Some of our members on their experience as part of "Opening Doors":
Jackie Kearns:
I was excited to be involved in Opening Doors at Southwark Playhouse as the first performance in its new theatre. It showed the commitment of the Playhouse to its community and support for its 3 theatre groups, the Young Company, the Elders Company and Peoples Company, as all 3 companies collaborated in this production. Covid 19 meant reconceiving Opening Doors as a radio play, but the presence of theatre remains. Our two main characters are Theatre and Jean Genie, the essence of the community, as the latter introduces Theatre to the area in an historical journey through Walworth and Southwark, revealing the bond of community and theatre.
We loved putting the lives of local people, real and imagined, on the stage.
Angie Lieu
It was my first time ever doing a radio play and I enjoyed being part of the show!
I felt like there was a real sense of community and we had plenty of direction, guidance and rehearsals. Every week new ideas would come to light and be incorporated into the script which was lovely to see, as it felt like we really had an impact on the work that was being written for us and the show. It was strange not being in a physical rehearsal space, but the team really made it work and, overall, the experience felt very exciting despite having to make use of a new platform and way of working!
Tomi Ogunjobi
It's been an absolute pleasure being part of PC especially during these hard times. I still have not met anyone at PC physically, but it feels like I know everyone already and it's only been 3 months since I joined. It was an honour to play Russell Profitt and looking forward to many more with PC.
Ellen Davis
For me, being part of Opening Doors was just magical. Each rehearsal was a unique experience where our individual doorways to creative thinking and feeling were encouraged to open again and again, breathing life into the characters and context of our amazing offering.
Lucy Kerrigan
Pitter-pattering pre and post-war Walworth was very, very special. Working with the cast across 3 different companies and performing for people all over the world on Zoom will shape things to come I am sure and I feel very lucky to have been part of it.
Mina Temple
My memories of Opening Doors as a radio play, performed on Zoom, are:
- Honing my listening skills as each week different members fine-tuned their speeches and brought them to life
- A deeper understanding of the importance of seeing it in your mind's eye to convey it to the audience
- Sitting tense on the edge of my chair ready to leap in with my lines
What an achievement, managing such a diverse cast and giving us all so much individual time and attention - thank you John.
Hilary Hodsman (Elders Company)
Being involved with Opening Doors was a fun and uplifting experience. Thank you to everyone who made that possible.
I was excited to be involved in Opening Doors at Southwark Playhouse as the first performance in its new theatre. It showed the commitment of the Playhouse to its community and support for its 3 theatre groups, the Young Company, the Elders Company and Peoples Company, as all 3 companies collaborated in this production. Covid 19 meant reconceiving Opening Doors as a radio play, but the presence of theatre remains. Our two main characters are Theatre and Jean Genie, the essence of the community, as the latter introduces Theatre to the area in an historical journey through Walworth and Southwark, revealing the bond of community and theatre.
We loved putting the lives of local people, real and imagined, on the stage.
Angie Lieu
It was my first time ever doing a radio play and I enjoyed being part of the show!
I felt like there was a real sense of community and we had plenty of direction, guidance and rehearsals. Every week new ideas would come to light and be incorporated into the script which was lovely to see, as it felt like we really had an impact on the work that was being written for us and the show. It was strange not being in a physical rehearsal space, but the team really made it work and, overall, the experience felt very exciting despite having to make use of a new platform and way of working!
Tomi Ogunjobi
It's been an absolute pleasure being part of PC especially during these hard times. I still have not met anyone at PC physically, but it feels like I know everyone already and it's only been 3 months since I joined. It was an honour to play Russell Profitt and looking forward to many more with PC.
Ellen Davis
For me, being part of Opening Doors was just magical. Each rehearsal was a unique experience where our individual doorways to creative thinking and feeling were encouraged to open again and again, breathing life into the characters and context of our amazing offering.
Lucy Kerrigan
Pitter-pattering pre and post-war Walworth was very, very special. Working with the cast across 3 different companies and performing for people all over the world on Zoom will shape things to come I am sure and I feel very lucky to have been part of it.
Mina Temple
My memories of Opening Doors as a radio play, performed on Zoom, are:
- Honing my listening skills as each week different members fine-tuned their speeches and brought them to life
- A deeper understanding of the importance of seeing it in your mind's eye to convey it to the audience
- Sitting tense on the edge of my chair ready to leap in with my lines
What an achievement, managing such a diverse cast and giving us all so much individual time and attention - thank you John.
Hilary Hodsman (Elders Company)
Being involved with Opening Doors was a fun and uplifting experience. Thank you to everyone who made that possible.
Some of our members on their experience as part of People's Company:
Aleksandra Banbura
Joining The People's Company has been an eye opening experience. I have always been a theatre geek but being able to get behind the scenes and learn how to build a character, what tools are helpful, how to get your lines down, physicality on stage is a dream come true.
We are an ensemble which means we work together, we learn from each other and grow with every performance. You get to do a lot... from the mundane(helping put up/down the actual stage, bring audience's chairs in/out) to the creative (bringing characters to life, choosing props and costumes, building scenery, marketing the play). Pretty much world is your oyster here, anything to do with putting the play on its feet you can get involved in which also means directing and/or writing the play.
Leading up to the performance the frequency of rehearsals increases, stress levels rise and at that time commitment is crucial. You are expected to make it in and be on time. At the end of the day, we are a bunch of professional amateurs for the most part.
My first role with People's Co was Antonia an evil, mean, violent and shrew like character. Exploring and justifying her emotions was definitely out of my comfort zone but in the end it worked out really well, tickets were sold out and we were all proud how the whole Thames Tales production came together. From there we swiftly moved to start rehearsals to Shakespeare's play As You Like It and this was another world to me. It was a steep learning curve even though I had a very small part. Diving into language of Shakespeare and then getting to perform at the Globe was an unforgettable experience. Since then we did one more play Midsummer's Nights Dream by Shakespeare and this time I got a bigger part of Titania which I absolutely fell in love with. I got to dress and act as a queen and have my own fairies... what more can you want? I have to admit it has been a journey for me. With every play I come out of my shell more and more. I get bolder and more confident interacting and establishing a connection with the audience. I actually started to play while playing and that's what it's all about.
If you are an experienced actor that's used to having the stage manager directing your exits and entrances or having hair and make up done for you or getting paid then this place will most likely not suit you. However, if you like to have your creative juices flowing, engage in anything and everything theatre, be part of passionate drama family then we would love to have you.
Joining The People's Company has been an eye opening experience. I have always been a theatre geek but being able to get behind the scenes and learn how to build a character, what tools are helpful, how to get your lines down, physicality on stage is a dream come true.
We are an ensemble which means we work together, we learn from each other and grow with every performance. You get to do a lot... from the mundane(helping put up/down the actual stage, bring audience's chairs in/out) to the creative (bringing characters to life, choosing props and costumes, building scenery, marketing the play). Pretty much world is your oyster here, anything to do with putting the play on its feet you can get involved in which also means directing and/or writing the play.
Leading up to the performance the frequency of rehearsals increases, stress levels rise and at that time commitment is crucial. You are expected to make it in and be on time. At the end of the day, we are a bunch of professional amateurs for the most part.
My first role with People's Co was Antonia an evil, mean, violent and shrew like character. Exploring and justifying her emotions was definitely out of my comfort zone but in the end it worked out really well, tickets were sold out and we were all proud how the whole Thames Tales production came together. From there we swiftly moved to start rehearsals to Shakespeare's play As You Like It and this was another world to me. It was a steep learning curve even though I had a very small part. Diving into language of Shakespeare and then getting to perform at the Globe was an unforgettable experience. Since then we did one more play Midsummer's Nights Dream by Shakespeare and this time I got a bigger part of Titania which I absolutely fell in love with. I got to dress and act as a queen and have my own fairies... what more can you want? I have to admit it has been a journey for me. With every play I come out of my shell more and more. I get bolder and more confident interacting and establishing a connection with the audience. I actually started to play while playing and that's what it's all about.
If you are an experienced actor that's used to having the stage manager directing your exits and entrances or having hair and make up done for you or getting paid then this place will most likely not suit you. However, if you like to have your creative juices flowing, engage in anything and everything theatre, be part of passionate drama family then we would love to have you.
Richard Seedhouse
I first came across People’s Company as I passed the Southwark Playhouse, on my way to the Job Centre, and felt inspired to drop them a line. I have no post-primary school experience of acting, so had low expectations, but I received a lovely reply from them inviting me to join the waiting list (the company is popular). Some months later, they got in touch again to see if I was still interested and invited me to come down and meet the other members and see what it was all about, an upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was in need of new members.
I arrived to find it was ‘audition night’ - the People’s Company casts roles in a number of ways, sometimes through auditions, or workshopping a script, as well as other methods - I was handed a short excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, along with two other members to divvy up the roles, do a bit of prep and give it a read in front of the production panel, with the members watching on. It may sound quite daunting, but it really wasn’t, the other members and the production group had been very welcoming, and supportive, and there really wasn’t any pressure to be ‘talented’(!) and there certainly wasn’t time to work myself up into a bag of nerves. The following week, with a genuine expectation that I may be cast as an ‘extra’, given my newness to the company, and newness to acting, I was delighted to find I had been cast as Bottom. People’s Company doesn’t cast according to a long term service hierarchy, or experience, it’s all about the right person for the right role. There are no small roles, each role is dependent on the effort of the group, on the interactions between the characters, there is no room for unnecessary ego, there is no fear of being outshone, this a group of people pulling in the same direction, helping each other achieve the goal, the play, the performance as a single entity.
And then the work begins. I say work, really, I mean commitment. I have found it such an enjoyable experience to become an actor, the work has been a pleasure, the work is the easy bit, but the commitment levels required to achieve, are high. Rehearsals are three times a week, plus homework - you can’t just turn up and expect to act, from developing a character history, researching the time period, to eventually learning lines and movement on the stage, there’s plenty of work to be done on non-rehearsal nights/days. Eventually it all comes together, and there is no greater feeling of achievement than walking out in front of an audience. giving your performance, and then standing proud at the end as they applaud.
Peoples’ Company isn’t just about acting though, there are opportunities to become involved the production too, and this is strongly encouraged. There are no dedicated prop masters, make up artists, set designers/builders, musical directors, costumiers, or marketing wizards, these roles are shared between the cast. On A Midsummer Night’s Dream I was pleased to join the set building team, so for a few Fridays before the first performance, I was happy as Larry, wielding power tools, building back drops, steps and platforms, modifying a smoke machine, cutting leaves, painting and gluing, making props, to help create a magical world for us to play in. Without everyone turning their hand to another task, the production won’t happen. Joining the People’s Company isn’t just about the time you have on stage, it’s so much more, and everyone is willing to spend time helping you learn and develop, in a multitude of roles and find ways of bringing your other skills to bear for the benefit of the production.
And so, once lines are learned, sets are built, fliers are distributed, tickets go on sale, all too quickly performance night is upon you. But it’s not just the night, that stage isn’t going to magically appear, the seats for the audience won’t place themselves, the audience won’t make it’s own way to their seats, it’s a full day, and once the applause have finished, it’s time to pack everything up, and then, and only then, it’s beer o’clock, time to reflect on all you have achieved, and what a wonderful group of people to learn with, to perform with, to succeed with and to celebrate with. It’s worth the wait and it’s worth the effort.
I first came across People’s Company as I passed the Southwark Playhouse, on my way to the Job Centre, and felt inspired to drop them a line. I have no post-primary school experience of acting, so had low expectations, but I received a lovely reply from them inviting me to join the waiting list (the company is popular). Some months later, they got in touch again to see if I was still interested and invited me to come down and meet the other members and see what it was all about, an upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was in need of new members.
I arrived to find it was ‘audition night’ - the People’s Company casts roles in a number of ways, sometimes through auditions, or workshopping a script, as well as other methods - I was handed a short excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, along with two other members to divvy up the roles, do a bit of prep and give it a read in front of the production panel, with the members watching on. It may sound quite daunting, but it really wasn’t, the other members and the production group had been very welcoming, and supportive, and there really wasn’t any pressure to be ‘talented’(!) and there certainly wasn’t time to work myself up into a bag of nerves. The following week, with a genuine expectation that I may be cast as an ‘extra’, given my newness to the company, and newness to acting, I was delighted to find I had been cast as Bottom. People’s Company doesn’t cast according to a long term service hierarchy, or experience, it’s all about the right person for the right role. There are no small roles, each role is dependent on the effort of the group, on the interactions between the characters, there is no room for unnecessary ego, there is no fear of being outshone, this a group of people pulling in the same direction, helping each other achieve the goal, the play, the performance as a single entity.
And then the work begins. I say work, really, I mean commitment. I have found it such an enjoyable experience to become an actor, the work has been a pleasure, the work is the easy bit, but the commitment levels required to achieve, are high. Rehearsals are three times a week, plus homework - you can’t just turn up and expect to act, from developing a character history, researching the time period, to eventually learning lines and movement on the stage, there’s plenty of work to be done on non-rehearsal nights/days. Eventually it all comes together, and there is no greater feeling of achievement than walking out in front of an audience. giving your performance, and then standing proud at the end as they applaud.
Peoples’ Company isn’t just about acting though, there are opportunities to become involved the production too, and this is strongly encouraged. There are no dedicated prop masters, make up artists, set designers/builders, musical directors, costumiers, or marketing wizards, these roles are shared between the cast. On A Midsummer Night’s Dream I was pleased to join the set building team, so for a few Fridays before the first performance, I was happy as Larry, wielding power tools, building back drops, steps and platforms, modifying a smoke machine, cutting leaves, painting and gluing, making props, to help create a magical world for us to play in. Without everyone turning their hand to another task, the production won’t happen. Joining the People’s Company isn’t just about the time you have on stage, it’s so much more, and everyone is willing to spend time helping you learn and develop, in a multitude of roles and find ways of bringing your other skills to bear for the benefit of the production.
And so, once lines are learned, sets are built, fliers are distributed, tickets go on sale, all too quickly performance night is upon you. But it’s not just the night, that stage isn’t going to magically appear, the seats for the audience won’t place themselves, the audience won’t make it’s own way to their seats, it’s a full day, and once the applause have finished, it’s time to pack everything up, and then, and only then, it’s beer o’clock, time to reflect on all you have achieved, and what a wonderful group of people to learn with, to perform with, to succeed with and to celebrate with. It’s worth the wait and it’s worth the effort.
Shelagh Farren
Playing Peter Quince
It is always a joy to me to see the Dream with the formal court, star-crossed lovers and magical feuding fairies juxtaposed with the crude mechanicals, and to have the opportunity of playing one of the mechanicals was a dream - a dream within The Dream.
Playing Peter Quince was great fun. I could pretend I was a real director and suffer all the pangs of such, trying to control my cast, particularly one member which involved much eye rolling, restraint and deep breathing, working through the staging, polishing my wordsmithing, worrying about winning the prize of being chosen to perform before the Court and nearly going into meltdown as the fairies interrupted proceedings. What's not to enjoy?
Despite the adverse weather which threatened to turn a midsummer night's dream into a winter's tale, we managed our 4 outside (well, one inside) performances, with fortitude and fun. Seeing it all come together in rehearsal is always fascinating to me, even more so with so many of the cast who had never previously acted and it was a credit to everyone involved, particularly with the amount of time people have to carve out of busy lives for the rehearsal schedule. I understand that the drinking sessions after the performances were colossal, or so I am advised, as I was lying down in a darkened room, trying not to think of casting Bottom as the Dame in a Christmas panto....
Having now got the hang of this directing malarkey, I am available for further engagements and can be contacted c/o People's Company.
P. Quince, Esq.
Playing Peter Quince
It is always a joy to me to see the Dream with the formal court, star-crossed lovers and magical feuding fairies juxtaposed with the crude mechanicals, and to have the opportunity of playing one of the mechanicals was a dream - a dream within The Dream.
Playing Peter Quince was great fun. I could pretend I was a real director and suffer all the pangs of such, trying to control my cast, particularly one member which involved much eye rolling, restraint and deep breathing, working through the staging, polishing my wordsmithing, worrying about winning the prize of being chosen to perform before the Court and nearly going into meltdown as the fairies interrupted proceedings. What's not to enjoy?
Despite the adverse weather which threatened to turn a midsummer night's dream into a winter's tale, we managed our 4 outside (well, one inside) performances, with fortitude and fun. Seeing it all come together in rehearsal is always fascinating to me, even more so with so many of the cast who had never previously acted and it was a credit to everyone involved, particularly with the amount of time people have to carve out of busy lives for the rehearsal schedule. I understand that the drinking sessions after the performances were colossal, or so I am advised, as I was lying down in a darkened room, trying not to think of casting Bottom as the Dame in a Christmas panto....
Having now got the hang of this directing malarkey, I am available for further engagements and can be contacted c/o People's Company.
P. Quince, Esq.
