A Bunch of Amateurs – Assistant Director Neil Bull’s Blog

2 May 2014

Hi. My name is Neil Bull and I am the Assistant Director on A Bunch of Amateurs by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. This is a world premiere of the stage adaptation of their film of the same title, and is a co–production between The Watermill Theatre and Trademark Films.

Over the coming weeks I will be your eyes and ears in the rehearsal room as Director Caroline Leslie and her team craft and create this exciting piece of new theatre.

I invite you to join me through an ‘access all areas’ rehearsal blog. I’ll keep you updated with information on rehearsals, and post photos and interviews with the cast and creative team. You can see first-hand the production evolve and take shape, literally from the screen to the page to the stage.

After all the meetings and preparation, on Tuesday, from various parts of the country the director, writers, musical composer, cast and members of the creative, technical and marketing team from the Watermill Theatre (and me) all converged upon the intimate rehearsal room for the first read-through.

The play tells the story of an amateur group who, in a last bid to save their beloved theatre from redevelopment, enlist the services of fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele to play King Lear. Steele thinks he has come to tread the hallowed boards of Stratford Upon Avon, home of the Bard, but in fact he is in Stratford St John, Suffolk, home of Dorothy, Mary, Nigel and Denis.

As I looked around the table and listened to the first reading, I could tell that all the right ingredients were in the room; a fun, funny and moving script; Caroline had gathered together an exemplary cast of actors, all full of character, energy and talent. Paul Herbert, who has collaborated with Caroline in the past, had written some joyful and touching refrains and musical interludes to be sung by the cast, and Tom Rogers had created a truly beautiful and ingenious set design to, yet again, transform the Watermill space.

(The Company of A Bunch of Amateurs: the read through at The Watermill Theatre 2014 ©)

As the read-through drew to a close, I glanced over at the writers Ian, and Nick and co-producer David Parfitt who were sitting next to Hedda Beeby, Artistic Director of The Watermill. It was smiles all round and I think they were all pretty chuffed and excited.

Ian and Nick looked over to Caroline, “That was great. Over to you!”

And so we begin…

I look forward to your company as you join Caroline, the cast, the creative team and me for our A Bunch of Amateurs Blog.

Speak soon,

Neil Bull
Assistant Director