AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY THEATRE EVENT

Written by Andrew G Marshall
Directed by Mary Swan
Musical Direction by Dominic Harlan
Designed by Keith Baker

An everyday tale of life, love and the redemptive power of singing..........

Jo wants revenge on her boss and former lover. When his wife finds out about their affair, Adam not only dumps her but sacks her too. His passion is Gilbert and Sullivan and in true G&S Style, Jo decides the 'punishment should fit the crime'. She will beat his chorus at the prestigious annual Buxton G&S festival. Now all she needs to do is find a society willing to enter..... This exuberant fun-packed show featuring Gilbert and Sullivan's best loved songs is a tribute to all those who tread the boards for the sheer joy of it!

Amateur performers, musicians and crew in four regions unite with professional company Proteus to stage a brand new take on the Gilbert and Sullivan operattas.

TOUR DATES:

FARNHAM
Frensham Heights
31st May, 1st and 2nd June, 8pm
Tickets: £10 Full, £8 Concessions
Box Office: 01252 726234

BASINGSTOKE
Central Studio
3rd - 5th August, 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 Full, £8 Concessions
Box Office: 01256 418318

WINCHESTER
St Faiths Hall, Back Street, St Cross, Winchester, SO23 9SB
Friday 28th September, 8pm
Saturday 29th September, 4:30pm
Tickets: £10, £8 Concessions
Box Office: 01256 354541

Want to get involved in future versions of Modern Major General? For details call 01256 354541 or e-mail info@proteustheatre.com

Local arts venue Farnham Maltings is teaming up with Basingstoke based Proteus Theatre Company to stage an ambitious community project that gives large numbers of amateur performers, musicians and backstage crew a chance to work together to stage a new interpretation of a Gilbert and Sullivan musical.

The project aims to bring together different amateur operatic and dramatic societies, encouraging people of all different ages, abilities and levels of experience to collaborate. A production team of one artistic director, one musical director, one designer and three professional actors will work with local volunteers to create the piece over a rehearsal period of eleven weeks, culminating in a 3 day run at a local venue.

The script has been written by South East based writer Andrew G Marshall , and set in contemporary amateur dramatic societies, telling the behind-the-scenes stories of internal politics, romantic entanglements and tensions. The musical pieces are all well known Gilbert and Sullivan songs, rewritten to fit the new plot.

Participation work is at the heart of Proteus Theatre Company and Farnham Maltings' ethos. Their last community event was 2006's The Wedding Present , a unique performance piece that took place across three different venues: a church, a community venue and a playing field, following a family through the experiences of Funerals, Christenings and Weddings. Performances ran across the South East in Basingstoke, East Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex .

“We wanted to work with Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Societies as they are the only point of participation in theatre for most people. The professional and amateur world rarely interact, but most of us who make theatre our career have been part of an amateur society at some point. I started to participate in theatre at 12 in a south London youth group attached to a larger adult amateur society – many of my friends from that time are now in the profession including a certain young actor called Jude Law! They are also the ‘keepers of the flame; for Gilbert and Sullivan – only huge commercial theatres can afford to mount G +S productions with huge casts , and the most experienced G+S performers are those within the Amateur Societies. It is incredibly exciting to create something new and create an environment where professionals and amateurs are able to learn from each other. None of the professionals involved are G+S experts – that knowledge of the history will come from them.”
Mary Swan, Artistic Director for Proteus.

Still a chance to be involved in the Basingstoke version of Modern Major General. Call now for more information

www.proteustheatre .com / www.farnhammaltings.com