THEATRE BY THE LAKE ARE HAVING A SMASHING TIME THI

Posted: Sep 6 13:43

THEATRE BY THE LAKE ARE HAVING A SMASHING TIME THIS SUMMER

Tennessee Williams' classic memory play The Glass Menagerie has been delighting packed houses receiving plaudits from critics and audiences alike since it opened on Friday 30 July as the sixth show in Theatre by the Lake's busy Summer repertory Season. Whilst the four actors involved in the production each have leading roles, there's a fifth character on set whose nightly contributions could easily be overlooked. A glass unicorn plays a part in a crucial scene in this well-known and much loved play. Every night actor James Hogg has to accidentally knock the delicate animal off its perch on the edge of a table to the floor, breaking off its horn in the process.

This may not sound like a feat of engineering for the hard working Stage Management Crew of Theatre by the Lake, but it did cause them a slight headache in working out how they could ensure the glass animal would break every time (and in the right place) with each performance. They then came across a unique glass maker based in Norfolk who has designed countless animals for productions of The Glass Menagerie up and down the country.

Rather than sourcing a unicorn for every performance, they came up with the idea of commissioning Stephen Ward of ‘Ward's Wonderful World of Glass' to make five unicorns, crucially missing their horns, together with 20 separate horns which could be easily glued on each night with specially formulated weak glue, allowing the animal to break without fail during each performance.

The ‘Menagerie' referred to in the title of the show requires a real glass menagerie on set, so a further 25 assorted animals were also commissioned from Stephen Ward ranging from antelopes through to poodles and goldfish. But it was thought that the collection wasn't quite big enough, so Company Stage Manager Imogen Ensoll got in touch with theatres all over the UK who had recently staged productions of the show to see if any animals could be borrowed. Imogen said:

"We managed to borrow nine glass animals from Theatre Clwyd and a few from Salisbury Playhouse to bulk out our collection. It's not at all out of the ordinary to share props between theatres; we try and help each other out when we can. Stephen Ward's Wonderful World of Glass was a brilliant find. We were told about his website by Theatre Clwyd, placed the order for the animals we wanted and here they are ".

Stephen has admitted that he's beginning to make a name for himself on the theatre circuit: "I've made ‘Menageries' now for The Royal Exchange in Manchester, Theatre Clwyd and of course Theatre by the Lake. I've also done quite a few local amateur productions in Norfolk, but I mainly make creatures for animal lovers - I can pretty much make any animal starting from an Afghan Hound running right the way through the animal alphabet to a zebra!"

Described as an urban tragedy of frustrated hopes and aspirations, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, and directed by Ian Forrest, is a classic of 20^th century American theatre and its popularity has endured for over 60 years. The heavily autobiographical play is set in the 1930s in an apartment in St Louis, Missouri, the city in which Williams grew up. Faded southern belle Amanda dreams of finding a charming suitor for her daughter, who is crippled in the foot and damaged in the mind. Family relationships are as fragile as the glass animal figures cherished by shy Laura as she waits for her gentleman caller.

The Glass Menagerie opened in Theatre by the Lake's Studio on Friday 30 July. The production runs in repertoire with five other productions in the theatre's busy Summer Season, until Saturday 6 November. Tickets cost £23 - £8 in the Main House and £16 - £8 in the Studio. To book or for more information call Box Office now on 017687 74411 or online at http://www.theatrebythelake.com/ Under 26? You could get a free ticket this Summer, call Box Office and ask about Friday Freebies.

With backstage tours and turnarounds, the theatre's café and two exhibition spaces, Theatre by the Lake can offer much more than just an evening's entertainment. Visit http://www.theatrebythelake.com/ for more information.