Luis Suarez - What punishment would be enough?

source - bbc.co.uk

Today an independent disciplinary committee imposed a nine match ban (international matches) and a four month ban from football on Luis Suarez, the Liverpool forward who bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini. The match ban rules him out of any further participation in the World Cup, which is being held in Brazil, and will have an impact on Uruguay’s future tournament qualification. It’s fair to say that without him, Uruguay haven’t looked in particularly good form and without him I don’t fancy their chances to progress much further. He was the difference against England, scoring both goals in an otherwise drab match and will be greatly missed.

source - telegraph.com

This is nothing new in the world of Luis Suarez, having been found guilty in April 2014 for a similar bite on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. The FA banned him for ten matches and resulted in an apparent change of character, with many people believing he should have been PFA Player of the Year. The new leaf doesn’t seem to have been completely turned over and this latest controversy will surely have a long lasting impact, both on the image of the player and also his football career. Will Liverpool welcome him back with open arms after he has spent the next few weeks on holiday, contemplating his foul actions? If he belonged to my club I wouldn’t want him anywhere near the team as the thought of having someone who thinks its normal to bite someone leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

What ban would have been enough though? Well Fifa had it in their powers to ban him for up to two years and I think a ban of four months isn’t a strong enough sanction. Sure it rules him out of the World Cup, which will have a huge impact on the player himself. It also stops him having any involvement in Liverpool’s Premier League matches until October, but in total this results in only eight or nine matches. I would personally have liked to see him banned for one year, from both domestic and international football. It would have given him plenty of time to repent and try to get the necessary help to control this violent urges on the football pitch.

 

source - bbc.co.uk

My verdict is further strengthened by the fact that previous bans of ten matches (in the case of Ivanovic) and seven games when he choose to take a chunk out of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. This sort of wanton crime and tendency clearly have no place in football and Fifa should have really thrown the book at him for this latest assault. I am intrigued by what the ban on ‘football activity’ will actually entail and how enforceable it is. Does this mean he can’t train with the first or youth teams? Is he allowed to kick a football in his spare time? In theory it could be argued that he will actually miss several more Premier League matches as he won’t have any match fitness as a result of missing pre-season and having no involvement in any football matches. Hopefully Uruguay will try to appeal and the ban will be lengthened, as has happened in the past with other football disciplinary processes.

source - bbc.co.uk

July to August usually signals a mad scramble for highly sought after players and before this incident it could be assumed that several big clubs would come with tempting offers to test Liverpool’s willpower. I think clubs will still want to sign Suarez, but will Liverpool have the same determination to keep their prized asset? If I were in Liverpool’s position I would sell him for £60 million+ and buy a less temperamental player, one would who serve as a positive ambassador for the club. Every article being written about Suarez will bring more attached between the words Suarez and Liverpool, and with this being the World Cup, people from across the world will be starting to associate the club will his disgraceful actions. Anyone reading this and thinking I am over the top in my language must clearly believe that biting fellow players has a place in football, that racial abuse has a place in football (he served an eight match ban in the 2011-2012 season for racially abusing Man Utd’s Patrice Evra) and that players can nearly get away with murder. If a criminal receives a light sentence after committing a heinous crime, the general public are usually up in arms clamouring for a heavier punishment; surely the same should be true for Luis Suarez. The fact he tried to clutch at his face and went to the ground as if he was the innocent party in his tussle with Chiellini was outrageous.  

 

source - liverpoolfc.com

Still, the world moves on and hopefully we can continue to enjoy the World Cup of 2014 and remember it for skill and brilliance, not the actions of players such as Suarez and Song (the Cameroonian who punched a Croatian player in the back during their group match-up). There is still a lot of football to be played and I think and hope that Uruguay won’t progress much further. They tried to claim that the calls for punishment from various media sources were a witch hunt and any punishment bestowed would be unfair. Why can’t clubs and football associations look at incidents and replays, see their player has committed an awful tackle/act and own up. David Moyes was guilty of it time after time during his short tenure at Utd, Wenger has done it multiple times at Arsenal and Mourinho.. Well, he’s assaulted fellow coaches on the touchline himself. Could this ban on Suarez set a tone for future sanctions on players and will it prove the cure for his bad behaviour?

Thanks for reading this article on the latest controversy at the World Cup and leave your thoughts and opinions below in the comments field. Bye for now! 

MTA Interview w/ Alice Martin

After a short hiatus battling a super nasty illness, I am back and ready to rock the world of theatre! Before I do that though, I wanted to put up this interview I had with MTA first year student, Alice Martin. I had such a great time putting together the article with Meesha, that I've decided to post at least one interview with a current or former student of the Musical Theatre Academy, each week. If you're reading this and have sent info over to me, again apologises for delay but I'm now sorting through all my backlog! 

Now without any further ado, let's welcome Alice to Theatre Thoughts!

Chris: From Newbury to the Musical Theatre Academy sounds like quite a journey, what was the first production you were ever involved in and what impact did it have on you at the time?

Alice: The first proper production I ever did was when I was 11 and was the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Corn Exchange in Newbury which was a great opportunity and a lot of fun. It was directed by Cal McCrystal and an amazing creative team so I learnt a lot and it gave me a great insight into the industry. I played a gangster rat!

Chris: Working with Cal McCrystal, what lessons as a performer do you think you were first starting to gain, even at that young age?

Alice: Obviously Cal McCrystal is a great comedy director and so I learnt a lot about comedy timing and performance which I love. It was also really interesting seeing how shows are put together and what happens in the rehearsal process as I had never really been a part of something similar before then.

Chris: I know we've spoken previously about you being a member of YMT UK. How long were you part of it and what sort of an experience was it for you?

Alice: I was a member for 4 years so did 4 different shows. With all of the shows we were workshopping a new musical from scratch which was fun as we got a lot of creative input and interesting to see the development of the show. It was also a lot of hard work as we were rehearsing from 9am-9pm every day for two weeks which was intense but such a fun experience that I got to share with other young people who love musical theatre. I made some great friends there.

Chris: The move from home to go to the MTA wasn't too far geographically, but was it an easy decision to up sticks and relocate?

Alice: Yes and no. I was certain that I wanted to be in London and sure that musical theatre was the only thing I wanted to do, so I was more excited than scared about relocating. However it is always a big risk entering into a competitive industry like this, and strange watching all my friends go off to university as I was the only person who chose to pursue a different path. 

Chris: Speaking of the MTA, what element of your studies there have you enjoyed most during your first year?

Alice: The MTA has a policy that all teachers have to be currently working in the industry, so I have loved the opportunity to work with people I have seen perform and massively respect. I learn a lot from them. We also get amazing opportunities to perform. Each term we do a show in an off-West End venue which gives us a great chance to develop our performance skills. It also pushes us constantly which is exciting.

Chris: Do you have to follow any sort of diet to keep yourself and your voice in good shape

Alice: I don't follow any particular diet I just try and eat healthily. I think it gives you more energy if you eat nice food which I need to get me through a long day at college!

Chris: Aside from the roles you've mentioned when you were younger, which have been the biggest challenges to play?

Alice: With YMT we did a play called According to Brian Haw which was based on the life of the political activist Brian Haw. It focused on some quite difficult subjects such as the 9/11 attacks and the war in Iraq. It involved a lot of research but was also quite emotionally tiring.

Chris: If I could cast you opposite someone in any musical, who would it be and why?

Alice: I've been a huge fan of Elaine Page since I was young so I would have to pick her. I'm sure I would learn plenty from a woman who has been in the industry for 50 years!

Chris: Which out of acting, singing and dancing do you enjoy the most and which have you had to work hardest at perfecting?

Alice: I enjoy them all but id probably say acting is my favourite by a small margin. Tilly Vosburgh who is our head of acting is wonderful and has some fascinating pearls of wisdom! It is also nice as we have a 50/50 split between stage and screen which means we are always doing something new. I'd say I've had to work hardest at dance, just because there are so many aspects to it and always something to improve on.

Chris: Obviously this article is going to feature on my blog. How important do you think social media is for promoting actors and also theatre as a general rule?

Alice: I think social media is such an important tool. It is a great way to connect with people you would otherwise not and also great for publicising plays/concerts. I think an actor can also learn a lot from social media as it can raise our awareness of what is going on in the industry.

Chris: We've seen the closure of 'We Will Rock You' recently in the West End, do you think theatre companies and schools should be doing more to develop new material, like the MTA has done in recent years?

Alice: I think there is already a lot of new material being created but that it may not be getting the recognition it deserves. At the MTA we work a lot with Perfect Pitch who develop new musicals and I always find it so fascinating. As an actor I find it such a great creative outlet. I hope that in the future we see more new musicals appearing on the West End.

Chris: After you've finished your studies, what's the plan?

Alice: I plan to stay in London and keep auditioning for as many things as I can and hopefully make a career for myself!

Chris: I ask everyone this one but.. What advice would you give to anyone out there thinking of pursuing a career in theatre?

Alice: I'd say to always work as hard as you can but whilst working hard try and remember why we do what we do and how much we love it! I would also say to just be nice to everyone as it is so important.

Chris: Thank you so very much for speaking to me for my blog and hopefully I'll bump into you when I visit the MTA a little later in the year!

Billie on Costume Design - pt1

Have you ever decided to try exploring the wonders of stage and costume design? I really hope you answer this with an enthusiastic shout "yes"! When you answer yes I will continue on with my material… Okay so you didn’t shout yes, but I’m still going to finish what I was writing.

When I was in a college production of Blood Brothers, I decided to explore the world of the behind the scenes. While taking on the role of Mrs Lyons. I’m going to guide you through my process of designing the stage and costume.

 

To start off with I researched the eras Blood Brothers was wrote in, I gathered information, hoarded pictures and religiously studied the fashions the formed a scrap book collage of everything I could find. Scrap books for me help me see all thing needed, for others they can do brain maps etc.

 

I also went to see a production done by professionals, but I couldn’t get over the stage presence of Marti Pellow. I loved how they did it all, it gave me unreal expectations of how our stage would look, but in the end I didn’t paint the backgrounds or anything. I shouldn’t be harsh it looked great for our budget, which was next to nothing. However I was so inspired by the costume choices and the ensemble.

I then hit up all of the charity and vintage shops; my favourite one must have seen me at least 30 times in 3 months. We did our production with two casts, so it would be evenly graded, which meant I had to find costumes that fitted and suited two different people. This became super stressful when one of the leads was a 10 and the other was at least a size 16. When designing a costume everything and everyone has to look like they belong. The stage is just as or maybe more important than the actors themselves. You can’t have a set that looks like a rough estate and having the residents dressed to the nines, looking flawless. You can’t have a mansion with the housewife wearing a tracksuit. I had so much trouble getting this into some cast members heads…

We pulled off the show, however I have not being able to contact back from the college to see if they will send me picture from the performance. The show looked good. Not professional but good.

Was this helpful? I’d like to think it was.

Guest Blog - Royal Armouries Visit

 

Hello lovelies, I’m so happy to be here and doing this guest blog for Chris, I hope you will enjoy it. Oh by the way I’m Kelly. Hello.

So, me and my partner went on a day out with his family to the royal armouries as his little brother and sister had wanted to go. It was a great sunny day which made it perfect for going out and making most of the warm weather before it changed, like the typical British weather.

 

 

It has to be said I had fun to learn a little more about past times and how they work with their weapons and everything along with it, but I believe it was more fun to watch my partner’s younger siblings walking around and getting excited at the little things. Especially with having a younger boy there his face lit up with all the weapons and armour.

 

While we were there they had a little show on for us. This was explaining how they fought and what techniques work well and which wouldn’t have. It was honestly great to watch as it was people who clearly loved there job ad what things that it entailed, which if you ask me makes it better than someone who doesn’t like their job. But saying that who wouldn’t love their job if they got to play around with swords and put shows on for people who will appreciate it? It had defiantly brought memories back from history lessons at work, which I was never the best at but I had fun in those lesson and I loved to learn about how different things are now to what they was years and years ago. I did love all the little screens they have there as well so you can watch and learn as well as reading the signs.

 

 

 

I would definitely tell people to go there if they were in the Leeds area and love that kind of thing about olden times and all the weapons and the way that they worked. But me being like I am I would defiantly go again just for the little show they had on. They do also have a great little gift shop where you can find some amazing gifts for yourself or to get to other people as presents.

I hope you all enjoy this little post. If you have ever been to the Royal Armouries leave a comment let me know what you thought.

Love Kelly xo

http://www.beautynthenails.com/

 

 

(As always, I want to thank Kelly for putting together a great article about a lovely place I visited a fair bit when I lived in Leeds for three years. It's a great place for all the family and is only a short walk from the city centre. If anyone reading has any places they've been and would like to write about, please do drop me an email or twitter message!)

MTA Interview w/ Meesha Lyth

Today I'm joined by Meesha Lyth for my very first MTA student interview. Over the coming weeks and months I'm going to be speaking to a vast array of students, ambassadors and staff from the Musical Theatre Academy about their experiences. So, without any further ado.. 

Meesha, Welcome to Theatre Thoughts!  

Chris: Now before I go straight for the jugular about ask you for all your innermost secrets, I was wondering how a girl from Middlesborough ended up at the MTA?

Meesha: I've known what I've wanted to do for quite a long time, and although my parents don't come from a performing background, they've luckily always been really supportive probably because I'd be useless at anything else I tried! I'd been auditioning at a few other schools when I saw that the MTA had won stage school of the year 2012 in the stage, I started looking it up and found that I really liked how it was run and so I auditioned. My mum did originally say there was no way that id be able to go because they didn't offer any kind of scholarship. However when I got in and loved the place we, as a family, worked hard and so I was able to go and I've always been really grateful for it.  

Chris: What training and prep work did you do before the audition day? I read that it's quite an intensive? What actually happens? 

Meesha: You arrive at 9am and have a short introduction then it's straight into dance. A quick warmup, a few corner exercises then a routine, which is then performed in small groups of around 4. It's hard to feel relaxed in an audition scenario but the staff do really put you at ease and encourage you to just have a laugh. Then we do a few acting exercises followed by a 1 minute introduction about yourself, I can't even remember what I said about myself, I was so nervous. Then it's lunch, usually there are students and ambassadors about to have a chat which is really lovely! Then after lunch you sing a song you've prepared and a monologue. It's such a long day but you really get a feel for the place and whether it's for you or not. 

Chris: When did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in theatre? Was it a particular event that sparked your interest? 

Meesha: I had always been a mad child, watching home videos of our holidays when I was little and I'm jumping about doing made up routines. So it was obvious by that point I was going to do something like this. But it was probably when I was in year 6 in primary school and I was cast as Tullulah in Bugsy Malone, I actually loved it apart from having to sit on a boys knee and thinking it was disgusting!  

Chris: I know you've been in quite a few productions, which part do you think was the most challenging and why? 

Meesha: I was lucky enough to be part of Cool Rider Live at the Lyric Theatre in January as a Dancer. It was my first West end gig that I wasn't just stood singing as part of a large group. There were 11 of us dancing and 8 singers and so it was very challenging to get ourselves ready, we rehearsed for 2 weeks intensely and we did 2 evening performances one at 7pm and one at 11pm. The audience reaction was absolutely mental, with standing ovations and encores, our whole college came to support us which was incredible.  

Chris: Were you ever involved much in theatre before going to the MTA? 

Meesha: Yes when I realised what I wanted to do I joined amateur dramatic company's, and did a BTEC in Musical Theatre at Stockton Riverside College, which is college close to where I lived back in the north. The college has such a good reputation at home, and there are so many people from the college in leads in west end shows and training at various different schools. 

Chris: What were the biggest challenges and obstacles you had to overcome when you first moved to London and started your studies? 

Meesha: Being from a small town, I've always been incredibly close with my family and I had never been away from them for more than a few weeks before. So when I moved to London, I found it really difficult not having them near, I was homesick for quite a long time and it was difficult to just pop home for the weekend with living so far away. MTA really helped though, if I was having a hard time my friends would be straight round and there was always someone to have a chat with. So eventually I got better, and now although I occasionally do miss home, I've grown up a lot and can handle being on my own. 

Chris: What would you tell an 18yr old you that was about to start her first year? 

Meesha: To make the most of your first year before you have to enter the real world, enjoy every minute of it. Prepare to the best of your ability and have fun.  

Chris: Regarding the MTA, how have you found the course structure of 2yrs as opposed to the standard 3yrs offered elsewhere? 

Meesha: Honestly I was sceptical at the start, but everything is so accelerated, our terms consist of 10 weeks with a 3 week break and so it's very full on but you find yourself ready much faster, also where most colleges last year is dedicated to shows, we put on a production after every term and so I find that we don't actually need more time.  

Chris: Which are you most important lessons you've picked up during your studies there? 

Meesha: I think the most important lesson I've learned is to just be a nice human being, there are so many people in the industry that forget their manners and take people for granted. We are taught at the MTA to always be nice and willing to help anyone, this is why we do our own get ins and get outs! And it makes such a difference on a production!  

Chris: With you graduating this year, the big bad world awaits.. What will be your plans when your course finishes? Have you been snapped up by an agency? 

Meesha: I'm not sure what my plans are yet, I'm currently auditioning and so I hope that a job will follow! I've been fortunate to have been signed by Julie Fox Associates which I'm very happy about and so I look forward to working with her and too see what the future holds!  

Chris: To end, for now, as I'd love to have you back at some point.. What advice would you give to anyone aspiring theatre performers reading this article? 

Meesha: Just to find the school that's right for you and where you feel like you fit in and make the most of it! The time flies by so try and use it to the best of your ability! 

Chris: Thank you so much for your time answering my questions and if you ever want to come back on here or write any articles about your experiences, I'd happily say yes!

Brand Review - Yumchaa

I just so happened to visit London last week with several theatre friends, who were eager to explore the sites and sounds of Camden. I had been several times in the past and loved every minute of it that I could take in. The sites, tastes and smells of Camden are a delight, especially by Camden Lock Market, where I always like to go to get a bite to eat. There are scores of takeaway food stands and some craft stalls too, which offer a plethora of cultures, choices and tastes to the local resident and tourist alike.

Overlooking the market is a lovely tea room-esque place which has a great seating area on a balcony and enough chairs and tables inside for those averse to the sun (in the rare event it shows itself). Yumchaa or yum-chaa, which is Cantonese for drink+tea, has several tea-rooms around London, Soho and Tottenham Street are the other two permanent shops for those that are interested. Their motto is simple.. Tea is at the heart of what we do.

Taking a small paragraph from their website (www.yumchaa.com) they say - "The foundations of brewing a good cup of tea are The Leaf, The Water and the Freedom for the two to mingle. We blend and serve only quality loose leaf tea. Tea leaves contain the essential oils and compounds which provide the basis for a good cup of tea." Basically, what they are trying to say is, they like tea, they make great tea, and they'd like you to try some of theirs!



I decided to go for a 'Courtesan' tea which is to quote Amazon, 'Sexy, Red and slightly tart', which is kinda like me, except the red part! This tea was sensational. It was packed full of flavour and was really refreshing on a warm sunny afternoon. The ingrediants which make up Courtesan are as follows: Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples, Blueberries (plus others) mixed with Rose Hips and Hibiscus. See where all the flavour is coming from?

The tea was survived up in a cute little teapot/cup combo with a tea strainer in which to pour the tea through. I'm certainly not aware of anywhere close to me that offers tea like this, and it adds a little to the occasion and fun when you get to have tea in a different way. The staff inside were really helpful and polite, dealing with the queue of people waiting in a timely and happy manner. Inside you can buy the many many teas that Yumchaa offer, along with the teaspot/strainer to relive the experience when you're at home and work. I was actually going to buy one of these but unfortunately we suddenly realised we needed to be at a theatre we're due to perform at in August as part of the Camden Fringe, so had to rush off without one. 

Would I go back to Yumchaa for a cup of refreshment? Certainly! My friends and I had a great time and would certainly go back. It's also worth noting we went to a honey stall which we were overlooking and tried a sample from 'Wild Hive'. The chap at the stall was really friendly and if I wasn;t going to be walking around London for a while, I'd have definitely invested in a few jars of their honey, which as I said was a delight.

Don't forget you can follow me (@Theatre_Blogger) and my theatre company (@CD_Productions1). If you're a brand, restaurant, theatre company or performer who would like to feature on my blog or would like a review, please email me at cukulen@live.co.uk and we'll have a chat! 

Bye for now!

Guest Blogger Intro - Billie Hyde

Hello Theatre Thoughts readers! I am Billie and I have been offered the chance to write weekly posts for you fanatics by Chris. I know a new person can make things pretty scary but I hope you like my quirky and hopefully creative future posts that I have got lined up for all of you! I’d like you to get to know me before I start plodding along with useless insights of the business and my honest opinions.

What? Why am I here you ask? 

Chris wanted to add a female touch to this amazing blog and I am far too annoying to let an opportunity like this slip through my fingers. After enthusiastically spamming Chris on twitter he offered me the spot. Which was amazing and I am not going to lie to you, I did a performance of ‘I am the greatest star’ by Barbara. I love getting blog opportunities!

The first thing you should know, and which you might have even noticed I have an odd sense of humour, I do admit I enjoy my own jokes and I hope you do as well. I am a keen thespian, my preference is musicals! I get quite weird in conversations about musicals… I try to see one west end performance a year (I’m unemployed at the minute, it’s the best I can do, please feel my pain). I also see most performances that tour to my home town of Sheffield! Once again my unemployment defeated me when I could either go see ‘West Side Story’ or my future wife Paloma Faith. I chose my wife. Let a girl dream… and don’t tell me boyfriend about my secret spouse!

The one thing you should know about me above all is that I am a professional fan girl. It’s more than an obsession for me, it’s a lifestyle. I am obsessed with Barbara Streisand, Musicals, Les Mis, Cameron Mackintosh, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Doctor who. There a lot more to this list but I don’t want to bore you when it’s only my first post! 

Hmmm, what else is there about me? I have a pug and a tortoise, which are my non-human best friends. Once I held the world record on Crazy Cabbie the Facebook game for two weeks. I wish I screenshot’d my achievement because people never believe me when I tell them now. I like inventing new words and when I was little I wanted to grow up to be a mermaid.

I have experience in different aspects of the performing arts by doing this at college. I plan to share my knowledge in the different sectors through my posts. I have a blog of my own which is really irrelevant to this one but if you want to see more of the things I do you can find my on www.Iambillie.wordpress.com or alternatively if you want find my on twitter I am @IBeBillie I recommend finding me on both. I don’t mean to brag but I think I am pretty hilarious.  

That is about all there is to me. Please like me? 

Billie x

The West End, Grass-root Theatre and more! w/ Annemarie Lewis Thomas

As the subject line may suggest, today I am joined by Annemarie Lewis Thomas, Principal of the Musical Theatre Academy. I've read with interest several articles Annemarie has written for The Public Reviews website, so jumped at the chance to ask her a few questions theatre related. I'm really passionate theatre (as you've probably guessed by now!) and as much as I want to write about my views on this blog, I'm also taking the angle of interviewing other people from all levels of theatre from performers in amateur dramatics, West End stars and those involved in helping them get there, which is where Annemarie comes in. The MTA has a yearly intake of 22 students each year, who undertake an intense two year course as opposed to the 'standard' three year offering. Why only 22 students a year, I hear you ask? Well here's what they say on their website:

'The MTA does not want to be a large conglomerate college – its inception was to provide first class training for a maximum of 44 students (22 students per year) ensuring that no student gets lost in the crowd. We are confident that we can give 22 students per year top class professional training without losing the personal touch.'

I must say I do like this approach to teaching, as I personally feel people/children of all ages and walks of life can sometimes slip into the gaps and not feel particularly treasured and loved whilst in education. I do hear a lot of young people say they can't wait to finish school, but why? Is it the yearning to 'crack on' and get a job, making an impact in their chosen field? Or is it because they haven't been properly engaged at school/college to then place a value on education and learning? Sure, 'education' isn't for everyone, but then it depends on your interpretation of the word. Leaving school to start an apprenticeship in plumbing is still surely an extension of learning? Back to the MTA though, I found it very reassuring to see in the news part of their site, that so many ex-students or, as the MTA call them, ambassadors, are working in theatre. The trust to label them ambassadors and put the faith in them to represent the ethos of the academy, speak volumes of the teaching ethics in place. In any case and within are further ado, here is the interview I had with Annemarie..

Chris: Last weekend saw the closure of 'We Will Rock You' after more then 12 years on the West End. We've also seen the premature end of Simon Cowell's 'I Can't Sing' musical just six weeks after opening. Why do you think productions are struggling so much at the moment? 

Annemarie: I don’t think that the two cases are related at all…surely one came to its natural end (show years are like dog years…and therefore WWRY lived to a ripe old age, defying nearly every critic at the time of it’s ‘birth’ too I should add), whereas I can’t really comment on I Can’t Sing per se as I didn’t see it…but as you’ve asked the question…what is clearly evidenced is that it had an outstanding cast, the critics, on the whole enjoyed it (whilst a few failed to buy into the surrealism of Harry Hill’s humour), but it failed on a basic level of asking who its audience was going to be…and then before finding out the answer to that question opened it in one of the biggest houses in the West End, where the break even point must have been ridiculous.  Now the easiest way to have overcome this would have been to have put a celebrity in it - personally I applaud the fact that they didn’t, however why Syco didn’t create a celebrity out of Cynthia Enviro is beyond me.  I said exactly the same thing when Spring Awakening closed too early (IMHO) instead of us all moaning about the fact that we need to put ‘names’ in shows to get bums on seats the theatre community needs to wake up and create ‘names’, and I thought that I Can’t Sing was the perfect opportunity to have done that.  Cynthia is one of the most exciting musical theatre performers in the UK today, that production team had the clout to get her on nearly every prime-time TV programme going and yet they missed the opportunity. Therefore an audience wasn’t created, and a show with a quality cast was left playing to half full houses.  Love him or loathe him Cameron Mackintosh gets this right - he makes you think that a show has opened a year (or two) even before it has…therefore ‘the legend’ is already living before the show has got into previews, and audiences will take a punt on the show.  Who’s going to take a £75 punt on a show that they’ve never heard of, full of people they don’t know when down the road they can hear Abba? I don’t know whether the West End really is struggling - I just think that people are having to think very carefully about where they spend their ticket money so the shows have to tick all the boxes, and if they don’t then they’re gone, but you know if they’re brilliant I think that they'll always survive the test of time e.g. Billy Elliot, Matilda etc.

Chris: Locally to myself I have seen several 'am-dram' societies fold in recent years due to dwindling ticket sales and increased costs. Do you think there should be more support at grass-roots levels for such groups to help build up a theatre-goer following which could then have a longer term impact on audience numbers for professional offerings? 

Annemarie: Oh I'm so torn on the whole am-dram thing - when people do it solely as a hobby then I'm 100% behind it, but I wish that they would explore a more interesting rep(which incidentally might bring in fresh blood to keep the societies running) I mean as brilliant as Oklahoma is there are so many new writers/composers out there desperate to get their shows into production and I wish that am dram societies would be bold enough to give it a go (although I understand that they also have to put bums on seats and their ticket sales would be down if they did the brilliant Lift by Craig Adams as opposed to Carousel for example)…but then when I go to see am-dram productions and I hear those fateful words “it’s so good it’s almost professional” I invariably want to scream, or ‘so and so should be a professional’…because being a professional performer is so much harder than having a ‘safe’ job and a secure income and rehearsing a few evenings a week for a few months and putting on a show.  It’s about a constant state of insecurity, getting the show ready in a matter of weeks not months. I’d love to see more youth theatre groups as I think that’s the future of theatre, they will be the theatre going public in the future and even the next generation of actors.  I don’t know what it’s like anymore as I only mix in theatrical circles(I appreciate how rubbish that sounds..but it’s true) but I come from a very working class back ground and I was absolutely ridiculed(even bullied at one stage) for wanting to go to the theatre…so if it's the same now, then I want to see theatre at grass roots level breaking down the social class barriers (but I might be out of touch, and that might have happened in some places….unfortunately I know that it’s still true where I come from)

Chris: As we have all seen in recent years the funding for 'The Arts' has been repeatedly cut and savaged, with this in mind what steps do you think could be taken by theatre companies and theatres themselves to gain additional revenue?  

Annemarie: When MTN was first formed and called MTM, on the panel of experts were a group of Americans who stated that in the UK our thinking in Musical Theatre was at least 5 years behind theirs. It really stuck with me how incredulous they were about our fixation on arts funding, as they don’t have that in the States(of course they are also great believes in philanthropy which sadly hasn’t really caught on here).  I don’t know the answer to this question and I’m not going to pretend to make one up but their thinking has really stuck with me.  I run The MTA and we are not eligible for any government funding streams at all, unlike nearly all the established colleges that we’re in direct competition with, and I am constantly trying to think of ways in which I can find some money from somewhere to fund students that face financial hardship, and ironically all the ‘big independent money’ goes to the colleges that already receive government funding.  I suspect that the same is true for theatre companies.  Places like the Royal Opera House with their guaranteed Arts Council Funding have so many private benefactors it’s crazy…if only one of them would invest in a company that receives no Arts Council subsidy but who has an outstanding track record, or even invest in a writer, or a performer, or a composer…but no…they’ll keep investing in the organisations that have….government investments.  I haven’t answered your question…but I wish I knew the answer.

Hands up if you want more original songs to sing!

Chris: I read with great interest a recent article of yours about theatre schools not taking a proactive approach to encouraging developing new work. What do you think the first steps should be for them to go down this route and should there be some incentive in place to encourage this behaviour, even initially? 

Annemarie: This annoys me - at The MTA we have a policy to support new writing.  We opened in 2009 and have already commissioned 5 completely original musicals (not adapted from any books/films etc), we have gone on to produce those 5 musicals into full productions, plus a further 2 premières; we have been involved in readings and workshops of between 25 - 30 new shows in that time.  In addition to that we have recorded 5 demo albums of new musicals…in other words it’s more than just a lovely sound-bite policy. We really put our money where our mouth is.  Our policy is simple it has to benefit us and it has to benefit the writers therefore creating a win/win situation.  So what bit of this annoys me? We are a tiny college (with a maximum intake of just 44 students) and we can afford to do all of this.  The major colleges have an intake of 100’s, plus as previously mentioned government funding streams and private benefactors coming at them from all angles….just invest the money in people (i.e. writers and students) and not buildings and profits. It’s not rocket science.  It’s interesting how a few of them are dipping their toes in these waters now and shouting it from the rafters…but some of them are producing up to 8 full length musicals a year, we only produce 2 and have managed to do all of the above.  Maybe they should split their productions equally between new and old?

Chris: On the topic of new work being produced, aside from theatre schools themselves taking a more proactive approach, what do you think can be done on a wider scale to a) encourage smaller theatre companies to produce original material and b) give them a platform for such work to be showcased? 

Annemarie: Again harping back to the first MTN conference the American panellists said that they had learnt that the big lesson was to just keep producing the work in every 100 average/rubbish shows you might just find a gem. I just don’t think that we produce enough.  I’d love to see theatre companies commissioning writers to create a piece for their companies.  Give them a topic that you know would generate a local interest…I bet that you would get an audience interested.  Just stop playing safe.  I really do believe that our audiences are more daring than we give them credit for. A few years ago the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds commissioned me to write original songs for their Christmas panto. It's fair to say that I was not met with open arms (and ears). The box office staff were particularly put out that there would not be a familiar pop tune that they could sing along to.. fast forward four weeks later and the my ear worm songs had penetrated their good taste and they were asking me why I hadn't recorded an original cast album as they believed that the demand was there to warrant making it.  I was lucky enough to be asked back a further 2 years and those same box office staff went from resistant to excited to learn the new cheesy offerings that I had written.  We can educate our audience if only we dare to take chances.  Imagine if every QDOS panto had an original score? I really don’t think that the children would leave demanding their money back. People want to hear new stuff - let’s not underestimate Joe Public.  Maybe…just maybe if they got used to going to the theatre not knowing the music before hand they might develop an appetite for new musical writing.

Chris: I've read a fair bit about the unique approach you take with regards to looking after your students and also being more structured in the smaller intake to ensure quality and higher levels of individual focus. I would love to visit the academy to see how it all works for myself and do an article on my impressions, would that be okay? 

Annemarie: We have an open door policy so you are welcome to visit anytime. I’d advise a quick phone call first to check that I'm not working from home, but other than that surprise visits are good because then you can see that we really do operate within the guidelines that I preach about!

Chris: Thank you so much for taking the time to answers my questions, I will definately arrange to come down and visit the academy and hopefully speak to some of your students about their experiences there.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the Musical Theatre Academy then please do click the link to the right and it'll take you to the homepage, which has a lot of good info about the academy and what some of their ambassadors are doing now! Also, if anyone would like to take part in an interview with me, please send me an email or send me a message on Twitter @Theatre_Blogger. It doesn't have to be just about theatre, I'll talk about pretty much anything!