amdram.co.uk

Why is it that amateur actors/productions are never seen in the same light as “professional” ones? Just because someone gets paid for performing doesn’t mean they are going to be good. I have seen wonderful amateur productions and dreadful professional productions. One “amateur” director I have worked with (and who I respect immensely) once said that the only difference between an amateur production and a professional one is that we don’t get paid; the standard should be as high as possible.

Unfortunately professional productions will always have better access to shows, venues, props, scenery etc. They can charge more for entrance and thus have more money to work with. They will always be considered first when it comes to Rights’ Holders. I know of groups who have purchased a licence, gone through hours and hours of rehearsals to suddenly be told that their production has to be cancelled because a professional tour is going to be made. It’s almost as if they want the amateurs to fail. Why is it that “professional” money seems more important than “amateur” money? I wonder how many professional productions are staged a year and how many amateur? I suspect, but don’t know for sure, that amateur outweighs professional every year especially outside of musical theatre. I know how many productions are registered on amdram.co.uk every week. Wouldn’t it be interesting and useful if Rights’ Holders produced a league of plays performed, who by, their status (amateur or professional) and where? Such a database would be invaluable for amateur theatre groups. What plays are popular, what’s been performed to death in the local area and what is likely to be performed in the future are all things that could be included.

I’m delighted that Calendar Girls is being released to amateur theatre, all-be-it for only one year. I know that I for one am very excited and keen to get a production of this show up and running in my local area. But I am a little concerned at the rumours going around about how the performing rights are being handled. Apparently there is to be no control of the productions, groups will be able to perform the show at the same time in the same location. So a group who decide to stage their show at the end of the year’s window will be struggling to attract audiences who might have already seen several productions of the same show. If I do get involved in producing Calendar Girls, I know that I shall be applying for my rights to be performed as early in the available year as possible. I want to be able to choose from the best amateur actors available. But, of course, I guess this also means that there are going to be some actors who will be able to go from amateur production to amateur production playing the same character!

Then again there are some shows which will probably never gain permission to be performed by amateurs, The Rocky Horror Picture Show springs to mind as one that I would love to see performed by enthusiastic amateurs. Even if you gain permission there’s a chance you won’t get the show you expect. For example, the best song in Little Shop of Horrors (in my opinion) is “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” which received an Academy Award Nomination, but go and see an amateur show and you won’t hear it. On top of this there are also very strict orchestra restrictions as well. If you are planning to go and see The Full Monty performed by amateurs, don’t expect any of the songs from the film. The music used is excellent, but not what you expect. It’s hard enough to get “bums on seats” but when your audience leave disappointed because the show wasn’t what they expected it’s the actors and the group that get the bad press, not the Rights’ Holders. It seems that the West End are also having problems getting “bums”. Perhaps that’s why they pay some ex-soapstar/American star/member of the public chosen by telephone vote to star in shows, or perhaps that’s the only way to really get the “bums”!