Inside Salisbury

By Annette J Beveridge

AN AMATEUR theatre group which began its theatrical journey in the city back in 1952 gave Inside Salisbury a private behind-the-scenes glimpse into where the magic happens.

I have loved theatre for many years and go to as many performances as I can. Studio Theatre has been going more than 70 years although, it is only in this century that they have had use of their current location on Ashley Road.

Studio Theatre Chair, Anthony von Roretz showed me around. It is fair to say it is a little like Doctor Who’s Tardis. As you move beyond the stage area, the building stretches a considerable way due to the later extensions. We moved along corridors and up and down stairs.

Male and female actors have separate changing rooms and plenty of space when preparing for their performance. The rooms are exactly as you imagine, with mirror lights so the actors can prepare their make-up.

The actors are able to view the progression of the play on any number of screens throughout which enables them to make a timely move into the wings ready for their big moment.

As we walked around, the building was empty bar us and largely silent. Yet, it was still easy to imagine the excitement or nerves that would inevitably be present. In a matter of hours, the creation of the new set will be started ready for the forthcoming play in October.

Sustainability is key

Walking from room to room, I wondered how the theatre had managed prior to the extension. The prop room is simply filled with items of furniture - chairs, bookcases, dressing tables and much more. Anthony also showed me the storage room for set-building.

Everything needed for the sets is created onsite. They are all dismantled completely when the show ends and by doing this, the pieces can be reused and converted into something else.  The aim is to be as sustainable as possible.

Most of the rooms are full and this was exactly the same for the one filled with racks and shelving with clothes ready for use. 

The bridge

Perhaps, the pinnacle of the visit for me was moving up into the top layer above the stage and seating area onto a narrow bridge. Here, I could see all the rigging.

Gesturing towards the many lights, Anthony said: “We are now slowly changing over to digital and getting away from combustibles.”

Don't miss any articles. Sign up for our FREE newsletter.

The bridge moves so that lights can be set ready or repaired. Telling me to watch out for any lights, he gave a demonstration of how the bridge is pulled across the whole area. Surprisingly, it is a smooth progression as we move across the room, although, mildly disconcerting.

Once the bridge was back in place and we could move to solid ground, we went to view the room filled with high-tech equipment. This has to be programmed ready but someone is always present throughout each performance to be sure that the system does not malfunction on the day.

It is not a large theatre in respect of seating. It holds 92 people but they typically stick to 90. This is due to the intricacies of licensing fees. Most importantly, productions are often sold out. In recent years, the whole theatre industry was badly affected by Covid-19, but it seems that Salisbury residents support the theatre and having been many times, I know why. The standard is good.

When people watch a performance, they may not think about all those behind the scenes who have worked hard to get everything ready. Anthony told me that there are often 50 people or more needed to help out.

Anthony is co-directing the Little Women play in December and has already cast for this.

He said: “My show has ten women and five men. It is a big cast. Then, we have myself and Gill, as co-director, I will be directing the actors and she will be producing. Then, we have a stage manager, and an assistant stage manager and so on.

For this show, there is no set change. This is because it is set all around the world.

He added: “It is what we call a black or blank set.”

Anthony has a vision for the play.

He said: “In the world of any drama, you see something in life, and it sparks something in you.”

As a professional photographer, it makes sense that he sees things in a very visual way and he has been involved in theatre productions for a long time.

Scripts

We talked about the complexities involved with the purchasing of scripts and the many rules that need to be followed.

He said: “You can’t change words but you can cut a part if you don’t have enough people. We pay a licence depending on the number of people. For Little Women, they don’t even provide big scripts.

“I like a big copy so I can write notes all over it. I am currently in negotiation about this.”

Before Little Women can take place, many of the members are already hard at work preparing for the Night Must Fall play which takes place in October. It is a psychological thriller.

Anthony stated: “We have five Saturdays for set building. The actors have been rehearsing for about two months but that’s quite long…..about a month more than most of us need.”

Set building begins on Saturday, September 9.

Studio Theatre is a charity and has amateur status. Each person involved appears to be dedicated to their area of expertise and the performances are consistently of a high standard. The theatre has also won several awards over the years.

Former Salisbury resident, and well-known actor Christopher Biggins is now the President. Patrons include former member Barney Norris who is now an acclaimed playwright and author along with the Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury.

Night Must Fall takes place on Friday, October 11 and closes on Saturday, October, 19 and Little Women will open on  Monday, December 9 and close on Saturday, December 14.

Theatre enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to during the winter months.

Go to Studio Theatre website