September 2007
Produced & directed by members of the company
Supernova is a festival of new work performed by the Bench which involves a huge number of people in it's writing, direction, case and crew.
In 2007 the Bench will stage the fourth Supernova festival, building on the enthusiasm and excitement generated by the three previous occasions.
In no particular order, the plays selected for this years Supernova festival are :
| Ted | David Penrose |
| Rita | Ingrid Corrigan |
| The Neighbour | Peter Corrigan |
Directed by Neil McBride
| Rebecca | Sian Green |
| Doctor Grey | Jaspar Utley |
| Kitty | Charley Callaway |
| Fletcher | Mark Wakeman |
| Mary | Emma Bailey |
| The Girl in the Room | Charlotte Self |
Directed by Nathan Chapman
| David | Jeff Bone |
| Mrs Flynn | Sharman Callam |
| Jenny | Barbara Netherwood |
| Voice Off-stage | Steph Chaplen |
Directed by Zoe Chapman
| Tony | Darryl Wakelin |
| Gordon | Damon Wakelin |
| Avril | Jo Wakelin |
| Minister of Health | Sally Hartley |
| Pete | Sean Buchan |
Directed by Peter Woodward
| Producer | Jaspar Utley |
| Assistant Producers | Julie Wood, Mark Wakeman |
| Stage Manager | John Wilcox |
| Assistant Stage Managers | Steph Chaplen, Zoe Champan |
| Lighting | Derek Callam |
| Sound | Chris Stoneham |
| Jane | Sue Dawes |
| Richard | Terry Smyth |
| Dosser | |
| Helen | Kelly Edney |
Directed by Andrew Caple
| Man | Neil McBride |
| Woman | Emma Searle |
| Body | Phil Gyngell |
Directed by Martin McBride
| Julienne | Julie Wood |
| Spaulding | Jeff Bone |
| Rueben | Damon Wakelin |
| Doctor Forbes | Megan Green |
Directed by Sally Hartley
| Martin | Nathan Chapman |
| Emma | Zoe Chapman |
| Steve | Mark Wakeman |
| Nicky | Lorraine Galliers |
| Delivery Man | Phil Gyngell |
| Policeman |
Directed by John Wilcox
| Producer | John Wilcox |
| Assistant Producer | Megan Green |
| Stage Manager | John Wilcox |
| Assistant Stage Managers | Sian Green, Charlotte Self |
| Lighting | Ingrid Corrigan |
| Sound | Derek Callam |
TONY and Gordon, senior and junior partners in spin. Ring any bells? No? Well, try this line from Tony: 'We have to be practical, not ethical.' And there are even hints of the junior partner's future as senior partner.
The two characters feature in Openings, a slice of political satire by Doreen Fay that tops the polls in the first of two programmes of new plays being presented by Bench Theatre under the umbrella title Supernova. Openings is impeccably short and sharp, well acted by a cast headed by Darryl and Damon Wakelin and directed with a sure touch by Peter Woodward.
Otherwise the first programme tends towards menace, nightmare and fragile minds.
The Neighbour, a Pinter-ish piece by Roger Goldsmith, is less economical in the writing than in the acting of David Penrose, Ingrid Corrigan and Peter Corrigan.
The Girl in the Corner, written by Mark Wakeman and featuring an accomplished central performance by Sian Green, is like a whirlpool of despair.
Jenny, by John Scadding, is about a young war veteran's search for his identity but lacks a clear identity of its own.
This first Supernova programme will be repeated tonight and the second can be seen tomorrow. All the plays are by writers from Hampshire and West Sussex, including Bench members.
Mike Allen