C4 Winner Third Day Posts Closing Notices, 29 JulDate: 17 July 2006
On the Third Day, the winning play of Channel 4s The Play's the Thing (See News, 13 Jun 2006), has posted early closing notices at the West Ends New Ambassadors theatre, where its been playing to half-full houses since its world premiere on 22 June 2006 (previews from 13 June). The debut play by 51-year-old teacher-turned-playwright Kate Betts had been booking until 2 September. It will now finish on 29 July 2006.
In the four-part TV series, West End producer Sonia Friedman with the help of literary agent Mel Kenyon and actor Neil Pearson were set the challenge of finding a never-before-produced writer and preparing their debut play for a professional commercial run. Over 2,000 aspiring playwrights entered the competition. Maxine Peake, Paul Hilton and Tom McKay star in the resulting stage production, which is directed by Robert Delamere after the original director Steven Pimlott fell ill (See News, 25 May 2006).
While many critics admired the effort the producers, actors, directors and budding playwrights went to in bringing new work into the West End which they said was a worthwhile experiment few were overly impressed by On the Third Day, which they felt was too muddled, ambiguous, slow and confusing to cut it in the commercial West End (See Review Round-up, 23 Jun 2006). While Betts has talent, ruled the critics, it has not yet flourished with this play.
In a statement released today, Friedman said: "Producing a play by a first-time writer in the West End was always going to be a fascinating challenge, which is why I agreed to participate in the Channel 4 series The Play's the Thing. Plays produced in smaller subsidised theatres which run for six weeks and are seen by smaller audiences than the ones enjoyed by On the Third Day are routinely seen as a success. That is why I believe that a seven-week run for a production of a new play by a first-timer writer in the West End playing to audiences of 51% percent should be seen as an achievement. She added: The Play's the Thing has been a very useful exercise in stimulating a debate about new work by new writers in the West End. I am very grateful to Channel 4 for devoting so much of their mainstream schedule to a programme about theatre, the West End and new writing. "
Channel 4s commissioning editor Jan Younghusband said: Kate Betts play has been very well received by audiences, and we are delighted by the reach of the series which has spawned new writing initiatives throughout the country.
Betts said: It was an honour to have my play chosen as the winning entry for The Play's the Thing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Sonia Friedman, Steven Pimlott, Robert Delamere and with a cast and technical team that were so completely devoted to and enthusiastic about On the Third Day. I have learned a lot from these professionals, and this valuable experience will not only help me with my future writing but will, I hope, encourage, inform and stimulate other new writers out there who are passionate about writing for the theatre.
No further productions have yet been announced for the New Ambassadors.
- by Terri Paddock
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