Networks Blog Stories Nº. 27: Pilar Benito

This week's blogger is Pilar Benito. She's currently part of our great team of dancers for the pantomime Aladdin. She has now made the transition from our theatre courses to the theatre group and I'm sure we'll see her in many shows to come.

1. What’s your name?

Pilar Benito

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name?

In my first class I was Maria, but then I changed class and there was another Maria, so now I'm Pilar.

3. How many shows have you appeared in?

6

4. Name them!

Scrooge.com, Make a wish, My! School Musical, Bananas! the musical, Adventures in Pantoland and Psychedelic cool.

5. What was your first show?
Scrooge.com

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows?

Music, happiness. Working all together to do such great plays is one of the best experiences in my life.

7. A) What is your earliest memory of Nick?

The earliest memory was when I was with my parents in the supermarket and suddenly appeared Nick and Dennis and Nick started to talk to me and I was scared because I didn't understand anything.

ED: PLEASE REMEMBER MARIA THAT NICK PROBABLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING EITHER.

B) What is your favourite memory of Nick?

When it was his birthday and my class bought a cake. We entered late into the class, switched off the lights and lit the candles.

C) What is your scariest memory of Nick?

When I was in my first show and I was talking in the small room and Nick entered... you can guess what happened.

8. What has been your favourite show to date?

Psychedelic cool, of course

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal?

Every moment is magic. I can't choose only one.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production?

Here it is. Waiting to go on in Psychedelic Cool.



11. Are there any ideas you’d like to give Nick when he’s planning productions.
Any stories or subjects that you think might make good shows?

I would suggest one with Abba songs but there is already Robin Hood :) I hope to do it.

ED: THE LIST TO SIGN UP FOR THE ROBIN HOOD SHOW IS IN THE OFFICE. WE START IN JANUARY!

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word?

Friendship

Networks Blog Stories Nº. 25: Eva María Rubio Aparicio

This week's Networks' Actor on the blog is Eva María Rubio Aparicio. Eva has appeared in five shows and I'm sure we'll see her again "treading the boards" of Networks.

1. What’s your name? Eva

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name? Emma

3. How many shows have you appeared in? 5

4. Name them! Pfff...My School Musical, Bananas the musical, Adventures in Pantoland, Around the World in 80 Days and Psychedelic Cool

5. What was your first show? My School Musical

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? Having lots of fun

7. A) What is your earliest memory of Nick? You`re late!!

B) What is your favourite memory of Nick? The jokes

C) What is your scariest memory of Nick? Shut up in the small room

8. What has been your favourite show to date? Psychedelic Cool

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? ...

ed: SILENCE FROM EVA....A DOG BARKS IN THE DISTANCE....NO? OBVIOUSLY NOT

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? (Attach it to the email and we’ll put it on the blog.) ...

ed: SILENCE FROM EVA....A PIECE OF TUMBLEWEED ROLLS PAST...NO? OH WELL I'LL FIND ONE WITH YOU IN IT! AND YOU'LL LOVE IT! HERE YOU ARE!




11. Are there any ideas you’d like to give Nick when he’s planning productions. Stories or subjects that you think might make good shows?
Titanic!!!!

ed: I HAVE A SINKING FEELING ALREADY

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word? Team

Networks Blog Stories Nº. 24: David Verdejo

This week's blog entry is from David Verdejo. He was in the first ever shows back in 1999 and has played an enormous part in our success over the years. He is a two time Networks Theatre Award winner. He won the lifetime achievement award in 2008 and also won that year Best Actor for his performance as the Narrator in Odysseus. He continues to be a part of theatre these days even though he is at University, last year he participated in A Christmas Carol and also gave a very memorable performance as Ben in When I was Me.

1. What’s your name?

DAVID VERDEJO MORENO

2. Did/Do you have a Networks name?

DAVID

3. How many shows have you appeared in?

21

4. Name them!

FIRST SHOWS, MILLENNIUM SHOWS, ROBIN HOOD, TREASURE PLANET, A CHRISTMAS CAROL (THE PLAY), WELCOME TO SWEETVILLE, CHRISTMAS AT THE MAJESTIC HOTEL, FLIGHT, ALADDIN, FAIRY TALE MIX, DRACULA, PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, ROMEO & JULIET, ROBIN HOOD AND THE ABBA SILVER DISC, CINDERELLA, ROBIN HOOD THE PRINCE STRIKES BACK, SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, ODYSSEUS, FRANKENSTEIN, A CHRISTMAS CAROL and WHEN I WAS ME.

5. What was your first show?

FIRST SHOWS, MARCH 1999

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows?

I remember when I entered my first time, I saw Nick giving us stickers for our names and I remember thinking I hope this is not the man who is going to organise our shows.

7. A) What is your earliest memory of Nick?

See answer 6.

B) What is your favourite memory of Nick?

During the show Treasure Planet we had quotations from famous people. One of the pictures was of Ghandi and I asked him if that was his father. You should have seen his face!

C) What is your scariest memory of Nick?

A carton of orange juice, I’ll say no more.

8. What has been your favourite show to date?

Robin Hood Part One. There was a great connection between everybody in the cast. We knew were doing one of Nick’s best written shows.

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal?

There was one moment, and I can’t remember when, when I realised I had lost all of my shyness.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production?



THIS IS FROM FLIGHT JUNE 2003

11. Are there any ideas you’d like to give Nick when he’s planning productions. Any stories or subjects that you think might make good shows?

Nick has already made my dream come true. I suggested to him to do a show with the music of Queen. He wrote Odysseus!

12. Finally: can you sum up Networks Theatre in one word?

Opportunity.

Networks Blog Stories Nº. 23: Nick Moore

1. What’s your name? NICK

2. Do you have a Networks name? I'M SURE I'VE BEEN CALLED MANY.

3. How many shows have you appeared in? ACTED: 16 WRITTEN: 49 DIRECTED: 50

4. Name them!A CHRISTMAS CAROL - THE PANTO, A CHRISTMAS CAROL - THE PLAY, THREE PRINCESSES IN WAITING, THE HAPPY PRINCE, DICK WHITTINGTON, THE SCARECROW GIRL, SNOW WHITE X2, CINDERELLA X2, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, UGLY, ALADDIN, PAINTING MEMORIES, LAST PANTO IN LITTLE GRIMLEY,

5. What was your first show? AS ACTOR, A CHRISTMAS CAROL - THE PLAY, AS WRITER/DIRECTOR THE FIRST SHOWS IN MARCH 1998

6. What are your earliest memories of the shows? LEE'S ENTHUSIASM, LEARNING THE WORD "GANAS." Realising the potential of the students. Knowing that whatever you asked them to do they were capable of doing it.

7. What is your earliest/favourite/scariest memory of Nick? PUBLIC APOLOGY. :-) I'M SORRY IF I'VE EVER SCARED SOMEONE WHEN I DIDN'T MEAN TO. I ONLY MEANT TO DO THAT TO A FEW PEOPLE. (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.) THERE IS NO GREATER SATISFACTION THAN CREEPING UP TO THE DOOR OF THE SMALL ROOM WHEN PEOPLE DON'T KNOW I'M THERE. ENDLESSLY AMUSING.

8. What has been your favourite show to date? REALLY DIFFICULT TO NAME ONE...BUT IF ONLY FOR THE FINAL TWO SONGS......MARCH 2008 - SHOW 35 ODYSSEUS.

SEE BOTH SONGS HERE. The Show Must Go On and We are the Champions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OEr51Uq0EM

9. Do you have a favourite moment in a show or memorable moment in rehearsal? I HAVE A MILLION OF THESE...HERE ARE A FEW....

THE FIRST TIME WE DID SNOW WHITE AND TEACHING THE YOUNG ACTORS PLAYING THE DWARFS THE SONGS. IT WAS A WONDERFUL MOMENT.

THE OPENING OF FLIGHT...ONE WING DOWN LOW....

SINGING WITH ALBERT IN PRINCE AND THE PAUPER...(HE'S A NATURAL ACTOR BUT DOESN'T REALISE HOW GOOD HE IS)

THE END OF KINDERTRANSPORT WHEN LUIS SAID "GOODNIGHT MAMA,"

THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF REMEMBRANCE & DISTANT THUNDER.

THE AWARDS NIGHTS. THE BEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR!!!

RECNAD

DAVID (WE SHARE A BIRTHDAY)AND MARIA.

CHARLIE, ALBERT, BROCKITO AND YERAY. AS TYROL DANCERS AND SCROOGETTES.

LAURA GOMEZ, A NATURAL TALENT.

DENNIS CARPENTER. PROBLEM SOLVED.

WHEN I WAS ME.

CERTAIN SPECIAL STUDENTS YOU GET EXTRA CLOSE TO. I CAN'T NAME NAMES AS THEN SOME OF YOU WILL FEEL LEFT OUT, BUT SOME STUDENTS MAKE MY LIFE AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE.

AND COUNTLESS OTHER SPECIAL MOMENTS THAT SO MANY OF YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, TO MAKE MY WORK A JOY.

10. What is your favourite photograph of any production? (Attach it to the email from the show's CDRom and we’ll put it on the blog.) DONE

11. Are there any ideas you’d like to give Nick when he’s planning productions. Stories or subjects that you think might make good shows? OBVIOUSLY I CAN'T ANSWER THIS QUESTION EXCEPT TO SAY...IT IS MY AMBITION THAT THE BIG PLAN IS THAT THE NETWORKS ACTORS WRITE THE SHOWS AND DIRECT THEM. IT'S YOUR THEATRE.

12. Finally can you sum up Networks Theatre in just one word? MAGICAL





THIS HAS TO BE MY FAVOURITE PHOTO OF ALL TIME. ALL THE STUDENTS TOTALLY IN THE MOMENT.



IT IS SO SATISFYING TO CREATE A MOMENT THEN SEE IT SO BRILLIANTLY PERFORMED.



I HAVE SO MANY PHOTOS OF YOU ALL AS CHILDREN, I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY FAIR TO PUT UP ONE OF ME. I WAS 14. IT'S NOT A WIG.



ISN'T IT AMAZING. ALL THESE PEOPLE SAID I WANT TO COME TWO NIGHTS A WEEK AND CREATE SOMETHING BRILLIANT!


MY FAVOURITE POSTER THAT I'VE CREATED. IT TOOK DAYS TO CREATE. IT'S MADE UP OF LOTS OF COMPOSITE IMAGES CONNECTED TO THE STORY OF THE LIFE OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS. MANY ASPECTS OF MY WRITING ARE CONNECTED TO FLIGHT. I BELIEVE YOU CAN FLY!



PART ONE OF A LOOK BACK AT SHOWS AT NETWORKS.



PART TWO OF A LOOK BACK OF SHOWS AT NETWORKS.