and sunshine. There were rehearsals taking place for the panto and for 'The Importance of being Earnest' which helped swell the numbers on the forecourt so it was a nice busy morning. Many thanks to all who helped and to all who came to buy. I hope you think you got good value from the morning. To show how highly regarded we are as soon as the car got to the top of the A7 on the way home the gales started again!

We had a committee meeting last week and were able to confirm that there will be a trip to Priego de Cordoba on February 21st next year and then a three day trip to Jaen on March 25th,26th and 27th to take in the wonderful Renaissance towns of Baeza and Ubeda. I'll do a little research and post information about these towns shortly but they all figure pretty heavily in the publicity and promotion of Andalucia as they are so special.
If I don't get around to posting again beforehand the whole committee of FOTA wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Christmas Trip on November 29th to Rute

Our last trip before Christmas is to Rute. This is a small town on the borders of Malaga and Granada famous for some lovely things you can give as Christmas presents to the friend who has everything.
Starting from outside Solbank on the Mijas Road we will head off along the motorway past Malaga and through the mountains to the plains of Antequera. It will be back into hills and mountains until Rute - stopping of course for breakfast. Rute is in the Parque natural de las Sierras Subbéticas Cordobesas, set beside a large reservoir lake and surrounded by olive orchards. Like many Andalucian towns it can trace its history back to the Romans although there is not much more than a muslim castle to show before the Christian building of the late Middle Ages. It still describes itself as a white village with its picturesque central square next to the distillery. Rute has a lot of those and that is the first idea for a Christmas present. On offer is the main product of Anis but they also make Pacharanes (haven't found a translation) Morello cherry and Rose liqueurs. Our trip includes a visit to a distillery and if it is the same one as last time you will also see a rather good Belen.
If a liqueur doesn't tempt the Santa in you we will also visit a producer of Dulces de Navidad. The region is famous for Chocolates and for Olive Oil - a good extra Virgen Olive Oil has proved an excellent present in the past and who can resist special chocolates.
We are already half way to a full coach - and the Ronda trip filled the coach completely - so if you want to go on this one the desk is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It costs 30 euros

Christmas Bazaar
If you didn't get all your presents on the trip to Rute we have our Christmas Bazaar on the forecourt on Saturday December 8th. Margaret W has been busy making Cakes etc for her stall and there will also be homemade marmalade on offer. David will be selling his Christmas Cards and there will be a Bottle stall, White Elephant, Lucky Dip and Raffle. It is always a pleasant social occasion even if you don't buy - though we hope you will.

Cards
Having mentioned David's cards just another plug. David works all year to recycle Christmas, Birthday and other cards. The result is a greener world and very reasonably priced cards for all occasions. At this time of the year you will find him every morning in the foyer.

Lunches
We have just had a very enjoyable lunch at Casa Rustica where the standard of the food and service was lauded. Our next lunch will be our Christmas lunch at El Brujo in El Coto. The price is 20 euros and after the great way we were looked after last year places are going fast.

Day Out to Ronda

I had wanted the report on our day out to Ronda to include some of the photos I took but technology doesn't always do what you want it to. They look great on the view screen on the camera but won't transfer to the computer. I guess I will have to learn how to set photos in this text if Fujifilm ever get round to replying to my e mails asking about yet another repair.
We were lucky with the weather which is a good start. The forecast had made us a bit fearful but it started well and stayed really good all day. The coach took us via an unexpected visit to La Cala de Mijas and then back through Churriana to Ardales where we stopped for coffee and a local bread with olive oil or the more English butter and jam. Ardales is a fairly typical 'white town' but the building development seen all around here is increasing its size all the time. Where the old town has a jumble appearance the new edge has the serried ranks of terrace housing . At least it is white and more or less the same size and scale as the older parts of town. We didn't go in which was just as well. Having done it previously in my small car the tiny streets are a nightmare.
Next stop was Ronda and we had a couple of hours there before lunch. It's a bit pointless commenting on the town as it is so well known and documented. The sun was out and visibility excellent so we had great views over the countryside. The local wildlife put on a good show for us with birds of prey (so I don't know whether it was a hawk or an eagle or a falcon!) circling round and disappearing back into the cliff. There wasn't enough time to do anything except wander through the town before it was back to the coach and on to lunch. The setting of the restaurant was excellent. The gardens were a little Autumnal but quite attractive and to the delight of many the trees were full of mistletoe. A little rehearsal for Christmas was considered necessary. Lunch itself was frankly a disappointment. Any further visit to Ronda will plan on having lunch in the town. There were some really nice looking restaurants in and around the town square which had a good menu del dia at moderate cost.
Then we were ready for the high spot of the day. The train is an ordinary service from Cordoba to Algeciras so nothing special there. What was very special indeed was the scenery en route. I was late on the train so finished up with my back to the engine sitting on the right hand side. Turned out to be perfect. As the train went through the mountains I could look up the valleys. By this time of the year most of Andalucia is brown even after the September rain. The valleys had their tints of brown and gold but were still mainly green except where the rock showed through which it did often. Lots of patches of cultivation and small villages or even just a Cortijo. It may not have lasted long (about one and a half hours) but I can quite see how it was included in some lists of great railway journeys of the world.
Finally on to Algeciras and home.
It would be nice to have posted some pictures. Even if I have to write to Japan I am going to get some here!

Autumn Report

Trip to Ronda is booking really well which isn't surprising as it is exceptionally good value at 35 euros to include a coffee stop at a mountain venta and lunch. As of yesterday morning there were five places left on the coach.
Lunch. Our last lunch was enjoyed by all who went so if you would like a sociable time come along to the desk on Moday, Wednesday or Friday and book for Casa Rustica on November 8th. It costs 11 euros.
Booksale: The Booksale last Saturday raised over 200 euros for the theatre. Thanks to everyone who came along and said hello and especially to those of you who either bought books or brought along new stock. There was some good stuff. Our next forecourt event will be the Christmas Bazaar on December 8th. If you can help in any way, say by producing something which you enjoy as a hobby, please come and talk to one of the Committee at the desk.
Christmas Cards. Our most successful fundraiser is David who is now selling his recycled Christmas Cards in the bar. They are very attractive and very reasonable which is an important consideration with the high postage cost of staying in touch with friends in England. He can even organise special cards and personalised ones for you but don't leave that too late.

The theatre is now in the middle of a sellout run of 'Evita' - lots of disappointed customers yesterday, when I was on the desk, who had thought it was just hype when full house for the run was posted. I was there for the first night and was delighted with a really good show. It was especially pleasing to see some new, and very good, faces in the cast. Life on the coast for thirty somethings can be hard going if you are trying to fit in rehearsals with family and work so fingers are being crossed that these performers can keep going.
The next show is 'Pack of Lies' which is performed by the Ubiquitous Theatre Company who have visited us in the past. It is the true story of the Krogers, Russian spies at the centre of the Portland spy case, and their neighbours. It is a play frequently performed around the world mainly because it is totally absorbing. Ubuquitous have well earned reputation to live up to so a good evening is in prospect. For trivia enthusiasts and Gardeners World watchers one of the central characters in the story is a young girl who grew up to be the gardening presenter Gay Search.
Don't forget we are looking forward to seeing you!

Trip to Ronda

October 25th

Our first Autumn trip takes us by coach to Ronda. We stop on the way for a breakfast break high up on the mountain and then on to one of the most beautiful cities in Andalucia. With only a short stop and with so much to do it's up to you how to spend the time. Particularly special are the bridge and the adjoining terraces for more coffee or the bullring and museum where many believe the modern corrida began. If neither appeal we'll have some other ideas for you.
Then it is lunch which is included in the price. The high point of the trip comes next with the spectacular train journey to Algeciras through the mountains and valleys, white villages and woods, a journey thought by many worthy of inclusion in the 'Great Railway Journeys of the World'.
The coach will then pick us up just outside Algeciras to bring us back to Fuengirola.

We are only charging 35 euros for all this - check commercial operators on Google and you will see that not only are you up for a fantastic day out, it is a bargain and you are helping to keep English Theatre going on the Costa del Sol.

See us Monday Wednesday or Friday on the theatre forecourt.

Autumn is almost here

It is over 30 outside my little air conditioned bubble but summer is almost over and it is time to think about the Autumn. The theatre is getting off to a 'new' start. John and Dan have been working hard to redecorate the inside and hide some of the tubes and cables that we don't want to look at when we sit there waiting for that famous announcement telling us to switch off our mobile phones. Much has also been done in that funny box on the balcony which we seldom think about and would be completely lost without, so with even better sound and lighting and visual appeal we have a good start to the season ahead. Rehearsals are well under way for Evita and the box office opens next week.

Next Monday, too, our FOTA desk opens and we will be delighted to see you.

Our first offering is a lunch at 'Antonio Verdera' on October 4th We went there last year and the reviews were unanimously good. It is important to get our lunch season off to a good start and we are confident we will.

Then on October 25th we have our first trip. We leave Fuengirola by coach for Ronda and then take the train through the countryside towards Algeciras. The journey takes about 1 hour 45 minutes and according to the pages I found in Google is really something special. This should take you to one of them http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/home.htm

Our remaining event for October is a Book Sale on the theatre forecourt on October 13th.

Here's to a good year

Next Season

While I was away in Santiago de Compostela (wet, since you ask) next season's programme was announced. We have two visiting productions with 'The Sunshine Boys' kicking off things in September. This was a wonderful movie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau, written by Neil Simon (remember The Odd Couple?). It was originally a Broadway hit in 1972. Then there is 'Pack of Lies' by Hugh Whitmore. This is the true story of the friendship between an English couple and their neighbours - in Ruislip -who turned out to be Russian Spies. It has been a huge hit as both a stage play and a film. As someone who worked in Ruislip and was in the play in Brighton I shall look forward to it.
Then the theatres 'own' productions with 'Evita' and 'And Then There Were None'. If you haven't been back to the last two posts you have missed - well go and look. 'And Then There Were None' is an Agatha Christie and will intrigue you. Always difficult with Agatha to say very much and I can't even tell you whether I did it!!
The next biggie is really intriguing. It's 'Evita' again, this time in Spanish. With the cast being bi lingual it is both a brilliant opportunity to brush up on our Spanish and do something to entertain the locals.
Then there is the panto. This year it is 'Babes in the Wood'. With some of the musical weekenders planned as well this gives us all a lot to look forward to.
Our own FOTA programme will be announced soon and we are kicking off with a trip to Ronda and then by the special train to Algeciras. Should be a really good day out and we will look forward to seeing you on the theatre forecourt to talk about it.

The AGM (and Chita Rivera in Evita)

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The draft minutes from the AGM are done now. The meeting was very unSpanish in that it only lasted 26 minutes partly because there wasn't anything controversial. We had a good year with just over 5000 euros raised from our activities but more importantly a lot of people enjoyed themselves on the trips and at the lunches. Next week we will be having at least two meetings to discuss what the options are for spending some or all - or even maybe a little bit more - of it. The AGM came up with a couple of ideas so we'll see.
Last night there was a fiery display of Spanish dancing from Azabache, a flamenco school in Fuengirola. We kept to Spanish time - scheduled start at 9.30, actual start at 10 to 10 and finish at 12.15. It was really worth the late night and I can thoroughly recommend the show if they do it next year. The theatre was about half full and the languages in the bar showed what a mix of nationalities there are in this part of Spain.
Now to the nerve wracking bit. If you read the last post you'll know that auditions for Evita are next weekend. You will also have noted that there two posts of Antonio Banderas from the film. I don't know how I managed to get two and I couldn't find the way of deleting one of them. If you know please get in touch! Anyway here is another try. This time it is Chita Rivera singing 'Buenos Aires' from the Tony awards show in 1985.