Ten Quid cancelled

So sorry to read this, we suffer a shortage of male talent (any age, some worse than others) so don't know if that had a bearing? And I read Norma's comment with interest. Same thing happens here. People get the hump with the company they have been working with, stomp off into the night to form their own, get at least one, sometimes two, shows on and then it all just .... drifts away and things go quiet....and non existent. I am generalising you understand, there are exceptions. The facts seem to be: 1)there are very few people willing to do the hard yards and keep a company going after the initial burst of activity 2)male actors are in short supply 3)play going audiences develop tastes in what they want to see 4)plays that younger people want to do aren't automatically audience taste and can be very hard to market (ie: Rent. I have yet to see a financially successful community/amateur production. Audiences stay away, yet companys want to do it because the talent want to do it...and so we go around in circles). Answers? Dunno but maybe: 1) keep the committee small, no dead wood 2) do plays with a majority female cast 3) comedy rules, as does farce and thrillers 4) remember that just because you have just read a play that you think is the best thing since sliced bread and you are BURSTING to do it because it is relevant/trendy/just plain fun/etc etc that your audience may not want to see it. Do it anyway but be prepared to take the loss All of which is easier said than done. So sorry Johnny and Hywel. Maybe re-schedule and do some serious head hunting well beforehand?? Cheer up! :)

"Life is too short to stuff a mushroom"

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