Quotes
'By golly, was I impressed' THE STAGE
'The Special Edition Teacher Pack offers fascinating education and training add-ons....I think Stage on Screen is breaking new ground and deserves to succeed.' THE STAGE
‘Top of the Pops chief takes theatre into the classroom.’ LONDON EVENING STANDARD
'What a great idea! What more could a teacher want?' INK PELLET, The Arts Magazine for Teachers
‘Atmospheric…diabolically convincing…flashes of fiery poetry…directed with laudable clarity by Elizabeth Freestone’ TIME OUT on Dr Faustus
‘The production succeeded in bringing this dramatic poem to life and kept an audience rapt' THE BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE on Dr Faustus
‘It is a delight! A production to relish…you know this is going to be fun.’ THE BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE on The School for Scandal
‘The quality and energy of the production and direction were first class.’ DAVID SPRIGG, JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR, STAGECOACH on Dr Faustus
'School for Scandal' was a sparkling mix of wit and gossip that brought the text to life for our A level students. The producer and cast are to be congratulated' AILSA R.E. CLAYBOURN, KENDRICK SCHOOL on The School for Scandal
' I think these DVDs are brilliant. People who are teaching this would be crazy not to buy it.' BARBARA BLEIMAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, THE ENGLISH AND MEDIA CENTRE
'Faustus is brilliant! Just what my students needed - very well done!' JULI MORGAN-RUSSELL, HEAD OF ENGLISH, LITTLE HEATH SCHOOL, READING
'Clear and imaginative storytelling - an invaluable teaching tool.' MRS LIZ GOODMAN, HEAD OF ENGLISH, SAINT OLAVES' SCHOOL, ORPINGTON. THE TIMES STATE SCHOOL OF THE YEAR 2009
Press Release
Dr Faustus & The School for Scandal
DVDs Released: 16th November 2009
Plays are written to be seen and heard, but for many schools and individuals, theatre trips can be difficult to organise and are expensive. And that’s assuming the play you want to see is being performed within travelling distance.
But now, Stage on Screen is offering a real alternative by recording a wide range of classic theatre plays and distributing them on DVD. The first two plays were staged at Greenwich Theatre this October and were Marlowe’s Dr Faustus and Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (both on the GCSE syllabus).
'Atmospheric...diabolically convincing...flashes of fiery poetry...directed with laudable clarity by Elizabeth Freestone' TIME OUT
With the DVDs of the plays, teachers and students will be able to watch and study plays on the syllabus easily, conveniently and cost-effectively, and, thanks to the wealth of extras and study aids included in our teaching packs, get a real feel for the production.
The plays produced will be predominantly chosen from the English, Theatre Studies and Drama GCSE and A level syllabuses, and will be staged and recorded at Greenwich Theatre, the award-winning South East London venue. The professional recording by Stage on Screen will be on High Definition Video and produced to deliver the look and feel of a live performance.
DVDs will be available via the Stage on Screen website www.stageonscreen.com. There will be three versions available: a DVD of the play for students and theatre lovers, a Library Pack for rental use and a 4-disc Teacher Pack, which includes an extras DVD and an interactive CD ROM that allows students to edit their own versions of key scenes.
The first plays to be produced, Dr Faustus and The School for Scandal, will be available from 16th November 2009. These will be followed soon after by The Duchess of Malfi and Volpone. Other plays in the pipeline include Lady Windermere's Fan, A Doll’s House, Antigone, The White Devil and The Alchemist.
The perfect gift for theatre lovers and students this Christmas!
Stage on Screen – Because plays are written to be seen
For further information or interview requests please contact PPR Publicity:
Lauren@pprpublicity.com / 0208 746 4612
Doughall@pprpublicity.com / 0208 746 4608
Notes to Editors
About Stage on Screen
Stage on Screen was formed in 2009 to record a broad range of classic stage plays and distribute them on DVD to libraries, schools, students as valuable learning aids, as well as to theatre lovers in general. The company is based in Central London, and is run by its founders, together with a small team of marketing and other specialists. All DVDs will be available to order from www.stageonscreen.com
Stage on Screen was originally conceived by Richard Adams, who has enjoyed a long and successful career in TV and film production. Other key members of the management team include Pete Eyles and Phil Rees, responsible for marketing and production – both have an extensive background in running media and production companies. The DVDs will be directed by Chris Cowey - previously director of Top of The Pops for the BBC and numerous other live TV programmes.
For more details, please contact: Phil Rees, Director, Stage on Screen.
Tel: 07720 040435 or office: 020 3174 3249. E-mail: phil.rees@stageonscreen.com
About Greenwich Theatre
Greenwich Theatre provides a nationally unique programme of educational opportunities for young people, presents a year round programme of professional performance, and occupies a key position in the UK’s musical theatre development scene. In recent years the theatre has produced the world premieres of Sir Arnold Wesker’s latest play Longitude starring Anthony O’Donnell and the Christine Keeler musical A Model Girl starring Emma Williams. In 2008 the theatre was granted the London 2012 Inspire Mark following the launch of Inspiring Spaces, a four year programme of site specific performance and participation around Greenwich.
Under director James Haddrell, Greenwich Theatre’s provision of creative learning opportunities for young people has evolved and expanded dramatically in the past 2 years, winning the London Region Edge Award for vocational training provision in 2007 and this year launching a pioneering Junior Artist In Residence programme.
For more details, please contact Louisa Beer, Marketing Manager, Greenwich Theatre.
Tel: 020 8858 4447 Email: l.beer@greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Quotes
“This is a truly exciting opportunity. Nothing like this has ever been done before, and our research indicates that these DVDs will make a massive difference to the enjoyment, appreciation and study of the plays. They will alleviate time and cost pressures on teachers, who will also, we hope, find the many additional features in the teachers’ packs and on the website invaluable. In addition, students will benefit from enjoyable and effective study aids – and an increased chance of achieving the highest grades.”
Phil Rees, Director of Stage on Screen
“Greenwich Theatre is the natural home for this initiative, representing as it does the perfect fusion of theatre and learning. It marks a key moment in the Theatre’s history as we embark on a period of regular producing not seen since the late 90s, but maintains an educational motivation for the work. Nothing will ever beat the experience of live theatre for young people, but we have to be honest and acknowledge the economic and logistical challenges faced by teachers who want their students to experience curriculum texts in performance. Far from being an alternative to going to the theatre, this will enhance the learning experience for young people unable to attend a live performance, and offer a bridge into theatre attendance in the future.”
James Haddrell, Director of Greenwich Theatre