The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry: middle of the Midlands meets middle-of-the-road?
Let's see. First head's up, The Arts Council recently decided to retain The Belgrade as a National Portfolio Organisation. So it'll be there this time next year.
Courtesy Google Maps
Pub Quiz Trivia: The Belgrade got its name after Coventry's Serbian twin city of the same name donated timber with which to build the new theatre, one of the UK's first after enemy bombing during WWII destroyed much of the city.
The Belgrade is where Theatre in Education (TIE) was invented. Although not a phrase we hear much these days, as we have found, education is still an important part of a company's value proposition when it comes to getting funding and support from the community it serves. The Belgrade offers acting classes during the school terms and two weeks of summer school.
Nip down the bottom of the website for 'Jobs & Opportunities'. Like most theatres, this area is usually for backstage, front of house productions and administrative roles.
For creatives, it's interesting to look closer at the production companies that make the shows a receiving house puts on. To see how the theatres of middle-England, and elsewhere, are trying to fill their seats, look at The Belgrade's, 'What's On' > 'Shows' pages:
Family Shows
Tribute Acts
Comedy
Dance
Drama
Musicals
Pantomime
Music
Where do you fit it? Let's have a quick look at the drama tab. In passing, note the scheduled screen transmission of Drive Your Plough...from The Lowry Theatre. You don't get much more cutting edge than Complicité'.
Of course, video/filmed stage performance has been used for decades, from marketing sizzle reels to full on performances in cinemas, but when Covid coerced the industry into using the internet for live video as a means of survival, moving-image theatrical performance was promoted into a buzz word of its own – Digital Theatre.
Does live theatre performance work on screen? It can, as the PBS recording of Sondheim's Passion shows. The acting style is somewhat sotto voce in that example though. The camera, so adept at capturing every subtle nuance of facial expression, can seem to be easily overwhelmed by heavily stylised performance.
To what extent do audiences connect, emotionally, with a videoed theatre performance? If they don't, will they want to pay for it? Anyway, there's an opportunity for you to explore, and you can practice with your mobile phone.
Speaking of which, check out the link in the Resources tab to see what advise the Casting Guild and Spotlight has to offer about self-tapes.
One show The Belgrade is putting on: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Soon to be a career life saver everywhere for actors over 50. The video trailer looks rather cheesy but the show will offer some diverse casting, which is good.
The blurb says the show's on tour prior to the West-End. So, lets track down the producer. Just search under the show's name and add, 'UK tour'. There you go, nice little website. All the actor's faces. Nice tight headshots BTW, and down at the bottom...Simon Friend Productions.
Click on that and...boom, there you go. Quick look at the 'About' page to see who's behind it all – anything to learn about career paths and skillsets? Always.
There's something interesting: their using a promo shot of Anthony Hopkins to advertise the stage version of the film, The Father. Ah, Wiki says it was originally a stage play by, Florien Zeller, with English translation by, Christopher Hampton – any good audition material for the older actor?
Onto the, 'Work With Us' tab, and we have a list of shows currently casting, with casting directors names included. Hellooo. That doesn't happened every day. You'd think it would be exclusively for agents but check them out before you jump to any conclusions. Google their names. followed by the word 'casting'.
Casting Director, Ginny Shiller's website has an, 'Information for Actors' tab in the sidebar. With regards contacting her by email, notice it does not say agents only. It goes on to recommend researching the Casting Directors Guild website for various types of advice – links available on our Resources page above.
For those interested in working in casting, the Guild's website is a must see, it's own 'Vacancies' page especially.
So, with a little bit of research, we've come to learn that Simon Friend Productions is a young, experienced, talented production team – it's going to be all go at SF Ent.. Deffo one to watch.
Let's check out one more show. The blurb for The Importance of Being...Earnest? says its presented by theatre company, Say it Again, Sorry? Who are they? Ask your mate Google.
The 'History' tab on their webpage suggests they're a wacky bunch of thespians in North London who started in 2018 with some workshops by a founder member. A year later they're meeting regularly and develop an audience orientated theatrical-experience-concept-type thingie and The Importance of Being...Earnest? is born.
Fun and frolics abound apparently; and there was I almost thinking The Belgrade was middle-of-the-road. Well hush my mouth and I'm glad I put a question mark at the end of my opening line.
So get to it and check out the other shows The Belgrade is putting on. Find out who the production companies are and what makes them tick. Who knows, you might be applying for a job with them or get inspired to make your own show to pitch to a theatre like The Belgrade.