Sensational Shoestring Theatre 

[prev] …quite a bit of different stuff. I’ve had quite a few good parts, but I’ve also done bit parts because it’s all fun to do. I’ve also stage-managed, done props, set design and painting – it’s the variety that many of us enjoy.

The company puts on four or five performances a year – that’s a pretty punishing schedule. Presumably most members don’t go from one play straight to the next?
PM: It’s generally felt that you shouldn’t be seeing the same faces again and again. Putting on four or five plays a year means that everybody gets a fair crack of the whip. And people are always encouraged to do more and try something they haven’t done before. Of course, some members are more interested in acting while others will turn their hands to anything.

Ken, you’ve recently stepped up as Shoestring’s chairman. How’s that going for you?
KW: This is my first year as chairman. The position comes up for election annually and you can serve for a maximum of three years. I’m really enjoying it so far because this is such a terrific time for the company. We get a lot of support in Stamford and there are a lot of people coming from outside Stamford. We get really good houses and our latest production is nearly sold out.

Something we’ve noticed is that there’s a real demand for live theatre in Stamford. There’s also clearly a lot of acting talent in the town and surrounding area: Stamford is also home to the Stamford Shakespeare Company and a number of other amateur groups. Do you think there’s a reason behind this hotspot of theatrical prowess?
PM: I’ve never really thought about it. There’s definitely a lot of crossover between the Stamford Shoestring Theatre and the Shakespeare Company. You’ve also got the Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Players, the Stamford Amateur Musical Society, the Pantomime Players and one or two others. There’s a certain amount of crossover among all of those. It’s lovely because we do feel like we’re part of an extended family. There’s friendly competition if you like. And the great thing is that all of these groups keep on going, so the demand’s obviously there.
KW: There’s a very discerning and wide-ranging audience in Stamford. This is why we want to provide plays that appeal to all age groups and to all the tastes that exist in the town and wider region. We know that some people love comedy, while others prefer the classic English plays for example.

Which brings us neatly onto the programme for 2016. You’re certainly catering for a diverse range of tastes this year!
KW: We are. It all starts in March with Good Things by Liz Lochhead, an example of one of the more modern plays we do. Liz is an extremely well-known Scottish dramatist and this comedy is all about relationships. It’s set in an Edinburgh charity shop. The play is pretty experimental because just four actors play all of the characters. Then in July it’s The Shaughraun by Dion Boucicault, which I’ll be directing. ‘Shaughraun’ is an Irish word meaning a sort of vagabond. The Shaughraun is a famous 19th-Century melodrama that was a big hit in London, New York and Dublin. The main character takes part in these amazing scenes on the coast of Ireland. The exciting thing is that once we’ve put it on at the Arts Centre the cast and musicians then head down to the open-air Minack Theatre in Cornwall where we’ll be performing it right in the middle of the summer holidays, from 1-5 August. The Minack is perched on the cliffs and the play itself is actually set on the side of a cliff – it even includes epic scenes like jumping off it!

Wow – that all sounds like quite an undertaking – you must be excited and apprehensive in equal measures.
KW: It’s going to be a challenge but I’m looking forward to doing it. There’s no denying it’s a big job – there are about 30 people in the cast plus six musicians, which is a big production.

So how does the company decide on what to put on each year? Is there some sort of committee?
PM: There is. The committee is made up of elected members. When the time comes to decide on next year’s plays, usually in the second half of the year, directors are invited to put forward the plays they’d like to do. The poor committee then has to read them all and come to a decision on what will or will not work. You have to be an experienced director to put forward a suggestion because we have a high standard to maintain.

And once you’ve set a high standard you’ve got to keep it there
PM: That’s it – you can’t let the standard drop. Of course, that doesn’t preclude new people from directing. What we now do is to say ‘right, you want to be a director, so become a director-in-training first’. So you would shadow a director and perhaps undertake a bit of assistant directing. This allows you to develop your talents before you’re actually let loose!
KW: And this nurturing of new talent applies throughout the company. So, for instance, we’re currently talking to the Stamford Youth Theatre at the Arts Centre about the possibility of doing more work with them, including a joint experimental production. This way… [cont]

Black actors needed! Shoestring’s 2016 calendar includes Good People by David Lindsay- Abaire. It’s a tough, tender play about the insurmountable class divide between those who make it out of a working-class Boston ‘neighbourhood’ and those who are left behind. Stamford Shoestring Theatre would like to recruit an able black amateur actress, preferably aged between 25 and 35, for the part of Kate. Rehearsals begin 18th July and the production runs for five nights from Tuesday 13th September. Contact Shoestring to find out more.