Sedos News
Keep up to date with all the latest events by taking a look at the Sedos Calendar. Not sure exactly where our rehearsals and events take place? Then check out the Venues Map, which has a list of places of interest for members and friends of Sedos. Plus, follow us at www.facebook.com/sedostheatre |
Congratulations to the new Sedos committee, voted in at the AGM last night. From left to right, they are: Chris de Pury (chair), Dawn Harrison-Wallace, Angus Jacobs, Matt Gould (secretary), Matt Hudson, Deborah Lean, Pippa Roome, Bob Stanex, Jacqui Adams, Craig Topp (treasurer) and Stephen Beeny.
Big thanks for all their work to those who are standing down from the committee, Matt Prince and Will Harrison-Wallace — Will has served a remarkable 22 years on the committee, five of those as chair.
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NOW YOU CAN JOIN A SEDOS GROUP
The AGM marked the debut of the new groups integral to Sedos's operating structure and members learned about the opportunities to get involved in the society behind the scenes.
While the committee will continue to oversee all the society's activity and take direct responsibility for some areas including finance and season building, the subgroups offer a chance to participate in day-to-day operations in the interests of improving efficiency and quality.
- Production group - "achieving production excellence".
This group will oversee the putting on of shows, from maintaining guidelines for production teams to liaising with the Bridewell, and everything in between.
Co-ordinator: Matt Hudson (production@sedos.co.uk)
- Marketing group - "growing our audiences".
This three-year-old group will continue to advance the society's general marketing and to support show teams to sell tickets.
Co-ordinators: Stephen Beeny and Pippa Roome (marketing@sedos.co.uk)
- Membership group - "engaging our membership".
This group will maintain membership administration, plan activities such as socials and workshops, and build upon member benefits.
Co-ordinator: Jacqui Adams (membership@sedos.co.uk)
- Sedos ambassadors - "securing our long-term future".
This group will manage sponsorship and fundraising, create and maintain links with the City and other societies, and work towards Sedos's goals of attaining long-term rehearsal and performance spaces.
Co-ordinator Dawn Harrison-Wallace (ambassadors@sedos.co.uk)
These groups are ready and eager to welcome your participation, so do email and get involved.
Further details on each group's responsibilities and other AGM news, including the financial report, will feature in the July edition of The Grapevine, our members-only periodical.
If you are not a member and would like to join, email membership@sedos.co.uk.
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A petition has been launched to stop railway redevelopments going ahead that could force the Union Theatre in London to close and move to different premises. Sedos has performed at the venue in Southwark, which now specialises in musical theatre.
Union Theatre artistic director Sasha Regan said the venue has not been served its notice yet, but she has been verbally forewarned by Network Rail that the site will be turned into offices.
The 50-seat venue recently won the 2013 Stage 100 Award for fringe theatre of the year.
The Save Small Businesses in Union Street petition has attracted more than 2,000 signatures so far. Please sign the petition and help to save this wonderful venue.
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WRITER AND ORIGINAL DIRECTOR ATTEND OPENING NIGHT
Two very special people attended last night's opening of Gormenghast - John Constable, who wrote the stage adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s trilogy, and David Glass, the commissioning director of the original production 20 years ago. It was an honour to meet them and chat about the show. Thanks for coming!
Gormenghast runs 26 February-2 March 2013 at the Bridewell Theatre.
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SEDOS ANNOUNCES 2013 CHARITY OF THE YEAR
Sedos is pleased to announce that we have chosen Angel Shed as our 2013 Charity of the Year. Amongst other things, this means that 50% of proceeds from one performance of every show will be donated to Angel Shed. In the past we have given £5,000 to our Charity of the Year!
Angel Shed's vision is that every child, regardless of disability, income or background be given the opportunity to shine in the performing arts. It is a fully inclusive theatre charity, providing specialist opportunities for children otherwise excluded from this kind of activity.
Find out more at www.angelshedtheatre.org.uk and watch the video below.
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Sedos were featured in The Times on Thursday 27 September 2012 - did you see it?! The City Diary featured our production of House and Garden and said it was our "most challenging yet". It also featured an image from Sweeney Todd. Amazing to see us in the national press!
"After the likes of Hair and Sweeney Todd, the latest production from Sedos, the old Stock Exchange Dramatic and Operatic Society, is its most challenging yet. From October 24 it offers Alan Ayckbourn's House and Garden, two plays performed simultaneously by the same cast in two theatres. One will be at the usual Bridewell Theatre; the other at the nearby Bridewell Hall."
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Could Your Company Benefit Sedos?
Did you know that because we are a charity, your employers might be willing to make a donation?
Sedos treasurer Craig Topp recently secured
a £500 donation to Sedos through his employers, Lloyds bank.
“There is a a Lloyds Foundation, which is set up for CSR [corporate and social responsibility] purposes — the PLC makes an annual donation to the foundation to support charitable work. The foundation will support any charity you volunteer for to the tune of £5 per hour spent volunteering, up to a maximum of 100 hours per year,” explains Craig.
Sedos will reward you with four free tickets to bring your colleagues along to a 2013 show of your choice if you secure a donation from your company
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Sedos Are Resident At The Bridewell Theatre
The society has kicked off the new year in style with the announcement of a new partnership with the Bridewell Theatre.
Sedos members at the annual Christmas party were the first to hear the exciting news that the society has entered into an agreement with St Bride’s Foundation, owner of the Bridewell Theatre.
Chairman Chris de Pury outlined the terms of the partnership, which will benefit both sides and help secure Sedos’s place as the City’s premier amateur theatre company.
In summary, under the terms of the partnership Sedos has made a donation to the Bridewell of around £90,000, which will be used to upgrade and generally improve the theatre. On the Sedos side we will become the resident theatre company of the Bridewell Theatre and have committed ourselves to the theatre until at least the end of 2016, with the reciprocal part of the deal being use of the theatre rent-free for a significantly increased number of weeks (see below).
Not only will this arrangement lead to a better theatre for Sedos productions and others at the Bridewell, there are also great benefits for the society in terms of reciprocal advertising, the status of being the resident theatre company at a top off-West End venue and having “officially” a home from which to launch other exciting theatrical initiatives.
Sedos has long regarded the Bridewell — the 130-seat theatre just off Fleet Street where the majority of our season takes place — as its performance home and this arrangement formalises that.
In 2011, Sedos will be using the Bridewell for seven weeks (see page five for more on this year’s season), while for the following five years we will be securing the theatre for 10 weeks annually, plus two single days — one of which will for a social and the other a fundraising event in aid of the St Bride’s Foundation.
The 10 weeks a year break down into four weeks in spring (1 February-30 April) and three weeks each in summer (1 May-31 July) and autumn (1 September-31 December). There will be two two-week slots, one three-weeker and five single weeks.
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Venues Map
Not sure exactly where our rehearsals and events take place? Then check out our new Venues Map, which has a list of places of interest for members and friends of Sedos. The list includes theatres, rehearsal rooms, drinking establishments and details of our new home, Ocean House.
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Dates For Your Diary
You can now keep up to date with all the latest Sedos events by taking a look at our Diary Dates calendar.
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