December 2012 Newsletter
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The International Theatre Studio has had a very good year with two major plays, a Charity event, Murder Mystery evenings and play- readings. Our most recent production “Prescription for Murder” by Norman Robbins proved to be very popular indeed and played to over 400 people over three nights. Thank you to all of you who came along to see it and we hope that you enjoyed the evening.
We have plenty of events in the planning stages for 2013 starting with a play-reading on Monday, 21 January, which is being organised by Carol
Woolnoth. Further details will be given nearer the time but it is bound to be an enjoyable evening so make a note of the date before your diaries fill up.
Also in the planning stage is a very funny One-Act play, which we hope to present as a rehearsed reading with either tapas or a “menu del dia” available, some time in February. We are still looking for a suitable venue that will offer us space for our small stage and our audience at a reasonable price and are hoping to have more news on that by the end of January.
The main theatrical attraction in the coming months, however, is the very funny and saucy play “Dirty Dusting”, by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood, which is planned for early March. We’re still awaiting confirmation from the Atalaya Park Hotel but hope the dates will be March 8, 9 and 10, 2013. The play’s Director, Kate Jackson, recently held successful auditions for the play and has a good strong cast who will be starting rehearsals immediately after the holiday period.
All the members of the Board of the International Theatre Studio are wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year and good health and good fortune for 2013.
November 2012 Newsletter
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Firstly, we have our autumn production “Prescription for Murder”, a tense thriller by Norman Robbins, to be performed on Friday
23 and Saturday 24 November at 8pm and on Sunday 25
November at 7pm. Performances will be at the Atalaya Park Hotel Discoteca and tickets, at 10€ for members and 12€ for non-members, can be reserved by calling the Box Office on 952 880 630; or 952 928 196 evenings/weekends. A taster:
“Barbara is delighted to have married Devon-based doctor
Richard Forth. She knows he was married before and that the lady concerned died in unusual circumstances but she’s not too worried about that. …But why is Barbara, fit as a fiddle all her life, now
frequently feeling ill? And why does she suddenly start to have doubts when a stranger calls and seeks to rake up Richard’s past. And what about their elegant, widowed neighbour, Julia? She and Richard have
known each other a long time and seem awfully cosy together.”
Do come along and see the plot thicken as innuendoes abound
and suspicion builds before the highly unexpected dénouement explains all.
When you’ve recovered from that we invite you to join our ITS
Christmas Celebration. We are holding a dinner at El Caserio (next to the farmacia by Agrojardín) on Saturday, 8 December, 7.30 for 8pm.
The price of the three-course meal will be 20€ and includes a welcome drink and 2 glasses of wine per person. Below you will find the menu for the evening. If you wish to attend would you please telephone Carol Woolnoth, 952 880 630 during working hours or email Carol at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. giving your menu selection. There will be a vegetarian option, which we will publish after our next meeting with the restaurant. We would be most grateful if you could let
Carol know as soon as possible if you would like to attend.
Moving on to January 2013 (where does the time go?), we’re
planning to hold a play-reading, with tapas, on the evening of Monday,
21 January 2013. Details of the play to be read and the venue will be published nearer the time when arrangements have been finalised.
During January and February we have more bookings for
our Murder Mystery Evenings, so we’ll keep you informed of dates and
venues and where to obtain tickets should you wish to attend.
General News and Information
As mentioned in the last newsletter, Clive Jacklin will be
standing down as our Technical Director after eleven years in the service of the International Theatre Studio. Our forthcoming production of “Prescription for Murder” will be his last “in
post”. We do hope many of you will be able to come along to the play and add your own thanks to Clive and Mary for all their hard work over the years. We are presently advertising for a successor to Clive and hope to find someone who can join us before too long, but if you know of anyone who might be interested please let us know.
If you read the local press, you might see articles about the International Theatre Studio from time to time in the coming weeks. We are presently trying hard to increase our numbers of actors and backstage crew to help carry out the theatrical events we
would like to bring to you here at the western end of the Costa del Sol. In the past year we have had talented new members join us but more would be very welcome, so if you know of anyone who
might be interested, or who has recently moved to the area, please put them in touch with us either on 952 92 81 96 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We hope to see many of you at one or more of our forthcoming
events. Do please contact us if you want more information about any of them.
Menu choices
Cocktail langostinos
Chicken Consomme
Popurri de Hongos (mushrooms)
Pato a la Naranja
Medalliones al vino Malaga
Roast Beef
Cauliflower Cheese
Baked Apple Cheesecake
The price includes a welcome drink of sherry or cava and 2 glasses of wine with the meal
October 2012 Newsletter
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Sorry that there was no newsletter last month. President Diane Clarke was in the UK and then on holiday in Croatia and Vice-President Carol was touring India so there was nobody available to write one.
The main event for the International Theatre Studio during the summer was the Charity Concert in mid-September, which many of you attended, but more of that later. Also, Carol organised an enjoyable play-reading in July, which was well supported for the time of year.
Sadly, during August, John Mitchell – husband of our last presidenta Barbara – had a bad stroke in the UK. Following weeks of treatment in hospital, he is now in a rehabilitation centre near their home in Surrey. The doctors are pleased with his progress but there is a long hard haul ahead if he is to get back to reasonable fitness. For those of you who know John and Barbara, their email address is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. We know it helps John to hear from friends.
The Charity Concert held in Benahavis in mid-September was a great success and raised 2,500€ for Age Concern. This is a fantastic amount and many, many thanks to all of you who attended and to those who took part in this popular event. More people than ever came along
to enjoy the entertainment and the picnic in the park and we have heard many complimentary comments about the evening.
Our next production is a thriller, “Prescription for Murder”, by
Norman Robbins and will be performed at the Atalaya Park Hotel Disco on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 November. More information will be sent out nearer the time but we have started rehearsals and are hoping many of you will be coming to see it. We wonder how many will be able to “spot the killer” before the twist at the end!
Our Murder Mystery season starts again in October with a performance for Los Arqueros Golf Club members on 26 Oct, followed by one for CAP members on 2 Nov. The International Theatre Studio will also be performing the current Murder Mystery at other venues during the winter and we are presently in the process of arranging for a performance at a local restaurant so members of the I.T.S. can come along, have a meal and solve the murder! Due to present commitments this will probably take place early next year but we will keep you informed.
With Christmas fast approaching, the ITS Board are working
on arrangements for our annual Christmas meal. It will probably be in early December before people begin to disperse to spend the festive season elsewhere. Would those of you who think they might like
to come along please contact me to let me know if you prefer a lunch or an evening meal. The Board are evenly divided on this matter so we would like to know what you would prefer. You can email Diane at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call her on 952 92 81 96. We
will be booking an appropriate venue within the next two weeks so would like to know your views as soon as possible.
Sadly for us, our Technical Director and long-time Vice President Clive Jacklin is standing down from this position and from the Board after eleven years as our lighting and sound expert. Whilst still remaining members and supporters of the I.T.S. Clive and Mary are hoping to have the freedom to do more travelling, which hasn’t been possible whilst Clive has been needed for every one of our productions. We are sure you will all join us in a heartfelt “thank you” to Clive and to
Mary for all their hard work and dedication over the years. We hope to mark Clive’s “retirement” at our Christmas celebration before he and Mary go off on their exciting, extended cruise and visit to Australia.
Clive’s departure means that the International Theatre Studio will urgently need to find a new technical expert. We have been asking for volunteers for some time now but haven’t managed to find anyone. Would you all please tell everyone you know that we are looking for someone to join us who would like to undertake lighting and sound and be a valued member of the Drama Group.
Just before finishing we would like to tell you that the I.T.S.
Board has bestowed the accolade of Honorary Vice-President on our
long-time Producer and indefatigable “anchorman” Fred Wallis. We are sure most of you know Fred and recognise all that he has done for the ITS over many, many years and would like to join us in saying an enormous “thank you”. Fred will, though, still be undertaking many
tasks for our future productions as his experience and expertise remain
indispensable.
August 2012 Newsletter
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Carol Woolnoth hosted another very enjoyable play-reading evening in July, at Bar El Candil, which was very well attended.
This was the last event before the summer break and the next play-
reading will be held in October on a date yet to be arranged - but avoiding the San Pedro Feria.
Rehearsals for the very popular Summer Charity Show are going well and everyone is looking forward to the evening. The show is being held in the beautiful Parque Leonera in Benahavis, on Sunday, 16 Sept., starting at 7pm. Tickets will be available from all the usual outlets and on the gate and information on this will be sent out nearer the time. This year our chosen charity is Age Concern, Estepona and representatives of the charity will be there on the night to talk about the work they do in Spain as well as in the UK. Don’t forget to bring your picnics and drinks to enjoy in the interval and to bring a cushion to sit on in the amphitheatre!
After the Summer Charity Show we’ll be starting rehearsals for our autumn production “Prescription for Murder”, a thriller by Norman Robbins, which will be staged in mid-late November. Fred is liaising with the Atalaya Park Hotel director re the dates the stage will be available and we hope to have news of that soon.
During the autumn we’ll also be starting a new season of Murder Mystery Evenings at various venues so I hope that you’ll all be able to come along to one of them. We have several dates arranged and details of those will be sent out nearer the time.
As you can see from the above the International Theatre Studio never sleeps and we’re always busy planning for your future entertainment. Barbara Mitchell and Diane Clarke will be visiting the Theatrical Book store in London shortly to find more plays to bring to the Costa del Sol. Of course we might just combine it with a little light shopping and some lunch!
We hope to see you in September/October when the new season begins. Don’t forget to tell your friends about all the events we’re arranging and get them to come along; we always love to welcome new people and get them involved in the world of the theatre.
Newsletter June 2012
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It's great to be back here enjoying this gorgeous weather after spending a few weeks in a very wet UK! We felt sorry for all the people who had trekked to London to watch the Diamond Jubilee celebrations only to find it very cold and damp. It didn’t appear to dampen their spirits however and they all seemed to enjoy it as much as those of us who celebrated it here did - with the bonus of lovely sunshine.
Firstly, thank you to Kate Jackson for organising a very successful reading of the comedy “Dirty Dusting”, by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood, on 6 June. It was very well supported and the evening was a lot of fun.
We have another play reading scheduled for next month, this time organised by Carol Woolnoth. The play is “Just the Two of Us”, by Ros Moruzzi, and is a very funny comedy exploring the impact and repercussions of modern science on a couple who discover there are more members of their family than they thought! There are six characters in the play so plenty of opportunity to take part in the reading if you would like to do so.
This event is being held at 7.30 for 8pm on Wednesday 18 July at Bar El Candil, San Pedro and more information will be sent out nearer the time.
Our next major event will be the very popular summer charity show, Fun in the Park, to be held at the beautiful venue of Parque Torre Leonera, Benahavis, on Sunday 16 September at 7.00pm. This year the chosen charity is Age Concern, which does a wonderful job advising and assisting the “not-so-young” both in UK and abroad. The International Theatre Studio board members have put together an excellent programme of music, comedy and drama to entertain you and don’t forget to bring your picnic to enjoy during the interval. Further details of this evening will be sent out later but put it in your diary now!
We have chosen a thriller for our autumn play this year,
“Prescription for Murder” by Norman Robbins, to be directed by Diana
King. Auditions are being held on Monday 25 June at 7.30 pm for 8pm at Bar El Candil in San Pedro. There are three female and three male roles and details of the characters have been sent out recently in the Audition Notice. Information also appears on our website, www.internationaltheatrestudio.org/.
If anyone would like to audition but is unable to attend on 25 June
please let Diane know on 952 92 81 96.
Diana King held well-supported auditions at the end of May for our Murder Mystery Evenings. These will run throughout the late autumn and winter and we already have bookings but if you know of a club, society or restaurant who would like to host one of these evenings please let us know on the above number or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We’d like to take this opportunity to give the grateful
thanks of all the Board and Members of the International Theatre Studio to Ursula Russell for all her hard work as Secretary and Membership
Secretary over the last few years.
Ursula has been a great help to Diane as President, particularly when she had the difficult task of taking over from her predecessor, Barbara Mitchell, who had done so much for the drama group and kept it going in difficult times. Happily, we aren’t losing Ursula as she will
continue to run the website and be an important member of the group, but she is looking forward to taking a well-deserved rest from the sometimes onerous job of secretary. Our new Secretary is Wendy Castle, who has been doing a sterling job as prompter in our recent
productions, and we welcome her to the Board and promise to try not to overwork her!
We would like to reiterate our need for Actors and Backstage Crew to join our merry group. We try to run a full programme of events but
at times we are extremely stretched. If you would like to act, help backstage, do lighting and sound, paint scenery, etc, or if you know anyone who might, please contact Diane on 952 92 81 96
or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Newsletter May 2012
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As Diane Clarke is away in the UK enjoying the wettest drought for years Clive Jacklin is keeping you up to date with the latest news from the International Theatre Studio.
In April we had a very successful Play-Reading at El Candil in San Pedro de Alcantara hosted by Carol Woolnoth. It was well attended and those present enjoyed the two comedy plays “What’s for Pudding” and “It’s a Dog’s life”. We had one or two new faces who were very welcome and in fact we have been able to cast one of them in a play to be performed in September. More on this later.
We have another Play-Reading planned for the 6th June, again at El Candil in San Pedro de Alcantara. Kate Jackson will be hosting this Play-Reading. The play chosen is “Dirty Dusting”, an adult comedy by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. It was premiered at the Customs House South Shields in February 2003.
During the next few months we hope to be performing some short Murder Mystery Plays at various venues, as we did last year, so keep a lookout for further information.
Our next major production will be our Summer Charity Show to be held in the beautiful Parque Torre Leonera, Benahavis, on Sunday 16th September at 7.00pm. Although final details are still being worked on it will follow the same format as last year.
Some of our audience thought that the first act was rather too long, so this year it will be no more than 45 minutes with an interval of 75 minutes for picnicking and then about 40 minutes for the last act. In the first act we will have a variety of singers, musicians and possibly a short comedy sketch. In the second act we will be performing “What’s for Pudding”, a one act comedy by David Tristram and directed by Kate Jackson. We will be sending out further details nearer the time.
We are now also planning our Autumn Production which will be sometime in November at the Atalaya Park Hotel Disco. Diana King will be directing the play but the choice of play has not yet been finalized. One of the plays under consideration requires an old electric
typewriter, so if anybody has one they can donate to us we would be very grateful, bearing in mind it might not be returned in the same condition. Audition notices for this play will be sent out in June.
As always we desperately need Actors and Backstage Crew. We try to put on a full programme of events but we are extremely stretched and need your help. If you would like to act or can help backstage, painting scenery, props, lighting or sound etc. please contact Clive at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 953806834.
We look forward to seeing you at our next play
reading.
A Dogs Life Play-Readings
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People cried at the end of A Dogs Life and were helpless with
laughter in What's for Pudding? Kate Jackson wants to put on What's
for Pudding for the charity show in Benahavis.
We had some new readers, although not all those who had said they would come managed to get there, sadly, or we would have had some more new ones. We also signed up some new members.
It was good to have the time for the new people to have a chat with
existing members and having started promptly at 8pm with a break for drinks between the two readings we finished by 9.20 pm. Tapas was arranged for 9.30, so it all worked out well.
April 2012 Newsletter
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The following week we performed a double bill of comedies at the Atalaya Park Hotel for our usual Spring Production. "Happy Birthday Me" was performed again, followed by "Getting Along" by Charles Mander. The weekend was a busy one in the area as several other big events were taking place so the competition for "bums on seats" was fairly intense. We were therefore delighted to find that our audiences gave us such good support and we hope that they all enjoyed their evening with us. Judging by the amount of laughter that could be heard in the theatre the plays were generally very well received. Whilst putting on two plays was quite a strain on our acting and back-stage resources, it gave new members of our drama group an opportunity to take part in a mainstream production, which is good news for us and is good experience for them.
Back to our forthcoming events. The International Theatre Studio is arranging two Play-Reading Evenings during May and June and possible plays are presently under discussion. More information will be sent out as soon as details are finalised and we would love to encourage members and others who are interested in play-readings and amateur dramatics to come along and either take part or just relax and enjoy the evenings in social surroundings.
The Board are also looking at plans for future productions in the summer and autumn. As well as putting on our usual Autumn Production at the Atalaya Park Hotel we're hoping to perform a new Murder Mystery and, if we have the resources, a rehearsed reading or a One-Act play. These events are an excellent way of involving new acting, directing or backstage people but we sadly haven't been able to stage any recently as everyone was so involved with the two plays for our Spring production. If you, or anyone you know, would like to take part in, or help with, any of our productions and activities please let us know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF E-MAIL ADDRESS.
April Play-reading
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plays:
First:
"What's for Pudding ?" by David Tristram only 18 pages - comedy set in a living room
Cast
Mary - (bored housewife) and Jack - her husband, a bit of a wimp
Maureen and Ted - friends visiting
Dennis - neighbour
Second;
"A Dog's Life" by Pam Valentine set in an animal shelter
Characters
Ben - a battered old mongrel, male
Fritz - a German shepherd, tough and rough, male
Fifi - an overweight poodle, female
Ginger - a bouncy and excitable young pup, male or female.
The Warden
The Woman visitor
Please send emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Carol Woolnoth on her mobile 607 796 548 to let her know if you want to order tapas.
We hope to see you there for an enjoyable evening.
Ann Shaw 1936-2012
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The I.T.S. President and Board are sad to have to tell you of the death of our Vice- President, Ann Shaw. Ann was one of our longest serving members, a regular actor and director of many of our productions.At the service of celebration of her life on the 27 January 2012 her daughter Carol read an eulogy which you can read below. She will be missed so much by so many of our members.
Eulogy for Ann Shaw
I would like to share with you some of the extraordinary events in my mum’s life. She was quite a private person and many of you may not know any details of her life before she came to Spain in 1985.
She was born in Hope Hospital in Salford, Manchester and lived in Priory Avenue, very close to The Cliff, which was then the training ground of Manchester United and she was made of the same flair, grit and determination for which this team is rightly famous.