• Taster Sessions - a reflection on the first taster sessions
• Forthcoming Courses and Events
• Community Board - a place to share happenings in the performing arts community across Cumbria.
• Apothecary Updates

Our Taster Sessions

We have had a great time at our taster events so far, and we’re happy to announce that, with the help of your input, we are now starting to release the courses (more information later in this letter).

Here are just a few images of the taster evenings with Company Founder & Director, Victoria Barbé and Collaborative Artist, Dr. James Issitt.

Thank you for the support and enthusiasm from all of the participants - we have been blown away!! Hope you’ve had fun so far too! If you haven’t come along to an event yet - please do.

Forthcoming Courses

Thanks to your returned surveys and generous time for chatting, we are starting the roll out of the courses!

The first courses released will be in Drama Improvisation for Beginners and Singing for Beginners.

Singing For Beginners will kick off from Monday 26th February until Monday 25th March, on Monday evenings at The Howard Arms in Brampton with Victoria Barbé.

The course will be £50 for a 5 week course, with classes taking place from 7pm to 8pm in the Dickens Suite.

If you would like to book, please email Victoria at info@apothecary-of-arts.com, and she will send you a payment link. You can also pay for the course at the first session by card or even cash.

Drama Improvisation for Beginners will run from Monday 26th February on Monday mornings 11am to 12pm at The Howard Arms in Brampton with Dr. James Issitt.

The course will be £50 for a 5 week course, with classes taking place in the Dickens Suite.

If you would like to book, please email Victoria at info@apothecary-of-arts.com, and she will send you a payment link. You can also pay for the course at the first session by card or even cash.

We are in the process of adding more dates and times for singing, drama and dance courses. Please keep your eye on our website and social media pages for the latest details: https://www.apothecary-of-arts.com/courses-workshops-services

Here are a couple of the activities we have been made aware of:

Could you be a Gilsland Player?

Fancy joining a group of super friendly and talented performers? The Gilsland Players are looking for more actors to join them in their play adaptations of, “The Last Panto in Little Gilsland” and “The Fat Lady Sings in Little Gilsland”.

They are looking for a range of new members but are also currently needing someone for the role of Margaret - a feisty, argumentative and strong woman. Rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings at the Gilsland Village Hall.

Performance dates are still tbc.

How could you resist this friendly bunch?

If you’re interested, please email the Director, Tom Gutteridge, at tomgutteridge1@hotmail.com

Photo by Simon Moss, and features from left to right:

Daryl Hodgson, Tom Gutteridge, Malcolm Redman,

Trudie Newlove and Andrew Keen.

Opportunity with Playback Theatre

Playback Theatre is improvised theatre that retells stories from the audience. It is fun, therapeutic and meaningful. We are in the process of setting up Cumbria Playback Theatre and are organising workshops to introduce people to this great theatre form. We only ask for a £15 contribution for the workshop.

Date: Saturday 13 April 10.30 - 15.00 at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick

On Friday night 12 April there is also a performance by Manchester Playback at the Theatre by the Lake (tickets via their website). So, if you want to see playback in action before you join, come along to the performance.

Contact cumbriaplayback@gmail.com to book for workshops or to get more information.

Monique and Claire

This also features on the Theatre By the Lake website.

Apothecary Updates

Did you know that one of our brilliant collaborative artists, Dr. James Issitt , is a member of the Magic Circle? He has lectured twice at The Magic Circle in London offering performance advice for close-up magicians. Every year James attends the world’s largest magic convention in Blackpool to share his research and passion for magic, and he has just returned from his latest adventure there. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to finding out more about that!!

Another of our amazing collaborative artists, Bronté Barbé, has recently finished a run as the lead role of Katherine Plummer in Disney’s Newsies at the Troubadour Wembley Arena, and as Kathy in a tour of Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder, which is soon due to open in the West End!! You can catch a comedy promo of the show here.

Bronté is collaborating as one of our specialists to work on the online feedback service for performers offered, and when she has a moment to breathe, deliver specialist workshops.

Victoria, the Founder & Director of the Apothecary, has been busy too, with making new connections for the company, building content for this newsletter (also written by Victoria- hence you’ll notice the tone for Victoria’s activities will likely have less ‘showy offness’ about them #humble ha ha! ) and delivering workshops across Cumbrian schools this month as part of The Family Connector Project funded by the Cumbria Education Trust and led by Dr, Grace Thomas, to help bring free access to specialist arts activities to young people. One really exciting project is a collaboration with Angel Advocates. They are having a special launch in May, and Victoria will be singing and organising the ents side of things - the work of this company is truly amazing and making a difference to those that need support and advocacy in their lives. You can read more about this amazing company here and details about the event will be shared soon.

We are being joined by some super professionals this year, and as well as through this newsletter, you can read more about our artists here (click on our photos for the biographies).

Thank you for reading our first newsletter!