One Act Play Festival in the News!

The Hole in One Act Play Festival at the Dolman Theatre from 12 - 16 October continues to gain support, which will hopefully lead to big audiences this week.

Today an item about the many celebrities who have sent messages of support appeared in the local newspaper, The Argus.

Then, the morning post, which arrived as usual at 2pm, included a message of support from Simon Bird, one of the brightest rising young TV stars who is fast making a name for himself in series such as 'The Inbetweeners' and 'The King Is Dead'.

Simon joins such luminaries as writers Alan Ayckbourn, Tom Stoppard and Alan Bennett and actors Sir Ian McKellan, Dame Judi Dench, Michael Sheen and Helena Bonham Carter, who have all written to wish Newport Playgoers good luck with the festival.

Good luck message from TV star Simon Bird

Video of famous faces

An amazing array of prominent writers and actors have sent good luck messages to Newport Playgoers as they prepare to tee off with their Hole in one Act Play Festival at the Dolman Theatre from 12 - 16 October. This video features a few famous famous faces:

Famous Names Support Premiere of New Plays at Dolman Theatre

Michael Sheen, Alan Ayckbourn, Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Judi Dench are just a few of the famous names who have sent messages of support for a festival of one act plays taking place at the Dolman Theatre next week (12th – 16th October). 

Phil Mansell with some of the signed photos
of support from writers and stars.

 The Hole in One Act Play Festival, inspired by the Ryder Cup being held in Newport, features four brand new plays chosen by Wales’s top playwright Frank Vickery from over 40 entered in a competition to find new writing talent.

Taking an innovative and quirky look at golf, the plays include a couch potato who is given a free virtual reality golf session, the tale of how a down-at-heel crazy golf course attempts to revive its flagging fortunes, and a Pinteresque look at life, golf and everything.

“As the plays were the winners of a competition designed to encourage new writing for the theatre, I decided to contact prominent people in the arts to lend their support to the festival,” explained Phil Mansell, whose play ‘Bunkered’ is one of the plays featured.

“To my delight we’ve had a great response, including a message from Sir Alan Ayckbourn, signed greetings from Sir Ian McKellan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Prunella Scales and James Bolam - and a postcard from Alan Bennett apologising that he has no photos but sending his best wishes and hoping everyone has a grand time.

”West End star Connie Fisher wrote to say she might even pop in to see the plays as she lives in the area and her husband loves golf.”

Phil’s play is about the owner of a crazy golf course which is in dire straits because it’s at the downmarket end of a recently revamped seafront and unable to compete with the exciting and glitzy new attractions at the other end of the bay.

“I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember,” said Phil, who as a student at the London Film School, wrote and directed movies and has since worked in a variety of creative roles in advertising and PR. “Seeing my play brought to life by some of the best local acting talent has been amazing. I’m now determined to have more of my plays staged at the Dolman, and am currently writing a novel and working on ideas for a TV sitcom.”

Playgoers President, Bruce Campbell, said, “The standard of entries for the competition, which was organised to tie in with the Ryder Cup coming to Newport, was extremely high, and selecting four for this festival of one act plays was no easy task. Luckily we were able to call upon the considerable skills of playwright Frank Vickery as a judge, and the result is a fascinating mixture of plays which promises to provide a real theatrical treat.

“Having good luck messages from such prominent actors and writers is the icing on the cake,” he added.

The Hole in One Act Play Festival is at the Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October. For more information and to book tickets, phone (01633) 263670. More information is available online at www.dolman-theatre.co.uk and www.newportplaygoers.wordpress.com.

Festival of Golf Plays Set to Tee Off

The Hole in One Act Play Festival starts next week at the Dolman Theatre. Here's a short video providing a glimpse of the delights to come.

Forget the Ryder Cup –Newport’s Other Golf Competition is Packed with Sex and Drama!

The Ryder Cup is not the only competition centred around golf that’s being held in Newport in October. A festival of four new one act plays on the subject – featuring sex on a crazy golf course and a virtual reality driving range - is currently in rehearsal preparing to tee off at their premiere at the 400-seat Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October.

Taking an innovative and quirky look at golf, the plays feature the tale of how sexual blackmail is used to revive the fortunes of a down-at-heel crazy golf course, a couch potato who is given a free virtual reality golf session, and a Pinteresque look at life, golf and everything.

The plays are the winners of a competition organised by Newport Playgoers Society to find new writers for the theatre and were judged by Wales’s leading playwright Frank Vickery to be the best of over 40 entered for the competition.

“The standard of entries for the competition, which was organised to tie in with the Ryder Cup coming to Newport, was extremely high, and selecting four for this festival of one act plays was no easy task,” said Playgoers President, Bruce Campbell. “Luckily we were able to call upon the considerable skills of playwright Frank Vickery as a judge, and the result is a fascinating mixture of plays which promises to provide a real theatrical treat.

“We’ve had lots of support and congratulations from prominent playwrights such as Alan Ayckbourn and Alan Bennett, as well as messages from noted actors including Sir Ian McKellan, Dame Judi Dench, Michael Sheen, Richard Wilson and Prunella Scales. The letters are still pouring in and we’re hoping to hear from some of the Ryder Cup competitors including Tiger Woods,” he added.

The Hole in One Act Play Festival is at the Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October. For more information and to book tickets, phone (01633) 263670. More information is available online at http://www.dolman-theatre.co.uk/ and http://www.newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/.

Never mind the Ryder Cup – See Newport’s Other Golf Competition for Real Drama!

The Ryder Cup is not the only competition centred around golf that’s being held in Newport in October. A festival of four new one act plays on the subject is currently in rehearsal preparing to tee off at their premiere at the 400-seat Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October.

Taking an innovative and quirky look at golf, the plays feature a couch potato who is given a free virtual reality golf session, the tale of how a down-at-heel crazy golf course attempts to revive its flagging fortunes, and a Pinteresque look at life, golf and everything.

The plays are the winners of a competition organised by Newport Playgoers Society to find new writers for the theatre and were judged by Wales’s leading playwright Frank Vickery to be the best of over 40 entered for the competition.

“The standard of entries for the competition, which was organised to tie in with the Ryder Cup coming to Newport, was extremely high, and selecting four for this festival of one act plays was no easy task,” said Playgoers President, Bruce Campbell. “Luckily we were able to call upon the considerable skills of playwright Frank Vickery as a judge, and the result is a fascinating mixture of plays which promises to provide a real theatrical treat.

“We’ve had lots of support and congratulations from prominent playwrights such as Alan Ayckbourn and Alan Bennett, as well as messages from noted actors including Sir Ian McKellan, Dame Judi Dench, Michael Sheen, Richard Wilson and Prunella Scales. The letters are still pouring in and we’re hoping to hear from some of the Ryder Cup competitors including Tiger Woods,” he added.

The Hole in One Act Play Festival is at the Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October. For more information and to book tickets, phone (01633) 263670. More information is available online at http://www.dolman-theatre.co.uk/ and http://www.newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/

Phil's crazy golf play's a hole in one!

A writer from Newport has had his play selected by Wales’s top playwright Frank Vickery to feature in a festival of one act plays on the theme of golf.

Phil Mansell (above) entered his play ‘Bunkered’ in a competition run by Newport Playgoers Society to tie in with the Ryder Cup coming to the city. He was delighted when his play was judged by Frank Vickery to be one of the best four out of over 40 entries which will be staged as part of the Hole in One Act Play Festival at the Dolman Theatre from 12th - 16th October.

“It was great to hear one my plays had been selected for this innovative festival of new dramatic writing talent. The fact that it was chosen by Frank Vickery who is acknowledged to be one of today’s leading playwrights is the icing on the cake,” said 59-year-old Phil who writes for a living as a press officer at Newport’s University.

“My play is about the owner of a crazy golf course which is in dire straits because it’s at the downmarket end of a recently revamped seafront and unable to compete with the exciting and glitzy new attractions at the other end of the bay. Luckily his friends, an ageing hippy sandwich board man and a waitress from an ice cream parlour, come to his rescue.”

Phil has been writing for as long as he can remember. As a student at the London Film School, he wrote and directed movies and since then has had a variety of creative roles in advertising, marketing and PR. He has had five books published in the Netherlands and Denmark, three for teenagers and two picture books, which he also illustrated, for younger children.

Recently, he won the best drama award at the annual Writing Competition organised by the English department at the University of Wales, Newport, where he studied for a Masters degree in Multimedia. He has written several other plays which he hopes to stage at the Dolman Studio Theatre, and is currently writing a novel and developing ideas for a TV sitcom.

LEFT: In Phil’s play ‘Bunkered’, Tom (Graeme Johnson), the owner of crazy golf course, has to rely on ageing hippy Dylan (Bruno Cook) and Kath (Clare Drewett) from the Igloo Ice Cream Parlour to beat the recession and save his business from ending up in the rough.

The other three plays selected for the festival include the tale of a couch potato’s adventures on a futuristic virtual reality golf course, how disaster looms amid the bunting as a golf club prepares to celebrate its centenary, and a Pinteresque look at life and golf.

“The standard of entries for the play-writing competition was extremely high, and selecting four for this festival of one act plays was no easy task,” said Playgoers President, Bruce Campbell. “Luckily we were able to call upon the considerable skills of playwright Frank Vickery as a judge, and the result is a fascinating mixture of plays which promises to provide a real theatrical treat for everyone.

”There are prizes of £100, £50 and £25 and trophies for the three best plays – and the results will be revealed after the Saturday night performance,” he added.

The Hole in One Act Play Festival is at the Dolman Theatre from 12 – 16 October. For more information and to book tickets, phone (01633) 263670. More information is available online at:
http://www.dolman-theatre.co.uk/ and http://www.newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/
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