A warm new year’s greetings from the KDC team – we’re right now putting the final touches to this season’s announcement. In the meantime, a little throwback extract from our Spring ’21 show “Zoomed Out”. Mercutio is phoning Romeo, to get him to come out and party…
That’s a wrap for 2021 & looking forward
A huge congratulations to our shows for this season – Titus Andronicus drenches us in blood (literally if you sat too close) with an energetic hard rock adaption of the most brutal of Shakespeares tales. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons was a charming intimate story of a couple navigating behaviour restrictions and questionable laws (frustratingly relevant in our real world by recent events). We even also managed to get in an experimental project with our devising group, who came up with some beautiful and moving theatre to complement a couple of the Lemons performances. If you missed that, you can watch a recording here:
All of this was against the extra headwinds of Covid restrictions, and I’m extra-proud of the achievements of actors, production teams, organising committee / producers, and all for making it all happen anyway.
Next up
We’re hanging back on announcing details on our next season just yet given the current Covid uncertainty, however all being well next seasons shows will be:
| The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard | directed by Anna Markland & Dean Reilly | Performing 29 March – 2 April |
| A new devised show (details TBA) | directed by Carl Fletcher | Performing 5-9 April |
Auditions 24 & 27 January. Look our on our website and on the mailing list for details in the New Year!
Have a fantastic Christmas break and we’ll see you for more fun in January!
More theatre next week
With the gory Titus Andronicus nearing the end of a sell-out run, fear not we still have more to show you!
Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 November we have Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre. Grab your tickets now while you can!
Devising Showcase
We’ve been running a super-secret experimental R&D acting group for the last 6 weeks, and as a little sweetener we’re showcasing a couple of scratch performances of what we’ve come up with. They will be after Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons performances on Tuesday 23 & Friday 26 November only. It is a free extra included with your Lemons ticket. If you come see Lemons on Tuesday or Friday, stay for the scratch!
Titus Andronicus coming up
The good ship Titus is steaming into port ready for their premier next week. I’ve been assured that there will be plenty of blood, horror and death. Lovely.
Get your tickets now! 16-20 November, Barons Court Theatre
Titus and Lemons casts
Ladeeez & gennelmen, please welcome our actors for the Autumn Season! Auditions were a riot and I would like to express how particularly high the quality was this season. Thanks to all that tried out, and congratulations to our new casts.
Titus Andronicus
Titus — Govind Hodgson
Tamora — Sarah Beebe
Lavinia — Grace Aldridge
Chiron — Ricky Hutchinson
Demetrius — Tyler Woods
Marcus — Nicolas R Obetsebi Lamptey
Bassianus — Andre Frey
Aaron — Kieron Mieres
Quintus — Gabriella Guymer-Davies
Marius — Josie Stephens
Lucius — Natalie Woodward
Saturninus — Stephen Reimer
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
Aoife Spengeman
David Hepburn
Auditions + extracts
Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st September
Come to one evening only (you can audition for both shows on the same evening)
Lovely to meet so many new people at the season launch yesterday, very much looking forward to the auditions next week. Here’s all the info you need:
| Audition notice | Additional material |
| Titus Andronicus – Audition Notice | Titus audition extracts (Please note you do not need to learn these, they are just for reference if you would like to know what will be used in the initial audition) |
| Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons – Audition Notice | n/a |
Please note that due to unforseen circumstances, we are no longer able to audition The Bald Soprano this season.
Autumn auditions
Massive congratulations to the Pomona team for their run last week, and getting their corona-delayed production finally in front of live audiences. A big achievement all round.
But the wheel doesn’t stop turning here at KDC towers! It’s time to announce our autumn season shows, and your chance to get involved either by auditioning to act or backstage.
Autumn Season shows
First up, we have action-packed blood-soaked Shakespeare in Titus Andronicus. It’ll be a modern adaptation, exploring the dangers of revenge and how it can twist the intentions of everyone it touches.
Our second show will be Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, about censorship and free speech in a world where people are limited to 140 words per day.
Auditions are free and open to all, and will be held 20 & 21 September in the evening. You only need to come to one audition and you can audition for both plays on the same evening.
Recalls take place on the evening of 23 September.
Auditions
Attend whichever date suits you best, and you can audition for all 3 plays on the same evening.
Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 September 2021
7pm-9:30pm (registration from 6:45pm)
Theatre Deli, Broadgate. 2 Finsbury Ave, London EC2M 2PF
| Titus Andronicus, by William Shakespeare Directed by Matt Aldridge and Jess Rogers Performance dates: 16-20 November 2021 Audition notice |
| Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, by Sam Steiner Directed by Lloyd Smith and Sarah Berryman Performance dates: 23-27 November 2021 Audition notice |
Meet the directors
Hear the directors speak about their project, and answer your questions at the Season Launch. You can also talk to them about getting involved in other backstage ways.
Tuesday 14 September 2021, 7pm
Theatre Deli, Broadgate (in the ground floor bar). 2 Finsbury Ave, London EC2M 2PF
Edit: Please note that due to unforseen circumstances, we are no longer able to audition The Bald Soprano this season.
Notice of the AGM 2021
KDC Theatre’s Annual General Meeting (aka drinks!) is 7pm Monday 9 August at The Drayton Arms. Help us confirm numbers by rsvp-ing: https://tinyurl.com/2avn6akb
NOTICE IS GIVEN that an Annual General Meeting of KDC Theatre will be at 7pm on Monday 9 August 2021, at The Drayton Arms, 153 Old Brompton Road, London, Greater London, SW5 0LJ to transact the following business:
AGENDA
Click here to view the revised agenda, including the nominees.
- Reports and accounts
To receive and consider the draft and partial accounts for the year ending 31 July 2021 and the reports of the charity trustees.
- Member proposed resolutions
Details any proposed resolutions will be made available. Proposed resolutions should be sent to the Chair by 9am on Thursday 5 August 2021. If applicable, a revised agenda will be issued prior to the AGM.
NB. Proposed resolutions may be submitted by full members of KDC by clicking here. Find out who is a full KDC member here.
- Appointment of charity trustees
Nominations are required for the following officers: Chair, Artistic Director, Treasurer.
Nominations for all trustees, including non-officers, must be received by 12 noon on Saturday 7 August 2021.
NB Details of how to make a nomination are available from the KDC website (click here).
- Appointment of non-trustees to specified roles to assist in the running of the charity
Nominations of non-trustees to specified roles to assist in the running of the charity must be received by 12 noon on Saturday 7 August 2021.
NB Details of how to make a nomination are available from the KDC website (click here).
- Any other business
To deal with any matters raised at the meeting.
On behalf of the Board of charity trustees,
Sarah Dobson
Chair of Trustees
KDC Theatre
Help us confirm numbers
Planning on coming along? Let us know you’re coming so we can update the pub.
Want to join the committee?
If you want to be nominated for a committee position and you’ve been involved in KDC in the last year, your friendly KDC Chair can help you with that. Click here to drop her a line.
We’re loving Summer Season – and there’s more to come
After two fantastic productions, (in person!), we’re feeling pretty elated at this mid-point in KDC’s Summer Season.
After two fantastic productions, (in person!), and a bit of making up for lost time with after show drinks, we’re feeling pretty elated at this mid-point in KDC’s Summer Season.
Congrats to the cast, crew and writers of Obsession and When it Hits the Air: An Evening with KDC Theatre’s New Writers, and to our queens of new writing this year: Saskia van ‘t Hoff & Rachel Carnes.
There’s more to come of course – we’re busily sticking the Annual General Meeting on Mon 9 August 7pm in the diary, booking our tickets for Pomona on Tue 31 Aug – Fri 3 Sept, all while confirming the Autumn Season productions and audition dates for September.
Want to get more involved? Watch this space for audition dates and details of how you can join the KDC committee at our AGM on 9 Aug (taking place in a pub, of course).
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Will you be the next KDC Treasurer?
To put yourself forward for the role, submit an application.
Do you want to gain experience of charity accounting or understand the nuts and bolts of running a small theatre company? Do you have a passion for theatre or financial management, and the time to support the ongoing running of KDC Theatre?
- View the Treasurer role description.
- Submit an application form. (New applications round opens 2 Aug)
KDC is a performing arts charity that has existed for the last 90 years, and (as far as we know) is the only central London amateur theatre group focused on plays. We have built up a great reputation for taking chances and putting on interesting classic, contemporary, new writing and devised plays. Thousands of actors / directors / technicians have honed their craft in some fantastic performances over the years, as well as having a great time in the process, and long may that continue. For KDC to produce our work, we need dedicated people behind the scenes, running the company through its organising committee.
This year, we are looking to fill a single crucial role in June 2021: the role of KDC Treasurer. We will be taking on new recruits for other committee positions at the AGM in August. If you are interested in one of these roles, find out more here.
This is a key position for KDC. The Treasurer manages our financial processes, writes the budget, and proposes financial policy and strategy to the Trustees. Alongside the Chair, Artistic Director and Producer, the Treasurer is essential to the effective running of the organisation
In the past, this role has been filled by KDC members with accounting and finance experience in their day jobs, or by highly numerate, organisational wizards who know their way around a spreadsheet and are looking to “beef up” their financial expertise with experience gained through this volunteering role.
The new Treasurer will join the committee for a handover period of a few weeks working alongside the outgoing Treasurer, Sarah Beebe.
If you would like to put yourself forward for the role, submit an application here.
View the Treasurer Role Description.
PLEASE NOTE – if you submitted an early application (before 24 June), you will need to send your contact details separately. If this applies to you, submit your contact information here.