HAODS - For the best entertainment in live theatre, together with top quality drama - amdram at its best, Henley Operatic & Dramatic Society has it all. Performing at the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames, NODA award winning HAODS musicals and plays are renowned for excellence.

written by Julie Huntington

The time lag at the end of the evening seemed interminable to anxious
directors and actors as they waited to hear the final results of the 40th Kenton Drama Festival from Adjudicator Jill O'Hare. Being the 40th Anniversary this was a very special festival, so HAODS were determined to put up a good showing with their production of A Dog's Life, written by Pam Valentine, a play which charts an evening in a dog rescue centre. The audience are given a unique insight into the lives of the dogs and hear what they have to say about the humans - although the humans in the play only hear the comments of the dogs as barks and growls!

Director Wendy Huntley had assembled a strong cast which included Roger Redfern as Old Ben, the tramp's dog; spoiled French Poodle, Fifi was played by Claire Wallis; Fritz, the German Shepherd guard dog was played by Gareth Saunders sporting a true Schwarzenegger accent and Ginger, the yappy, chewy puppy who is obsessed with food was played by Julie Huntington who was suitably irritating! The two humans, the warden and a lady visitor, were played by Paul Cockfield and Karen DuPlessis.

I am delighted to report that A Dog's Life received four nominations: Claire and Julie for best actress, Gareth for best actor and the set for best set. To top it all. this play was the outright winner of the Festival, winning the Kenton Drama Festival cup!

Thanks go to all involved including John Huntley and Keith Jeffries who stage managed, Val Jeffries who assisted on the production and of course, Leah Corlet who was responsible for the stage dressing with a difference. The show had less than three weeks to be put together, owing to the proximity of the production of Follies, so winning is truly an amazing acheivment. Congratulations to all involved. 

If you missed it at Henley, please make an effort to see it on 17th June at the Corn Exchange in Wallingford.

The weather conditions were perfect for our Annual May Day Fun Run. It was sunny and dry, but with a light breeze to cool down the runners as they completed the 5.2 circuit, commencing at Regatta Meadows.

This was the 26th year that the race had been held and, despite the fact that notices were late going out this year, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was as popular as ever, with runners attending from all over the county. One of our now Patrons, himself a former leading man for HAODS for many years, Piers Carey, even flew over from the States to join in the fun. However, one could be forgiven if you thought that this was ground hog day as no fewer than three of the runners were winners last year too!

First past the post was Liam Proudlock, beating last years time by 36 seconds. Also winners from last year were brother and sister act Nathan and Lois Meredith who also stormed home to win the trophies for the under 16 boys and girl entrants.

A special mention must go to Archie Clark, who really entered into the fun spirit of the race and despite being the only one dressed up, ran the race dressed as a Hawaiian dancer! He won a special prize of a HAODS Sweat shirt. Well done Archie. As always, HAODS awards a trophy to first past the post for one of our own members, and this year, beating runners Keith Jeffries, Piers Carey and Mike Huntington, Nigel Offley reclaimed the title, in a spectacular come back race.

No.15 David Kossoff  Variety Performer (1919 - 2005)

David Kossoff was born in the East End of London the son of Russian parents. He made his first appearance on stage in 1942 and was invited to join
the BBC Repertory Company in 1945. After taking part in, literally, hundreds
of radio plays he began a stage and film career which won him a BAFTA award
for "A Kid for Two Farthings" and great success as the Jewish tailor in "
The Bespoke Overcoat". The warmth and sincerity of his voice made him a
huge hit reading Bible stories on radio which led to a Sunday evening series
and a number of bestselling books.

He was best known in the 1960s as Alf Larkin the henpecked husband in the
television series "The Larkins" after which he moved into another
successful series "A Little Big Business"

In his later years he toured the halls with several one-man shows with
titles like "One Eyebrow Slightly Up" and "A Funny Kind of Evening with David Kossoff". It was this show he performed at the Kenton on April 27th - 29th 1967. The Henley Standard critic wrote  "David Kossoff had the ideal situation " an intimate atmosphere and a packed house at his mercy. His one-man show is not, in effect, one man at all as he seems to fill the stage with his characters so that he almost loses his own identity".

His shows remained "outrageously funny" despite the tragedy of the death
of his son Paul from drug induced heart failure in 1976 and of his wife,
Margaret in 1993.

David died in 2005 aged 85.

Stephen Sondheims Follies. A big show from a big society. HAODS, the oldest local drama society and the largest has pulled a new, pre-Easter bunny from the hat and delivered for Henley a splendid and most remarkable production. Stephen Sondheim is renowned, perhaps unjustly for difficult music coupled with deep, dark plots. Perhaps a better summation would be that the music demands skill in performance and he challenges the audience to think as well as enjoy.

The first problem a society has to face when considering this show is the requirements of casting. There are over thirty named characters with ages ranging from 60-year old hoofers to their young egos starting out on life as eager 20-year old singers and dancers. HAODS is truly fortunate in counting amongst its members such actors and it was a joy to see so many older faces showing that their skills had not faded with time, coupled with newer members with youthful ability and exuberance.

It is show about the past; set in the past, New York in the 1970s. Impresario Dimitri Weismann produced follies extravaganzas at a theatre just off Broadway between the two world wars and we meet the once-young singers and dancers as they gather together for a final party before the theatre is pulled down to make way for a parking lot. The story takes us back even further into the past of the youthful, halcyon times of the 1930's and the ghostful memories becomes real people, setting out on life's difficult and challenging future. 'We all make bargains with our lives' remarks one actress as they all reflect on their past lost opportunities and errors.

Director Judy Yeates has to be congratulated on this splendid production. The cast has been well drilled, she has created a finely balanced landscape on the stage, and especially the frozen moments when old memories conjure the spirits of past events and double voices speak and sing in unison. These moments require great skill and timing from cast, music and lighting and it all comes together in this show. It is difficult to praise individuals for this is great ensemble production where the total balance is on all the actors. The choreographer, Jennifer Scott has created exciting moments especially when the aged-hoofers meet their young counterparts in a spectacular, glittery, tap-dance routine. The 1930s dance routines are great fun.

Firstly, a reminder to buy tickets for our stunning show Follies. A massive amount of work has gone into this show from every angle, from the techie boys Jerry Anderson, Bruce Smith, Derek Gilbert and their teams producing an amazing set with excellent sound and lighting, through to the wonderful direction from Judy Yeates - who, along with her husband John, is one of our Vice Presidents - the superb musical direction from newcomer Amy Wanless right down to the costumes from Team Angel. I would like to offer my personal thanks to the ladies of Team Angel who slaved away in the committee room - which became more like a costume sweatshop - in the days before the show, making more than twenty costumes and renovating almost as many more! Team Angel (Jenny Haywood, Clancey Smith, Susan Rusman, myself and honorary member Ann Dayton) got our name when planning the costumes for Follies, the original four decided to meet up to discuss the show and have a meal at The Angel on the Bridge. We pitched up at around 7:30pm, to be greeted by a sea (no pun intended) of people eagerly awaiting the arrival of Barnacle Bill who was coming along at 9:00pm to entertain the masses with sea shanties! We had not finished eating/discussing by then, but found it impossible to continue because of all the noise! We ended up joining in with gusto, adding harmonies and suitable comments much to the delight of the assembled company and to the landlord who sent us all over a drink to say thank you for making the evening such a success! Thus was born Team Angel!

We also have the Fun Run on Monday 2nd May to look forward to. This is our major fund raiser for the year and is always great fun - as its title suggests! We want to encourage fancy dress and families too - so please spread the word! If you would like to take part or help in any way please see the website for more information or contact David Holmes. All runners get medals and there is a prize for the silliest costume.

Best wishes

Julie Huntington (Chair)

This year, HAODS will be taking on the challenge of Pam Valentine's A Dog's Life as their festival play. This play is one that is guaranteed to bring both laughter and tears to its audience, and it has received lots of awards at festivals around the country since it was first published in 2000.

The auditions for this production - probably the most hilarious auditions ever - had the director, Wendy Huntley, actually in tears of laughter. Luckily, the day was not only very entertaining, but it also contained some excellent performances and the cast has finally been chosen. It is a strong cast, and if the first rehearsal is anything to go by, they promise to wring every ounce of humour and pathos out of the dialogue! It is a very physical play as the actors are personifying the dogs and spend most of the time on all fours, so at least they can all be sure of being very fit by the end of it!

This is a very special year for the Henley Festival as it is their 40th Anniversary and we are delighted to be able to take part. HAODS will be performing on Friday 4th May and we would love to see lots of you there, so please come along and support your fellow society members. Festival plays are not only a great experience for the director and the cast of the play, but they are also a very good way of promoting the society and of gaining new members and new audiences. The more support we can muster the better! We wish the cast and Wendy lots of luck with this production, and we look forward to watching their efforts.

Cast

Ben (a battered old mongrel) - Roger Redfern
Fritz (a tough German Shepherd) - Gareth Saunders
Fifi (a spoilt poodle) - Claire Wallis
Ginger (an excitable young pup) - Julie Huntington

The Warder - Paul Cockfield
The Woman Visitor - Karen DuPlessis

Kay Macara was a member of HAODS and Henley Players for over 14 years until her sad death last year from cancer. Soon after moving to Henley she wandered into the Kenton Theatre one Saturday morning where Nansi Diamond was doing coffee. They got chatting and she was soon totally immersed in theatre life.

As far as we know, Kay only ever appeared on the Kenton stage once (as a prostitute in a Henley Players Festival Play!) but she was always to be found backstage at most productions, as wardrobe mistress, seamstress or dresser. She was also an avid supporter of the HAODS field trips that often used to accompany shows and she went to Cornwall with the cast of ‘Rebecca' and ‘My Cousin Rachel' and Normandy with ‘Oh What a Lovely War' and ‘Happy as a Sandbag' to name just a few. What a pity ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum' never happened, she was already planning a trip to Rome!

In memory of Kay, Ann Burley is organising an evening in the theatre on Saturday 21 May. This will be a fun evening of music and dance based on many of Kay's favourite shows, plus some tributes from her friends. Directed by Heather Simpkin, the show promises to be an excellent evening of entertainment and all for the bargain price of £10. There will be drinks and canapés before the show in the HAODS Studio and tickets for the reception and show combined are just £16.

This is a fund-raising event and all money raised will be split between two of the charities Kay supported ‘Kenton for Keeps' and ‘Nazareth House', a home for children with Aids in Cape Town, South Africa.

Please come and join us at our Koncert for Kay at the Kenton Theatre on Saturday 21 May at 8pm (reception at 7pm). Tickets are available from Jane Taylor on 01628 898038 or jane_taylor@talktalk.net

1960 is a difficult year for Seymour Krelbourn. Brought up by a man named Mr. Mushnik, Seymour is an orphan and an outcast. Living on urban Skid Row, he works at Mushnik's Skid Row Florist, alongside a poor young woman a few years older named Audrey, who is being beaten by her boyfriend. But business is not good, so Mr. Mushnik decides to close the shop to save himself from the grief of Skid Row life. However, Seymour comes up with a plan to save the store. He shows the strange and interesting plant he has collected which he has named Audrey II after his secret love for Audrey. Customers flock in and he tells the unlikely story of how he found the Audrey II during a total eclipse of the sun. But after the shop is closed the Audrey II plant suddenly wilts and Seymour has to try and nurse it back to health. He begs the plant to grow and accidentally feeds it blood after getting poked with rose thorns. When he realizes that the blood is what the plant wants, he decides that he must feed it because if he is successful, perhaps the real Audrey will like him. For the next week, he stays up all night, poking his fingers to feed the plant.

What ensues is one of the most hilarious cult musicals, with man eating plants and a hopelessly outwitted Seymour.  With such songs as Skid Row, Some Fun Now, and of course, the infamous, Feed me Seymour! This musical is a delight for all the family.

Lloyd White is an award winning director and this show promises to as outstanding as his production of West Side Story If you would like to be involved in this show, the readings and auditions, all to be held in HAODS Studio, are listed below.  Please come along, newcomers will be welcome! 

Readings 30th May and 2nd June 2011 at 7.45pm
Auditions 5th June
Show Dates 15th – 19th November 2011
Venue:  The HAODS Studio, New Street, Henley-on-Thames RG9 2BP

by Ann Jenkins.

Wow - what an evening it was!

As you all know, the proceeds from the shows are not enough to keep us financially viable as a society, and the social committee work hard to organise evenings that will not only be enjoyable, but will also help to raise funds. Raymond Burton agreed to help the society by putting on a cabaret evening. Everyone had high expectations for this performance but Raymond exceeded them all. Not only was this event a hugely successful fundraiser, it was also a great evening's entertainment and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

For the first half, Ray performed songs from the musicals, opening with the much-loved Come to the Cabaret, and including the very emotional Bring Him Home which brought tears to the eyes of his audience. This was followed by pizza and salad for all; much needed calories for what was to come! The second half had everyone on their feet dancing to the rock and roll hits, as well as joining and singing their favourite songs. The roof was nearly raised with the volume of everyone singing Moon River!

The biggest surprise for those who know Raymond, was that he didn't sing a single song from Fiddler on the Roof! He didn't need to however, as his song choices were perfect for the occasion and absolutely everybody had an excellent evening. It was one of the best events in the studio for a long time, and it raised £500 for the kitchen refurbishment fund.

Thank you to Raymond Burton, David Harrison on keyboards and Paul Netherton on drums for giving us such a wonderful evening of entertainment. As one audience member remarked, where else can you get a show and a meal for £10? The evening would not have been so successful without the backroom crew, so a big thank you to all who helped, the social committee and to Brian and Ian on the bar. The evening would not have been possible without you all.

Raymond has promised to come back, so keep an eye on the website and in Stage Whispers to make sure you don't miss out.

written by Bill Port 

Tony Rohr - Actor (1940 - )
Tony Rohr was a member of the H.M.Productions company which performed at
the Kenton during 1969.

In the early sixties he had been a member of the New Irish Players who performed a different play every night at the Town Hall theatre in Killarney. It was there that he met and fell in love with a young actress, Pauline Collins, and became the father of her daughter, Louise. They decided not to marry and, as Pauline did not want to tell her parents and did not have a big income, she had the baby adopted. Some twenty two years later she and Tony, both happily married to other spouses, were reunited with Louise. Pauline went on to tell the complete story in her book 'Letter to Louise'.

While Pauline went on to greater things, Tony moved around various repertory companies including the prestigious company at St Andrews. He has appeared regularly on television, stage and film since 1969, playing roles in many of the most popular series such as 'The Sweeny', 'Taggart' and, more
recently, 'Inspector George Gently' and 'Waking the Dead'.

While he was at the Kenton, he performed in several plays including 'Loot', 'Under Milk Wood' and 'Waiting for Godot'. He played the part of Cranstoun in the world premier of 'The Hanging Wood' a play by Joan Morgan. The play tells the story of Mary Blandy who was hanged in 1752 for the murder of her father, Francis Blandy, the Town Clerk of Henley. It was, unfortunately, not well received and Tony's performance was severely criticized. The play was never performed again.

 An adapted version of this dramatic play has, however, been prepared and
will be read by the Henley Players on Monday April 11th at their regular
meeting in Zizzis Restaurant in Hart Street, just two doors away from the
Blandy household where most of the action takes place.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, there is an exciting new way to push HAODS news out to the wider community on our website!!! Thanks to our webmaster, we now have a facebook 'like' button which can be used to post a HAODS news article onto your facebook profile. If you think the article contains information that your facebook friends might want to know - particularly if it is advertising the next show! - then simply click the facebook icon next to the story. The link will be posted to your facebook profile so that all your friends can see what is happening at HAODS! This is a great marketing tool and a really easy way to let people know what shows are coming up. Please take advantage of this and get 'liking'! Don't forget we also have a Follies page on facebook and a HAODS group. Please join and encourage your friends to join.

The twitter feed is another great way to keep people up to date on HAODS, and also to just remind people that we are here. As well as becoming a follower of our twitter feed, you can also send your own feeds to Carlos to tweet. Tweets need to be a maximum of 140 characters. Once it has been tweeted by Carlos, anyone can re-tweet, therefore passing the message on to more people.

I know some people don't feel happy 'liking' or 'tweeting', but you can help market your society simply by emailing any interesting stories to our blog page. News stories will then be moved onto our News Page, and from there they can be posted onto facebook. Or you can email Stage Whispers editor Samantha Fields direct and she will post it for you. You don't need to be a technological whizz to help the HAODS web presence.

The more that people hear the name HAODS and the more they hear about our upcoming shows, the more likely they are to support us. Please use the tools available to get our name out there on the social networks. If you want to help market HAODS but you are not sure how, then contact a committee member who will be only to pleased to help.

The recent HAODS production of Raffles of Singapore was a risk that paid off. Since it was performed at the Kenton in November 2010, HAODS and the writers of the show Ian Senior and Richard Cleghorn-Brown, have heard nothing but praise for this production. The reviews were outstanding, the audiences found it thoroughly enjoyable and the Gala Night was a wonderful success. The Raffles journey continues for Richard and Ian as they market it to producers and investors, and the influence it has had on HAODS still lives on as well, as can be seen from the article below.

Excerpt from the Henley Standard -
http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=868760

Not only was more than £9,000 raised for charity at Henley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s gala evening for the British premiere of Raffles Of Singapore at the Kenton Theatre in November — the society also found itself another well-known vice-president.

Actor Kevin Whately, star of Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Peak Practice, Inspector Morse and Lewis to name but a few, was guest of honour at the event. Over dinner he said he loved Henley and often stayed at Hotel du Vin in New Street when he is filming in the area, as he was on the day of the gala (in Hambleden).

HAODS’ chairman Julie Huntington wrote to the actor thanking him for his
attendance and asked if he would consider becoming a vice- president of the society. In what Julie says was a delightful, hand-written reply, Whately said how much he had enjoyed the gala evening and would be delighted to accept her invitation. He also pledged to call in if he is back in the area when a HAODS production is being staged. If he does, he will find himself named in the HAODS programme along with fellow actors Robert Hardy and Simon Williams, the society’s president, who lives locally.

Whately is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association, the beneficiary of the gala event. His mother suffered with Alzheimers before her death last year and the actor told the guests it was a “hideous and catastrophic” condition.

by Julie Huntington 

Amateur Operatic Societies are finding it increasingly difficult to choose exciting musicals that their audiences haven't seen many times before, as well as shows that satisfy their members who wish to see plenty of parts for actors, singers and dancers. Also, in these hard times, it is difficult to find value for money for a good, family night out at the theatre. However, in selecting Follies, HAODS have found a gem that will not only lift your spirits, but the ticket costs for a family outing will not break the bank, with prices for  children under 16 at £7 for all performances.

Stephen Sondheim's wonderful music and lyrics take us to a reunion party thrown by Dimitri Weissman who ran the the Broadway Follies between the world wars. He invites  his then stars to say goodbye to the old theatre which is due to be demolished to make way for a carpark. The "beautiful girls" with their partners, now 30 years older, arrive at the party where their presence conjures up memories and ghosts of their past. Well, this show could not sit better than in the 206-year-old Kenton Theatre in Henley-on-Thames with its own ghosts - not that it is going to be demolished to make way for a car park! The former show girls each take their rightful place in the spotlight with fabulous theatrical numbers including I'm Still Here, Beautiful Girls and the show-stopping Broadway Baby. Follies has a string of awards to it's name, including best musical and best score and lyrics and has been voted the ninth  most popular musical ever!

The cast of HAODS have had a wonderful time rehearsing the show and this is reflected on stage along with fabulous feathery Follies costumes, fantastic performances and long legged ladies which gives this show a decadent glamour which will certainly help to take your minds off the doom and gloom of the current austerity cuts! Tickets for this show are selling fast, so hurry and book yours!

Performances - 7:45 pm
Friday 8th, Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th (matinee only at 4:00 pm)
Thursday 14th, Friday 15th, Saturday 16th

Tickets from £12 with concessions available - Box Office - 01491 575698
Children (under 16) £7 all performances
Party bookings - buy 10 get one free!

I heard the birds singing this morning, a welcome sound after the gloomy winter that we have had. It gave me great heart and made it much easier to get out of bed! The coming of Spring heralds the advent of a very busy time for the Society and the festival season, which is a very special one this year for The Henley Drama Festival as it is the 40th Anniversary of this prestigious event. HAODS’ festival entry this year is 'A Dog’s Life' by Pam Valentine. It tells the story of four dogs at a rescue home and the fate that awaits them. This is very different from the normal festival-type play with lots of opportunities for the actors to work on their characterisation. It is charming, funny and poignant, guaranteed to give both belly laughs and tears. Wendy Huntley is directing, and will be holding a reading/casting evening on Tuesday 8th March at 7.45pm in the Studio. The play will go forward to Wallingford, Abingdon and Didcot Festivals. For more information on the play and the cast needed, please read the separate article below. For more details, contact Wendy on 07854 495 547.

Busy HAODS has something every month to entertain you. February 26th sees Raymond Burton with his fantastic cabaret evening “Who does he think he is?” This is a brilliant bargain at just £10 which also includes a pizza supper. Get your tickets NOW – it is not often a night out can cost so little. A quiz night in partnership with the Henley Players takes place on March 26th – so start getting your teams together. For either event please contact Ann Jenkins to confirm your attendance. Her number is: 07712 003 133.

Finally of course, we have our stunning show, Follies which goes up in April. This is an expensive show which is costing even more than usual because of the increase in VAT, so we need to sell as many tickets as possible. If every member sells two tickets, that will mean two full houses! Please help support your society by buying at least two!

All good wishes
Julie Huntington

Stephen Sondheim’s Follies has a string of nominations and awards to it’s name, including best musical, best score and lyrics and has been voted as the ninth most popular musical. Many famous stars have played in it on Broadway, including Angela Lansbury, Daniel Massey and Diana Rigg.

It's not long until the HAODS production of Follies takes to the Kenton stage, so we need to start selling tickets! Please come along and support your society, and try to encourage friends and family to come along too.

The story tells of impressario Dimitri Weisman. who created and ran the the Broadway Follies between the world wars. He invites his then stars to a reunion party to say goodbye to the old Follies theatre which is due to be demolished to make way for a carpark. The “beautiful girls” with their partners now thirty years older, arrive at the party where the old theatre conjures up memories and ghosts of their past. These have a profound effect on everyone, particularly the four main characters in the story, the glamorous and wealthy Ben and Phyllis and the unsophisticated Buddy and Sally. Both couples are unhappy. Ben and Phyllis are at each other’s throats, while Buddy cheats on Sally because she doesn’t return his love – but Sally has been in love with Ben ever since a secret dalliance with him in the old days and has come to the reunion hoping to revive their lost romance. With show-stopping numbers like Beautiful Girls and Broadway Baby, this fabulous show is a must for all the family.

Follies 8th - 16th April 2011
Evenings 7.45pm
Matinee performances: Sunday 10th April 4.00pm

Friday 8th £13
Saturday 9th £14
Sunday 10th Matinee only £13
Thursday 14th £14
Friday 15th £14
Sat 16th £14
Concessions: Friday 8th and Sunday 20th Matinee ~ £1 Senior Citizens & Friends of Kenton
Children under 16 £7 all performances ~ Party bookings: Buy 10 get one free.

Four dogs lie in cages in an animal shelter; Ben, a tramp’s mongrel who doesn't understand why he has been taken from his master and put in the kennels; Fritz, a rather intimidating German Shepherd who has been a working army dog and had many homes; Fifi, an overweight poodle who has been spoilt by wealthy owners and Ginger, a lively pup who's life revolves around food. The story depicts the moment when a woman comes to the shelter and has to choose between these four dogs – a choice that literally means life and death for one of them.

The HAODS festival play for 2011 will be A Dog's Life by Pam Valentine, a play which shows the humour and pathos in a dogs re-homing centre from the canine point of view! Since it was published in 2000, this play has received a number of awards at one-act festivals around the country. The characters are well developed, the story is well structured, and as a whole the play offers both laughter and a few tears. It is a play that has been very well received by audiences and critics alike, and is an exciting piece for HAODS to take to the festivals. Wendy Huntley will be the director.

Cast:

The Dogs

Ben - a battered old mongrel, male
Fritz - a German Shepherd. Tough and rough, male
Fifi - an overweight poodle, female.
Ginger - a bouncy and excitable young pup, male or female.

The Humans

The Warden
The Woman visitor

There will be a reading/casting evening on Tuesday 8th March 7.45 in The Studio. Please call Wendy on 07854 495 547 or 01491 413 796 to register your interest.