archived

April 2011 updated June 2011

Long-standing friend of the Company, James Williams, who joined us to direct West Side Story in March, will be heading up a very ambitious and exciting programme for the next few months.

We're heading back to Edinburgh, with a production of A Night's Tale, which will be performed in early August. Then we're hoping to follow up at the end of August with Spring Awakening, and then, in December, with Sondheim's Sweeney Todd.

June 2010

Once more, The Unknown Theatre Company gleaned a series of awards at the 2010 Glammies awards in Penarth on June 12th. A full list of our awards is available on the Awards page. Congratulations to all our winners, and commiserations to our losers: it would have had to be close in all the categories this year.

The full story, including photos, will be available soon on our Glammies 2010 page.

May 2010 updated 6 June

For the second year in succession, The Unknown Theatre Company went to the Wales Final Festival of One-Act Plays. The adjudicator, Ian Sarginson GODA, completed the seven regional rounds across Wales, totalled up the marks, and the productions with the top 6 marks were invited to perform at the Wales Final Festival of One-Act plays in Swansea on 4 & 5 June. Youth companies at the final round are rare, but Unknown has now made it two in a row with our production of Scott Tobin's Cotton Girls! Our performance was on Friday 4th June, at the Taliesin Theatre, in Swansea. The adjudicator was Russell Whiteley, GODA.

And we WON! All the girls were shortlisted for the acting award, we were shorlisted for presentation, but in the end we were awarded The Maynard Cup - for the overall Best Production at the Festival. This means that The Unknown Theatre Company will be representing Wales at the British Final Festival in East Kilbride on 26 June. We are, apparently, the first youth company from Wales to reach the British Final.

We also took Cotton Girls to the Llandrindod Festival in May, where we were delighted to receive the Adjudicator's Award. Adjudicator for the evening was Sandra Wynne, GODA.

May 2010

updated June 2010

The presentation evening for the Glamorgan Drama League's annual Glammies awards has now past, held at the Paget Rooms Penarth on Saturday 12th June. The Unknown Theatre Company has an outstanding record at the awards, and has maintained this standard this year.

Here's the list of the acting nominations received by The Unknown Theatre Company:

In a musical

In a Play

The full list of nominations, including for the adult entries, can be found on the GDL's website. Good luck, UTC!

May 2010

Congratulations to Andrew Machin, the recipient of this year's prestigious Bob McTurk Bursary. Andrew receives a full bursary to the 2010 Drama Association of Wales Theatre Summer School. The bursary is awarded to a young actor (aged 18-25 years) who shows the most promise in the first round of the National Festival of Community Theatre in Wales (otherwise known as the regional one act festivals). This year's adjudicator, Ian Sarginson GODA, decided that Andrew would be the recipient after seeing him as Brian in The Unknown Theatre Company's production of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in the Glamorgan Drama League One Act Festival last month.

Well done, Andrew!

April 2010

After seeing our entries at the 2010 Glamorgan One-Act Play Festival, honorary festival guest Huw Dylan Ellis (grandson of Dylan Thomas) has kindly agreed to become Honorary Patron of The Unknown Theatre Company. We're delighted to welcome him to the team!

September 2010

Starting a new year means something different this year for The Unknown Theatre Company. Alongside our usual musical fare (a very special evening of song and dance in November Pop Goes the Musical - see our Next Shows page for detail), for the first time we will be staging a play in the autumn term.

The play - the comedy Jimmy Chase and the Red Jacket Affair by Alan H McDonald - is a piece of new writing which director Lon David unearthed when reading for the Drama Association of Wales's annual playwriting competition a couple of years ago. A spoof of film noir detective movies - but set in a Welsh school - the production promises to be a challenge to the cast, but at the same time, a lot of fun for the audience.

Further details of performance dates to follow soon. Auditions will be held on Thursday 16th September. Full details on our Auditions page.

The Amazing Adventures of Little Red and Cotton Girls

A final opportunity to see our recent shows: The Amazing Adventures of Little Red (our 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show) and Cotton Girls, our multi-award winning production, which represented Wales at the British Final Festival of One-Act Plays in Scotland in June.

This is your last chance to see our theatrical treats from mid-2010. Don't miss it!

7.30pm Tuesday 24th August 2010. Tickets £5 on the door.

April 2010

updated May 2010

Another successful trip west to the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea, as we took our plays for the fifth time to the Glamorgan One-Act Play Festival, 23 and 24 April 2010. In the end it was Cotton Girls which took the Youth Prize (ours now for the fifth year running), but adjudicator Ian Sarginson GODA commented that DNA was a close runner-up.

We had to wait until May 8th to find out if that we have been indeed been lucky enough to follow in last year's footsteps and reach the Welsh Final Festival, which will be held in Swansea's Taliesin Theatre on 4th and 5th June this year.

March 2010

Information on auditions due to take place over the next few weeks is now available via our Auditions Page.

If you would like any further information about auditioning now, or in the future, or you would like any other information about our shows or any other Unknown Theatre activity, please do contact us.

March 2010

The Unknown Theatre Company continues to expand its presence on the internet: as well as our Facebook page, we are now also on Twitter. For the latest news follow us on twitter.com/unknowntheatre

March 2010

updated 25 March

The Unknown Theatre Company continues with its exciting and busy 2010.

Now we have closed the curtains on our first major production of the year Masters of the Musical, we have two one-act plays following close behind the musical show: Cotton Girls and DNA, which we will be performing at the 2010 Glamorgan One-Act Play festival which will be held in Swansea, this year on 22-24 April (see our Next Shows page for full details).

And then we are straight onto auditions for our two forthcoming musical productions: our specially commissioned show Life, Actually by Gregory Ashton and Matthew Brind, and our special Edinburgh show The Amazing Adventures of Little Red by Gregory Ashton and James Williams.

In the meantime, our special group for 8-13 year olds, the Unknown YoYos are continuing to work hard on their own production, A Midsummer Night's (Little) Dream - a specially reduced version of Shakespeare's original comedy, which we hope to perform in June, date to be confirmed.

On top of this, watch out for us at concerts in the community, such as in March in Rhiwbina, for the National Trust, and another repeat visit to Llandough Hospital in April.

Plenty to keep us out of mischief! Full details on all our events will be posted on this site when available.

July 2009

On 28th June 2009, the Unknown Theatre Company went to the 2009 Youth Glammies, and celebrated another highly successful evening. After a company performance of some songs from Oliver! (to support the appearance of former company member, Sarah Lark), once again, the company came home with its head held high.

The story of the evening (including nominations lists and photos) can be found on the Glammies 2009 page. Congratulations to those members who won awards:

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Emma Batchelor: Lucy Van Pelt (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown)
BEST SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Ben Reynolds: Snoopy (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Chris Powell: Emmanuel and others (Ghost City)
BEST SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Andrew Machin : Sheepman (The Oedipus Plays)
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Lorun Roberts : Milford Visitor and others (Ghost City)

BEST YOUTH DRAMA PRODUCTION : Ghost City

Congratulations are due to everyone involved in the productions. We did some excellent work again this year, and it was great to have it acknowledged publicly.

Additional information, including the adult awards, is available on the Glamorgan Drama League's website www.glamorgandrama.org

June 2009

After our recent success at the Glamorgan One-Act Play Festival, on 6th June 2009, The Unknown Theatre Company achieved another first: performing at the Wales Final Festival of One-Act Plays. It's rare for a youth group to qualify for the final, so we were particularly proud to do so. Ghost City was also significant in the festival's history, as it is (as far as we know) the first time the festival has played host to a piece of contemporary writing of this kind.

The audience didn't quite know what to make of it! It also proved quite a challenge for the company to play in a theatre so much bigger than those we are used to. But the company gave it their best in a competition which pitted them against actors many of whom have been performing together since before our cast was born. We didn't get through to the British final, but everyone gained hugely from the experience, and we were just pleased to be there.

Huge thanks are due to The John Lewis Partnership, Legal & General and Arriva Trains whose generous support allowed the company to take part in the festival.

Well done, everyone.

January 2010

The Unknown Theatre Company has an exciting year in prospect for 2010. Our first production will be a special evening, dedicated to celebrating the shared birthday of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim, in March at the Howardian Centre. This will be followed by two One-Act Plays which will be our entries at the Glamorgan One-Act Play festival which will be held in Swansea again, this year on 22-24 April. Also in the planning is a special version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream which the YoYos (our special group for 8-13 year olds) are currently working on.

There are bound to be other events through the year - community concerts and the like - so keep an eye on the site for developments!

October 2008

updated February 2009

Company member Sarah Lark is playing Nancy in the West End after all!

After being knocked out in the sixth round of the BBC TV search for a Nancy for the new West End production, Sarah is 'first cover' for the role. This means she acts as the second understudy for Nancy, and plays the role when the principal actors are on holiday, ill, or just having a show off for a breather. Sarah also works in the chorus of the show.

We're so delighted for her, and aren't surprised to know that she's doing the wonderful job we knew she would. Well done, Sarah!

October 2009, updated November 2009

On Sunday 8 November, former Unknown Theatre Company member Lucie Jones left the live shows for the 2009 X Factor competition on ITV. The decision by Simon Cowell to go to the public vote prompted a great deal of upset discussion by viewers confused and disappointed by Cowell's actions: and a great deal of sympathy for Lucie.

Lucie, who played one of the Bird Girls in our 2006 production of Seussical the Musical, went into the final rounds of the competition one of the favourites to win and had a wide following nationally.

Well done Lucie, you did really well. We're all proud of you!

added August 2009

Unknown Theatre Company member Justine Mead has recently finished her 3-year Musical Theatre Course at Guildford School of Acting. Her course showcase was held at the Cochrane Theatre in London in June.

This is what The Stage review of the showcase said "... Wild Party, a musical that has provided students with a plethora of tunes for showcases over the last few years, provides Justine Marie Mead with a real show-stopper in Make Me Happy. While this set out to be an ensemble number, it is only when Mead joins in that the audience becomes engaged in the story of the song..."

Also, the Stage asks an established agent attending the showcase to select a couple of performers as their 'Expert Choice' - in this case, the agent was Jonathan Kiley from Qdos, and Justine was one of his two choices of the day. Well done, Justine!

October 2009,

May 2009

As well as a sterling production of Surfing, Carmarthen Bay, The Unknown Theatre Company took Ghost City by Gary Owen to the Glamorgan Drama League's annual One-Act Play competition at Swansea's Dylan Thomas Theatre. Ghost City not only picked up the Youth Award (that's 4 years in row now), but Melissa Moore won the Best Performance Award (not won by a youth theatre member before) and we also scored highly enough to be invited to perform in the Wales Final Festival of One-Act Plays in Milford Haven on 6th June 2009. It is extremely rare for youth companies to get a place in the final, so we are particularly delighted. The Unknown Theatre also performed some interval songs and dances during the festival, on the last night, ensuring that the company's wide range of skills were clearly on display! Well done to everyone involved.

May 2009

July 2008

updated August 2008

For the fifth time in its eleven-year history, The Unknown Theatre Company has taken a production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

We performed at Venue 13, Lochend Close, Canongate. Shows ran daily between 1-9 August 2008, starting at 4pm.

The show, Rumplestiltskin, was written by Lesley Ross and James Williams, and was very well received both by audiences and critics. We received two 4-star reviews, and a number of other good reviews from publications who don't award stars.

Another success! Well done to everyone involved.

July 2009

May 2009

updated June 2009

The presentation evening for the Glamorgan Drama League's annual Glammies awards is just a few weeks away, at the Paget Rooms Penarth on Sunday 28th June at 7pm. The Unknown Theatre Company has an outstanding record at the awards, and the first stage of this for 08-09 - the acting nominations list - has now been posted on the GDL's website. Here are all The Unknown Theatre Company's nominations:

Youth nominations in a musical

Youth nominations in a play

The full list of nominations, including for the adult entries, can be found on the GDL's website. Good luck, UTC!

February 2009

The Unknown Theatre Company has lined itself up a busy 2009! As well as our show Back to the 80s (25-28th March) and our forthcoming one-act plays, we have a number of concerts within the community lined up for the spring. Later on in the year, we'll be back for more performances on the Tesco Stage in the Wales Millennium Centre (28th and 29th August), and a special performance in St David's Hall in the autumn. Full confirmed details will be available shortly, but if you'd like to be added to the mailing list for future events, please contact us.

October 2008

updated November 2008

After a very successful run in Edinburgh, the West End debut of Matt Brind's new musical Only the Brave gathers pace. Casting is currently being announced and includes Tom Solomon, who was the winner of the BBC Radio 2 Voice of Musical Theatre in 2005, held at Cardiff's New Theatre.

Matt Brind was our Musical Director in the late 1990s, and we commissioned him to write two musicals for us, Dance of the Dragon and Gold Woman. The former was one of the winners of the 2002 Sony Global Search for New Musicals (see what happened at the showcase performance as part of the International Festival of Musical Theatre in Cardiff). The Unknown Theatre Company has also performed the show on a number of occasions: in Edinburgh in 2001 and again to great acclaim representing the UK at the World Festival of Amateur Theatre in Monaco in 2005.

Matt's other show for us, Gold Woman, has had two productions in Edinburgh: in 2002 and again in 2007, where the show gained excellent reviews including a 4½ star review from Edfringe.com!

Matt has retained his connection with the company, working with company members in workshops, and running our highly successful summer school in 2004. Everyone at Unknown Theatre sends him best wishes for the greatest success with his new show.

May 2008

updated August 2008

The Unknown Theatre Company went to the 2008 Youth Glammies, and came home loaded with trophies. After a company performance of some songs from Return to the Forbidden Planet, award after award once again came our way.

The story of the evening (including nominations lists and photos) can be found on the Glammies 2008 page. Congratulations to those members who won awards:

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Melissa Moore: Miranda (Return to the Forbidden Planet)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Adam King: Ariel (Return to the Forbidden Planet)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Andrew Machin : A (Crave)
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Rhianna Davies: (This Property is Condemned)
BEST YOUTH DRAMA PRODUCTION
Crave
BEST YOUTH MUSICAL PRODUCTION
Return to the Forbidden Planet

Congratulations are due to everyone involved in the productions. Again. It's the teamwork that does it, you know. Well, that and hard work. Well done, everyone.

Additional information, including the adult awards, are now available on the Glamorgan Drama League's website www.glamorgandrama.org (21.05.08)

April 2008

Following successes in the last two years, The Unknown Theatre Company has continued the tradition and once again scooped the Youth Award at the Glamorgan Drama League One-Act Play Festival, which was once again held in Swansea's Dylan Thomas Theatre, running 17-19 April. There were entries from 4 other groups from the GDL area: making a total of 8 plays entered across the 3 nights. Alongside Unknown's 2 entries, there were two other youth entries, one from Cardiff, the other from Swansea.

The Unknown Theatre Company performed Crave on Friday 18 April, and This Property is Condemned on the Saturday. The Adjudicator gave a warm response to both, offering a number of extremely useful tips and ideas which will be very useful if we do the plays again in the future.

The casts really gave their all and we're all really proud of everyone that took part. Thanks are due too to the technical team at Swansea's Dylan Thomas Theatre who were so helpful - as always.

Members of the company also performed some songs from Return to the Forbidden Planet on the final night of the festival to keep the audience entertained while the GODA Adjudicator, David Hedley Williams, totted up his marks. For further information about the festival, see the GDL's website www.glamorgandrama.org. updated 15.05.08

The families we stayed with in St Avertin in 2006 have returned the compliment and visted us in February. They arrived on Feb 11th and headed home on the 14th. While they were with us, we hosted a joint performance with them at Rhiwbina Memorial Hall on 13th February where they delighted us and the rest of the audience with their skill and imagination. It was a great pleasure to welcome them all to Cardiff. A bientot!

A big thank you to the Drama Association of Wales who helped support the exchange visit. (03.03.08 updated 23.03.08)

Company member Sarah Lark is to play Nancy in the West End after all!

After being knocked out in the sixth round of the BBC TV search for a Nancy for the new West End production, Sarah will be 'first cover' for the role. This means she will act as the understudy for Nancy, and will play the part when the principal actor is on holiday, ill, or just having a show off for a breather. Sarah will also work in the chorus of the show.

We're so delighted for her, and know that she will do a wonderful job. Well done, Sarah!

25.02.09 (this is original; updated 25.02.09)

January 2008

The Fundraising Karaoke evening held on January 5th raised £100, and was much enjoyed by everyone who attended. Organised by Youth Committee members Kelly Littlechild and Melissa Moore, plans are now afoot for how the money will be spent. Discussions are also underway for possible future fundraising evenings. Well done, girls! (13.01.08)

For the fourth time in its eleven-year history, The Unknown Theatre Company is taking a production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

We will perform at Venue 13, Lochend Close, Canongate. Shows run daily between 1-9 August 2008, starting at 4pm.

In previous years, The Unknown Theatre Company has received very good reviews (including 4½ stars from Edfringe.com for last year's production Gold Woman!) so we're keeping everything crossed for good reviews and audiences this year too. Good luck to everyone involved.

The Unknown Theatre Company has been back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with our own-commissioned show, Gold Woman. An extremely successful tour, enjoyed by everyone in the company, the show garnered wonderful reviews. Here are some of the extracts...

Three Weeks described it as "a hidden gem" giving it 4 stars! Musical Theatre Matters website said "It was very obvious the cast enjoyed performing the show and well done to them all." Edfringe.com reviewers gave it 4½ stars!

Before heading up for Scotland, we performed the show at the Bute Theatre in the Welsh College of Music and Drama, which gave family members and friends who weren't able to accompany us to Edinburgh a chance to see the show. The show page is available here.

10.07.08

Following the success of Rose!... and the Wicked Wolfeeee!, our special group for Younger Members has started meeting again.

Please note that for this term, Younger Members' sessions will still run on Tuesday evenings, but from 7-8pm only. We'll continue to meet at Roath Church House.

New members for the group are very welcome (aged 8-13), whether or not they have theatre experience: enthusiasm and commitment to the group are all we ask of our members. Please contact us if you think you'd like to come along and find out more about us. updated 19.04.08

The Unknown Theatre Company has maintained its excellent standard of nominations for the GDL's Glammies awards. The full list of nominations are as follows:

Best Actor in a Drama

Best Actress in a Drama

Best Actor in a Musical

Best Actress in a Musical

These are on the long lists of nominations. Shortlists will be announced on the night, followed by the winners.

The Glammies Awards night - the gala evening for members of the Glamorgan Drama League - will be held on Saturday 17th May at The Electricity Club, in Pontcanna in Cardiff. Tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for under 18s, and include a buffet and dancing. If you are a member of Unknown Theatre and would like to attend, please let Jane know as soon as possible. All other bookings should be made through the GDL, via their website www.glamorgandrama.org

Tickets are limited and reservations should be made as soon as possible.

The Unknown Theatre Company will once again be performing at the event, with some extracts from Return to the Forbidden Planet.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated - and to those who weren't. Team effort is what it's all about, and without everyone working so hard together, there wouldn't be productions from which people can get nominated! (08.05.08)

We're going to have a busy few months!

The Unknown Theatre is about to embark on its first ever full-company, full-length play: The Oedipus Plays, by Caroline Reader. A combination of the classic Greek plays Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, the play is in modern language which helps to make the powerful, tragic, timeless stories accessible to today's audiences.

A smaller group will also be preparing You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown for performance in the same week as The Oedipus Plays. Charlie Brown was written the 1960s by Clark Gesner, but re-written and added to by Andrew Lippa in 1999, when it was produced on Broadway. This charming Snoopy/Peanuts-based musical has a cast of 6, supported in our production, by a group of shadows, and promises to be a highly enjoyable contrast to the play earlier in the week. (updated 19.04.08

June 2007

original
11.06.07

The Unknown Theatre Company took the 2007 Youth Glammies. After a knockout company performance of I've Got Rhythm to open the show, and a stonking performance from Andrew Machin and Kelly Littlechild, award after award came our way.

Full details (including nominations lists and photos) can be found on the Glammies 2007 page, but congratulations to those members who were chosen for the awards:

MODERATOR'S AWARD
For the double-act of Kayed Mason as Parsee and Jonathon Moore as Cooking Stove (Just So)
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Rhianna Davies: (How To Eat Like a Child)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Matthew Atkins: Eric 'Rubber Legs' De Vene (A Slice of Saturday Night)
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Andrew Machin : Bill (Sure Thing)
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Kelly Littlechild: Betty (Sure Thing)
BEST YOUTH DRAMA PRODUCTION
Dancing on Checkers' Grave
BEST YOUTH MUSICAL PRODUCTION
A Slice of Saturday Night

Congratulations are due to everyone involved in the productions. Again. It's the teamwork that does it, you know. Well, that and hard work. Well done, everyone.
Additional information, including the adult awards, are available on the Glamorgan Drama League's website www.glamorgandrama.org (11.06.07)

Success at One-Act Play Festival!

The Unknown Theatre Company has again won the Youth Award at the Glamorgan Drama League's One-Act Play Festival, held for the second time at the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea. The winning entry was Eric Lane's Dancing on Checkers' Grave, but the company also treated the audience to a play too short to enter for the competition proper, but a gem in its own right: Sure Thing. Performances were on 19th April, the first night of the Festival, but the award was given on the final night, 21st April.

The shows were also performed, as part of a double bill Telling Tales, in Cardiff on Saturday April 28th at Roath House, to enable them to enter for the Glamorgan Drama League's Glammies competition. Thanks to everyone who came along and supported the shows. (23.04.07 updated 30.04.07)

11.02.08

August 2006 updated March 2007

June 2007

We've had some excellent work from company members over this last year, and it has been recognised by the Glamorgan Drama League's appraising team. The nominations for the 2007 Glammies awards have been released and The Unknown Theatre Company is featured in all the available categories!

Congratulations to those who got nominated - and to those who didn't, this time. Your turn next...

The Unknown nominations are:

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Kayed Mason: Parsee (Just So)
Jonathon Moore: Cooking Stove (Just So)
Matthew Atkins: Rhino (Just So)
Adam King: Eldest Magician (Just So)
Andrew Machin: Leopard (Just So)
Steven Donoghue: Jaguar (Just So)
Nathan Davies: Birthday Boy (How To Eat Like a Child)
Matthew Atkins: Eric 'Rubber Legs' De Vene (A Slice of Saturday Night)
Tom Eames: Gary (A Slice of Saturday Night)
James Wall: Rick (A Slice of Saturday Night)
Andrew Machin: Eddie (A Slice of Saturday Night)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Melissa Moore: The Kolokolo Bird (Just So)
Kelly Littlechild: Zebra (Just So)
Claire Batchelor: Giraffe (Just So)
Rhianna Davies: (How To Eat Like a Child)
Zoey Mitchell: (How To Eat Like a Child)
Beth Millard: (How To Eat Like a Child)
Claire Batchelor: Bridget (A Slice of Saturday Night)
Melissa Moore: Sharon (A Slice of Saturday Night)
Jade Foley: Sue (A Slice of Saturday Night)
Hannah Murphy: Penny/Shirl (A Slice of Saturday Night)

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Andrew Machin : Bill (Sure Thing)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Anna Patricolo: Lisa (Dancing on Checkers' Grave)
Alex Wood: Dina (Dancing on Checkers' Grave)
Kelly Littlechild: Betty (Sure Thing)

For the full list of nominations, including the Adult Glammies categories, go to the Glamorgan Drama League's website. (11.06.07)

19.11.07

March 2007

updated 11.06.07

2007 - Well and truly underway!
Rehearsals are being finalised in preparation for our 10th anniversary concert at Duffryn on 24th June, and we're looking forward to welcoming back past Company members for what promises to be a very special evening indeed. The Company trip to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August is now confirmed, as is the fact that the show we're taking is Goldwoman, our award-winning production last produced in 2002. Discussions are still underway about taking a show to New York in October half-term 2007. Autumn projects are still under discussion, but we hope to be able to announce our plans soon.

Now we are 10...

Our Gala 10th anniversary concert in Dyffryn Gardens on took place on June 24th as part of The Midsummer Festival of Music & Theatre and went down a storm! As did the rain - but it did nothing to dampen our spirits. Check out the story on the News Page.

The Unknown Theatre Rocks at the Glammies!
The 2007 Glammies saw The Unknown Theatre Company come away with no fewer than SEVEN awards, including Best Youth Musical and Best Youth Play. It's been the GDL's 60th anniversary over this last season, so it was a very special night, with our MD Ben Davies, and his band, playing for dancing and a real party atmosphere.

The full lists of the nominations and winners are available on the News Page. Congratulations, everyone!

Success at One-Act Play Festival!
Our entry at the Glamorgan Drama League's One-Act Play Festival, Dancing on Checkers' Grave, won us - for the second year in a row - the Youth Award. See our News page for more info.

Click on the photo on the left to go to the photogallery for Checkers.

Members of the company also performed Sure Thing which was too short to be entered for the competition, but which the audience enjoyed enormously.

Photogallery now available! Click on the photo on the right to go to the photogallery for Sure Thing.
__________________________________________________

Following the recent success of How To Eat Like a Child, more workshops have been planned with Lon for younger members of the company (8+ years old). These will include improvisation, working on characterisation, building confidence and providing an introduction to being part of a theatre group. We might do some singing too, depending on the group.

Those who have attended workshops in the past are very welcome to attend, as well as those who were part of the Eat Like a Child company, and those who are new to The Unknown Theatre Company. There is a possibility that these workshops might lead to a production in the future. The new season starts on Tuesday 24th April 2007, 7pm-8.30pm, at Roath Church House, but please let us know if you're planning to attend. For more information about getting involved, please contact us. . If you missed the first sessions, don't worry, we'll still be able to make room for you. (01.04.07 updated 30.04.07)

11.06.07

2007 - Underway!

A few slight changes from our earlier plans as the year is ticking along. A Slice of Saturday Night will now be performed in March (see Next Shows page for more info). One-act plays are still very much on the cards, though for the time being Life, Actually is on hold.

Rehearsals are underway in preparation of our 10th anniversary concert at Duffryn, and we're looking forward to welcoming back past Company members for what promises to be a very special evening indeed. The Company trip to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August is now confirmed, as is the fact that the show we're taking is Goldwoman, our award-winning production last produced in 2002. Discussions are still underway about taking a show to New York in October half-term 2007.

front page

The Unknown Theatre Company dominated the awards for the 2006 Glammies Awards Night!

See our Glammies 06 page for details of all the nominations and the winners and the photos...

Best Actress Award winner, Jenny Donoghue and Matt Atkins, winner of the Moderator's Award in Seussical at the Glammies Awards, 21 May 06.

11.06.07

The Unknown Theatre Company took the Glammies by storm. Full details (including photos) can be found on the Glammies 2006 page, but congratulations to those members who were chosen for the awards:

MODERATOR'S AWARD
Matt Atkins: Horton (Seussical)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL
Jenny Donoghue: Gertrude McFuzz (Seussical)

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
David Sheehan: Jerry (The Zoo Story)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Amy Way : Jodie (Can't Stand Up for Falling Down)

BEST YOUTH DRAMA PRODUCTION
The Zoo Story

Congratulations are due to everyone that took part in the productions this year, both onstage and off. If the Company didn't have such excellent teamwork there'd be no context for the award-winning performances to take place. Well done, everyone. (23.05.06)

In a year that has seen some fabulous performances across several productions, many of the members The Unknown Theatre have been recognised by the Glamorgan Drama League's appraising team. The nominations for the 2006 Glammies awards have been released and The Unknown Theatre Company is featured in all the available categories!

Congratulations to those who got nominated - and to those who didn't, this time. It's the teamwork which makes it...

The Unknown nominations are:

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL

James Costas-Michael : Druswyn (Dance of the Dragon)
Sam Jones : Jo-Jo (Seussical)
Mark Johncock:The Cat (Seussical)
Matt Atkins: Horton (Seussical)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE - MUSICAL

Giorgia Warsama: Guinevere (Dance of the Dragon)
Justine Mead: Soulcatcher (Dance of the Dragon)
Jenny Donoghue: Gertrude McFuzz (Seussical)
Olivia Spence: Sour Kangaroo (Seussical)

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Harry Ferrier: Peter (The Zoo Story)
David Sheehan: Jerry (The Zoo Story)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE DRAMA
Melissa Moore: Lynette (Can't Stand Up for Falling Down)
Amy Way : Jodie (Can't Stand Up for Falling Down)

For the full list of nominations, including the Adult Glammies categories, go to the Glamorgan Drama League's website. (12.05.06)

More success for The Unknown Theatre Company! At the Glamorgan Drama League's One-Act Play Festival, held this year in Swansea's Dylan Thomas Theatre on 11th March, our two plays (Edward Albee's The Zoo Story, and Can't Stand Up for Falling Down by Richard Cameron) both won awards, despite strong competition from highly experienced adult companies.

The Zoo Story won the Youth Award, and Can't Stand Up for Falling Down won the Adjudicator's Award. This is a special award that is given at the Adjudicator's discretion. This year, the Adjudicator was George Owen, and he gave the award to our show "for Promise". He will now visit festivals of this type across Wales, after which it will be announced which shows from across the country will be invited to perform at the Welsh national final in Mold in June. For full details of the awards we've won over the years, check out our Awards page. (28.03.06)

AUDITIONS UPDATE

Auditions for older members of the company for the forthcoming one-act plays which will be performed in Cardiff in March 2007, and possibly at the One-Act Play Festival in Swansea in April, didn't take place in October after all. A revised date for the auditions, hopefully in December, will be set soon. Auditions will most likely be held at Roath Church House. There are several parts available: 1 male and 4 female, which are needed for 3 plays, one of which is extremely short! Extracts of the plays have already been circulated, as auditionees will be required to prepare some text for the auditions. If you didn't get a copy at the time, and would like one, please let Lon know.

There will be another musical production in rehearsal at the same time as the plays, and it should be possible for company members to do both, but everyone should realise the level of commitment this will entail, and understand what this means before they become involved in two projects. Any questions, please let us know.   (updated 12.11.06)

2007 - Here we come!

In February, it's the turn for A Slice of Saturday Night, performed by a cast drawn from the older members of the company. A new venue for The Unknown Theatre Company, it'll be performed in Rhiwbina Rec. Casting is currently underway for this lively spoof of the 1960s music and nightclub scene.

Rehearsals for How To Eat Like a Child are currently underway in readiness for its February perfomance, and auditions for the One-Act plays, to be performed in March, will take place soon.

Life Actually, our newly commissioned show, is scheduled for April, featuring members from across the whole of the company's age-range.

The Unknown Theatre Company will have its 10th birthday in 2007, and we're going to have a big party to celebrate: in typical Unknown Theatre style, we're going to put on a show! Lots of past company members will be joining forces with the current team to put on a show to remember. It'll be in Duffryn Gardens, it'll be on June 24th. Watch this space for news as it happens.

Late July sees the return visit by the young people who hosted our visit to St Avertin in France back in June this year. We'll be running a summer school-type week to work with our visitors while they're here.

We're also considering a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in August next year, and possibly taking a show to New York in October half-term 2007.

Further details on all of these projects as they emerge. (3.12.06)

Just So has been invited, as an Associated Production, to join the list of prestigious companies and productions at the 2006 Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre held in venues across the city in October. Unique in the world, the Festival is now becoming established on the international scene, having already run two previous Festivals, in 2002 and 2005 (the usual biannual pattern was broken so that the Festival could be part of Cardiff's 50th anniversary celebrations). After the last Festival, Stephen Sondheim became a Patron, joining the impresseive list which includes Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Ted Chapin and others. Full details of CIFMT can be found on www.cardiffmusicals.com (site no longer active)

Masterclass trip - We are arranging for Company members to attend the musical theatre performance Masterclass taken by Donna Soto-Morettini at Chapter on Saturday 4th November at 11am, which is part of the Festival of Musical Theatre. Donna Soto-Morettini has taught (and run the musical theatre courses) at Central School of Speech and Drama, LIPA and now at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She really knows what she's talking about!

Any Company Members who'd like to come along to this excellent session (a group of us went last time, and it was REALLY good) should let Lon know as soon as possible (contact via the Webmaster). Full details about ticket costs etc. available soon, but we already know that tickets won't be more than £10 each. (15.10.06)

Casting news - AUDITIONS!
The Unknown Theatre Company's next show will be How To Eat Like a Child (and Other Lessons in Not Being a Grown-Up) which will be performed in Roath Church House (where we rehearse) in February 2007. We're looking for younger members of the Company for this show: between 9 and 13 years of age, and we welcome new potential members to the auditions. A very special revue of songs and sketches, based on Nora Ephron's best-selling book 'How to Eat Like a Child', the show reveals many of those secrets that all children know, but that adults have usually forgotten...

Auditions will be held at Roath Church House (here's a map) on Tuesday 24th October from 7-9pm, at which everyone will learn a song and work on some simple staging for it, so please come dressed appropriately (so leggings or trousers please, girls, not skirts). There are lots of sketches and songs in the show, so lots of parts/lines for lots of people. Individual parts will not be allocated at this stage though, as for now we're just looking for the company. Final casting of solos and parts will take place later. Rehearsals will be held on Tuesday evenings between 6.30-8.30pm which existing members will note is EARLIER THAN USUAL.

We're looking for special people who will work hard and will attend rehearsals every week - if you think this sounds like you, we'd very much like to see you at the auditions on 24th October. It would help us very much if you could contact us and let us know you're coming.

AND MORE!

Casting is underway for The Unknown Theatre Company's new production: Just So by Stiles and Drewe (writers of Honk! and of the additional songs for the current West End production of Mary Poppins). The Company is returning to the Weston Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre, where it last performed in June 2005, with the production of Dance of the Dragon, just prior to the Company's trip to Monaco to represent the UK. The show will be performed October 20th & 21st, times to be confirmed. (26.06.06

Casting has now been completed for Just So and rehearsals will continue through the summer break in preparation for the October production. Meanwhile, the Committee is currently meeting to discuss plans for November and beyond into 2007. We hope to be able to circulate details of the next planned productions very soon. (30.07.06)

The cast of one of our next productions will consist of younger members of the company only, so we're looking for enthusiastic, committed, and hard working young people aged 9-13 who might be interested in getting involved - even if you haven't been to Unknown before. The show will include songs and sketches which means that almost everyone will have some lines to say and/or sing - more information about auditions and the show itself to follow soon. We hope to rehearse from the end of October, and the performance will be in February 2007. If you'd like to know more - watch this space. Or even better, contact us and we'll let you know the details once they're available. (24.09.06)

Our most recent success, our double bill of short plays Changing Lives - The Unknown Theatre Company's first foray into serious theatre - will be included in the Glamorgan Drama League's One-Act Play Festival which is held in Swansea's Dylan Thomas Theatre at 7pm on 10th and 11th March. Our two plays, Edward Albee's The Zoo Story, and Can't Stand Up for Falling Down by Richard Cameron will be performed on Saturday 11th March. For details, see the GDL's website www.glamorgandrama.org (26.02.06)

We're going back on the road! At the end of May, The Unknown Theatre Company will be taking Dance of the Dragon back to France, but this time to a festival in St Avertin, which is just south of Tours. Click here for a map of Tours, or here for a map of France. Tours is roughly in the middle, in the Centre Val de Loire region.

The Unknown Theatre is once more recognised by the Glamorgan Drama League by winning two Glammies at the awards ceremony in Barry on 14 May  2005.  David Sheehan, who played King Charles in the recent production of Nell's Belles won Best Actor in a Youth production, and the show itself also won the Best Youth Production Award.  Watch out for a page on what happened on the evening.   For more information on the show click here.

The Unknown Theatre Company continues to receive invitations to perform at events and functions.  Forthcoming appearances include at the Glamorgan Drama League's annual One-Act Festival in Cardiff in April this year and as part of the special pre-awards performance at the GDL's prestigious annual Glammies awards in Barry in May 2005.

Also, the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Cllr Jacqui Gasson, has invited the Company to perform at a highly prestigious function at Cardiff's beautiful City Hall, and we are deeply honoured to have been asked.  This event will take place during autumn 2005 - further details as we have them.   (29.03.05)

Rehearsals are now fully underway for The Unknown Theatre Company's forthcoming trip to Monaco for the World Festival of Amateur Theatre in July.  The Company will perform a specially re-written version of their award-winning show Dance of the Dragon, as the rules of the Festival require all shows to last less than an hour. (29.03.05)

As a special preview before represent the UK at the festival in Monaco, the Unknown Theatre Company will also perform Dance of the Dragon at the Wales Millennium Centre on 26 and 27 June 2005.   This is a great honour in itself, as we will be the first amateur theatre company to perform at the venue.  (29.03.05)

The Unknown Theatre Company's Committee have had to take the very difficult decision to postpone the forthcoming production of our newly-commissioned musical Life, Actually.  It was felt that teething problems with the new show would mean a production below our usual standards, and which wouldn't do this important new work justice.
In the end, it was decided to re-schedule the show, to allow it enough time for it to be at its best.  An alternative date, sometime in 2005, will be announced soon.
In the meantime, the Company will perform Nell's Belles by Kjartan Poskitt at the Howardian Centre, Cardiff, on 23-26 February 2005, as well as its usual Christmas performance commitments at retirement homes and other venues across the city.  (14.11.04)

Monaco - The Drama Association of Wales has chosen The Unknown Theatre Company to represent the United Kingdom at the World Festival of Amateur Theatre in Monaco in July 2005.  The UK representative is chosen on a rotation basis each year between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, so the Company is delighted to have been offered this rare opportunity to perform at such a prestigious event.  Plans are afoot to restage our award-winning show Dance of the Dragon.  Watch this space for developments!

WMC - The Wales Millennium Centre is finally open!  The Unknown Theatre Company was there as one of the massed choirs at the grand opening ceremony at the Centre on Saturday 21 November.  We rehearsed through the day, and then joined with several thousand others in singing a mixture of musical, traditional Welsh and operatic tunes.  We still hope that one day The Unknown Theatre Company will perform at the WMC properly but in the meantime we were pleased to be involved in the Centre's opening festivities.  (06.12.04)

WMC - The Wales Millennium Centre is finally finished!  The Unknown Theatre Company will be there as one of the massed choirs at the grand opening ceremony at the Centre on Saturday 21 November.  We will be singing a mixture of musical, traditional Welsh and operatic tunes.  We still hope that one day The Unknown Theatre Company will perform at the WMC properly but in the meantime we are pleased to be involved in the Centre's opening festivities.  (14.11.04)

New York - a small number of young people from the Company recently visited La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York, observing and participating in a number of classes throughout the week. We hope that this successful trip will be just the start of an ongoing relationship with La Guardia.  

Auditions for our forthcoming show, Life, Actually were held on 7 September, with 44 people auditioning.  Competition was very tough, especially for the lead roles, and there were a series of recalls before the casting was completed.  However, with all the roles now cast, rehearsals started in earnest on 21 September.      26.9.04

Auditions - Names are now being taken for auditions for the forthcoming newly commissioned musical Life, Actually.  Written by Lesley Ross with music by Matt Brind, the musical has a contemporary setting and will require a cast of about 30.  We welcome anyone who would like to come along and audition for this exciting new project. Auditions will take place on Tuesday September 7th at St Margaret's Church Hall. 
For more information or to book an audition place please telephone 029 2076 6056. 

Summer School  - The Company's first Summer School (2-6 August) was a great success for everyone involved.  The tutors for the week were Musical Director, and old friend of the Company, Matt Brind together with dancer Phylleda Crowley-Smith, both with a range of West End experience. The young people who attended the School benefitted from the musical talents of Matt who ran the week just like a London summer school, and from the physical challenges set by Phylleda, who taught them original choreography from the London productions of CATS and Grease. 
Their expectations of our young people were high and the students did not let them down, remaining focussed and committed throughout.  The School closed with a performance for parents entitled (by the cast) Unknown Rhythm, which proved just how much everyone involved had learned and gained from the experience. 
The whole project proved such a success that the Company is hoping to run a Summer School next year.     For a fuller version of events, see our Summer School page.

Membership policy - The Unknown Theatre Company is revising its membership scheme to bring it in line with most other local theatre companies. Annual membership of the Company is to be introduced with effect from 31 August 2004.  Membership will cost £30 per annum.  Fees of £2 per session are payable weekly once you have been cast in a project. For full details, see our Join Us page.
You will need to be a member of the Company in order to participate in any or all of our projects.  

Musical Director - We are pleased to announce that we will be welcoming a new musical director to work with the company in September... more details soon.  We would like to thank Jonathan Mann and Joe Hood for all of their help this past year.  Good luck to you both in London.   (See our History page to find out what they've done for the Company.)

New York - a small number of young people from the Company have been invited to visit La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York.  They will be the initial representatives of The Unknown Theatre Company for this first ever link with this prestigious school.  They will spend a week attending the school in the autumn and we hope to build up a regular relationship with La Guardia.

New Musical - The Unknown Theatre Company has recently commissioned a new musical to be written for the Company.  Written by Lesley Ross with music by Matt Brind, the show - called Life, Actually - was made possible by funding from Cardiff City Council. 
Both professionals held a number of workshops combining drama and music to formulate ideas for the show.  Company members worked alongside other interested young people who were invited from local schools to be a part of this project.  We are now eagerly awaiting the script so that we can hold auditions and start rehearsals.  The production is envisaged to be in the autumn...  watch this site for details as they become available. 
If you would like to audition for a role in the show, please contact us to register your interest.

WMC - The Unknown Theatre Company have been interested in being part of the new Wales Millennium Centre from the moment the first brick was laid!  We have signed up through WAMF (see our Links page) to take part in the opening weekend where we will be part of the massed choir of amateur performers.  We would hope to perform at the WMC properly one day but in the meantime we are pleased to be involved in this way.

Justine Mead received a Best Actress Award (from the Glamorgan Drama League 'Glammies') at the annual awards ceremony on 22 May 2004 at the Memorial Hall, Barry for her role as Delia in Eat Your Heart Out! 
Also shortlisted from the same show was Marc Anthony Thomas who played Ranolph.   Nominations for Best Actor Awards were also received by  Steve Payne, Matt Atkins (Babes in the Wood) and David Sheehan (EYHO!), and for Best Actress: Sian Morgan, (Babes) and Luci Gunning (EYHO!).    Both shows were also shortlisted for the Best Production award. 
At the ceremony, members of the Company performed songs recently sung at the Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition, as well as extracts from Babes in the Wood, Eat Your Heart Out! and the Company's impending show, Little Shop of Horrors.    Take a look at the photos of the evening.