You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile!

This year Selkirk Amateur Operatic Society very kindly gifted us with some complimentary tickets for their production of 'Annie'.
Every year 'Annie' has remained as one of the top five most performed musicals in the UK, along with other classics such as 'Guys & Dolls' and 'Oliver!'.

It's hard to really pinpoint what makes a musical so popular - in the office we all have our own favourites (mine's A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum!) however dealing with enquiries on a daily basis means we do see see patterns and trends that emerge over the years. If you visit our historical timeline on our website you can even see what the top musicals were for each decade. However, 'Annie' has always been slightly different as despite what the trends are for that year, 'Annie' has consistently remained within the top five most performed musicals.

Seeing Selkirk perform 'Annie' made it clear why the musical is so popular. Simply, it's a real 'feel good' musical with plenty of great musical numbers, a likeable lead character, and plenty of funny moments - even the 'bad guys' are, in their own way, endearing.
A huge bonus comes from the fact that there are also enough roles for a much larger cast - many of Selkirk's ensemble had a chance to portray their own characters at various points of the show instead of just being relegated to a few dance steps and chorus vocals at the back of the stage.

Whilst watching Selkirk, many individual performances stood out to me - Ian Wilson who played Radio Host Bert Healy had managed to capture that distinctively American smooth radio voice perfectly ('Oxident! Because you're never fully dressed without a smile!') and the dancers were well rehearsed, handling their routines with ease and keeping in sync with each other and the beat. Freya Hoppe and Ellen McFadzen both stood out as being particularly confident and comfortable on stage. Freya is a talented dancer who is able to maintain a beaming smile throughout the show - after months of rehearsals I'm sure she must have been feeling tired however she still looked fresh & like she was having the time of her life. Meanwhile Ellen had a real stage presence and had made a real effort with her hairstyle and makeup, which fitted the era perfectly & had been applied well.
A topic that Ewan from Utopia Costumes has touched on in his columns for NODA Today has been the importance of styling makeup & hair for the right era for the show. Every now and again we do still see examples of modern fringes, tans and makeup looks up on stage, whilst they undoubtedly make the person look great they're not always a look that is right for the era, or the character - imagine the Matchmaker from 'Fiddler on the Roof' appearing with bright red lipstick & a sideswept fringe.  Not only is it fun to try a new look from a bygone era but when hair is properly styled and the right makeup applied then it can really pull a costume and the whole look of a show together. It can even have that psychological effect of helping you become your character as you go through the application - however, this is probably a blog for another time!

As we went on the Thursday night we saw Jess Thomson play little orphan Annie. We were both very impressed with Jess's performance - there are a lot of lines to learn and she didn't stumble once through the whole show & delivered them clearly & confidently. She pulled off Annie's sassy personality well, sweet talking the policeman to rescue Sandy the dog, and won the hearts of the audience alongside Daddy Warbucks & his assistant Grace. She also handled 'Sandy' (played by Meg the Border Terrier) well, although there was one very funny moment where Meg struck gold and managed to get her head in the pocket containing all the treats. What I initially thought was a lovely cuddle between dog and girl quickly turned into Annie having to wrestle Sandy as she tried to sing 'Tomorrow'. Whilst a nervous performer might have visibly panicked Jess didn't even flinch, managing to continue to deliver a perfect rendition of 'Tomorrow' whilst hauling Sandy away from the treats.
Jess also worked well with Grace played by Karen D'Agrosa. Karen's Grace was very likeable and managed to play sweet without being sickly, and was also one of half of a brilliant husband & wife team as her real life husband Raymond D'Agrosa played Daddy Warbucks. Raymond has a really fantastic voice and the developing relationship between little orphan Annie and her potential adoptive Father Oliver Warbucks felt authentic. Raymond also effectively portrayed the changing nature of Warbucks who grows from being a workaholic with no time to a loving Father who makes time.

Last year's King from 2014's 'The King & I' had swapped his palace in Siam to the Oval Office in Washington DC to play the President Franklin D Roosevelt and did so with aplomb, and his Cabinet had the audience in raptures as they sang 'Tomorrow' together. Lewis Wilde and Kyle Fairbairn also did well to juggle multiple roles throughout the show - I am sure the many costume changes and different cues kept them on their toes for the six months of rehearsal!
For me however, the absolute standout stars of the show had to go to the comedic and dastardly trio of Miss Hannigan, Rooster and Lily St Regis (like the hotel!) who were played by Val McLean, Stuart Mitchell and Yvonne Mitchell. Val McLean stalked the stage like an exhausted hawk, clutching onto her 'medicine' and nursing her constant hangover. You almost felt sorry for her as she descended into madness during 'Little Girls'. That is until she teams up with her con artist brother and his latest squeeze in a plan to take up Daddy Warbuck's offer of a reward by pretending to be Annie's long lost parents - Mr & Mrs Mudge. Stuart Mitchell is a confident performer who played the despicable Rooster perfectly, balancing the badness with a touch of comedy and Yvonne Mitchell shone as Lily St Regis. With a girlish American accent and a squealing giggle just right for the character - think Shirley Temple on helium - Yvonne had the down-on-her-luck glamour girl with loose morals absolutely pegged. When the three performed 'Easy Street' it was with much hilarity.

Overall Selkirk AOS put together a really fantastic performance of 'Annie' and it would be easy to just go through the entire cast listing all the positives. The children's cast gave a performance that was polished and professional, and the adults all performed well in their roles - often many of the supporting cast played more than one role but put their all into each one.
This was a very confident performance from Selkirk and there are several members of the cast who are starting to emerge as real stars - i'm sure it won't be long till we start to see some of the younger, newer members taking on some leading roles! Well done Selkirk on a fantastic show - we're looking forward to seeing what you do next year!

Written by Tamsin
Photo Credit: Yvonne Mitchell

If you're thinking of doing 'Annie' for your next show then please get in touch to receive a full colour brochure of our plans and pictures.

We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.

The Border Studio - Design to Inspire

We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.

With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store

get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.

From Cubs To Bears

On Tuesday 20th January Kate was kindly invited to speak about our #bearinablanket project to the Selkirk Cubs Group.

It was a great evening where Kate spoke to the Cubs about her travels in Egypt, the places she had visited and the people she had met and ultimately what had inspired her to start up the #bearinablanket project. 
The #bearinablanket project's goal is to try and bring a bit of happiness and hope to impoverished families living in Egypt, as well as comfort to the children who often don't have a single toy of their own. Kate had visited several families in a rural village, and whilst she had been warmly welcomed she had been shocked by the living conditions.
Kate decided to try and knit blankets and matching jumpers which she would put on teddy bears to give to the children the next time she was out - the idea being that each child would receive a warm, cosy blanket with a corresponding teddy bear. She bought up the teddy bears at charity shops and in carboot sales and started to knit jumpers and squares in bright, vibrant colours, before crocheting them with black wool to make the colours stand out even further. 
When she explained to her friends what she was trying to do, a lot of them who also enjoyed knitting decided to come on board with the project and start knitting too - and so the #bearinablanket project was born! Kate decided to use the platform of her business, The Border Studio to ask if anyone wanted to help and since then support has been terrific with bears, squares, balls of wool and completed blankets arriving from theatre groups all across the UK - we've even received pictures of groups knitting together in rehearsal and the story has been featured in the press across the UK in various newspapers and magazines.

When talking to the Cubs, Kate was very impressed by their attentiveness and enthusiasm in learning about the project, and they were visibly touched by the pictures that Kate showed them of the families and children in Egypt. After the talk one of the boys even came up to Kate offering to donate a pair of brand new shoes that didn't fit him very well. 
As part of the talk Kate had put together an Egyptian themed game where the boys had to decode a secret message using Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs - she was amazed by how quickly the boys all cracked the code - uncovering where she had hidden a 'buried treasure' under the bears and blankets! The boys were all delighted to discover the 'treasure' was in fact a box of chocolates for them all, and the first group to guess the correct order also received an extra treat each. 

Kate really enjoyed her evening talking to the Cubs and left feeling very impressed by the whole group. They were incredibly welcoming and asked some really interesting questions about what she had seen in Egypt. Let's hope a few boys are encouraged to pick up some knitting needles and have a go at knitting some squares themselves!

If you would like to get involved with our #bearinablanket project then click this link to download a PDF file with more information, as well as some instructions to help get you started. You can also email bearinablanket@gmail.com with any questions or contact us via our Facebook page.
Happy knitting!

We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.

The Border Studio - Design to Inspire

We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.

With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store

get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.

 Written by Tamsin

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the mill

Not a creature was stirring, there were no squeaks or shrills.

The backcloths were tucked on the shelving with care

And the stone walls protected them from the cold, frosty air.

The scenery was nestled, all neat in their rows

And the only sound came from the crowing of crows.

Every once in a while you’d hear the drip of a tap

Or the soulful old meow from an adventuring cat.

When unexpectedly outside, their rose such a clatter,

The mice all woke up to see what was the matter

Away to the windows they flew like a flash,

But the shutters blew open with an almighty crash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to the mice’s wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

The mice knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!

On Comet, On, Cupid! On, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the mill—top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of props, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, the mice heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

The mice squeaked in excitement, and as they turned round,

Through the window St Nicholas came in with a bound. 

He was dressed up in overalls and shone like a Saint

As his clothes were all tarnished with glitter and paint,

A bundle of props he had on his back

And he looked like a pedlar just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And the mice squeaked when they saw him, and some hid on the shelf!

But a wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon let them know they had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word but went straight to work,

He unloaded the props, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, through the window he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But the mice heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

“And please do remember” he said with a smile,

“there’s only one place with scenery who’ll go an extra mile.

For magic, enchantment and shows hard to forget

The Border Studio is where you’ll find all of that met”

“The Border Studio works hard to always do their duty,

And provide their customers with things of great beauty.

When we sing and dance up North in the snow,

The Border Studio always provides the scenery for our show

We wouldn’t have any other, it wouldn’t be right,

But anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Our very own adaptation of 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', originally written by Clement Clarke Moore.
Our version was written by Tamsin

 

We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.

The Border Studio - Design to Inspire

We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.

With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store

get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.

Add some Magic and Sparkle to your Christmas!

As I'm sure you are all aware Christmas is just around the corner, and Christmas really isn't Christmas without the decorations!

Some of you may already have your trees up and baubles polished, whilst the rest of us are groaning at the thought of having to wrestle your tree out the attic and untangle yards of fairy lights. 

Over here at The Border Studio we like to think we're quite a creative bunch, and we do like to sink our teeth into a good DIY project (as shown by our enthusiasm for knitting blankets and bears for our #bearinablanket project!)

A Christmas Wreath - handmade by our very own Tamsin

This year I decided to put together a list of some of my favourite DIY and 'How To' projects to help you decorate your house in a more creative, and even cost efficient way. Some of these would also be really fun activities you could do with your own children and grandchildren or with youth groups in the lead up to Christmas - and you'll end up with handmade decorations that are a bit more special then a multipack of coloured baubles from the local garden centre.

Of course crafts aren't for everyone - but if you do feel up for a challenge with decorating your house this year then this guide is perfect for those who want to be a bit more creative and hands-on. We certainly think our customers are very creative and hands-on and definitely willing to take on any challenge!
We have tried to find detailed 'how to' guides for each project so just click on the links to find out how to do them yourself. We hope you enjoy!

1. Ballerina Snowflakes 
2. Glitter Snowballs  
3. Wooden Diamonds 
4. Willow Stars - I learned to construct these on holiday at Centerparcs this year. They can seem a bit fiddly but once you get the hang of them you can do them in your sleep - and they look so pretty hung around the house!

1. Paper Snowflakes - Best Pattern Collections 1 & 2
2. Tissue Paper Pom Poms - We used paper pom-poms to decorate our office last year, alongside miles & miles of traditional paper garlands
3. Swan Place Settings - We couldn't find a 'how to', but I'm sure you can follow these to put together your own design. Perfect for Panto Parties!
4. Painted Tree Stump Side Tables - A unique way to dress your house, we love these rustic side tables. All you need is a tree, sanding paper, some elbow grease and some pretty paint colours. 
5. 3D Stars & Snowflakes - we made a few of these last year to hang in the window. Much easier to make then they look! We recommend using a stapler to put together and we made a card 'stencil' to cut around to ensure all the sizes matched.

1. Glittery Pinecones 
2. Glittery Leaves Garland 
3. Leaf Table Setting - Send your children outside to gather some leaves then simply spray paint them! A cheap yet very creative way to sort out place settings.
4. Glittery Twigs - Again you just need to gather some twigs together and spray glitter over them. Just pop them into a vase and display them in the corner of the room, you can even thread fairy lights through them. They would make an interesting, yet lovely table centrepiece.

Something a little different

Although these aren't strictly Christmassy, we couldn't resist popping them in to show you! The party boxes would be perfect alongside the swan place settings for a Panto themed party, and the paper hats are ideal for New Years. Lots of these decorations could be used to put together a fantastic 'Princess' themed party - with different coloured wooden gems, homemade crowns and Fairy Tale themed decorations the party would be fit for a Queen - you could even reuse all your snowflakes and declare it a 'Frozen' party!

1. Party Hats
2. Cinderella's Coach Party Boxes  - we found plenty of similar ones available to buy on eBay
3. Castle Lanterns

We would love to see how you get on! Make sure you post pictures of your handmade decorations to our Facebook page, tweet us or tag us in your pictures so we can see! 

Written by Tamsin

We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.

The Border Studio - Design to Inspire

We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.

With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store

get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.

Gearing up for Panto Season...

'Cinderella' - as performed by EROS Musical Society last year

As we finally emerge into a very frosty December, there is only one thing on the minds of anyone who works in theatre - no, not Christmas but Panto Season!

Panto Season has always been the busiest time of the year for us. All our backcloths are regularly booked almost a year in advance, and we spend the months leading up to December having to fend off phone calls from people trying to book pantomime kitchens, woods, Cinderella coaches and beanstalks at the last minute. 

'Hansel & Gretel' - as performed by FMC Technologies last year

This year we are particularly excited as not only are we looking forward to Panto Day on the 12th December, but we are also starting to gear up for the release of Kenneth Branagh's new live action adaptation of 'Cinderella'. We posted the official film trailer on our Facebook page last week - but today also saw the release of the official film posters - a chance to admire the exquisite costumes, opulent settings and all-star cast!

Long before Anna and Elsa from box office phenomenon 'Frozen' came onto the scene, Cinderella has reigned supreme as the nation's most popular panto princess. In fact the recently revealed statistics from the National Database of Pantomime Performance and first ever National Amateur Panto Survey show that 'Cinderella' managed to beat off competition from rival princesses 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Snow White' to remain the people's princess, and only very narrowly missed out on the top spot, which went to 'Aladdin'.

'Cinderella' has always been a popular pantomime to perform as it is guaranteed to sell tickets. Many a little girl and boy has looked on in awe and wonder as the Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella from penniless servant into the belle of the ball, and this moment in the Disney film is still remembered as a wondrous and inspirational sequence of animation. After watching the Disney film or seeing a performance at the theatre who doesn't want to find their Prince Charming and have their own Cinderella moment?

From watching the trailer Kenneth Branagh's film certainly doesn't look set to disappoint - with an all star cast featuring many familiar faces from Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones - as well as Hollywood veterans Cate Blanchett as the Wicked Stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, 'Cinderella' also looks to be a great showcase for emerging British acting talent. Although a whole host of starlet's and more-than familiar-faces are rumoured to have auditioned - including Harry Potter alumni Emma Watson and The Wolf of Wall Street's Margot Robbie, it was Downton's Lily James who was picked for the title role - and although this isn't her first foray into film this is certainly her first real blockbuster role.

From the official film trailer and the promotional pictures that have been recently released it is clear that we can expect a real visual masterpiece. Although we can't comment on the standard of acting until we've seen the film (although with cast members including Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branagh at the helm, I'm sure we're in safe hands!) we can definitely comment and say that the costumes and settings look phenomenal. We ooohed and aaahed when we saw the first image of Cinderella's gilded carriage, and it's wonderful to see Cinderella's beautiful, and iconic pale blue ball gown brought to life.

Promotional image from 'Into the Woods'

Of course - 'Cinderella' isn't the only show to get the Hollywood treatment this year. With last summer's release of 'Maleficent' starring Angelina Jolie -an adaptation taken from the original story of 'Sleeping Beauty', and the upcoming 'Into the Woods' film which features another all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp and James Corden to name just a few, it seems that cinema is having a bit of a moment in revisiting classic fairy tales and musicals. Another Disney favourite 'Tarzan' is set to be remade, and plenty of rumours are circulating across the internet that 'Wicked' is set to be the next Broadway show to be remade for the big screen. In reverse, in 2014 it was hard to avoid the behemoth that was the box office smashing, record breaking 'Frozen'.

Queen Elsa - a more than familiar face to parents across the world

Apparently there are already talks happening on Broadway as people hope to capitalise on its seemingly unwavering popularity and put together a stage show version. Even now, nearly a year after it's original release, cinemas are still successfully putting on 'Sing a Long' Frozen screenings so we're sure any show that features Queen Elsa and her singing snowman Olaf would have swarms of little girls begging their parents to buy tickets - only last week I walked into Tesco to see they had put on a 'Frozen' party and the small children of the Scottish Borders, boys and girls alike, were queuing up to have their faces painted and buy yet more 'Frozen' merchandise - lunch-boxes, wigs, hair clips and party plates. If it has Elsa's face on it then it's in high demand this year for Christmas.
As it happens, Disney has played a clever card to guarantee that people go see 'Cinderella' by announcing that a 'Frozen' short will play before the film - we're sure that will be leverage enough to persuade plenty of little girls to go pester their parents to book cinema tickets!

Promotional image from 'Into The Woods'

However, as theatre and film fanatics this is no bad thing. We love that these films are being remade into live action movies! It gives us a chance to drool over the big budget costumes and sets and provides us with plenty of inspiration from which to design or enhance our own sets. I think the release of these films will also help rejuvenate flagging theatre audiences - little girls who go see 'Cinderella' at the cinema may ask their parents to buy tickets for the local panto, and families may even decide to go see a show together later in the year. Hopefully, with cinema revitalising these old musicals and stories it helps bring new audiences back to the theatre to see the same shows performed locally, and I'm sure with some clever promotion local theatres can capitalise on any box office successes and trends.

We are sure that this will be a year that we will see lots of little girls and boys queueing up to see the local pantomime with their parents, proudly wearing their Cinderella, Rapunzel and Elsa costumes and frantically waving around their flashing wands and swords. Let's hope that this new interest taken by Hollywood helps bring audiences back to their local theatres and we see a renewed interest in the Arts and the Theatre - especially in the face of government cuts to this area.

Written by Tamsin





'Cinderella' is due to be released on the 13th March 2015
'Into the Woods' is due to be released on the 25th December 2014 

We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.

The Border Studio - Design to Inspire

We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.

With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store

get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.