NORTH EAST REGION
1 Plumpton Cottages
Bents Drive
Sheffield
S11 9RN
January 2014
To: Societies and Individual Members
NORTH EAST REGION GALA WEEKEND
The Spa Bridlington - Friday 11th to Sunday 13th April 2014
The PROGRAMME AND APPLICATION FORMS are enclosed. These cover the whole weekend including the Friday afternoon activities.
This year we are again at The Spa, Bridlington and we have a superb weekend, offering great value with events to suit everyone. There has been only a slight (£1.00) increase in ticket prices from last year’s levels.
There will be no restriction on the number of tickets that can be applied for but as always tickets will be allocated on a strictly first come first served basis. We are aiming this year to despatch the tickets late February, so please apply early.
The Annual General Meeting will be held on the Saturday afternoon. It is an important part of the weekends programme and I really would like to see lots of attendees. We will be announcing the award winners for the Regional Programme and Poster Competition (The awards presentations will still take place on the Sunday morning) Whilst I hope to get everything right, it another chance for you to make comparisons with my predecessors and score my efforts accordingly.
Friday afternoon – We are again offering you both golf and bowling. For those less energetic there is a trip to Flamborough Lighthouse or watch the film ‘Singing in the Rain’ – with afternoon tea – in the Spa Theatre.
Wine stations will be open both during the afternoon and during the reception prior to the dinner to take orders for wine.
Cabarets – Friday night will repeat the successful format introduced last year. South Yorkshire Musical Comedy Society will present a single performance of their cabaret ‘Musicals Rock!’ in the Royal Hall after the meal. Those who are not attending the dinner will be admitted into the balcony area of the Royal Hall in time for the single performance. Our usual Sing Song with Alan Makinson on keyboard will commence once the cabaret performance has completed. On Saturday evening The Bradford Players will perform two houses of ‘Shout! The first at 6.00pm and the second at 7.30pm, with a piano bar available whilst the second house is in progress.
This is a shorter version than the full production and is performed by kind permission of Josef Weinburger Ltd.
ON THE TICKET APPLICATION YOU ARE ASKED TO GIVE YOUR PREFERENCE AS TO WHETHER YOU PREFER THE FIRST OR SECOND CABARET PERFORMANCE. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL GET YOUR PREFERENCE BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST.
Saturday Morning Workshops – This year we have again increased the number of workshops from five to six to provide a wider selection from which to choose. To enable even more choice some of the workshops are a duration of 1 hour and are being run twice. This will enable you to attend two different workshops if you wish.
The main workshop in the Royal Hall is a Musical Theatre experience. “Shout!” a Singing, Dance and Movement Workshop with Amy Atkinson and Neil Balfour. This is a chance to sample the normal Royal Hall dance and movement workshop but with a singing dimension.
“Stage Combat” with Richard Griffins. This workshop will provide attendees with several basic stage fighting techniques and an understanding of the illusion of performance. Workshop run twice. Tickets are limited.
“Theatrical Make- Up & Prosthetic with Natasha Jordan. This session is designed to give a practical introduction to prosthetic make-up. You will produce a highly realistic severed finger using casting techniques and specialist make-up. Tickets are limited.
“Health & Safety In The Theatre” a key subject these days and presented by Neil Maidman. Neil provides the NODASAFE facility for members. It is a theatre focussed presentation. Come and pick up some tips to ensure that your group complies with this complex and ever changing legal minefield. Tickets are limited.
“Social Media and AmateurTheatre” with Bryan Craven. This workshop will provide attendees with ideas and techniques that will help with your audience development. Tickets are limited.
“Auditioning Techniques” with David and Marie Collins. This workshop will demonstrate practical tips and techniques for successful singing auditions to ensure you give the best performance on the day. Workshop run twice. Tickets are limited.
Todd Miller and the Joe Loss Orchestra and Singing Stars are back with us for the Ball on Saturday evening.
Sunday Morning – we will be presenting the award winners for the Programme and Poster Competition and recipients of NODA Summer School Bursaries followed by our Guest Speaker. This year we are most fortunate to have Tricia Stewart, one of the original Calendar Girls. Tricia is an experienced speaker and you never know we may get to learn a few secrets relating to this unique story.
Minimum age limit – we have again set the minimum age for attendance at the Weekend to be 18 years.
Theatrical Trade Exhibitors will be on the Balcony of the Royal Hall together with the display of the entries into the Programme and Poster Competitions. Please support all our friends in the theatrical trades – it is the one chance each year that you get to talk to them in person and discuss your society’s needs and problems.
Lunches – Lunches will be available at The Spa on a cash basis on all three days.
Car parking – Pay and display parking (roadside and car parks) is available near the Spa. Parking vouchers for street parking near your hotel should available from your hotel.
Special Plea - video clips loaded on YouTube and similar sites which feature the workshops and cabarets of our Weekend do breach copyright and we respectfully ask our guests not to do so.
Your Regional Committee and I look forward to seeing you at The Spa Bridlington, and I am sure that we will all give a great North East welcome to our President, Bert Lumsden and his wife Anne, our Chairman of Trustees, Chris Ingram and his wife Mary and our other guests at what promises to be a great NODA North East Weekend. Hope to see you all there. Let’s have a full house.
David Streeter
Councillor, NODA North East