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MSD PRODUCTIONS “THE STEAMIE” 22-23 APRIL 2005 Director: Graham Bett |
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When I learned that the setting for MSD’s production of “The Steamie” was to be in the relatively small Wyness hall in Inverurie, I must admit I had my doubts as to the venue, but the choice proved to be perfect and provided a wonderfully intimate atmosphere for Tony Roper’s clever dialogue in this piece of theatre in the round. This was a great study in characterisation which held the audience spellbound throughout. Pathos was there a-plenty with the reminiscences of Glasgow Green(yes, we were living it) and The sight of Liz Loggie as an underplayed Mrs Culfeathers getting slowly in and out of the washtub was a real piece of theatre that was a joy to behold. As indeed was the hilarious telephone conversation that was almost like eavesdropping, so well was it done. I’m only grateful that I wasn’t in the front row though whilst the washing was being shaken! It was a privilege to attend this excellent production. Geoff Greavey |
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"THE INVERGROOVIE GAME" 29 -30 April 2005 Directors; Ewan Cameron/Rhona Mitchell Choreographer; Pam Taylor This second offering from MSD (but a week later!) as their contribution to the Garioch Theatre Festival 2005 explored new ground, as it was the first piece of work totally devised by the company themselves. Based loosely around their home base of Inverurie (Invergroovie-get it?) it proved to be a surreal experience, with shades of Greek drama and "Alice". I was pleasantly surprised to find that although twelve of the twenty or so on stage were first timers, you would never have known. Everyone kept totally in character throughout and exuded confidence in a very tricky show. Although all were good, special mention must be made of Stefanie Ritch as a very mature (and dominating!) Lady Luck, with John Scott making his on stage debut as a really wacky “Treasure”. I also enjoyed a real together performance from Alannah Cruickshank and Louise Dalgarno as Gemini, the Twins. T he whole company also got it together with some precise and challenging choreography and what was more important, looked like they were enjoying themselves-chicken and all! Geoff Greavey |
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GORDON FORUM DRAMA COMMISSION "The Eagle has Flown" by Charles Barron performed by the MITCHELL SCHOOL OF DRAMA March 28 and 29, Inverurie Town Hall This play is the latest in a series of Gordon Forum commissions to professional artists. Charles Barron was invited to write a Doric drama that would involve a large cast of local young people. The Eagle has Flown certainly provided that; based loosely on 'The Twelve Labours of Heracles' the play has 74 named parts and multiple crowd scenes, with characters ranging from bird-watchers to Brownies, from monsters to modern-day Picts! The young cast of the Mitchell School of Drama certainly rose to the challenges of this epic play. Director Rhona Mitchell's vision was wide-ranging, encompassing a set on two levels with an impressive array of standing stones. The inclusion of the Garioch Fiddlers, local pipers, and singing interludes were a delight, while the drama was heightened considerably by the atmospheric dance drama contributions from the Levena Taylor School of Dance. Each of the young actors (age range 10 -mid-20's) played several parts and were convincing in each role. Voices were consistently clear and well-projected; the characterisation always accurate and often amusing. The costumes were unfailingly apt for each personality. Charles Barron has written an imaginative and demanding play which gives young actors a challenging experience. Congratulations to Rhona Mitchell and her team for bringing the play to life and enabling the eagle to fly so high! Margaret Hearne REFLECTIONS OF A PLAYWRIGHT ON A WORLD PREMIERE by Charles Barron My new play The Eagle Has Flown, written in the Doric was intended as a vehicle for 70 - 100 actors aged between 15 and 18. Original plans fell through and the premiere production was bravely taken on by MSD with a cast of under 30 - the majority much younger. Would this prove disastrous? There was one scene specifically written for a younger age group, at the request of one of the original schools; but what about the middle-aged ladies with their over-sexed dogs? Or the obsessional bird-watchers? The two old farmers taking a bull to meet a cow? I was convinced that Rhona Mitchell, who runs MSD, was being overly optimistic. But she remained calm - well, calm-ish. And for me, it was just a question of turning up at the first night, as nervous as I have ever been at a premiere. It wasn't going to be the play I had pictured as I wrote. But what was it going to be? The first scene was great; the actors were exactly the right age for the Brownies and their vitality was incredible. Thereafter, as scene followed scene, I was swept away by the sheer dynamism of the cast, totally forgetting the youth of so many of them. They squeezed every drop of humour out of the characters, attacked the action scenes with vigour, projected themselves and their roles with total confidence. Yes, there were moments that weren't as I had planned, but all theatre is a collaboration between writer and performers and I couldn't quibble with anything that I saw. The youth of the actors didn't matter when they showed such understanding of the follies of the middleages characters they were portraying. Even my shock at seeing the two principal male parts played by girls quickly gave way to delight at the exuberance of their performances and admiration of their insight into male personalities. And the fact that so many of the actors had to play several parts gave a heightened interest and increased my respect for their versatility. I came away delighted with what they had done with the play. |
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MSD Productions "Outcast" 9 - 10 March 2002 Director: Rhona Mitchell Musical Director: Ewen Richie Properly described as a play with music, "Outcast" revolved around the puritanical 17th Century Scotland at the height of the witch hunts. Consisting of a simply set stage with aprons, much of the atmosphere came from some effective lighting and a menacing contribution from the Garioch Junior Fiddlers coupled with some clever arrangements from MD Ewen Ritchie. As the main character, the manipulative laird Andrew Monteith, Scott Armstrong gave a mature and powerful performance and provided a perfect counterfoil to Graeme Cumming as Sheriff Atholl. There was a splendid partnering of Pamela Barrie and Alison Telfer as the Sinclair sisters, holding together in adversity, whilst Eloise Thomson gave a malicious and spiteful performance as Lizzie Glaitness. The play concentrated very much on characterisation, none more so than the unreliable witness of Alanna Petrie, ably (?) supported by a none too bright Danielle Pirie. This tale of mass hysteria gave plenty scope for some strong acting, and the Company gave a strong and reactive performance. Geoff Greavey NODA Scotland |
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MSD Productions "AN EVENING Of SENILITY" 16th March 2001 Director: Rhona Mitchell Long established MSD Productions have only recently transferred to this Region and this was my first visit to one of their shows. Due to other NODA commitments, Rhona apprehensively invited me along to their dress rehearsal - though she need have had no apprehension. This was a most enjoyable production from the pen of Bruce Fraser, which allowed the young cast (29 from age 11-15) the chance to develop characters, movement and voice projection. Injected with plenty of humour, the majority of it aimed at the theatre itself (horror!!) this was a production that mocked virtually everything - and input virtually every character actor you've ever seen - a tour de force on stage characterisation. Whether it was the `professional' actor -Katherine Morland, (I was in Coriolanus you know?), the bitchy dance group gossips, Anissia Kerr/Ruth Durno, (you see her, well...) or the "piano lady" who could only play Eurovision Song Contest. Hits, Laura Sleigh - all really worked hard on their characters - not forgetting Natalie Henderson as a Bonnie Langford look-alike, complete with bunches , lithping her way splendidly through the show. The change of mood with the death of the latter character got great reaction and dead faces from eve one , complemented by effective lighting. The characters were just a bit too close to the truth at times and to quote one, It was never like this at the National! - But of course, it was! Geoff Greavey NODA Scotland |
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MITCHELL SCHOOL OF DRAMA “PASSION” 21-24 June, 2006 Director: Rhona Mitchell Performed under the artistic title of Passion, and written by local writer Charles Barron, this was in fact a community arts piece at a number of different locations in the same evening;-a real chance to experience the arts in different and unusual settings. The ongoing Street Theatre group from within MSD moved the audience from location to location whilst at the same time keeping us informed on the things that they were passionate about. Having initially been escorted by a strawberry (yes, you read it correctly) to our first venue, the MSD youngsters gave us their main offering, Grave Matters, located not surprisingly in the local churchyard. The plot revealed a cleverly written set of characters centred around the late “Geordie”- a local biker who had obviously been passionate about the ladies of the area and whose death revealed the complicated life that revolved around him and more especially those who had been left behind-with the exception of the main character’s granny who was here in spirit at least to advise her grand daughter about life and everything. As well as being a most entertaining play, as ever the MSD cast revealed a whole raft of characters, all excellently portrayed. What made it even more impressive was that the heavy rain that they were forced to perform in didn’t for one moment dampen their enthusiasm or performing ability. They were all beautifully in character, completely focussed and positively shone. Nice to meet the strawberry later, with a wonderfully improvised line of “just because I’m a strawberry, doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings!” –but then, perhaps you had to be there to appreciate it? Geoff Greavey NODA Scotland |
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MITCHELL SCHOOL OF DRAMA "SHAKESPEARE WITH A DIFFERENCE" 20-22 April 2006 Directors; Rhona Mitchell/Ewan Cameron M.D: Ashley Forbes Choreographer; Pam Taylor The second Garioch Theatre Festival brought two very different and well-chosen pieces of “Abridged” Theatre to the Wyness Hall, which once again excellently illustrated the splendid performance skills of this talented bunch of youngsters. In “Twelfth Night”, the characters came tumbling out in this comedy of errors, punctuated with short and appropriate musical extracts-very much in the mode of “Loves Labours Lost”-and what a joy it was. Shakespeare was never like this when I was at school! The clever musical links instantly set the scene for the next character or device, with much heaving of sighs for a performance in which “Anything Goes”. A scheming trio of Maria (Olivia Watt), Sir Toby Belch (Ruth Ledingham) and wonderful facial expressions from Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Claire Gauld) input more than their fair share of humour. As the song said, they had it just right “All the Way” for this first offering, and although all portrayals were excellent, my abiding memory for this production was a kilted lovelorn Malvolio (Stephen Innes) still trying to bravely smile, exiting, completely unnoticed, armed with a suitcase! The second play, “Hamlet”, was given a much more modern interpretation with, I suspect, the characters being given a little more leeway with their persona. For those not fully au fait with Shakespeare, we were provided with a “Shakespeare enthusiast”(Emma Jack) and “bored theatregoer”(Lucy Weir) who “interpreted” some of the more problematical aspects of the Bard. “There’s been a murrdur” seemed to sum it up nicely! Again strong performances from all, with Alison Telfer a splendid Viola, with Cara Fraser(Sebastian) suitably “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”. I must also mention a very powerful Hamlet from a Matrix-like Louise Dalgarno and an extremely camp King Claudius from Callum Bell, with a death scene to end all death scenes. A multi-purpose set and splendid costumes from Liz Cork made this yet another memorable evening from MSD. Ge off Greavey NODA Scotland |
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MSD Productions "The Eagle has Flown" 28 - 29 March 2003 Directors: Rhona Mitchell, Liz Loggie I was delighted to attend the premiere performance of Charles Barron's "Eagle', a modern day Doric comedy drama, set on Bennachie and based loosely on the Twelve Labours of Hercules. And indeed it must have been a thirteenth labour getting the stone circle on the stage! The Eagle of the title was a very hassled Brown Owl, played extremely well by Karen Young with bags of angst, losing control of a rebellious pack of Brownies, all of whom were just perfect in their characterisations. Rescuing her sanity and carrying out the Labours were the mysterious Her, played very capably by Pamela Barrie, Ack, (Danielle Pirie), a wonderfully Doric friend of her brother Les (Zce Tuach) - (Her-ack-les, clever huh?) This modern day allegory was a real treasure hunt of talent throughout, requiring some tight characterisation and excellent projection, and that is just what was delivered - complete with some very good local accents! Geoff Greavey NODA Scotland |
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Youths do a grand job "Outcast" Inverurie Town Hall Sunday 10th March 2002 The writer of this play, Bruce Fraser, travelled from Glasgow where it received its premiere at the Cottier Theatre in 1995 - to see it performed in Inverurie by local performers from MSD Productions and he should return south a happy man, for the local group put on a very good show, writes Martin Bayliss. Set in a small 17th century Scottish community, 'Outcast,' begins when a girl (Allison Coleman) is hanged for theft, and the horror of the execution causes young woman Maggie Sinclair (Pamela Barrie) to express a natural bewilderment at God's working in the world. But her innocent remarks are wilfully misinterpreted by Lizzie Glaitness (Eloise Thomson) and soon Maggie's cry of'I don't understand,' is transformed by gossip into a criticism of God; soon words she never spoke - such as 'I am a witch!' - are attributed to Maggie, and rumour and gossip lead to a show trial presided over by sheriff Peter Atholl (Graeme Cumming) with laird Andrew Monteith (Scott Armstrong) prosecuting. MSD presented this story excellently. There were light moments done very well, but you got a real sense of the potency of the trio of matriarchal worthies (including the sheriff's wife) who were the real opinion formers - and you got a sense of realchilling in the way theyy crystallised the gossip into an 'issue' which needed resolving by means of a trial. Initiated by Atholl at the behest of his wife, the trial's purpose is twofold: to maintain Atholl's appearance of authority yet provide a vehicle for Monteith to wield his feudal power (as well as his innate desire for expressing that power: he's an altogether bad egg). The ostensible reason for the trial - to find the truth about Maggie Sinclair - is merely the public statement: Monteith needs to convict because he needs to win as prosecutor because he is the laird. He twists religious teaching to aid him by saying that it is his compassion for Maggie's soul which must see him convict her to death by hanging and burning. xml:namespace prefix = o /> He wants to dominate Maggie sexually, too, but is foiled, and avoids responsibility for his own actions by telling Maggie that her wickedness leads to his temptation. It is arguments and manipulations like this that swirl around in the courtroom, too, with Maggie and her sister Beth (Alison Telfer) the innocents caught in the eye of this dreadful storm. The tale's end arrives by means of the matriarchal trio, who form the opinion that gossip and opinion forming wrongly accused Maggie Sinclair of witchcraft; they point the finger at Lizzie instead, and in a dramatic twist to the story, the townsfolk rise to exonerate Maggie. Mob anger follows: Atholl is beaten to death, Lizzie desperately knifes Maggie and in turn is impaled on her own blade in a struggle with guards; Monteith, who has deftly stayed out of the mob's way now emerges as its anger abates and commands. them to obey him. The story ends with the Satanic figure of the laird proclaiming, 'I am Monteith!' and readying to lead the community down a path of persecution. MSD got everything right with the production-voices reaching across the town hall, lines excellently delivered, lighting used to good effect, characters' positioning on the stage, a wholly appropriate sparse stage and the Young Garioch Fiddlers behind a ghostly white screen, beneath a noose. Scott Armstrong put in a very good performance, so did the matriarchs, and Beth, too; the capering young lads were also good.. Oh yeah – MSD Productions, if you didn’t already know, is a theatre group for youngsters. But the way they did this production belied their age. A busy Inverurie town hall saw a very good show. |
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"Flight" 17 - 19 June 2004 |
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Midsummer in Aberdeenshire was somewhat cold, wet and windy, but nothing dampened the enthusiasm of the audiences who attended this outdoor performance of a promenade play in four scenes by celebrated N.E. author, Charles Barron. In "Take Off Aborted", the audience boarded Garioch Airlines (actually a Bluebird/Stagecoach bus!) surrounded by a handful of dysfunctional, but highly entertaining characters. "Prepare for Take Off' soared to the heights of modem melodrama with an exploding bomb in the toilet, whilst the most original scene took place in a garden transformed into a world of insects, bluebottles, bees and glow-worms. The evening's denouement came in the church scene, "The Bride Takes Off', in which the audience became guests at a wedding which, true to dramatic form, never took place. All the young cast performed with verve and were adept at handling the perambulatory audience. They were a model of good diction and projection despite the conditions. Entertainment value was 100%, and the company thoroughly deserved their sell-out performances. Margaret Hearne |
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