See our chair & artistic director talk about us, and hear this season’s directors talk about their new shows in these videos from our season launch party this week.
Sarah & Carl talk about KDC, and then Nick talks about ‘Tis Pity (skip to 16:35 for him!)
Saskia talks all things Animal Farm!
Come meet the directors and the whole team, it’s our Autumn Season Launch this Thursday at the Hoop & Grapes pub in Farringdon! Join us from 7pm and grab yourself a beer, you can hear all about our little merry band and both directors for the season will be talking about their new shows. You can quiz them about the upcoming auditions, what they wanna see, and find out how you can get involved. All welcome, map below. We’ll be on the first floor!
‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore
by John Ford
Directed by Nick Mouton
Animal Farm
adapted by Nelson Bond from the book by George Orwell
Directed by Saskia van ‘t Hoff
7pm, Thursday 12th September at the Hoop & Grapes pub in Farringdon Street
As the incoming Artistic Director of KDC, I wanted to write a little about my views. What I think we’re good at, why we’re here, what theatre is for me, and what I plan for us over the coming year. About the artistic direction I would like us to take.
Theatre is almost unique in the performance art forms in that it has the ability to personally connect the performers with the audience. This audience and actors exist in the same place, the actors affect the audience, and also the audience feedback to the actors, there is a closed loop that makes each performing instance unique, and personal. Only live music rivals theatre in its ability to connect bi-directionally… but we can tell more stories.
Currently in London we are in an era of theatrical renaissance. Blockbusters like Hamilton have re-introduced musicals to the popular mainstream culture. Fringe shows have a place each winter in the excellent VAULT Festival. We have world-exclusive improvisation extravaganzas. London itself is even building more theatres.
Amongst all of this we should question why KDC particularly is here. What are we good at, what are we weak in. Amongst all of this opportunity what actually is our place? What are our strengths?
We have weaknesses too, that’s uncomfortable thing to admit but it would be disingenuous to pretend they don’t exist. We’re not awash with cash, we’re a fairly bare-bones operation. Often our shows aren’t technically stunning, or sometimes the sets are quite limited. These limitations aren’t without exceptions – the audience of last year’s Hush Now was experienced through headphones with live stage dialogue mixed with a sound effects and music, and Hand To God had a fully destructible set for nightly main-character breakdowns. But examining our weaknesses does as good a job as our strengths in showing who we are.
KDC is a place to learn and experiment. I would like us to emphasise what a good time we have in making our productions, the key word is play, after-all. Shows that are fun to put together are fun to watch, it comes through. I also would like to focus on development of skills. With KDC you can try things that you can’t elsewhere, maybe because you are being assessed, or are under pressure to produce a high-selling low-risk show, or because there are other production distractions. We intend to provide a sandbox where enthusiastic amateurs and professionals can hone and develop their skills.
How we plan to do that… well that’s probably a post for another day 🙂
…Carl
Artistic Director – KDC
Disappointed with the summer ending early? Ready to throw off the shackles of the break and get right back into it? How about with another rip-roaring season of amazing theatre? I can hear your cheers!
Come join us for the Season Launch Party, from 7pm, 12th September at the Hoop & Grapes pub in Farringdon Street. Meet the directors, hear about the shows, generally get to know us we’re a friendly bunch!
‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore
by John Ford
Directed by Nick Mouton
Animal Farm
adapted by Nelson Bond from the book by George Orwell
Directed by Saskia van ‘t Hoff
All the important dates for the season
Auditions are 16/17/18 September, are free, open to all and you don’t need to register.
If you want to brush up on your skills beforehand then come to our Audition Techniques Workshop – register here.
Congratulations to the new committee, confirmed at the AGM this week:
Sarah Dobson — Chair
Carl Fletcher — Artistic Director
Sarah Beebe — Treasurer
Stephen Reimer — Producer
Aneirin Evans — Publicity
Will Baltyn — Executive Officer
Vicky Olusanya — Executive Officer
Anna Markland — Executive Officer
Huge gratitude to our outgoing committee members, Steph Urquhart (Artistic Director), Dave Balfour (tech), Helen Jackson & Grace Le Bachelet. They have put in a colossal amount of work — running KDC is a labour of love and we rely on people to care and give their time. So, massive thanks to them, particularly to Steph and Dave who have served the group for many years.
If you want to get involved in running a theatre group you can join the committee at any point in the year! Find out more here.
Get to know our talented team of directors, who are building an exciting showcase of new writing…
Anna Markland
The first show Anna directed, the comedic Maybe Radio, was just featured as part of KDC’s Spring season.
Anna’s background is in improvised comedy and she will be using improv techniques and a very collaborative approach as part of rehearsals.
Lloyd Smith
This is Lloyd’s first time working with KDC. Previous directing credits include new writing for Wandsworth Arts Festival and The 39 Steps for New Stagers. Recently he produced After The Dance and acted in Earthquakes In London for Sedos.
Saskia van ‘t Hoff
Saskia is a director and stage manager, and has worked with theatre companies in the Netherlands, London, and Sydney.
She was a long-standing member of a theatre company in the Netherlands, writing, producing, and performing plays, before moving to London in 2014. In 2016 Saskia directed her first full-length play for KDC Theatre; THERE HAS POSSIBLY BEEN AN INCIDENT.
She is stage manager and associate artist for Director’s Cut Theatre Company, directing and stage managing at Leicester Square Theatre, The Pleasance Theatre, The Southwark Playhouse, and St James Theatre.
Lucy Spreckley
Lucy has been getting itchy feet for a while now to have a crack at directing and to be doing her directorial debut with KDC is just the icing on the cake. At the start of April Lucy had finished a run of the devised show ‘Hush Now’ with KDC and is exciting to be involved in another season!
Aneirin George
Aneirin has been working on this theatre lark for many years now and is excited (and grateful) to be taking part in a second KDC Full Stack extravaganza. This year as well as directing/hopefully arranging for comedy to occur on stage. He is taking a new step and learning how to make “that social media thing” say what he wants it to.
Vicky Olusanya
Vicky has been part of the KDC community for several years, producing our Full Stack show for the second time with Carried Away. She has recently directed for the Arcola Queer Collective and looks forward to creating more new writing projects in the near future.
Claire Pattie
Notice of the KDC AGM 2019
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Annual General Meeting of KDC Theatre will be held at the Hoop & Grapes, 80 Farringdon Street, London at 7pm on Wednesday 31 July September 2019 to transact the following business.
Draft AGENDA
To receive and consider the accounts for the year ended 31 July 2019 and the reports of the charity trustees.
Details any proposed resolutions will be made available. Proposed resolutions should be sent to the Chair by noon on 17 July 2019. If applicable, a revised agenda will be issued by 24 July 2019.
NB. Proposed resolutions may be submitted by full members of KDC. Information about full membership is available from the KDC website.
Nominations are required for the following officers: Chair, Artistic Director, Treasurer.
Nominations for all trustees, including non-officers, must be received by noon on 24 July 2019.
NB Details of how to make a nomination are available from the KDC website.
Nominations of non-trustees to specified roles to assist in the running of the charity must be received by noon on 24 July 2019.
NB Details of how to make a nomination are available from the KDC website.
To deal with any matters raised at the meeting.
By order of the Board of charity trustees.
Sarah Dobson
Chair
15 June 2019
AGENDA (Revised 24 July 2019)
1. Reports and accounts
To receive and consider the accounts for the year ended 31 July 2019 and the reports of the charity trustees.
2. Alterations to the Constitution
2.1 To consider and vote upon the following resolution.
That clause 8 (1)
“Full (voting) membership is open to individuals over eighteen or organisations who are approved by the trustees and is obtained:”
of the Constitution of KDC Theatre adopted on 13 September 2018 be amended to read
“Full (voting) membership is open to individuals over eighteen or organisations who are approved by the trustees by virtue of their involvement in the charity’s activities during 12 months prior to a general meeting of the charity, and is obtained:”
2.2 To consider and vote upon the following resolution.
That clause 8 (5)
“The trustees must keep a register of names and addresses of the members which must be made available to any member upon request.”
of the Constitution of KDC Theatre adopted on 13 September 2018 be amended to read
“The trustees must keep a register of names and email addresses of the members. The names of members may be made available to any member upon request.”
3. Appointment of charity trustees
To vote upon the following nominations:
3.1 To appoint Sarah Dobson as a Trustee and Chair of KDC Theatre.
3.2 To appoint Carl Fletcher as a Trustee and Artistic Director of KDC Theatre.
3.3 To appoint Sarah Beebe as a Trustee and Treasurer of KDC Theatre.
3.4 To appoint Vicky Olusanya as a Trustee and Executive Officer of KDC Theatre.
3.5 To appoint Will Baltyn as a Trustee and Executive Officer of KDC Theatre.
4. Appointment of non-trustees to specified roles to assist in the running of the charity
To vote upon the following nominations:
4.1 To appoint Stephen Reimer as a Non-Trustee and Producer of KDC Theatre.
4.2 To appoint Anna Markland as a Non-Trustee and Executive Officer of KDC Theatre.
5. Any other business
To deal with any matters raised at the meeting.
By order of the Board of charity trustees.
Sarah Dobson
Chair
24 July 2019
Appendix
The full text of clause 8 (1) of the Constitution of KDC Theatre adopted on 13 September 2018 reads:
“8. Membership
(1) Full (voting) membership is open to individuals over eighteen or organisations who are approved by the trustees and is obtained:
(a) by virtue of being a trustee or official of the charity ; or
(b) by having been involved in a production in a role for which subscription fees are payable and having paid the subscription fee due; or
(c) by having been involved in a production in any other role for which subscription fees are not payable; or
(d) by having been appointed by the trustees to assist in the running of the charity, in a specified role, without joining as a trustee.”
For reference, the description of full member used as a matter of course on the KDC website is:
“Who is a full member?
You will be considered a full member if, during the 12 months prior to a general meeting where a vote takes place, you have
Appendix prepared by Sarah Dobson, Chair of Trustees on 24 July 2019
Our new writing showcase brings you 15 brilliant, super-short plays on the theme of ‘Carried Away’. Expect a thoroughly creative, entertaining and surprising night of brand new theatre. Details of plays and performers.
Carried Away is being performed for 5 nights only from Tues 9 July – Sat 13 July at the Drayton Arms Theatre, South Kensington, SW5 0LJ
After over 100 scripts, we whittled it down to just 15. Here’s a bit more info on the talented souls to be included in this year’s showcase.
Get your tickets for Carried Away here!
Ivo de Jager
Ivo is a recent graduate of RCSSD’s MFA degree in writing for performance. His work has appeared at the Arcola, the Bunker, and Theatre503 in London, as well as the Y Theatre in Leicester. In 2017, he took Sweetmeat, a new play about homoerotic cannibalism, to the Edinburgh Fringe, where it earned 4-star reviews. He’s currently working on a play about hazing in the Soviet army, and a short film about modern-day trepanning. When not typing away at his laptop, he can usually be found forcing his cat to spend time with him.
Vivian C Lermond
Vivian is an award-winning playwright who has penned 58 one-act plays and monologues that have entertained audiences in the US, Mexico, England, Scotland and Australia. Her full-length drama/comedy, Back to Bethlehem (PA), premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 at the Manhattan Theatre Club. She has taught playwriting at a local college and has facilitated playwriting workshops at writing conferences.
Mark Daniels
I’m a writer from South-East London who writes mainly comedy with a little bit of drama mixed in. I enjoy finding the funnies in the mundane and using humour to provoke conversation about important, current topics. I’ve had short plays on at Theatre503, The Vaults and The Brockley Jack, as well as two full-length pieces at Matchstick Theatre (N89, The Institute of Nuts) and one at Canal Café Theatre (Tinderella). I also regularly have sketches and songs performed at Canal Café’s NewsRevue and I’ve written sketches for BBC Radio 4.
Adam Szudrich
Adam Szudrich is a ‘Bartie’ award winning writer whose work has been selected for 59 festivals and received 30 award
Scott Mullen
Scott Mullen is a longtime Hollywood screenplay analyst, a two-time winner of Amazon Studios’ screenwriting contest, whose short plays have been performed hundreds of times around the world. His short play WEDNESDAY was performed last year as part of KDC’s “Future Imperfect” show. An evening of his comic plays, A NIGHT OF S.M., recently had a two-week run in Hollywood.
Niall Urquhart
My work has been performed at the Waterloo East Theatre, Jack Studio Theatre, The Aeronaut, Theatre Deli and the Redgates Theatre with upcoming performances at the Bread & Roses Theatre and the Southwark Playhouse. Currently focusing on shorter pieces. I always try to find different and quite possibly strange ways to address contemporary issues.
Andy Marchant
Andy has been a long time collaborator with KDC Theatre, but this is the first time his name has appeared in a programme since he directed The Arsonists in 2015. Previously written plays produced by KDC Theatre include “You’re So Vain”, “Oh, Mom” and “Stag Nation” as well as being a co-writer for both the company’s 70th anniversary show “The Long Run” and their contribution to the RSC’s Open Stages competition “The War Of The Waleses”. Andy currently runs the 10 Minutes A Month Playwriting Collective, setting monthly challenges and reading nights for new plays.
Matt Wixey
Matt works in cyber security, and previously worked in law enforcement. He’s also a part-time PhD candidate, focusing on cyberweapons and cyber warfare. Matt’s writing work to date has included short plays and spoken word performed at Redgates Theatre Gateways, Stitchin’ Fiction, and Sharp Scratches. He is also a member of the Director’s Cut Writer’s Club. Matt enjoys writing horror, dark comedy, science fiction, and “twist in the tale” stories and plays.
L.H. Grant
L.H. Grant has authored many full-length and one-act plays with productions in numerous venues both in the United States and internationally including New York, London, San Francisco and Vienna. Most recently, his one-act Free Hugs was performed at The Other Palace in London as part of a charity benefit.
Jon Deery
Jon is a writer whose works have received generous and consistent praise from a dedicated fanbase. This may be a credit to his skills as a writer, or simply a product of the fanbase itself, which consists of: his mum, his dad, and his best friend. Due to Jon being an eighteen-year-old writer from Darlington, this is the first of his plays to be performed, and he hopes that a few more successes will expand his fanbase a little (maybe his grandparents too?)
Matthew Fisher
Matthew has found some success with his writing being performed in Manchester, London, Cardiff and NYC. His full length play, “Abandoned”, was performed by Dramatic Moose Productions and was in Entertainments South Wales ‘Top 5 Live Shows of 2018’. He is also working with Bamalam Productions to produce “Abandoned” as a 4-part radio play, that will be released in Jul-19. Recently, his short film “Second Chances”, released in Jun-19, is on the YouTube channel for Watchers Productions project, Strange Tales. Also, his one act play “We Are Stronger Together” has been performed at various one act festivals this year.
James Taverner
This is James’s first play and he’s very grateful to the talented team at KDC for taking on the challenge and performing it.
Jim Moss
Jim has authored four full-length plays and over a hundred one-acts. His work has been produced in Tampa. Miami, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, and numerous New York Off-Broadway venues, including: La MaMa La Galleria, the American Globe, and the Manhattan Repertory Theatre. Last year his play “Tagged” won three contests: First place in Theatre Odyssey’s One-Act Play Festival in Sarasota, Best Lab Works Production at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, and the British Theatre Challenge in London.
Thom Jordan
Thom first cut his teeth writing and performing sketch comedy in Australia, one of which he toured to Edinburgh Fringe. Following this he performed and developed Where There’s Smoke, which toured to Perth and Sydney Fringe. His next adventure was to write and perform a family show The Hand of Time, which toured to Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Fringe side by side with his solo Thorn (Cleansed in Blood/We Are All), which toured Australia and the UK. Since moving to London he wrote and performed The Monks of Umami: Radiodyssey, which debuted at the Vaults Festival before touring to Brighton and Prague fringe.
