Free Notes from the Stage Manager's Box by John Barber Page B

magnificent company who seemed to delight in the team spirit.
     
    Basically it was fun – for the cast as well as the audience and that is why it was such a good choice and worked so well.
     
    I remember sitting through the casting auditions and John’s frustration at not being able to find a suitable Nanette. I looked over his shoulder at one time and against one girls name he had written: ‘not enough welly’. It was one of his favourite phrases. Or when he was more vocal in his stage directions: ‘give it some welly’.
     
    It is not easy to start rehearsals without the leading lady and eventually members of the cast persuaded John to take a chance on Jane Aldr ed. She had been in Hello Dolly, had auditioned for the part of Nanette and was popular.
     
    You never know quite what goes through the mind of a director when he is casting. I often heard John ask about height. It is no good having a leading lady who is almos t six foot if the leading man is five foot five. In a romantic situation it doesn’t look right. Professional actors understand this; you audition, you fail, you try again somewhere else. That’s the way it is.
     
    Many amateur actors do not want to understand that ; established members of a small company believe they have a God given right to be cast in a leading role because they have been performing in the company for many years. T hey may just not be up to it by virtue of ability or just do not fit the part as imagined by the director.
     
    I once read of an amateur company who were amazed that the critic did not believe the stage relationship between the mother and daughter. They mentioned that the two actors were mother and daughter in real life. Maybe, the critic repl ied but they don’t act like they are .
     
    After a mild battering John gave in and Jane got the part of Nanette.
     
    The first act ends with Nanette singing the title number – No, No Nanette. After a few rehearsals John was still not happy with Jane’s interpretation. He sat her down and asked her to watch. He sang the song and at the line where she says ‘No, No Nanette’ he stamped his foot. ‘She’s angry,’ he told Jane. ‘She’s fed up being told what to do so she rebels and says no.’
     
    Suddenly Jane understood. From then on she became the part John wanted. I always considered him a genius after that.
     
    The photo below was taken by a member of the staff at Lombard Street Office, John Butler, MRPS (Member of the Royal Photographic Society). He was working towards this qualification at the time which involved producing a portfolio in black and white because that better illustrates the photographer’s grasp of the medium.
     
    We always have had photos taken of the cast and of the production. They were all in colour as was this one which has to be here in black and white.
     

     
    (Jane Aldred as Nanette)
     
    Looking through the credits for this show I noted that the set was supplied by the Golden Lane Theatre . This would have helped defray the cost as Hello Dolly would have been a big budget show and somewhere, anywhere the budget has to be bal anced. We were working for a Bank after all!
     
    The committee now included Peter Davis and a few o ther newer and younger members.
     
    Clubs such as ours that hope to produce two shows a year have several things to balance. One is funds. Do you go for one big show and another lower budget one or spread your available funds equally over both. You have to take into account that some of the lesser known shows may not bring in the audiences but the big Broadway musicals have the muscle to attract audiences but cost more to stage.
     
    Members may wish to stage a show but if it is currently being performed by a professional company you will not get a license. Then you have to be able to book a week at the theatre that matches your schedules. Along with this comes the availability of your chosen director, musical director, choreographer etc.
     
    But the real