Category: News

Artistic Director end of 2013 message

Ah 2013, 2013, what a year it was, has been, still is for about a day.

And KDC Theatre has, in its inimitable fashion, done its best to bring you a variety of fantastic events and shows.

As the Winter Season shuffles off its mortal coil, locks the bogeyman back in the closet, and takes out the tiger for the night, KDC parks its feet in front of the fire, as we, your loyal committee to reflect and dish out not only a post season, but post year salute.

We have had lots of fantastic new faces, lots of fantastic old faces, lots of fantastic shows, and many fantastic drinks along the way.

Thank you all so much for your hard work and support for this year. Just think – 2014 is now LESS than a day away, and we can do it all again!

Big thanks for winter and the seasons that led to it.

Andy
Artistic Director

Facebook Page

As the KDC Facebook group has grown phenomenally over the last 18 months, to help us reach more people and make it easier for the admins to post details about upcoming plays, photos from shows and social events, it is time to embark on the road to the KDC Facebook Page. Please “Like” it if you’re a member of the group and you’ll get better notifications of what we’re doing, when we’re doing it. Invite your friends!

Halloween Message from the Artistic Director

Hello KDC Theatre

Halloween is almost upon us. The season of dressing up in toilet roll and not opening the door to children comes round again, as it seems to do every year.

Last year we celebrated our first KDC Halloween with a production of a horror classic in the form of Dracula. We also reached out to our writers and set them a challenge: to devise/adapt/be inspired by a ghost story written by one of the greatest storytellers ever, Charles Dickens. The results were so fun to read, that we decided to take things a little further.

Taking eight of the scripts from last year, we have a fantastic season lined up. A special “event” called What The Dickens?

For two weeks we will be based at the Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town, to bring you entertaining tales of spectral whimsy. The most exciting thing is that within this event there are TWO different shows to enjoy, playing on alternate nights.

Firstly, for the plays that have been adapted with that modern twist, we present “Twisted”, 5 short plays inspired by Dickens. From ghostly litigation, to creepy hoodies, to prams in graveyards, to meetings on trains to police interviews, these five rather different stories give a contemporary spin on the Victorian spook stories.

On our OTHER nights we have “The Bleakest House”,  in which a séance is disturbed by unknown elements. Three classic Charles Dickens stories, including the infamous Signal Man, invade this private parlour party to un-nerve these investigators of the otherworldly, all for your own entertainment.

And if that wasn’t exciting enough, we have a SPECIAL booking offer!

Our standard ticket price is in effect of £12 per show, but if you book for BOTH shows, it will just cost you £20! Book now!

“Twisted” – The Modern Plays

29th Oct, 31st Oct, 2nd Nov, 6th Nov, 8th Nov at 7.30pm

“The Bleakest House” – The Victorian Plays

30th Oct, 1st Nov, 5th Nov, 7th Nov, 9th Nov at 7.30pm

Newcomers Winter 2013

Each season we hold a Newcomers Meeting where the directors will tell you more about their plays and the audition process. It’s a great way to find out more about the season and of course you can quiz the directors and committee too.

Date: Thursday 12 September
Time: Join us from 7pm for a drink. The meeting will start at 7.30pm
Venue: The White Swan, 20 Farringdon Street, Farringdon, EC4A 4AB

KDC Committee 2013-2014

Thanks to all who attended the AGM on Thursday 27 June.  Welcome to the new committee:

Chair – Emma Knott
Artistic Director – Andy Marchant
Treasurer – Richard Williams
Secretary – Juliet Colbert
Tech Team – Dave Balfour and Fiona Thomas
Publicity – Carrie Johnson
Social Team – Kim Morrison and Trina Hasthorpe
New Writing Coordinator – Matthew Partridge
Webmaster – William Baltyn
Executive Officer and Deputy Chair – Steph Urquhart

Annual General Meeting 27 June 2013

We’ll be holding our AGM on Thursday 27 June, 7pm at The Hoop and Grapes. This is your chance to get involved in how KDC is run by making suggestions, quizzing the current committee or standing to be on the committee yourself. Anyone who’s been involved in a KDC production within the last three seasons, whether on-stage or off, has the right to vote on any motions tabled at the meeting, and on the election of committee representatives.

Being on the committee is great fun and less of a time commitment than some people imagine. We have 2 or 3 committee meetings each season which you’ll need to attend, plus you’ll need to help out at auditions and come along to see the shows. The committee is made up of the following roles, please note that if you’d like to stand for Chair, Artistic Director or Treasurer then you need to have been on the committee for at least one year.

Chair – steers the good ship KDC

Artistic Director – chooses the plays, theatres and directors for each season

Treasurer – handles all the money talk

Secretary – organises rehearsal/audition spaces and sends out the weekly Showdown

New Writing Co-ordinator – provides feedback on new plays and organises our round table readings

Technical Director – co-ordinates back stage requirements for all our shows

Social Secretary – chief party organiser and leader of merriment

Publicity – keeps the world up to speed with the world of KDC

Webmaster – administers the KDC website and all things technological

Executive Officer – generally helpful person who lends a hand wherever needed

KDC is what it is because of the people who give up a bit of their time to make it a success. If you’d like to find out more then we’d love to hear from you – just e-mail chair@kdctheatre.com

KDC RSC Open Stages take TWO

Very excitingly, The RSC are re-launching their open stages project this year, an opportunity for amateur theatre companies in the UK to work with the RSC.

Last year KDC Theatre rocked up with The War Of The Waleses, our own piece of new writing written as a “contemporary history” in the style of Shakespeare. Not only did the show sell out at the Lion and Unicorn, it ALSO got put on at the Camden Fringe, was part of the Open Stages Regional Showcase, and was performed on the RSC’s open air stage in Stratford upon Avon! As well as that, Sarah, the director of last year’s show, is taking a production up to the Edinburgh festival this year! (be sure to catch it if you go)

The deadline for pitches is mid June, and this time round, spaces are a lot more limited, so our pitches have to be REALLY appealing.

If you have a concept or an idea you think we should pitch (something you might want to direct/devise/audition for), then please send us something by 10 June, and no later, so that we can have plenty of time to review all the ideas. It could be anything Shakespeare related, a production of a play, some new writing, or a piece inspired by Shakespeare.

Please email chair@kdctheatre.com if you have anything you want to suggest.