Update for Summer 2017
As the summer rolls on, we look back on two productions directed by Philip Dart. Beau Jest, by James Sherman, for Vienna’s English Theatre and Women of Twilight, by Susan Rayman, for the Drama Studio London.
A scene from Beau Jest at Vienna's English Theatre
Beau Jest has just finished its three-month run in Vienna, where it drew enthusiastic feedback: not just from audiences but from the playwright himself, who flew over from the US to see VET’s production. Sherman subsequently described the show as ‘one of the finest’ productions (out of the many versions of Beau Jest) he had seen. He also gave credit to the strong cast Philip had chosen.
Written in the 1950s for a cast of nine female actors, Women of Twilight was a groundbreaking play for its time, dealing with the controversial topic of baby farms. The play received a great reception from audiences over four performances given by graduating Drama Studio London students between Sunday 16th and Tuesday 18th July .
After a very productive two days of auditions in June, casting for “Sleeping Beauty” at Buxton Opera House is now complete. The production cast, led by James Holmes as Dame Nanny Nora and Jessica Revell as Princess Aurora, now includes Johnathan Tweedie as Maleficent, Alasdair Baker as King Bertram, Matthew Jay Ryan as Billy, Joseph Anthony as Prince Christopher, Zoe Littleton as Fairy Emmeline, Haydn Cox as Alan and Poppy Andrews as the Queen.
Our commercial writing work is still going strong and this summer we have added a new client, dealing with document storage and security, to our long list of happy copywriting customers. Over the last few weeks our clients have published blogs and articles we have written on subjects as diverse as Stamp Duty and Capital Gains Tax, wine tasting for beginners, the London property market and the effect of Brexit on plans to retire abroad.
After the summer break, Philip Dart is looking forward to directing Wait Until Dark for Vienna's English Theatre, which rehearses in October and runs until Christmas. This autumn will also see the premiere performance of his play The Visit, which was written for VET's Schools Touring company and will tour senior schools throughout Austria.