Second National Lockdown Impact

A statement from our Artistic Director, Ann Ellison BEM, following the second national lockdown in England:

On Thursday 5th November England went into a month-long lockdown. I am sure many of you will have realised the implications this has for theatres, and you will therefore not be surprised to learn that Next Stage's attempt to re-open The Mission Theatre with a late-Autumn mini-season starting on Monday November 9th has had to be aborted. It is with great reluctance that I have had to take the decision to reschedule all of the planned productions. We will of course let you know as soon as we are able to confirm new performance dates and there will also be updates on our websites.

I am particularly sad that my cast members in The Memory of Water have once again been faced with a disappointing cancellation. Due to the first lockdown in March the actors lost their show a week before opening night, now they are faced with exactly the same situation. We had been working since September on the re-blocking and refreshing of this play ready to open on the 9th November, but to no avail.

I was, however, incredibly buoyed up after meeting with my cast and crew. Their dedication and commitment to Shelagh Stephenson's compelling play is remarkable and, although this is another sad setback for all of us, everyone is determined that the show WILL go on! We are waiting to see what will happen in December, but if there’s any chance at all of being able to safely produce The Memory of Water this year we will do so.

Another casualty of this second lockdown is Next Stage's planned production of The Hothouse, scheduled for Nov 30th - 5th December. In consultation with director Bob Constantine, I have taken the hard decision that this play will now move to Spring 2021. Bob and his cast have been rehearsing for two months and the play's in great shape with a stellar cast. However with no hopes of opening the theatre before Dec 2nd, and hence no time for tech and dress rehearsals, it seems only fair to ask you all to wait a little longer before seeing this Pinter classic.

I'm so sorry not to be able to welcome you all back to The Mission Theatre as soon as we had hoped, but rest assured, Next Stage Theatre Company will be here waiting to deliver top-quality entertainment to you as soon as we're given the green light to do so.

I look forward to seeing you all as soon as possible. Meanwhile stay safe and well.

Best wishes,

Ann Ellison BEM
Artistic Director
The Mission Theatre and Next Stage Theatre Company

Our Grant from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Next Stage Theatre Company has been successful in its bid to the Government's Culture Recovery Fund!

The award of over £50k has thrown a vital lifeline to the company as well as The Mission Theatre. The money will enable Next Stage to forge ahead with its planned re-opening of the theatre for late-Autumn and Spring seasons.

First up November 9-14th will be Next Stage’s production of The Memory of Water which was about to be performed in March by the company but was unable to go ahead because of the national lockdown. Following The Memory of Water Next Stage Theatre Company will be performing Harold Pinter's The Hothouse November 30th - December 5th, with plans in the Spring for two Next Stage Youth productions and a further adult stage show in late March. Dates and details of our forthcoming Next Stage shows are available HERE and details for all of the shows in our late-Autumn season are available on The Mission Theatre’s website HERE.

This grant will pay for the wide range of PPE equipment around The Mission Theatre that we have put in place to protect, as far as possible, audience members, cast and crew. This includes custom-made Perspex screens both front of house and backstage – made by a skilled and generous member of Next Stage, automatic hand sanitiser dispensers at key locations around the theatre, health and safety signage, and state-of-the-art santitiser fogging machines that allow us to fully disinfect auditorium chairs between performances. We have also invested hundreds of pounds in Condencide - an evaporator and condenser cleaner which treats the ventilation, A/C and heating systems in The Mission Theatre to kill 99% of germs, and can be reapplied every few weeks to make sure the air flow in the Main Auditorium is kept as Covid and bug free as possible.

We will also use part of the grant to address the safety of technical crew for Next Stage shows operating in the tech box at the theatre. This small, enclosed area will now benefit from updated kit enabling lights and sound to be operated by state-of-the-art equipment which necessitates only one or - at the maximum - two people being in the tech cupboard at any one time.

Looking ahead, the funding will also help to pay some of the utility bills, rent and outgoings that are part of The Mission Theatre’s monthly obligations but which have been crippling since March when the theatre had to close and had no way of generating income. Even the planned late-Autumn and Spring seasons will not fully cover outgoings as The Mission Theatre’s auditorium will be configured to allow for social distancing which slightly reduces its audience capacity.

In an industry that has, since March, often seemed to be invisible and overlooked by the Government in favour of more obvious businesses, it is with the greatest relief and gratitude that this financial lifeline from the Government has been provided for theatres and cultural venues not only in Bath but around the country. There is no question that performers and audiences alike wish to see the return of live entertainment as soon as possible in our theatres and this generous gifting of sizeable amounts of money will go some way to helping realise this dream.

Everyone in Next Stage Theatre Company would like to express our immense gratitude to Arts Council England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for awarding us this grant, and hope that anyone reading this will join with us in celebrating our good news and, hopefully, come back to see us as soon as we re-open.

Next Stage Youth to Restart for Autumn Term

We are very pleased to announce that Next Stage Youth will be restarting in the 2020 Autumn term, with enrolment on Sunday September 20th 4.30-6pm at The Mission Theatre. As always sessions will be led by the company's Artistic Director - Ann Ellison - and her team of tutors.

We have surveyed all of our current NSY members and are delighted that almost every Youther is happy to return in September to continue developing their acting skills and confidence, as well as meeting up with like-minded friends for some much-needed fun in these troubled times. We will of course be following social distancing guidelines and will take every precaution to make sure our Youthers remain safe.

We should like to encourage any potential new members to come along to the enrolment day on Sunday September 20th. If you are aged 11-18 and would like to develop your theatrical skills and interests, Next Stage Youth is the place for you. The prestigious Youth company has been providing first-class training to Bath youngsters for over 25 years. There are no auditions, everyone is welcome and there’s lots of fun and friendship to be had, as well as the chance to perform in full scale productions every year. For more information, visit our Next Stage Youth page.

Membership is £120 for each 10 week term with sessions of one and a half hours every Sunday in term time.

For further information please call Ann Ellison on 01225 428600 or email nextstagebath@aol.com

Scenes from the 2019 Next Stage Youth production of Tom’s Midnight Garden.

Tina’s Trophy for Excellence in Theatre

The award was created on May 18th 2019, Next Stage’s 25th birthday, to celebrate Excellence in Theatre. The beautiful crystal vase is awarded annually to a member of Next Stage who has excelled within the company either onstage, backstage, around the theatre, or all three.  Given by Next Stage’s Artistic Director Ann Ellison it was named Tina’s Trophy in memory of Ann’s mother. The first recipient was Brian Howe, who has now handed over the trophy to the May 2020 winner: Caroline Groom.

Caroline has been a Next Stager since 1995. An extremely talented actor, Caroline soon became an invaluable member of the company, liked and admired by all. It’s impossible to list all of Caroline’s outstanding onstage performances with Next Stage however we thought we would highlight a few:

In 2000 Caroline gave an informed and sensitive performance as Kyra in Skylight, the show that first took Next Stage to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough which was run, at that time, by our patron - Sir Alan Ayckbourn. In 2003 Caroline gave a memorably powerful portrayal of Merteuil, the calculating and manipulative protagonist in Les Liaisons Dangereuse. In total contrast, Caroline played the  youthful and vengeful Murganah in The Champion of Paribanou in 2005; and many remember with great fondness Caroline’s portrayal of the mercurial Jean Brodie in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (2011). All three of these shows toured to the Minack in Cornwall, one of Caroline’s favourite venues and where her acting talents have regularly been appreciated in this 700-seater outdoor arena. In 2005 Caroline lead the company as Jacie Triplethree in Comic Potential - the show with which Next Stage opened The Mission Theatre. More recently, in December 2019, continuing a long line of her outstanding Ayckbourn roles, Caroline was seen at The Mission playing Susan in Woman in Mind - an unforgettable performance in which she never left the stage. 

Whether playing tragedy or comedy, Caroline is a consummate actor and one who is neither afraid, nor reluctant to take a supporting role if asked, or to help backstage when required. She is a member of the Next Stage Working Party and is frequently to be seen undertaking Front of House duties at The Mission. Caroline’s insightful and supportive manner with other company members, plus her on stage generosity and skills, mean she is respected and loved by Next Stagers. We trust that Tina’s Trophy will be a constant reminder of that fact in the year ahead. 

Congratulations and thank you Caroline for all that you have given to the company.

Grant from Arts Council England

We are delighted to announce that Next Stage Theatre Company has been awarded a grant from Arts Council England, through their Emergency Response Fund. As The Mission Theatre has been closed and so cannot generate income  this grant is a real lifeline, allowing us to pay the day to day running costs of rent, servicing of equipment, insurance, professional fees and building maintenance that we will incur between now and October.

We would like to say a big thank you to Arts Council England and to The National Lottery for supporting us, and we look forward to welcoming audiences back as soon as it is safe for us to do so. 

STOP PRESS

It is with a heavy heart that, following government guidelines, we have closed The Mission Theatre and cancelled upcoming productions in the near future, starting with The Memory of Water which was due to be performed by Next Stage Theatre Company, March 24th-28th.

We will re-open as soon as we are advised it is safe to do so, and we will be rescheduling as many of the cancelled productions as possible.

If you have a ticket for The Memory of Water and you would like to be refunded, please email us with your account details. Alternatively, we can keep your ticket order and you will have first refusal for seats when we can confirm the play’s rescheduling.

Thank you for your support and understanding. We will keep you updated on this website and via our social media, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the theatre as soon as we can.

Next Stage Youth Shine at Mid-Somerset Drama Festival 2020

Next Stage Youth Company and their tutors

Next Stage Youth entered four classes in the 2020 Mid-Somerset Drama Festival. Two groups were entered in the Year 9 and Under class, and two in the 19 years and Under class. All groups received constructive and positive feedback on their performances, which won the Youth Company: one first place, two second places and a third place. Well done NSYouthers!

19 Years and Under
Group A - Henry Skinner as Jake, Keira Barry as Polly and Rosie Kelly as Natasha - performed an extract from the opening of Sparkleshark by Philip Ridley. This is a powerful play in which the cut and thrust of teenage moods and conflicts is captured in vivid and compelling dialogue. The actors were praised for demonstrating good relationships between characters, and for giving an excellent contrast of moods. The constant change of emotions were a challenge, but this group didn’t fail in performing an excellent piece which was commended and awarded first place with the Crisp Cowley trophy.

Group B - Georges Boutin as Martin Dysart, Harry Lewis as Alan Strang, Catherine Jones as Hester and Eve Howard as The Nurse - performed an extract from the opening of Equus by Peter Shaffer. A disturbing play, the young actors performed the opening 10 minutes with total conviction. Harry as Alan Strang, a young boy who has been arrested for blinding six horses, gave a particularly powerful portrayal of the disturbed teenager, with Georges convincing as Dysart. Equus is a difficult play to perform, however this group worked hard and produced a tight ensemble piece. They came second and received a commended certificate.

Year 9 and under

Group A - Nia Dauncey as Boy, Alicia Corripio-Dieppe as Grandmama, Joshua Frere as Bruno, Lily Pollard as The Grand High Witch, Sophia Punt as Mrs Jenkins and Isabella Wood as The Doorman - performed scenes from The Witches by Roald Dahl. A number in this group were new to NSY and all of the tutors were impressed by the strength of their performances. The adjudicator commented on a “well shaped and well-rehearsed” piece and awarded the group 3rd place and a commended certificate.

Group B - William Heaton as Will, Max Leming as Zach, Georgia Grobler as Carrie, Tom Pegler as Vic and Lily Chapman as Miss Thorne and Mrs Beech - performed Good Night Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian. The 10 minute extract took the audience to the end of Act I, where the happy mood of the evacuees mixing with friends in a village during World War II suddenly takes a dark turn when one of them is told he must return to London. The adjudicator commented on the group’s ‘vocal range, strong grouping and effective atmosphere with a very strong ending’. The group were proud to be awarded Next Stage Youth’s only Distinction this year.

Congratulations to all our young competitors on a good rehearsal process since January and mature, convincing performances.

Olivier Award-winning Playwright John Hodge supports Next Stage's upcoming production of his black-comedy: Collaborators

Image < John Hodge on the Collaborators set.

Artistic Director, Ann Ellison, and Collaborators Director, Bob Constantine, were delighted to receive an email this Christmas from Scottish screenwriter and dramatist, John Hodge. As a local playwright, living in Bath for the last 10 years, John had spotted that Next Stage was producing his award-winning play and got in touch to offer help and consultation if it was going to be useful. Known for his cutting-edge adaptations of Trainspotting and The Beach, John's email was an extra special Christmas treat for the company. Bob was delighted at John's offers of support and assistance for this large cast, modern classic, black-comedy.

Following a meeting with John on Monday 6th January, Bob brought the playwright to The Mission. Ann Ellison gave John a tour of the theatre and he was very impressed with all the conversion work and vision that had turned a 200 year-old Chapel into a vibrant arts venue. John chatted to Ann and Bob about his work and the history of the play. He will be coming to see the show when it opens on January 21st and the cast will eagerly await his comments and feedback. Thank you John for your support and interest.

Image > Artistic Director Ann Ellison, Collaborators Director Bob Constantine and Playwright John Hodge

A triumphant 25th Birthday year!

As 2019 draws to a close and the air is full of festive cheer, we are delighted to reflect on what has been yet another wonderful year for Next Stage.

The company kicked off it's 25th Birthday celebratory year with a sterling production of W.Somerset Maughan’s For Services Rendered under the artistic eye of Bob Constantine - his second directing role for the company. In March the talented members of Next Stage Youth entered the Mid-Somerset Drama Festival with 5 extracts across 2 categories. The Youth Company were delighted to win 1st place in the Under 19 class, as well as achieving second place in the Year 9 and Under class, with all remaining groups scoring a creditable 'highly-commended'. April saw the return of director Alison Paine, who took on the ambitious play Plenty by Next Stage’s Patron, Sir David Hare. A highly successful production, Plenty saw new members tread the boards with Next Stage as the company staged one of the most challenging productions of the year.

May marked the beginning of an extra-special month for Next Stage, as it commemorated 25 years of existence, since its inception in May 1994. Celebrating in style, the company's production of Here We Go Again, which involved 10-12 extracts from some of Next Stage's favourite past productions over the last 25 years, was acclaimed by all. The final performance on May 18th was an invitation-only event, at which The Mayor and Mayoress of Bath were in attendance. An audience of over 100 past and present Next Stagers, as well as important Patrons, Friends and supporters joined Ann and Andrew Ellison to mark this milestone achievement. Cake, nibbles and bubbly where enjoyed by all after the performance, with a final congratulatory message from Next Stage's Patron Sir Alan Ayckbourn signing off the evening. 

In June a cast of 25 members of Next Stage and Next Stage Youth produced the Charles Dickens classic: Great Expectations. The first run in Bath played to full houses and received rave reviews. The company then toured to the Minack Theatre, in Cornwall at the end of July and played to sold-out audiences all week. Rowena Cade's glorious stage lit up as Next Stage filled the space, telling the well-known story of Pip, Miss Havisham and Estella. This was the company's 11th tour to the prestigious Minack Theatre. 

After a well-deserved break, Next Stage opened The Mission Theatre's Autumn season with a revival of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie - 20 years on since Next Stage first produced this play in 1999. Under the careful watch of director Claire Rumball, this imaginatively staged four-hander was one of the hits in our Autumn season at The Mission. In October Next Stage Youth performed Phillipa Pearce's time-fantasy classic Tom's Midnight Garden to mark the Youth Company's 25th Birthday. The Saturday matinee performance saw the celebration of this milestone event, as well as the awarding of the 10th Bridget Casse Award to winner Harry Lewis. His Right Worshipful The Mayor of Bath Councillor Gerry Curran attended the afternoon's performance and commented on the talented youngsters in the cast and the importance of Next Stage Youth in Bath and the local community. Finally, in November, Next Stage rounded off a memorable year with its revival of Woman In Mind by Alan Ayckbourn, performed exactly 25 years on from when the company first staged the play in 1994.

Thank you to everyone who has come along and supported both Next Stage and The Mission Theatre this year. We hope you have enjoyed your visits and the shows you have seen throughout 2019, and we very much look forward to seeing you all again in 2020.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, from The Mission Theatre!

Next Stage Youth Theatre Company Celebrates its 25th Anniversary with His Right Worshipful The Mayor of Bath

Image > His Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath, Gerry Curran and Alan Casse join director Ann Ellison BEM and the cast and crew of Tom’s Midnight Garden at The Mission Theatre for Next Stage Youth’s 25th Birthday party. Also pictured are some of the ex-youthers who have won the Bridget Casse Trophy for Excellence in Youth Theatre since 2010.

On November 2nd Next Stage Youth celebrated its 25th birthday with an extra special matinee performance of Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce, adapted by David Wood. This show was performed in front of The Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath, Gerry Curran, past-youthers from the last 25 years, ex-tutor and supporter Alan Cassé and other valued Next Stage Youth Friends, Patrons and Supporters.

The afternoon kicked off with a first-class production of Philippa Pearce’s time-fantasy classic: Tom’s Midnight Garden. Presented by the current Next Stage Youth class of 2019, this sold-out matinee was enjoyed by an audience of all ages. After receiving two rave reviews earlier that week, the company’s production continued to excel and wow audiences for the remainder of the run. 

Image < His Right Worshipful the Mayor of Bath Gerry Curran congratulates the Next Stage Youth cast of Tom’s Midnight Garden on their outstanding performances.

The performance part of the afternoon was followed by a speech from The Mayor and Next Stage Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Ann Ellison BEM. Speaking from the stage and beside a beautiful floral arrangement donated to The Mission for this special birthday celebration by The Secret Gardens, Bath Spa Train Station, The Mayor paid tribute to Next Stage Youth’s mile-stone achievement and contribution over the past 25 years to the Bath community, and the company’s work with young people. Ann Ellison reflected on the last 25 years and the thousands of children she has tutored, toured with and worked alongside since the company’s inception in 1994. She spoke proudly of how the skills and self-confidence learnt at Next Stage Youth meant that so many past members had now become accomplished young adults, a number of whom have gone on to work in the performing arts. However, Ann said that the greatest achievement in the past 25 years of the youth theatre must be the friendships that have been formed amongst each talented group of youth members.

 Image < Winner of The 2019 Bridget Casse Trophy Harry Lewis with Alan Casse

Ann concluded the speeches by inviting Alan Cassé, a long-time supporter of Next Stage Youth and ex-Tutor, onto the stage to award the Bridget Cassé Trophy, in memory of his late wife Bridget. 2019 marks the 10th year of The Bridget Cassé Trophy awarded annually for excellence in Youth Theatre. This year’s trophy was presented by The Mayor of Bath to winner Harry Lewis who had played Tom in the afternoon’s play.

Runner-up for this prestigious award was Lily Chapman who had played Hatty and Ralph Leming and Georgia Grobler were both highly-commended.

The other nominees for the 2019 Bridget Cassé Trophy were:

Girls: Grace Campbell and Alicia Corripio-Dieppe

Boys: Max Leming and Henry Skinner

Alan Cassé and Harry Lewis were joined on stage by 7 of the previous trophy winners including Phillip Davies who received the trophy the first time it was awarded in 2010. It was great to meet up with these talented ex-youthers, all of whom had travelled from around the country to join Next Stage Youth for its special birthday.

The awards were followed by the lighting of candles on the 25th Anniversary Birthday cakes and with a rousing chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ led by Lily Chapman.

After the formalities The Mayor, Ann and Andrew Ellison along with Alan Cassé enjoyed catching-up with past members of the youth company and chatting to parents and friends before everyone involved in Tom’s Midnight Garden had to get ready to give one last performance of this stand-out youth production.