[brian]

No wonder the Bridewell is having difficulties. I have walked past there today and viewed the posters of forthcoming productions. They look boring and uninteresting. They may appeal to a few folk who like these off-West End experimental productions but my guess is that they will not fill seats. When I think of some of the excellent plays and shows I have seen there over they past years, my heart bleeds. It used to be so good!

[curzon]

No wonder the Bridewell is having difficulties. I have walked past there today and viewed the posters of forthcoming productions. They look boring and uninteresting. They may appeal to a few folk who like these off-West End experimental productions but my guess is that they will not fill seats. When I think of some of the excellent plays and shows I have seen there over they past years, my heart bleeds. It used to be so good!

It's a nightmare to work at especially the electrics...

Sebastian

[Boob]

And try staging a show in there if you've got a cast of more than 7!!!

But in all fairness, the amateurness of the posters is down the companies who hire the venue, not the Bridewell itself. I still love this space and wish it well for the future. I'm glad it's still open.

[curzon]

And try staging a show in there if you've got a cast of more than 7!!!

But in all fairness, the amateurness of the posters is down the companies who hire the venue, not the Bridewell itself. I still love this space and wish it well for the future. I'm glad it's still open.

It made me sad working there (even just for one show) when you think what could be done in that space with some imagination and some (well, yes, quite a lot!) money

Sebastian

[link-larkin]

I think the Bridewell is a superb venue. I'm a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and we hire the venue for three productions a year. Past Productions include: 'The Real Inspector Hound': Tom Stoppard, 'Black Comedy': Peter Shaffer, 'The Workshop': John Paul Grumberg, 'The Tempest' and 'Scottish Play': Shakespeare and 'The Misanthrope': Moliere.

It is a chance for the Actors and Stage Management/Technical Theatre students to produce a show in a realistic setting with a professional creative team who work in the industry. (This is made up of a Director and Designer with the addition sometimes of a Lighting Designer and Sound Designer, if the production is not being designed by students.) Whilst being supported by specialist tutors who have worked in the profession for a number of years.

The electrics and facilities aren't the best, but they are better than many off west end venues. The school has also put aside money to improve the electrics and have already installed extra lighting bars.

Our last production of a Stoppard/Shaffer Double Bill sold out every night and we had 16 performers and about 15 Stage Management/technical crew across both shows so it is possible to have 'a cast more than 7'. You just have to work out how to manage the space effectively. The Bridewell Bar is soon to move over the road so that space is going to be turned into dressing rooms which will be a great help.

The designers we have are encouraged to use the space anyway possible and they have with every show we have done there being in a different seating configuration. Apparently the production is going to be in 'Promenade' (the actors lead you round the space as part of the action) and should not be missed!

So if you want a chance to see the Bridewell being used to its potential and to support training actors and Stage Managers/Technicians come and see our next production there which is:

'The Revenger's Tragedy' by Thomas Middleton
Director: Ed Dick, Designer: Becs Andrews, Lighting Designer: Tim Lutkin and Sound Designer: Matthew Taylor

Bridewell Theatre - Tuesday 6th November to Saturday 10th November 2007

Tickets from the Barbican Centre Box Office from 6th October - www.barbican.org.uk

Prices are TBC but are normally about £7 with concessions available - for additional information see www.gsmd.ac.uk

[armadillo]

What are the particular problems of a having a cast of more than 7 people? I must have seen at least 10 shows there with a larger cast. Because the stage isn't fixed, surely you can have as much space as you like and even with the basic stage up one end arrangement, it's bigger than the Donmar. As for needing a lot of money - didn't it close as a professional theatre for want of a City of London grant of £60,000? Which, while it's a lot of money to most of us, isn't really that much.

[Boob]

I was writing as someone who has acted in a play there before it "closed down" in a play with a cast of 16+. The problem wasn't on stage, but sharing THAT dressing room with a mixed cast that size was far from ideal. Fun communal experience, though. Sounds like moving the bar is an excellent idea to improve dressing room space.

[curzon]

The electrics and facilities aren't the best, but they are better than many off west end venues.

Not the best?!! When I was there this year trying to light Assassins with their hopeless lamp stock, unbelievable wiring and ancient lighting board my impression was that the whole system should be condemned. And if there are venues in a worse state electrically I can't see how they pass their electrical inspections.
As I said, I think the space is lovely (although not really high enough for lighting positions) and if some money was spent putting in a proper lighting system and sound rig it could be one of the best studio spaces in London. but what hope of that in these cash starved times for the arts?

Sebastian

[Matthew Winn]

Not the best?!! When I was there this year trying to light Assassins with their hopeless lamp stock, unbelievable wiring and ancient lighting board my impression was that the whole system should be condemned. And if there are venues in a worse state electrically I can't see how they pass their electrical inspections.

I once worked on a show in a venue where the electrics were in a dreadful state. Half the sockets didn't work so the auditorium ceiling was festooned with extension leads to get power from where it was available to where it was needed, and we spent one interval frantically testing fuses because the moment we switched on a smoke machine ready for the second act we lost all power backstage.

We once looked into buying a theatre where the lighting desk was two banks of live rheostats: 240V directly under your fingers, driving lanterns that were mostly domestic light bulbs in reflectors. I don't know if the venue had actually been used as a theatre at any recent time. It was more of a general hall with a raised platform at one end that had at some time doubled as a stage.

[link-larkin]

When I was there this year trying to light Assassins with their hopeless lamp stock, unbelievable wiring and ancient lighting board my impression was that the whole system should be condemned. And if there are venues in a worse state electrically I can't see how they pass their electrical inspections.

I forgot to say that we tour with our own stock of luminaries, speakers and lighting and sound operating equipment! We normally run TRS with spiders along the bars and then plug directly into the dimmers to by pass the hard bar patching points. This normally seems to work but I admit we have our fair share of problems! Therefore we normally have a freelance Production Electrician with us - to sort out any problems. I defiantly agree that their stock is dated and needs replacing but as previously stated there doesn't appear to be any money about.

The City of London however are part funding the new Guildhall School building that is going to replace the existing Milton Court building in Barbican. Also they fund all the stuff we do at the school so at least they are investing something in the future of the arts.