Stepping Out

AuthorRichard Harris

Richard Harris is a British screenwriter and playwright, most active from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s. He wrote primarily for the crime and detective genres, having contributed episodes to series such as "The Avengers", "The Saint", "The Sweeney", "Darling Buds of May" and "A Touch Of Frost". He also helped to create several programmes of the genre, including "Adam Adamant Lives!", "Man in a Suitcase" and "Shoestring".

From the 1970s Richard Harris also started writing stage plays, mainly comedies. His most successful include "Outside Edge", written in 1979 and later made into a TV series, and "Stepping Out" which won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Comedy for 1984 and was later adapted into a musical starring Liza Minneli and Julie Walters.

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The Bench Production

This play was staged at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre (formerly Havant Arts Centre), East Street Havant - Bench Theatre's home since 1977.

Cast

Mavis	Tas Halford
Mrs Fraser	Sarah Ash
Andy	Robin Hall
Geoffrey	Roger Niven
Sylvia	Laura Sheppard
Maxine	Jo Langfield
Rose	Julie Burt-Wood
Lynne	Charlotte Allison
Vera	Janine Catterall
Dorothy	Nicola Moss
Sugar Plum Fairy	Emma Parkin
Man's Voice/Announcer	Jaspar Utley

Special mentions go to Bee Anderson who was Mavis up until 16 days before first night when she, unfortunately, had to pull out and to Tas Halford, one the the directors, for stepping into the role at short notice. Also special mention to Fiona Callingham who stepped into Mavis' shoes for one performance only, Saturday 12th July, to cover for a performance that Tas could not do.

Crew

Stage Manager	Emma Parkin
Assistant Stage Manager	Jaspar Utley
Lighting Operation	Stuart Reilly
Sound Operation	Claire Lyne

Production Team

Director	Tasmin Halford & Callum West
Producer	Tasmin Halford & Callum West
Production Assistant	Paul Millington
Lighting Design	Tasmin Halford & Callum West
Sound Design	Sarah Ash
Choreographer	Emily Frost
Set Design	Callum West, Kevin West and David Penrose
Handbill Design	Dan Finch
Programme Editor	Derek Callam
Photography	John Ash
Front of House Manager	Ingrid Corrigan

Director's Notes

We'd love to say that directing 'Stepping Out' came from a deep and meaningful theatrical conversation. In fact it stemmed from a conversation between the two of us at Wetherspoons in Havant (where all great conversations happen!). Cal would say that Tas 'begged' him to co-direct with her. Tas would argue that she simply 'suggested it'...but however it came about, minor details aside- here we are, very happy to be here!

The show was always going to be a challenge. For a start the tap dancing! However from the first auditions we knew it was going to be okay (who knew Bench members had so many hidden talents??) and this, with the help of our amazing choreographer Emily, was only proven by our cast through the rehearsal process.

It's not an easy show to direct. Everyone is on stage almost all the time, there are quick and multiple conversations going on at once...which can be a logistical nightmare when it comes to the early days of blocking! However we are very grateful to our hard working cast for their patience and humour as we navigated this!

For us, the show highlights everything that is wonderful about Bench. It shows how different people from different walks of life come together through a joint passion...and the friendships, and laughs, the highs and lows that are experienced together. At times the line between rehearsals and the show has been blurred!

Our cast has taken their characters and brought them to life; from the loud, cheeky, outrageous ones, to the shy, sweet and sensitive ones. Anyone who is a part of any kind of theatre group or class, will know someone like one of these characters. We have had so much fun directing this show, and we have all been in tears of laughter at one point or another!

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