News and Events
12 August 2010

Naked Stage Autumn 2010 Casting Session

Naked Stage submissions are now open and actors and directors interested in taking part in this season of staged readings of new work are encouraged to mark their calendars for the Naked Stage Casting Session on 26 September. This is particularly important if you are new to WRiTEON - come along to the casting session to meet the organisers and show us what you can do!

Sunday, 26 September
6.15-10 pm
Ross Street Community Centre Hall
Ross Street (off Mill Road), Cambridge
Questions of registration of interest to: michelle@writeon.org.uk
For details of how to submit to Naked Stage, click HERE.

Stand-up Comedy Workshops with Chris Head

Bookings are rolling in fast for our September (beginner) and November (follow-up) Stand-Up Comedy Courses with Chris Head but at this writing there are still places available on both courses. Book now to avoid disappointment. Note: these courses are subsidised by WRiTEON to keep the cost as low as possible - and there's an additional discount for members of WRiTEON.

Two-day Introduction to Stand-Up
Over two Sundays, you will create a complete short stand-up routine. Session 1 will be about generating material. You'll then develop your ideas on your own during the week and return in Session 2 for microphone time in front of the group. You'll receive feedback and work on audience interaction. In the evening, you'll have the chance to put what you've  learned into practice in a stand-up show for a friends and family audience.

One Day Stand-Up Follow-Up
This Follow-Up will primarily be geared to those who have attended one of Chris's Two-day introductory workshops (i.e. in May or September), but others with some experience of stand-up may also attend. You will be required to bring along some prepared material which you will develop and refine during the session and try out in front of a friends and family audience in the evening.

About Chris Head
Instructor Chris Head is a writer and performer and teaches comedy writing and performance at City Lit in Central London. He has run workshops for the BBC and Channel 4 and articles about his teaching and comedy work have appeared in Time Out, The Guardian, The Times Education Supplement, The Scotsman and more. He has directed twelve shows for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, co-writing five of them, directed many shows in London, including at Soho Theatre, is a regular contributor to The Fix comedy magazine and is the editor of the forthcoming "Make It" section on the British Comedy Guide website.
 
Dates and Details
Two-day Introduction to Stand-Up
Sundays,  5th & 12th September 11.00am - 5.30pm
Friends and Family Performance in the evening of 12th at 7.30pm
B Bar, top floor, 6 Market Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PF
Cost = £45 for members of WRITEON and £50 for non-members

One Day Stand-Up Follow-Up
Sunday, 14th November 11.00am - 5.30pm
Friends and Family Performance in the evening at 7.30pm
B Bar, top floor, 6 Market Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PF
Cost = £25 for members of WRITEON and £30 for non-members
 
To Book
To book your place on either or both of these workshops, please contact Julia Bolden (julia@writeon.org.uk) You can book both in advance or reserve judgement until after the first session. If you did not/are not attending the Beginners sessions but have already had some experience of stand up and would like to attend the Follow-Up session, please e-mail to enquire.

If you are booking as a member, you will need to quote your membership number. See the Contact us page of the WRiTEON website www.writeon.org.uk for information about membership (note that subscription to the newsletter is not the same as membership).

WRiTEON Casual Script Reading/Feedback Group

Join the casual Script Reading book for informal, constructive and low-pressure feedback on scripts in process. Last month's meeting saw seven writers discussing three contributions including a ghost story and a spy trilogy. New writers attend regularly and the group is welcoming and supportive.

Next Meeting: Tuesday 31st August at 7.15pm
Where: 36a The Limes, Harston, CB22 7QT
All welcome - please contact julia@writeon.org.uk if you wish to attend.

Writing Opportunities

Little Pieces of Gold

Little Pieces of Gold is a showcase for new drama at The Etcetera Theatre, Camden. The evening will feature four short plays, or extracts from full-length works.  They are looking for writers to submit their work which, if selected, will be assigned a director who will work with the writer and performers to bring their piece up to performance standard for the first evening on Monday, 27th September.

Guidelines

    * Your piece must be no longer than 15 mins duration.
    * They can only accommodate basic sound/lighting. There are no sets.
    * Your piece must not have been performed in the UK.
    * Attach your work in a PDF or Word document.
    * Please include a very short synopsis of the play and a brief writer's bio.

Deadline: Monday 16 August 2010
To find out more and apply visit the Little Pieces of Gold website.

Acting Opportunities

Actors wanted for 5 Minute Play in London Festival (18th September)
Rehearsals in Cambridge - Unpaid
 
Life Experience Productions require 4 actors (m/f 20-65) for a very short play which has been selected for the Lost Theatre Company 5 Minute Festival 2010, taking place in London in September. The play, "To Be Honest" by Julia Bolden was originally written as a monologue and performed in WRiTEON's recent MAD Festival on 11th July. It has since been reworked as an ensemble performance piece for 4 actors.
 
Applicants must be available all day on Saturday 18th September for Dress and Tech, followed by one evening performance (along with the 13 other selected 5 minute plays) at Lost Theatre Company's new purpose-built 180 seat theatre in Stockwell, London. Rehearsals will be in the preceding two weeks, dates and times negotiable subject to cast availability.
 
The characters are all generic salespeople and can be played by either gender and pretty much any age. The four roles are of equal size. The aim is to use workshop techniques to turn the script into a high energy fast moving performance piece.
 
E-mail juliabolden_seascribe@hotmail.com if interested.

Community Notices

The Million Piece Jigsaw Puzzle this Sunday

Don't miss this chance to see WRiTEON co-founder Peter Daldorph's moving and atmospheric one act play, The Million Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, in Cambridge this Sunday before it goes on to its run at this year's Camden Fringe Festival.  The one hour play, which was chosen as one of the "Best of Naked Stage" following a WRiTEON reading three years ago, focuses on Ellie, a teen battling depression. Her divorced parents and friend Chris try desperately to pull her out of her mental coma, but all Ellie wants is to complete her jigsaw puzzle at her own pace.

Please note there is no longer a Saturday Cambridge Performance of this play, as previously advertised. The Sunday performance at CB2 will be a staged reading.

Cast includes: Juliette Burton, Sarah Ingram, Vaughan Allanson
Directed by Pam Jenner

When: Cambridge Performance August 15 ONLY -  7:30pm
Where: CB2 Cafe Basement, Norfolk Street, Cambridge
Tickets £5
Reserve tickets by email to: littlevinetheatre@yahoo.co.uk or ring Peter at 07709 201927

Camden Performances 21-23 August, 6.30 pm
Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Camden