Dracula Show Times Changed

We are delighted to announce that there will now be more evening performances of Dracula - The Panto!
Weds 6th Jan 2010 @ 7pm
Thurs 7th Jan 2010 @7pm
Fri 8th Jan 2010 @7pm

SATURDAY MATINEE -9th Jan 2010 @2pm

Sat 9th Jan 2010 @7pm

Trailer Filming

So, after a very succesful saturday- we now have over half the footage shot for the film festival trailers! Huzzah. Hopefully soon after the next shoot I will be able to get the trailers up on here for the world to see! Watch this space!

Dracula Ticket Booking now available!

email
bookings (at) naturalflair.co.uk
with your ticket reservation requests!

As school children are at the heart of our cause, the first two matinees, although open to the public, are aimed at school parties - £3.00 per head for children. (accompanying teachers free). Adults will pay £6.00 at all performances, or a family ticket for 2 children and 2 adults will cost £15.00 (saving £3.00)

Show Dates for your diary

Natural Flair are delighted to announce that the dates and venue for our forthcoming Charity fundraising pantomime have been confirmed. Make a note of them now- as these are the ONLY performances open to the public. They are:

Wednesday 6th January 2010 1.30pm

Thursday 7th January 2010 1.30pm

Friday 8th January 2010 1.30pm
Friday 8th January 2010 7.30pm

Saturday 9th January 2010 2.30pm
Saturday 9th January 2010 7.30pm

We would like to thank the Home Guard Club, Tiddington, Stratford Upon Avon,
who have so generously given us the use of their premises.

Damrughutu - Denise Goodson, volunteer report

March 2009, West Bengal, India.

We are in a very remote, parched and hot landscape, close to the villages of
Dumrughutu and Ktanga.
The Indian nuns of the Ananda Marga, neohumanist organisation run a High School, a Primary School and an Orphanage.
There are over 100 girls living at the High School. Some of their families can afford to pay towards their keep and education. Some families cannot make a contribution at all.
Some of the girls are orphans.

They are provided with a uniform, an exercise book and pencil and two or three text
books. The classroom resources consist of wooden benches and desks, a blackboard and
chalk. Some teachers come into the enclosure to give lessons in geography and dance.
Much of the learning is done by rote, and the girls will sit for long periods of time
reciting their lessons. They have no story books.

The atmosphere is one of cheerfulness and welcome.
Every girl has to help with cleaning the floors. One corridor serves as a dining room.
There are no tables and chairs for meal times and all eat with their fingers. Some of the
older girls help with meal preparation. Each girl does her own washing up and washes
her own clothes at the well. Everyone is provided with a large bucket for holding water
to wash oneself and one's clothes.

The beds are a flat wooden surface, with no mattress, just a cloth. We, volunteers had a blanket on our wooden bed to give some softness.
At 4.30 each morning the girls get up for meditation and prayers. Lessons start around 7.30 a.m. They are used to it. When it is very hot in the afternoon there is an opportunity to rest, but many of the girls are reciting their lessons. The High School produces students who achieve well in exams.

There are some little children, boys and girls, who live at the Primary School. They are young and have only 2 nuns and “Auntie” to cook and care for them. They try to do their own washing and it is hung on the bushes in the enclosure. Some of the children come from the local villages for the day at school. They also have an exercise book and a text book. They have no toys or story books or soft toys.

Their classroom doubles as a dormitory.
They were so pleased to see us and to show us their graceful dancing.
A volunteer had recently provided them with a water pump and a deeper bore hole.
One day Didi Vratiisha, (The nun in charge at the High School, who also oversees the
work at the orphanage and the primary school) took us by jeep to Tatuyara village. It
took about 45 minutes to get there on dirt tracks.

Tatuyara village has a school run by the Dadas, the male equivalent of the Didis (nuns).
There are 250 children attending this school. There are 3 teachers provided by the
Dadas. Most of the children sit outside the school building on the road. There is not
room for them all inside and also the building was falling down.
Inside the building one class sits on the dirt floor facing in one direction, and another
class sits facing the other way. There is a blackboard at each end. The children have an
exercise book and pencil.

In the rainy season, July and August, the children cannot come to school because there is
no shelter – the rain pours through the building. The rest of the time they start at 6.00
in the morning and work until about 9.00. Then the sun is too hot, especially for those
having lessons in the road.

We are raising funds to build them a new school. A few hundred pounds can go a long
way in India. The new building has started. It will be a single storey with 5 classrooms.
So far we have been given £300 from an artist who gave the proceeds from his art
exhibition in Kent. £580 has come from donations/sponsorship for a sky-dive.

Then in January we are putting on a pantomime – Dracula. It has been written
especially for this production which is to raise money for the education project/building
the school in Tatuyara village, and will feature a cast of professional actors who have freely donated their time and skills.

Dracula Casting Breakdown

Here is the casting Breakdown for our Pantomime version of Dracula!

If you would like to be considered for one of the roles listed below, please let us know by sending an email to casting@naturalflair.co.uk and we will email you with an audition time.

Auditions are being held on the 8th August and 5th September.

Dracula
(Male playing age 20-40)
Dracula is our title charatcer, and the villain of the show (boo hiss boo!) Transylvanian accent not essential... Not a comedy role, but is involved in comedy scenes, Including his very own rock song "It's hard to be immortal" (enter double act as backing dancers!) Any stage Combat Experience would be beneficial, as would movement training as Dracula is of course a vampire and his movements may not therefore be entirely human.

Van Helsing
(Male playing age 20-40)
A combination of attributes from other original characters, Van Helsing has Medical experience, and a very handy book entitled 'Vampires for Dummies'- this is also the name of his solo patter song (think 'modern major general') He is the second of Lucy's rejected suitors. Not a comedy character, but gets one-liners and is integral to the fight scene(s).

Johnny Harker
(Male playing age 20-30)
Essentially the romatic lead of our story, Johnny is in love with Mina, (may sing a duet with her)they are betrothed throughout and married at the end. Johnny is a bit of a 'simple simon' character. He is imprisoned by Dracula at the start, but manages to escape. Has comedic parts (oo-er!) and is the target of the vampire brides' seduction.

Mina Murray
(Female playing age 20-30)
Lucy's best friend, and Johnny's wife to be. She is a clever young lady, a fool in love, but certainly not a damsel in distress. Dracula captures her in the second half. Not a comedy character but is involved with comic scenes. Sings a duet with Lucy ( and possibly Johnny too.)

Lucy Westenbra
(Female playing age 20-30)
Dame's daughter, Lucy is a blonde and a bit of an "E-th-ex girl". Lucy is transformed into a vampire after encountering Dracula. She is saved from being killed and remains involved in the plot, despite comedy fangs and an aversion to sunlight. Her best friend is Mina, the pair sing a duet in the first half. The actress playing this role will also fill the role of 'Sexy Vampire Bride' in a 'Lady Marmaladesque' seduction number.

Dame
(Male playing age 35-55)
Widow Westenbra ("vest 'n' bra") is Lucy's mother. The Dame is essentially a comedy character who has the most outrageous costumes and some of the dirtiest jokes. Not a particularly compassionate mother until Lucy is in real danger, then it's all guns blazing. Conducts the audience sing-a-long. Lusts after Quincey Morris.

Quincey Morris.
(Male playing age 20-35)
American explorer type. Actor with an athletic physique preffered but not essential. Quincey is one half of the comedy double act, and the Dame's love interest, after initially being one of Lucy's hopeful suitors. He relies on brawn over brains. This actor will also appear as a suspiciously masculine vampire bride in the seduction number, a workman and a henchman as part of the comedy duo. Expect speedy quick changes.

Arthur Holmwood - Lord Godalming
(Male playing age 20-35)
The Eric Morecambe to Quincey's Ernie Wise, Holmwood is the other half of the comedy duo. He is the lucky suitor chosen by Lucy. His title Lord Godalming is a source for running gags, resulting in the fond nickname "Good Almonds". The actor portraying Holmwood must be versatile- he is a questionable vampire bride, a henchman and workman. Expect speedy quick changes.

Narrator
(Male/Female)
The link between the audience and the action on stage, the Narrator must keep the balance between character and observer. Is "Shhh" 'd by the Dame, and interacts with other characters. Fills in any text of the story that is not portrayed by the other actors. Actors age unimportant, but clear diction essential, and an aptitude for comic timing preferred.

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I would like to take this opportunity to re-iterate that this production is being put on as a charity fund raiser, and therefore is completely non-profit making. i.e. we will not be providing payment or expenses. Anyone offered a role will be working on a totally voluntary basis, as are all the production team.

If offered a role, you would need to be able to commit to the following dates (additional rehearsals may be scheduled around people's availablity if necessary)

21st November 2009
28th November 2009
5th December 2009
12th December 2009
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3rd- 9th January 2010 (inclusive) (performances to take place on the 6th-9th)

(Performances and Rehearsals will take place in Stratford upon Avon.)

Thank you.

New Look Website, with New Improved Content

The New look website is now live! At least, the first few pages are...
Keep a look out for more coming soon, including our very own Facebook Group!

First Blog Post

So, this is it! The very first Natural Flair Blog post!