An Inspector Calls Up Carlton Theatre Group
Written by David Hall

Local drama society, Carlton Theatre Group and former user of our old community centre, is now based at the William Morris Rooms.  However, rarely can a group of its actors have the chance to play in front of eight sell out audiences of almost 1700, per performance, in the main Wimbledon Theatre.  But that is exactly what happened to a small team of Carlton performers earlier this month!

To be fair, the four Carlton actors (including myself, my wife Jil, Raoul de Bunsen and Pamela Warren) were only unpaid ‘supernumeraries’, when An Inspector Calls, written by JB Priestly came to town from 2 – 6 October.  However, the experience for anyone interested in theatre, was an invaluable one.

Carlton regularly gets contacted by touring groups or local casting companies asking for extras or actors to assist on student films and the like - and no doubt others have taken up other such opportunities.

However the chance to perform in the award-winning production was too good to miss.  In Stephen Daldry’s revival of the classic (which has been running since 1992) the ‘supers’ appear for about 15 minutes and operate akin to a silent ‘Greek chorus’ representing Eva Smith’s peers, observing and judging the disdainful and imperious Birling family who are indirectly responsible for Eva’s death.

In a dramatic finale the whole Birling façade literally and then metaphorically collapses following the Inspector’s damning condemnation.

The touring company and cast (made up of just seven actors and four understudies) were very welcoming to the Carlton team (plus three other ‘supers’ and a few local children) during a very hectic week.  Following a trip to Cheltenham the company will then be taking the show to the States to perform at Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston over the coming months. 

If you missed this appearance, Carlton is performing Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ in the more modest surroundings of the Wimbledon Theatre Studio from 13-17 November.

Carlton is now over 90 years old and is hoping to announce its new season of plays later in the year here. Anyone interested in getting involved in any capacity (including backstage) will be very welcome to come along to one of their open events or auditions in the new year at the William Morris Rooms.  

As whilst it may be true that ‘all the world’s a stage’, why not ‘screw your courage to the sticking place’ for the ‘valiant never taste of death but once’…

Well done to anyone who spotted that these are all Shakespeare quotes! If you enjoyed this, read the full event review on our Wimblecomm blog.

Event Review - Eden Stell Guitar Duo
Written by Kathie Arundel, WCA Volunteer

It was a wet and cold Saturday evening that beckoned a full house to one of our listed venues, St Saviour’s Church Raynes Park, to attend a classical guitar concert by the internationally renowned Eden Stell Guitar Duo (Mark Eden and Christopher Stell) http://www.edenstell.com/. A Duo known for their dynamism and innovation, they are widely regarded as one of the world’s leading guitar ensembles.  As a Dutch reviewer critiqued: “they have breathed new life into the world of classical guitar” – and they did not disappoint!

Whilst the range of pieces played included European artistes Giuliani, Scarlatti, Mompou and Brahms, some of which dated back to the 18th century, the modernising of the arrangements by the Duo and the acclaimed John Williams put to bed the idea that such music was restricted to just the influence of the Catalan province. Indeed with the modern twist to the arrangements there were joyous sounds of the flamenco dance but also those of gentle breezes, lullabies and la danse au francais!

And St Saviour’s as hosts did not disappoint either. With £1 glasses of carefully chosen wines and a range of nibbles on the table, the £12 tickets were a bargain given the calibre of the charming and self-effacing Duo. The audience gave them spontaneous and rightly deserved applause and I rather think that the grand Church organ behind the guitarists chimed in too!  An evening of sheer delight.

For more event reviews, you can visit the Wimblecomm blog. Alternatively, if you have attended an event within Merton that you would like to share your experience on, we always welcome new submissions for publishing on our website, or as a feature in the next Community Bytes newsletter. Do get in contact and/or send us your ideas; we look forward to hearing from you soon.

I’ve been to three events in Merton Arts Space in the course of ten days – all very different, demonstrating the role this space plays in the community.

Firstly, on 4 October, was the launch of Wimbledon’s 2018 Bookfest – an evening with the author Lionel Shriver. The event was managed by the Bookfest team alongside staff and volunteers from the library service. Over 200 people attended to hear the author of We Need to Talk about Kevin (plus many others) in conversation with Samira Ahmed, who conducted the interview very adeptly. Bookfest has become a key part of Wimbledon life, and it’s great that the library service has such a fantastic space to host the launch event each year.