THERE’S an exciting season ahead for Huddersfield’s longest surviving amateur drama company.
And that’s not just because 2010 will see Huddersfield Thespians begin celebrations to mark its 90th year.
The Thespians stage five major shows at the Lawrence Batley Theatre every year in a season which runs from early October through until May.
The new Thespian season opens in a little over a month’s time with a cracker of a show and with it a real buzz of excitement in the society.
Blake Morrison’s The Man With Two Gaffers is a bawdy comedy and just the kind of rip-roaring entertainment to signal a team of young actors determined to get Huddersfield audiences laughing.
Next week, some of the Thespians’ 10 strong company of actors, many of them in their twenties, will be out and about in costume in Huddersfield’s pubs and clubs drumming up support for the show.
That’s part of the new excitement about a season that packs not only plenty of exciting new acting talent among the Thespians but some of the biggest names in theatre on the list of plays selected.
Entertainment is high on the list of priorities for the company and they aim to deliver that this season with a string of shows guaranteed to attract anyone who has been anywhere near a theatre in recent years – and hopefully some who haven’t.
Who after all would not be bowled over by the names of Alan Bennett, Harold Pinter, John Godber and if novels are your thing, a stage adaptation of a piece by Stephen King?
All of these add up to a Thespian season which mirrors the energy being pumped into the company by some of its new recruits who can’t wait to get on stage at the Lawrence Batley Theatre next month.
That’s where Lizzie Booth and her husband Dexter, were among many who saw Northern Broadsides’ production of The Man With Two Gaffers a couple of seasons ago.
Broadsides, a Halifax-based professional theatre company with a big reputation, had great success with Morrison’s play and their fun production is what inspired the Thespians to have a crack at it.
“Northern Broadsides put us in touch with Blake Morrison’s agent in London and we eventually got permission to do it,” said Lizzie.
“We saw Broadsides do it and loved it. It’s very funny.”
Morrison has based the piece on an 18th century classic, Carlo Goldoni’s A Servant of Two Masters.
He switched the action from Venice to the Yorkshire Dales circa 1850, and recast the characters as a Bradford mill-owner, a Dales farmer, a pompous vicar, a publican and two star-crossed young couples, with the Grand Canal becoming the Leeds-Liverpool canal, and the slippery servant, Truffaldino, who hails from Bergamot, renamed as Arthur Dodge, a man from Muker.
You get the picture? It’s comedy played at its broadest and Leighton Hirst, the man who has the job of directing the show, is already delighted with the way that his young company is shaping up.
“I’ve got a cast of 10 and only two of them are over 30,” said Leighton. There are some exciting new faces among the cast and one of them is Josh Hemmingway who has never played for the Thespians before.
“Josh auditioned and just walked into the part. He’s very experienced as an actor and ideal for this role.”
Actors have been given time off rehearsals next week because of holiday commitments among the company but others will be using the time to go out into the community and drum up support for the production.
“We’ll be taking some of the actors out next Friday in costume to give leaflets out in pubs and clubs. We’re keen to get people to come and see what should be an exciting show.”
It certainly an irreverent, laugh out loud start to what promises to be a memorable season.
The Man With Two Gaffers opens at the LBT on October 13. Tickets at the box office on 01484 430528.
