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Final year journalism student blogging about all things theatre
Category Archives: Acorn Antiques The Musical
My journey with Acorn Antiques
It’s been 2 weeks since Acorn Antiques finished so I thought now would be the right time to reflect back on my time as a cast member but most importantly as Publicity Manager.
This was the first job that i’ve ever done in leading publicity at such a large scale venue as the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre so I knew that I needed to use all the experience i’d developed from previous roles in publicity from productions back home.
My biggest concern when I was first approached about the role was being able to balance between my publicity role and my role as Minchin’s Lad within the production itself, but they both seemed to fit perfectly alongside each other as the weeks went by. When I wasn’t focused on one role, I was the other, thus making my time at rehearsals rather busy but just the way I like it!
Alongside leading publicity for Acorn Antiques, I was able to work with Fiona Hannon who was Croft House‘s other marketing manager and playing the role of Miss Bonnie in the production. Both of us have had experience in publicity and knew a lot about Croft so ensuring that we kept our eye on the production and fully knew the story and what was going on at rehearsals, marketing the show should be easy… we hoped!
Problems arose when either myself or Fiona were away from rehearsals or involved in a certain scene that we had identified as a piece of potential publicity material that we weren’t able to capture. Often we had to throw a camera or camera-phone at another cast member and ask them to snap away. One of the main points I learnt during my time with Acorn Antiques was that team work is vital in the world of publicity!
Weeks before our move to the Lyceum, I decided that we needed just that extra bit of material online and the only thing that we hadn’t done as a cast would be a video so I took a camera from Uni and began filming. In addition, I was wanting to test myself at University and video was a part of my blog that I hadn’t explored yet so it seemed like the perfect match.
My trailer is still the single piece of work that I am most proud of.
Having my friend Dave available to film half of the rehearsal and me taking over when not rehearsing allowed me to get the shots I wanted. Although it took hours of extra work to put together, i’m so proud of the final piece and will be showing it to many people with projects to come!
The trailer shows the very best of the show without giving anything away or spoiling the show for those attending weeks later at the Lyceum. It also gave a great morale boost for the cast to see how really amazing the show we have been rehearsing is. Its very easy to become wrapped up in your part and not appreciate the performances others are giving around you so getting to watch others performances, for myself certainly, was a great reward, and I know was for many other cast members too.
Another piece that worked very well for our publicity drive was my interview with the director of Acorn Antiques, Mark Harris. Giving people that extra little look inside the production before either visiting us in March or even deciding on buying a ticket worked really well. People’s curiosity into what the show is even about or what goes on in getting a production to the Lyceum was matched by my interview and gave them that extra bit of inside knowledge they may have been craving.
Moving to the theatre is always difficult when working in publicity as you get caught up so easily in the huge transition the entire production has just made and it tends to slip into second place alongside being a performer within the show. With Acorn Antiques, I wanted to ensure this didn’t happen. This wasn’t helped that I had started a new job on the Monday that we had out dress rehearsal and all our performance week so I needed to make use of any free time I had before I started my new job to complete any outstanding tasks. These included arranging publicity at the theatre; posters and flyers etc, prevent any potential problems with reviews from opening night by contacting all newspaper or online theatre reviewers and letting them know event details and when they can expect production photographs and generally covering anything that could cause time delays or harm the publicity Fiona and I had worked so hard on for months.
I was fortunate to be able to manage the shows online presence by using the Facebook Pages app on my iPhone. Having this gave me access to the Croft House page and ability to publish all photographs to our following from wherever I might be. These were often published during breaks and intervals during my new working day. Although small things, they attracted a vast response from friends and family of Croft and cast members as can be seen from the photographs below.
Connecting with the cast’s friends online allowed for a real buzz to develop around the show and gave everyone that final boost they needed!
Posts throughout the week included….
By adding photographs from band call, technical rehearsal or post-show presentations from honoured guests allowed those that are attending the show later on in the week to have a quick look at how we transition from rehearsal room to stage and beyond. Although a small part of my job, it received a great response online.
And then Fiona and I faced our biggest challenge… VICTORIA WOOD!
Trying to keep our cast from telling the world that she was attending, included through out own excitement, was often difficult but but was all worth it come our Friday evening performance. I know the entire production team, backstage crew and cast were beyond excited and a little scared that the writer and creator of our show was attending that night but it turned out to be a truly mesmerising night for us all and was helped by the swamp of cameras that captured us all meeting Victoria backstage after the show. Finally, a moment where a publicity manager didn’t have to take control with a camera!
My favourite moment from Friday evening wasn’t meeting Victoria Wood but that in some photos, i’m stood almost immediately by her side and surprisingly without a camera, even thought i took over 20 photographs that evening of our guest. Often throughout the show, whenever a photograph was taken, i’m seen taking one of someone else. Sometimes the little things make those that dedicated extra time to a production really happy!
A few other great pieces of publcity between Fiona and myself included a video capture from reharsals of one of our leading ladies recieving a letter of good luck from original television and West End star Celia Imrie…
Or even competitions in magazines, video teasers, press releases online or even in local papers. Together it all added up for us working together and spreading a bit of the Acorn Antiques love across Sheffield and beyond!
When Saturday night’s performance ended and Acorn Antiques had reached its final point, alongside a great deal of relief, I was immensely proud of all that the show had achieved. I was very proud of my fellow cast members for their performances that week, myself included, but mostly for what Fiona and I had achieved along our journey to March 23rd at 9:45pm. I was then able to join my friends, family and cast members for a well-earned drink and celebration of a fantastic week in Manchesterford.
Acorn Antiques is a truly hilarious show and was brought together by a brilliantly talented cast and the perfect production team.
Its a show and journey I know I will never forget and hopefully be a show I can look back at, remember where my time as Publicity Manager at the Lyceum started, and look back without question and the fondest of memories.
Acorn Antiques … its been a COMPLETE pleasure!
Croft House’s next production at the Lyceum Theatre is the cult-classic Grease!
All being well I will be able to join back with Croft and lead their publicity with Grease! Keeping all crossed.
Until then… make me the one that you want 😉
William J.
Victoria Wood at Acorn Antiques – The Musical (Sheffield Lyceum)
So, Victoria Wood…
We first heard rumour that Victoria may be attending the show way back in the early stages of rehearsals.
It was at a rehearsal in October and our Director Mark Harris burst into the rehearsal room whilst we were setting ‘Oh, Oh, Mrs O.’ and blurted out in pure excitement that we may have a special guest visiting us during our performance week. Naturally, everyone gasped and got rather excited even at the prospect of Victoria potentially seeing the show. The excitement quickly turned into nerves
Months of rehearsals went by and we occasionally mentioned in rehearsals that we may have a visitor when we move to the Lyceum but with it never confirmed we always treated with a slight bit of caution.
Rehearsals ended and we were over half way through our performance week at the Lyceum and our Friday performance began fast approaching.
Everyone arrived early at the theatre that evening, us all being very unsure as to what tonights performance will entail and if the rumours would turn into reality.
We all began getting ready for the show and then the whispers began circulating; she was here! Cast members that had family members watching the Friday performance noticed Victoria arriving at the theatre and our management committee that would oversee her visit to the show greeted Victoria and took her into her own pre-show room for privacy.
It was official, tonight I would be performing in Acorn Antiques – The Musical, a show written by Victoria Wood, for Victoria Wood. Very quickly, the nerves kicked-in.
So we started. The show began at 7:15pm and as big as tonights performance was, the show moved as normal as it did all previous nights; we almost forgot that it’s writer and creator was watching.
Act one finished and cast members began reading text messages from friends in the audience asking if Victoria Wood was watching as they’ve seen her.
Now the secret was out, all the shows social media sites went a little crazy commenting and tweeting about our special guest.
We continued on with the show and 5 minutes before our curtain call we received from our stage manager that we were to all stay on stage as someone wanted to meet the entire cast!
The show ended, the curtain fell and all our dreams for Acorn Antiques came true… Victoria Wood was here!
Arriving from stage left, she chucked her coat to a member of her team and walked on to a huge applause from the cast and crew and with hands clasped, opened up to the entire cast on how much she enjoyed the show and that she was a proud writer following tonights show.
Victoria apologised for other original production team members being unable to attend due to the bad weather and let the cast know she will be taking back extracts from the show.
Complimenting us all on the high quality of the show, Victoria said: “I took photos throughout to take back to the original production team. I loved it.”
She then laughed with the cast and continued to speak for a further 10 minutes.
Victoria then agreed to have photographs with the entire cast, said her goodbyes and left but not without a quick chat with a few cast members. Her most noticeable was with Helen Kempton who lead the show as Mrs Overall. Victoria pointed at Helen and said in a gust of excitement: “And you, I love you!” What a compliment for our talented leading lady.
Our Director Mark Harris sat behind Victoria throughout the entire show and told us after she had left that she laughed continually from start-to-finish. I think it would have been very easy, having devised, wrote and followed the show since its original creation in London, to be bored or unsure about a new interpretation of the show however to know she enjoyed the show and even managed to laugh throughout was the biggest honour and a point I know many cast members were very proud of.
Photos of the show began spreading on our social media platforms, one gaining over 140 likes and comments which was the highest Croft House had ever received.
We all began getting changed from our costumes and left the theatre before our final two performances on Saturday and saying goodbye to Acorn Antiques.
I’ve met many theatre stars and celebrities throughout my life but to perform for Victoria Wood in her original musical and to receive such touching comments on the production is a dream come true. A very proud night to be a member of Croft House Theatre Company.
What a complete honour and a memory I know i’ll never forget!
William J.
Review: Sheffield Town Talk
“This is an endearing and eccentric musical portrayal of a very British shop that is not to be missed. With such a short run at the Lyceum, make sure you don’t miss out on this charming show and its exclamation point…”
Full review here:
Review: UKTheatre.net
“If you missed this in the West End, then I’ve no doubt that this production is very near its equal…”
Full review here:
http://www.uktheatre.net/magazine.html
Review: The Yorkshire Times
“Kate Parkin’s Miss Babs was suitably busty, naughty and haughty, whilst the young lady, of larger proportions…all so Northern, so spoof like, so apt.”
Full review here:
http://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Acorn-Antiques–A-Tough-Nut-To-Crack
Review: Sheffield Star
“To be bad, actors have to be good. But there were no problems on that score from the Croft House Theatre Company ensemble who were enjoying every minute.”
Full review here:
http://m.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/theatre/review-acorn-antiques-the-musical-the-lyceum-1-5515300
Vada Magazine Online Publication
My recent press release for Acorn Antiques – Digital Press Release 3 has been published on Vada Magazine website.
Check it out: http://vadamagazine.com/14/03/2013/entertainment/acorn-antiques
I have also joined the Vada team as its Theatre Correspondent so do keep checking out the site for all my posts.
Musical version of Victoria Wood’s hit TV comedy ‘Acorn Antiques’ arrives in Sheffield next week
Croft House Theatre Company will present a hilarious re-imagination of Victoria Wood’s famous television show and now hit musical comedy: Acorn Antiques – The Musical.
Arriving at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre next week, March 19th – 23rd, a musical version of Acorn Antiques follows the lives of sisters Miss Babs and Miss Berta, struggling to keep their antiques business open, as shop after shop on the High Street close down. A devious third sister Miss Bonnie plans to sell the shop to ‘The Guilty Bean’; the world’s second biggest chain of coffee shops.
This all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza is lead by Sheffield residents Kate Parkin, Louise Walker and Fiona Hannon, familiar faces of local theatre group Croft House Theatre Company.
With family secrets, life-changing acting and high-spirited musical numbers, can they still employ Mrs Overall? Will Mr Clifford ever get his memory back, and remember who he’s engaged to? And most worrying of all, will Mrs Overall be able to tap dance whilst holding the tray?
Celia Imrie, who originated the role of Miss Babs in both the television show and West End production of Acorn Antiques, has sent her regards and good luck vibes to Sheffield actress Kate Parkin in a personal letter, writing: “Thinking of you all the way, Kate. Hey, hey, you’re on your way. From the other Miss B, with love.”
Parkin, who received her letter during a recent rehearsal from fellow cast member Louise Walker, is still shocked and deeply touched by her message from Imrie: “Miss Babs is Celia’s part, she originated it, so to get her blessing as I step into these enormous shoes next is for me, the biggest of blessings. I just hope I do her justice and bring a bit of Kate to the part.”
The show received critical acclaim during its run at the Haymarket Theatre in London with Julie Walters once again starring as Mrs Overall, and now this legendary local amateur theatre company have the opportunity to show the city the very best of its local talent.
Director Mark Harris, a fan of Victoria Wood’s writing, is sure that audiences will love the stage version of Acorn Antiques next week: ”It’s so different from the TV show yet so alike that I find it hard to explain to people how it works. Its characters that we all know and love mixed with songs, new characters and hilarious and witty lyrics written by Victoria herself; it really is as bonkers and hilarious as it sounds.”
The musical also introduces audiences to new characters from the television show including the local shop owners and their wonderful and wild shops, browsers, the streets local gay couple with matching cardigans but also remembers TV shows best and most loved character in Mrs Overall, portrayed originally by Julie Walters and now by Sheffield local, Helen Kempton.
Knowing what an iconic piece of writing Mrs Overall is, Helen knew as a big fan of Victoria Wood that she just had to audition: ”I watched Acorn Antiques for years. I remember being amazed at how Julie Walters had me in fits of laugher just by walking into a scene on TV. When Croft announced they were performing the show, the opportunity to play such an icon giant of British comedy came along I just couldn’t say no. I’m still as shocked today as I was back in September when I first got the part; it really is a dream come true.”
However, the added pressure of playing such an icon part hasn’t got Helen beat just yet: ”Knowing that I will be performing a role that anyone that comes to see Acorn Antiques knows so well is nerving but also excited. Its not often you get to plan a part written by Victoria Wood, played originally by Julie Walters and on the Lyceum Theatre stage. March 19th will be a very special day for me.”
With wonky sets, missed cue’s and hilarious mistakes, can the sisters prevent their new sibling from closing the family business and opening a new chain of coffee shops in its place, will Miss Berta help Clifford remember any of his past and will Mrs O. make it on stage on time and maybe with a cheeky macaroon or two?
Join this incredibly talented cast next week, March 19th-23rd for an evening of pure hilarious delights.
Acorn Antiques is presented by Croft House Theatre Company, Directed by Mark Harris, and Choreographed by Sally Wragg with Musical Direction by Andy Booth.
Tickets available on 0114 249 6000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Interview w/ Mark Harris: Director of Acorn Antiques – The Musical
Croft House Theatre Company return to the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre after their complete sell out performances of The Sound of Music with this fabulous production of Victoria Wood’s stage show: Acorn Antiques – The Musical!
This all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza sees sisters Miss Babs and Miss Berta struggling to keep their antiques business open, as shop after shop on the High Street closes. A devious third sister Miss Bonnie plans to sell the shop to ‘The Guilty Bean’ (the world’s second biggest chain of coffee shops).
With family secrets, life-changing acting and high-spirited musical numbers, can they still employ Mrs Overall? Will Mr Clifford ever get his memory back, and remember who he’s engaged to? And most worrying of all, will Mrs Overall be able to tap dance whilst holding the tray?
For more information on Acorn Antiques – The Musical and to book tickets:
Box Office: 0114 249 6000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
____________________________________
Interview by William J Connolly
W: What first attracted you to the idea of directing Acorn Antiques – The Musical?
M: I was approached by Croft House Theatre Company due to my love and general obsession with Acorn Antiques on TV and Victoria Wood’s work in general.
W: What is it about Acorn Antiques that you loved so much?
M: The whole concept was way ahead of its time. The wobbly sets, bad camera angles, forgotten lines and actors playing characters who are playing characters. Genius!
W: Is the stage show as funny as the TV show?
M: Yes, although you can’t approach the stage show in the same way. Any audience members who don’t know AA could think it’s just a bad production when it’s actually meant to be played badly. It’s a fine line.
W: The show has large musical numbers too?
M: Oh yes! Tap dancing, fosse
style ‘Chicago’ routines but also some fantastic smaller numbers and of course the Victoria Wood forte – the Ballad, two beautiful numbers, ‘Remind Him’ and ‘Gent’s Duet’.
W: What can people expect when they come and see your production?
M: An honest and loving homage to Acorn Antiques and Victoria’s truly brilliant writing.
W: What’s it been like working with your cast? I hear they were all auditioned and chosen specifically for the show?
M: That’s correct. It’s very important to get the casting right especially when Acorn Antiques includes well loved characters that we are trying to emulate.
With weeks to go, the cast are working hard but we still have a way to go. Compared the professionals, we only rehearse a tenth of what they do so I think we do really well, especially when audiences see the standards we will reach in March.
W: What are the similarities and differences between the TV series and the musical?
M: The main characters are the same but the story is totally different. It’s a lovely fresh look at the world of Acorn Antiques.
W: Did you ever see the show in London?
M: Yes. I saw the final Saturday Matinee of the 16 week run with the original cast. Julie Walters was amazing, as was Celia Imrie. Victoria Wood was there and she even made a little cameo appearance and stopped the show! Amazing!
I also saw the touring production (which is the version we are doing) and Ria Jones as Mrs. O was fantastic.
M: Her shortness and comic genius.
W: Can people expect the TV series replicated on stage or is this a re-imagination of the story? What can audiences expect?
M: They can expect 2hrs 15mins of laughs, tears, tantrums and campness! Oh, and maybe a macaroon or two.
W: Are you a fan of Victoria Wood’s work? Did you watch her TV shows?
M: Oh yes! ‘As Seen on TV’ was shown on television when I was 10 and even though I didn’t understand all of the humour, it always made me laugh.
Her songs were and still very much are infectious and Victoria’s ‘An Audience With…’ I could probably quote word-for-word! Is that sad? Or obsessive? You decide. (Laughs)
W: What is it about Victoria Wood’s writing that makes the show so special for you?
M: She is just a comedy genius. Her writing is so lyrical, almost like music, and she writes from the heart.
W: Which character would you like to play?
M: I’d like to play Miss Babs or Mrs. O. They are both genius, well written characters but obviously female. Otherwise it would have to be Mr. Clifford so I could be in the thick of the action.
W: Sheffield has such a great reputation for producing great quality theatre. Has this added any additional pressure?
M: No. In a way it makes it easier because you know your ensemble will come through and pull it off. With a first class backstage team, you know all bases are covered and it’ll come together come March 19th.
W: With 7 weeks until the show opens, what are you most excited about once you make the transition to the Lyceum Theatre?
M: Seeing your vision come together and trouble shooting on the hoof when problems arise.
W: How have rehearsals been so far?
M: Interesting, stressful but SO much fun. (Laughs)
W: Not long until opening night now…?
M: Eeek!!!!!
W: So why should people come and see Acorn Antiques in March?
M: To support this incredibly talented cast of local people, see Victoria’s work live on stage and maybe even have a macaroon or two if Mrs. O. has any spare.
W: And finally, how will you remember your journey with Acorn Antiques – The Musical?
M: Emotional!
W: Mark, the best of luck and thank you.
For more information on Acorn Antiques – The Musical and to book tickets:
Box Office: 0114 249 6000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
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