PLAYREADING 2 GROUP

The group meets fortnightly at Sheila Maddock's house off Summer Street, Stroud.  At present there are ten of us, which is fine if we stick to plays with a great many characters.  We are happy enough to read Shakespeare, but we also enjoy ranging widely through the stock of Gloucester Music and Drama library, which is pretty good at supplying recently written plays;  unfortunately Pinter is extremely economical with his casting.

I usually borrow three playsets at a time;  we are permitted to keep them for three months.  I give out the plays a fortnight before we read them so that the group has a good idea of the plot, the tone, and the stage directions;  I cast half the play a couple of days before we meet, and email or phone everyone to give them their parts, in the hope that no one will be called away by granny-duty or illness.

Sometimes when I have to give people two parts I make a mess of it, so that some poor soul has to perform an impassioned argument with herself;  sometimes I realise that I haven't cast anyone in a part, and have to be ready to step in.  The casting  is interesting:  should I typecast, or encourage people to try someone quite foreign to their nature?  Recently I cast my husband as a woman, which he accepted uncomplainingly. 

We laugh a great deal, and often we are deeply moved.  Because people work hard at preparing their parts we achieve a standard which gives us great satisfaction.

Naomi Hull

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