Director s Pack Princess Ida or Castle Adamant
Key Information Show week: 28th May - 1st June 2018. Performance venue: Bridewell Theatre, 14 Bride Lane, London EC4Y 8EQ. Rehearsals: Wednesday evenings beginning early February 2018, 6.45-9.45pm, in Pimlico (SW1V 3AA), plus two or three Sunday rehearsals. Director s Fee: 500-1,000 Maximum Show Budget: 2,250. Theatre and orchestra are costed separately (see detail below). Deadline for applications: Sunday 29 October 2017 How to apply: By email to admin@gloc.org. Interviews for prospective candidates: Week commencing 6th November 2017.
Direct our show! Grosvenor Light Opera Company is looking for a talented, enthusiastic director to bring its next production, Princess Ida, to life. This is an opportunity to direct a leading amateur Gilbert and Sullivan company with a large cast and full orchestra, performing sell-out shows in central London. Five performances of the opera, including a matinee, will be staged at the Bridewell Theatre in the week of 28 May 2018.
About Princess Ida Princess Ida; or, Castle Adamant is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was their eighth operatic collaboration of fourteen. The piece concerns a princess who founds a women's university and teaches that women are superior to men and should rule in their stead. The prince to whom she had been married in infancy sneaks into the university, together with two friends, with the aim of collecting his bride. They disguise themselves as women students, but are discovered, and all soon face a literal war between the sexes. The opera satirizes feminism, women's education and Darwinian evolution, which were controversial topics in conservative Victorian England. Princess Ida is based on a narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson called The Princess (1847), and Gilbert had written a farcical musical play, based on the poem, in 1870. He lifted much of the dialogue of Princess Ida directly from his 1870 farce. It is the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera in three acts and the only one with dialogue in blank verse.
About GLOC Founded in 1949, Grosvenor Light Opera Company (www.gloc.org) is an amateur operatic society based in central London. We focus on the works of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan but complement this with other material. The majority of our members are young professionals with busy lives, but we have high performance standards and a great community spirit. We have many committed G&S enthusiasts in the company, and every cast member will work hard to deliver the best show possible. As director, your challenge will be to channel this lively group s enthusiasm into a high quality production and keeping rehearsals disciplined, engaging and fun.
Your Production We are open to pitches for both traditional and alternative interpretations. GLOC is a charity and we work within tight financial constraints. The figures above represent a maximum, and we would be interested to hear any ideas you have to reduce the budget or guarantee that it does not extend beyond the maximum budgetary allowance. We require a director to have a full vision and energy to create a polished and stylish production on a budget. We will be interested in your ideas for: Setting Characterisations Costumes Set Any special effects Our chorus is unauditioned and therefore its size varies, but it is likely to be around 30 (18 ladies / 12 men). We will be interested in any ideas you have for ensuring that the chorus is used in an imaginative and stimulating way. Given the size of our chorus, it is unlikely that a large set will be required. We have some technical capability within the company to build set (with some flats from previous productions available for repainting), and a willingness among some members to provide assistance with set painting and props. The director will discuss plans for set and props with the committee and production team to agree a reasonable plan which can be achieved by a small team of people (which should include the director) within a few days. In the unlikely event that there is a disagreement over what is achievable, or what is reasonable in terms of get in/set changes, the committee will have the final decision.
Budget Funds can distributed at the discretion of the director. Please note that the theatre does not provide any crew, stage manager or lighting operator. We have members and contacts who have experience with lighting, and we may be able to recruit a stage manager, but we would be also interested in any contacts you may have. The information at the end of this pack gives information from recent shows and gives an indication of how costs might be broken down. Director's fee 500.00-1,000 Director's show budget 2,250.00 Includes: lighting and crew, set, costumes, make up and props and the cost of van hire if this is required to bring any of these items to/from the theatre NB: The director may choose to add the allocated director s fee to the show budget. E.g. If the director is allocated a director s fee of 750 then she/he may elect to spend this on set/costume etc thereby increasing the possible show budget to 3,000 Fixed costs Theatre hire 2,640 plus 180 for use of the Foundry, both inc VAT. Orchestra (and other costs) Approx 6,000
The Bridewell Theatre Steeped in tradition and history, St Bride Foundation has long been a venue catering for the needs of local people and for local charities. The theatre is fully equipped, with raked seating and a capacity of 134. The venue has a very basic set of lighting and sound equipment, full details of which can be obtained from our production manager on request. It may be that we will have to provide additional lighting. We do not anticipate the need for any microphones as the space is relatively small. Visit the website at http://www.sbf.org.uk/bridewell-theatre Stage space A plan provided by the theatre is included at the back of this pack. The main stage is a rough square shape. We anticipate that the stage left wing will be used for the orchestra (slightly spilling out into the acting area and visible to the audience) such that the conductor/musical director will be visible to the orchestra and cast (there is no pit). This worked well for Ruddigore, Pirates of Penzance and Iolanthe. There is ample space stage right. There is a balcony above and behind the main stage area, and a trap door towards the front of the stage. The theatre has 2 large dressing/changing rooms for the cast, as well as a bar provided for the audience which remains open after each performance. Bridewell trapdoor The theatre contract requires that furniture, props and other movable items are kept upstage each evening to allow for use of the space during the day.
Theatre plan
Rehearsal and show dates Rehearsals: Wednesday evenings, 6.45-9.45pm from early Feb 2018 until show week. St Gabriel s Halls, Churchill Gardens Rd, Pimlico, SW1V 3AA. We usually rehearse for two Sundays before the show week. Rehearsal schedule: Given that our members have other commitments including work and potentially other shows, we will ask the successful applicant to provide a provisional rehearsal schedule as soon as possible and at least by the time rehearsals start. This helps to ensure that principals and each of the male and female choruses are only called when required and can plan accordingly. Show week: Sunday 27th May: Get-in from 10am; Band call - 1pm Monday 28th May: lighting rig etc and technical rehearsal in the evening. Access to theatre all day. Tuesday 29 May: dress rehearsal in evening Wednesday 30th Saturday 2nd June: 7.30pm performances plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Saturday 2nd June: Get-out post show Bridewell trapdoor
Budget Guidance The following information from recent shows gives an indication of how costs in the Director s budget might be allocated.
Contact Us If you would like to know more about anything in this pack or about the company, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Chairman: Alan Rickett Secretary: Laura Burgoyne and Jonathan Broad admin@gloc.org