Drum Machine Theatre – a new Guernsey theatre group – is one of 14 groups or companies to have been chosen from 31 affiliated festivals around the British Isles and beyond to perform at the National Drama Festival, which is to be held in Bromsgrove near Birmingham from 30 July to 3 August.
The group’s production of Brothers by Kerry Drumm, starring Simon De La Rue as Matt and Dave Hyett as Jay, which was performed at the recent One Act Play Festival, will be the second play of the opening night of the national event, which is regarded as the most prestigious showcase for amateur theatre in the country.
Kerry lives in Cheshire but the story of how the play came to be shown in Guernsey goes back years and all the way from Australia.
‘After I had done some screen acting studies in Melbourne, I went to see the premiere of Kerry’s play, Strawberry,’ explained Simon.
‘It was so good, about a teenager with a strawberry birthmark. I was really wowed by it. Shortly after, I got a part in another play at the same venue and got to know that play’s prop-maker – and it turned out to be the same Kerry Drumm. She asked if I’d proofread her next play, Brothers, and sent me the script when I came back to Guernsey. So I’ve known this play since 2021 – before its first production in Melbourne the following year.’
‘We spoke about the play when we were both in MTG’s Skellig in 2022,’ said Dave. ‘I never really get the opportunity to play something deep. I said to Simon I’d love to do something deep and he said he had the perfect piece. I fell in love with it.’
‘Director Fiona Dove said the audience will get to see Dave in a different light,’ said Simon.
‘Things like the multi layers of emotion that Jay goes through,’ explained Dave. I’ve never cried or quivered in a play before, but when we performed the play at the OAPF, Simon and I could barely control our emotions. We’d not had that before.’
‘You get so deeply into the script it’s not like acting any more,’ said Simon.
During the One Act Festival the play won two awards – the Frankie Billington Trophy for the highest-marked all-male cast and the Margaret Moffatt Trophy to director Fiona Dove for the highest-marked first-time director. They were also nominated for the Elaine Ralls Memorial Trophy (Magic Moment) for the play’s fight sequence and Dave was nominated for the Rollie Wooley Memorial Trophy for outstanding performance. They also had some excellent comments from the adjudicator Ben Humphrey.
‘We’ve had long chats about the scene changes – the transitions – and Fiona is working with our stage manager to make those happen right now,’ said Simon.
Both actors are enjoying the hard work that goes into a two-man play.
‘It’s exhausting,’ admitted Simon. ‘If it was longer than an hour, I think I’d struggle at my age. But I delight in it. When I’m in a play I completely lose where I am. I just spend the hour dealing with what’s happening on stage – responding to what Dave is doing and saying. You don’t have to think what happens next, you’re prompted to it.’
‘We play our characters at different ages,’ said Dave. ‘We become our younger selves and then seamlessly transition back. The changing of emotions instantaneously – that’s the hardest bit, personally.’
Kerry is pleased that Simon and Dave have put so much work and love into the play.
‘This is only the second production of the play anywhere in the world and she’s really excited about it,’ said Simon.
‘She’s actually waived her fees to help towards our fundraising to take it to the UK, so in the unlikely event of breaking even, the next tranche of money will be to pay her her due.’
Ahead of this exciting adventure, Drum Machine Theatre will be performing the one-hour play again in Guernsey on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, to give those who were unable to attend the local festival another couple of chances to see it.
‘We are extremely grateful to Avril Earl for finding two available dates in her busy studio-theatre calendar, which really helps us with the fundraising,’ said Simon.
Brothers by Drum Machine Theatre is at the Avril Earl Centre, St Andrew’s on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July. Tickets are £10 or £7.50 for students, though please note that due to mature themes, violence and strong language, this play is not recommend for under-14s. Just go to the Ticket Source website and search for Brothers.
You need to be logged in to comment.