Wossname -- February 2016 -- Main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Tue Mar 1 00:33:14 AEDT 2016
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 2, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett.
Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of
the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the
North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname
is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
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INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE PRATCHETT STATUE: UPDATES
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"He would have said something a bit sarcastic about it, and have been
secretly very pleased. And then he would have discovered that you can
hide something inside a statue, and confided in all his friends that in
a few hundred years people would be in for a surprise."
– Neil Gaiman, commenting on the proposed Terry Pratchett statue
"Laughter can get through the keyhole while seriousness is still
hammering on the door."
– Sir Terry Pratchett, in his Carnegie Medal acceptance speech for TAMAHER
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
A very short issue this month – and that's even with the extra day. This
is due more to a lack of time than a lack of news! Fear not, there will
be a fuller issue next month.
Some of you may be aware of a formal memorial to Sir Pterry that will
take place in London this April. Tickets can still be applied for up
through the 14th of March via the Discworld.com page
(_http://discworld.com/memorial/_): "You may request a single ticket or
a pair. Tickets will be chosen at random and successful applicants will
be contacted as soon as possible after the ballot closes. Please note;
the memorial will not be broadcast or live streamed." At this time, it's
worth remembering that Pratchett and Discworld fans in the millions live
far beyond the catchment area for this event – so why don't the rest of
us who can't attend the London memorial think about holding our own
memorial gatherings, eh? Over to you, AusDWcon gang and Seamstresses'
Guild of North America and Cabbagecon and IDWcon and and and...
Action on the Discworld plays front abounds this month, with productions
cropping up in such places as Finland, Switzerland and Germany as well
as the more "usual" countries. See item 5, all fifteen parts of it...
And now, on with the show!
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) THE PRATCHETT STATUE: UPDATES
First a blue plaque in his local library, now a bronze statue in
Salisbury! Paul Kidby says:
"I am delighted that Salisbury City Council has given the thumbs up to
the proposal of a bronze statue of Sir Terry Pratchett for the city.
Designs and plans can now progress to the next stage. I am proud to be
the chosen artist to create this piece and very much look forward to
sculpting Terry. I hope the end result will be an unsentimental and a
happy depiction of the author, which celebrates his achievements both
literary and philanthropic and brings pride to the people of Salisbury.
Thanks to Emily Brand for getting the campaign up and running and to all
the 9000+ (and counting) people who signed the petition calling for the
sculpture to be made. If you haven’t yet signed and would like to back
the project here’s the link: http://chn.ge/1Jn8iVs "
http://www.paulkidby.com/salisbury-council-backs-sir-terry-pratchett-statue/
...and proposes:
“I propose a life-sized statue of Terry to be cast in bronze using the
lost wax process at a UK foundry. The sculpt I would like to create
would depict the author standing in a relaxed pose wearing his iconic
hat and carrying a book under his arm, the cover of which features the
Discworld turtle logo and no text, or alternatively the book cover could
simply say ‘Discworld’. Terry would be wearing his leather jacket and
open necked button up shirt, trousers and shoes. In the top pocket of
his jacket are some pens.
"I imagine the figure standing on a flat base, also of bronze, which
would be enscripted with his name and the dates of his life. The final
text can be as requested by his family. The central part of this base
would feature a simplified rendition of the turtle logo. I think a flat
base would work better than a raised plinth because it gives the piece a
contemporary feel and makes it more directly accessible to visitors.
People would have easy access for photos thus enabling a sense of
ownership to the fans who might visit.
"There is the possibility to add some Nac Mac Feegles (Scottish-style
pixies from Pratchett’s writing) to the sculpture which would add an
element of humour and surprise to the piece. I think these Feegles would
be best placed behind Terry’s feet so they only visible when walking to
the back of the sculpture. I think they should be doing something
mischievous such as prising the letters off the base and carrying them
off – or similar. These small characters would bring an aspect of his
Discworld creation directly into the overall piece. All in all I would
hope the sculpture would be unsentimental and a happy depiction of the
author that celebrates his achievements and brings pride to the people
of Salisbury."
From the BBC:
"Plans for a life-sized bronze statue of Sir Terry Pratchett for
Salisbury have been backed by the city council. The statue would be
designed by Paul Kidby who illustrated many of the book covers for the
Discworld books of Sir Terry, who lived locally. Mr Kidby said: 'It
would be beneficial for Salisbury to have a permanent sculpture of Terry
because he had such a big influence on popular culture.' The hope is to
install the statue in the marketplace or Elizabeth Gardens. Although
Salisbury City Council's services committee has backed the plans, money
still needs to be raised to build it and planning consent also needs to
be obtained... The campaign to build the statue is being led by Mr Kidby
with the support of Sir Terry's family. 'Terry was always like, "I don't
want pigeons sitting on my head",' Mr Kidby continued. 'His take on it
was always off on a tangent but we hope he will be pleased if it goes
ahead.' The aim is to pay for the statue through crowd-funding and
sponsorship from local companies..."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-35523353
From Salisbury Council itself:
"While there are a variety of tributes to Sir Terry, ranging from the
Baron Statue to pub signs, this would be the first permanent, public
statue of the literary figure in the whole of the UK, and as such would
become a significant cultural landmark.We started a petition roughly 3
months ago to gauge public interest in the project, and have so far
received over 2,600 signatures from both the UK and across the world
from places such as Russia and Norway. Many of these responses included
messages of overwhelming support, a large number of which suggested that
such a statue would positively influence their decisions to visit
Salisbury above other locations in the UK... Salisbury already has a
strong art and culture reputation: an example of this is the Salisbury
Art Trail in October 2015, which involved around 60 venues and over 100
local artists. A statue of Sir Terry as a local author with
international appeal can only add to this reputation and encourage even
further participation. The statue could also make a significant landmark
in the Salisbury Heritage Trail."
http://bit.ly/1VXODUh (Editor's note: this is a .pdf file)
From The Guardian:
"Campaigners will now work out how much the statue will cost, and will
then either launch a crowdfunding campaign, or look for local
sponsorship. 'Once we have an official final design and location … we
will move forward,' [Ms Emily] Brand said. 'It's a long-term project,
but the overwhelmingly positive messages we've received from around the
world show how important recognising Sir Terry's work is to the fans
that adored his work.'..."
http://bit.ly/1V0W3Gg
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04) ODDS AND SODS
4.1 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN LONGLISTED FOR CARNEGIE MEDAL
From The Guardian:
"The CILIP Carnegie, which dates back to 1936 and has been won by names
from Arthur Ransome to Noel Streatfeild, was Pratchett’s first major
book prize when he won it in 2002. The author, who died last year after
being diagnosed in 2007 with a rare form of Alzheimer’s, won the
Carnegie in 2002 with his first novel for children, The Amazing Maurice
and his Educated Rodents... Winning the prize 14 years ago, Pratchett
gave a barnstorming acceptance speech in which he laid out the
difference in the way he was viewed as a writer in the US and in the UK.
'Over there, where I've only recently made much of an impression, the
reviews tended to be quite serious and detailed, with – as Maurice
himself would have put it, "long words, like corrugated iron". Over
here, while being very nice, they tended towards the "another wacky,
zany book by comic author Terry Pratchett". In fact, Maurice has no wack
and very little zane. It's quite a serious book. Only the scenery is
funny,' said Pratchett at the time... This year, The Shepherd's Crown,
which continues the adventures of Pratchett's teenage witch Tiffany
Aching, is up against a host of former winners... The medals are judged
by panels of expert librarians..."
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/16/terry-pratchetts-final-novel-longlist-carnegie-medal-the-shepherds-crown
Editor's note: there are 20 books longlisted. The shortlist will be
announced on the 15th of March; the winners, on the 20th of June.
4.2 REVIEW: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN
I may have missed this one last year. It's by Amanda Craig in The
Guardian, August 2015:
"Pratchett, with his sardonic inventiveness, social satire, play on
language, deep feeling for landscape and love of what is best in human
nature, had less critical praise than he deserved. His heroes and
heroines are not royalty in disguise, but thieves, con-men, shepherds,
soldiers and midwives. In his championing of the ordinary, the sensible
and the slightly silly he went against the grain – and never more so
than in creating Tiffany Aching. Tiffany, like her author, is patronised
for all kinds of absurd reasons. She is young, and the daughter of a
working-class family who joke after a hard day’s work that they are
“Aching all over”. Other witches believe she can’t be a witch because
she comes from the wrong kind of land, the Chalk, supposedly too weak to
be magical. She has a sense of humour so dry that it passes most other
characters by. As a witch, she becomes a kind of health visitor on a
broomstick, helping with births, deaths, arthritis and the cutting of
old men’s toenails. Yet she has defended her land and its people from
its greatest enemies, and the most terrifying witch in Discworld has
chosen her for an heir...
"How can our heroine step into the shoes of Granny Weatherwax? Can she
follow her own path as a witch, even if it means abjuring romantic
happiness with her medical student boyfriend? Older witches, such as the
nauseating Mrs Earwig, sneer at her inexperience. It’s when the Queen of
the Elves, ousted from Fairyland in a political coup, turns up naked and
close to death on Tiffany’s doorstep that the fun really begins. Of
course it is riotously funny, with the gloriously irrepressible Nac Mac
Feegles having the best jokes and fights; as bright blue warriors
otherwise known as the Wee Free Men they are shrunken but fearsome
Scottish Nationalists; the Elves and their quarrels may well recall
other politicians south of the border. The real battle, however, is
between selfishness and duty. Pratchett has rarely been so direct. It’s
tempting to think that in this, his last book, he felt able to drop his
customary teasing through footnotes and explain what empathy is... We
are so used to the way George RR Martin or Joe Abercrombie or even
Ursula le Guin show us fantasy worlds riven with cruelty, that perhaps
the kindliness of Discworld is more subversive than it seems. It is, in
essence, a humanist’s creation in which laughter, as Nabokov said, is
the best pesticide, and humour as potent as swords..."
http://bit.ly/1hMrs1T
4.3 ORANGUTAN INTERACTIVE GAMES
No, we've not yet reached the point of being able to play Clacks against
our orange-haired distant cousins, but this is a start...
"Orang-utans at Melbourne Zoo are taking part in a world-first research
project aimed at giving the great apes greater choice and control over
how and when they interact with visitors. The research project,
conducted by the University of Melbourne in collaboration with Zoos
Victoria and the Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User
Interfaces, aims to better understand the ways orang-utans interact with
technology and how they make choices through specially designed games.
The games incorporate the Microsoft Xbox Kinect to project onto the
floor of the orang-utans' exhibit and then operate as a touch-screen,
using Kinect 3D technology to sense the animals' movements when they
choose to interact with the projections. Minister for Environment,
Climate Change and Water, Lisa Neville and Minister for Small Business,
Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis, visited Melbourne Zoo to test
their nous against Malu, a 12-year old Sumatran Orang-utan, in a series
of basic games specifically designed to encourage Malu's problem solving
ability. In a unique feature of this research project, the choice was
left completely up to Malu as to if, when, and how, he wanted to
interact with the Ministers...".
The page includes a short (under three minutes) video in which Dr Sally
Sherwin, Sarah Webber and Dr Marcus Carter explain the concept and its
implementation, and the orangutans are shown interacting with the games!
http://www.zoo.org.au/news/world-first-study-gives-orang-utans-the-choice
4.4 A POSSIBLE COMMEMORATIVE SIGN IN WINCANTON
From the Western Gazette:
"Discworld Emporium owner Bernard Pearson revealed that he thought a
memorial for his friend in the town would be good for Wincanton,
following the news that Salisbury city council is supporting a project
to create a life-sized bronze statue of the author there. Mr Pearson
suggested the new statue in Salisbury and more Pratchett related
attractions in Wincanton could form fitting spots on a tour remembering
the prolific storyteller. He said: 'The Salisbury statue is a brilliant
idea and there certainly should be something in Wincanton. We would like
to make it so that Terry's fans visit the statue in Salisbury before
coming here to the Emporium and to visit the pubs where he drank. We
hope a new town sign is commissioned and gets the go ahead because
people already come to the town to pose under the sign for pictures –
it's a bit of a tourist attraction in itself – and some new artwork
could make it even more of a draw.' Mr Pearson explained that tourists
posed for photographs with the town's signs because they proudly display
its twinned status with fictional settlement Ankh-Morpork, which has
been in place since 2002. Town council clerk, Sam Atherton, confirmed
discussions were underway. She said: "The council are in talks with
Bernard to design new signage for the entrance to the town. This in
memory of Terry.' ..."
http://bit.ly/1Lp90cP
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
5.0 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX IS COMING!
The Studio Theatre Club, "the first, ever, anywhere in the world, to
dramatise the works of Sir Terry Pratchett", will present the world
premiere of The Shakespeare Codex by Stephen Briggs, the world's
*premier* adapter of Discworld stories for the stage. If any of you
haven't been following the pre-production announcements, The Shakespeare
Codex is a mashup of The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords &
Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (the last one wasn't written by
Terry Pratchett, of course), starring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny
Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, that Shakespeare feller, a noted
16th-century monarch – and noted Shakespeare impersonator, the Earl of
Oxford.
When: 6th to 9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames
Street, Abingdon, OXON OX14 3HZ
Time: 7.30pm evening shows; Saturday matinee time not posted
Tickets: £10 (Wed./Thu.) and £11 (Friday and Saturday matinee). The
Saturday evening show is already sold out. Tickets are sold via post,
but phone and email requests can be made. For full information on
ordering tickets, go to:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/
5.1 NEW: MORT IN BRIGHTON: A SPECIAL PTERRY TRIBUTE READING (MARCH)
The New Venture Theatre will be presenting a special tribute "performed
reading" of Mort – the Stephen Briggs adaptation, directed by Dan Walker
– in March: "One year after his passing, this Performed Reading is a
celebration of Terry Pratchett’s life and work, and features one of his
most popular and humanitarian characters: Death Himself."
When: 11th and 12th March 2016
Venue: Theatre Upstairs, New Venture Theatre, Bedford Place, Brighton,
BN1 2PT
Time: 7:45pm both shows
Tickets: £6.00, available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/117203
"Please note that access to the Theatre Upstairs is only possible by 4
flights of stairs, and therefore may not be suitable for those with
mobility difficulties."
http://www.newventure.org.uk/
5.2 NEW: MASKERADE IN SOUTHEND (MARCH)
Maskerade is coming to Southend in March! Director Mark Delf writes:
"East Essex Players are once again climbing aboard the Great A'Tuin as
they bring the late and great Terry Pratchett's tale of opera phantoms
to Southend. The theatre company brought Wyrd Sisters to life in
November 2014 to sold out audiences and are hoping to recreate its
success again March this year. We had such a great time working on Wyrd
Sisters and look forward to the same challenge with Maskerade" says East
Essex Players chairman Hazel Latcham, "Due to its popularity we are even
sticking in two extra performances due to how quickly it sold out!"
When: 15th - 19th March 2016
Venue: Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, 430 London Road, Southend, Essex,
SS0 9LA (phone 01702 351135)
Time: all evening shows 7.30pm. Matinees on Thursday 17th and Saturday
19th March 2.30pm
Tickets: £11.50 and £12.50. A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies
capped at six per order. To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1nxQ6p8
and click on the Buy button for your chosen date
http://www.eastessexplayers.co.uk/
http://www.sosac.co.uk/c/?776
5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN DEREHAM (MARCH)
The Dereham Theatre Company will present their performances of the
Stephen Briggs adaptation of Wyrd Sisters in March!
When: 10th–12th March 2016
Venue: Dereham Memorial Hall, 62a Norwich Street, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1AD
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions for those aged 18 and under or over 60).
Available Tuesday through Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 9am–3pm at The
Little Gallery, 62 Norwich Street NR19 1AD; by phone 01362 690 969; and
by post cheques (supported by a valid cheque card) should be made
payable to "Dereham Theatre Company" and posted to the address above
with a stamped self-addressed envelope if you would like the tickets
sent to you. Tickets can also be booked online at
http://derehamtheatre.co.uk/ "On-line booking and sales from The Little
Gallery will be withdrawn on the day of each performance. On the day of
a performance tickets for that performance can only be purchased from
the Box Office at Dereham Memorial Hall no earlier than 30 minutes prior
to the start of the performance."
For full booking details, go to http://dosoc.co.uk/bookingdetails.asp
http://dosoc.co.uk/production2.asp
5.4 NEW: MORT IN CHELMSFORD (MARCH)
After last year's triumph, Chelmsford Theatre Workshop are back with
another Discworld production! Director Lynne Foster says, "I have loved
to read Terry Pratchett since his first books were published – and over
20 years ago , Wyrd Sisters was one of the first plays I appeared in...
After a break of a few years CTW once again put on a Terry Pratchett
last year – a production of Wyrd Sisters – significantly just after
Terry passed away. So – when I was thinking what to submit for 2015/6
season, I re-read Mort – and loved it – it has everything, magic, feisty
young protagonists, and best of all – DEATH! I think Pratchett's plays
are quite difficult to translate to the theatre, but in my opinion, Mort
is the most successful. I spoke to the team who put on Wyrd Sisters who
agreed to work with me on this – and the rest – as they say – is
history. The whole team is looking forward to producing a fast paced,
entertaining wonderful production in March."
When: 9th – 19th March 2016 (daily performances from Wednesdays to
Saturdays)
Venue: The Old Court Theatre, 233 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex
CM2 (phone 01245 606505)
Email boxoffice at chelmsfordbc.gov.uk
Website www.ctw.org.uk
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 (£9.00 for over-60s, Under-16s or Students). A £1.50
fee is applicable per transaction, except for cash and debit card
payments made in person and by telephone (01245 606505). To purchase
tickets online, go to
http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=CHEM&organ_val=26146&event_val=TWAI&schedule=list,
then click the Buy Tickets button for your desired date.
http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/mort
5.5 NEW: MASKERADE IN WITHAM, ESSEX (MARCH)
Witham Dramatic Club will be present their production of Maskerade next
month.
When: Wed. 16th to Sat. 19th of March 2016
Venue: Witham Public Hall, Collingwood Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2DY
Time: 7.45 pm all shows
Tickets: £10 advance, £12 on the door (for senior citizens and U16s, £8
in advance but £10 on the door; this discount is not available for the
Friday and Saturday shows), available by phone (01621 892404), by
emailing Contact at WithamDramatic.co.uk, or online at
http://www.withamdramatic.co.uk/boxoffice.html
http://www.withamdramatic.co.uk/production.html#inprod
5.6 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN HELSINKI (MARCH)
Thespians Anonymous, an English-speaking amateur theatre group in
Finland[1], are staging the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Guards! Guards!
next month. "Join us in the deep dive into the world of fantasy and
comedy. Dragons, magic, many laughs and a few drunks – all that and a
little bit more awaits you at our shows in the end of March!"
When: 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th March 2016
Venue: Gloria, Kulttuuriareena, Pieni Roobertinkatu 12
Time: 19.00 all shows
Tickets: €13 (€11 concession), available online at
https://holvi.com/shop/thespiansanonymous/ or at the door (cash only)
for €14 (€12 concession). Group discounts (€10 per ticket) are available
for groups of 10 people or more. "Just add 10+ tickets to your basket on
HOLVI and insert discount code GUARDSGROUP. You will get the discount
automatically!"
http://blog.thespiansanonymous.org/
[1] Where I quite want to be, according to the song...
5.7 NEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)
The Collingwood RSC Theatre Club – the RS stands for Random Salad in
this case – have been presenting various Discworld plays for over 18
year now. Now, following on from Wyrd Sisters in 2011 and Witches Abroad
in 2014, they are completing the original Witches trilogy with their
first production of Lords and Ladies!
When: 20th – 23rd April 2016
Venue: Millennium Hall, HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants
PO14 1AS
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: can be booked at the box office (phone 07502 037922) or by
emailing collingwoodrsc at sky.com
5.8 REMINDER: THE WEE FREE MEN IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (APRIL)
The Unseen Theatre gang bring on a new era of Discworld adaptations with
The Wee Free Men, adapted and directed by Pamela Munt!
"In the first of a series of Discworld novels for young adults, we meet
the young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching – a girl who reads the dictionary
for fun – because no-one ever told her not to. With a trusty frying pan
as her weapon, her grandmother's magic book (well actually its called
'Diseases of the Sheep') and the Wee Free Men by her side, Tiffany
ventures into the realm of faerie land to rescue her very sticky, and
not particularly likeable, baby brother. But, of course, all is not what
it seems..."
When: Wed. 15th April to Sat. 30th April 2016; a Sunday 17th April
matinee is to be confirmed
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee
Tickets: Adults $22; Concession $18; Children $18; Groups (6+) $16; TREv
$16; Families (2 A & 2ch.) $60. Al tickets for the Preview night (15th
April) are $15. To book online, go to www.bakehousetheatre.com. Tickets
can also be purchased at the door on the night, subject to availability.
Box office opens 7pm.
http://bakehousetheatre.com/shows/wee-free-men
5.9 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN READING (MAY)
Caversham Park Theatre will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in
April!
"If you have never experienced the late Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld
but wonder what you might have missed... Caversham Park Theatre is proud
to stage Wyrd Sisters. We hope you will dip your toe into Sir Terry’s
Discworld and discover a whole new universe of thoughtful comedy."
When: 12th, 13th and 14th May 2016
Venue: Milestone Centre, Northbrook Rd, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm for 12th and 13th April, 7pm for 14th April
Tickets: £7.00, available by phone (01189 481 377) or online at
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/118288
Book online at: www.cavparktheatre.org.uk or phone 0118-948-1377
5.10 NEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN SWITZERLAND (APRIL/MAY)
The Gay Beggars theatre group of the University of Basel will present
their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in May!
When: 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th April; 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th May 2016
Venue: Cellar Theatre of the English Seminar, University of Basel,
Nadelberg 6
Time: 8pm all shows, except 1st May which starts at 5pm
Tickets: CHF25 (students, apprentices, AHV, IV CHF15). There is a group
discount for school classes of CHF10 per student; contact
reservations at gay beggars.ch for groups of 10 or more.
Tickets can be reserved by emailing reservations at gaybeggars.ch.
"Reserved tickets must be picked up at the evening box office (opens one
hour before the show).'
http://www.gaybeggars.ch/
5.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN SOMERSET (MAY)
The Minehead Dramatic Society will stage their production of Wyrd
Sisters in May.
When: 13, 14 and 15th May 2016
Venue: Regal Theatre, 10-16 The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5AY
(phone 01643 706430)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adults £8.00, Friends £7.50, ES40’s/Students £4.00. Online
tickets can be purchased by logging in to
http://intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=mt&pg=selectevent&start=1&sel=11
and clicking on the date of your choice. "Please note that tickets
cannot be purchased, on-line, on the same day as the performance. Please
call into the box office or telephone 01643 706430 (Monday to Saturday
10.00am to 3.00pm)"
http://regaltheatre.co.uk/
http://regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson/?pno=2
5.12 NEW: MORT IN HESSE, GERMANY (MAY)
The Helden Theatre will be staging their production of Gevatter Tod
(that's the Deutsche title of Mort) in May 2016!
When: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2016
Venue: Theater Altes Hallenbad, Haagstrasse 29, 61169 Friedberg
Time: 7.30pm Saturday 21st, 3.30pm Sunday 22nd
Tickets: €10 concessions €8). To purchase online, go to
http://bit.ly/1Rbt0MP and click on the Tickets button
http://heldentheater.de
5.13 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)
We Are Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in July.
When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box
office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact
wearetheatre at googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107
www.wearetheatre.co.uk
5.14 REMINDER: : LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)
The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North
of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by
Irana Brown, in July. "We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny
and fast-moving adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth
novel sees the welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our
stage. It promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid
disappointment!"
When: 12th to 16th July 2016
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF.
Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email
tickets.peoplestheatre at email.com. (Box Office is open weekdays
10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 7.30–8.30pm). To book online, go
to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and be prepared to
jump through a truly daft series of hoops:
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe
http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj
5.15 REVIEW: SOUL MUSIC IN DURHAM
By James Gill, in the Durham University newspaper Palatinate:
"The night was made joyfully unique due to a few pleasurable directorial
decisions from Mikey Bicaregui and Hamish Inglis, which included having
Albert (Matthew Elliot-Ripley) appear on stage in character 20 minutes
prior to the performance, which created a fun atmosphere as the audience
trickled in. Additionally, having savvy businessman Dibbler (Fred
Ridell) sell snacks during the intermission added a unique flair to the
show. Laurence Stanley’s performance turned the often one-dimensional
character of Death into a sombre but hilarious persona. He was a clear
highlight in the play, and whether he was scaring us or moving us to
laughter, there was never a dull moment. Wilf Wort was tremendously
impressive as Glod, garnering consistent laughter from the audience as
he illustrated his hilarious negotiation techniques, whilst also
delivering his lines with a unique gusto. Adam Simpson was also
remarkable in portraying Buddy’s transformation from a young outgoing
lad to a reclusive rock and roll star. Elliot-Ripley was fabulous as
Albert, a fitting narrator who helped to string together the loosely
connected plotlines, and he was also excellent when mentoring Susan in
fulfilling the duties of Death. In addition to these characters, it must
be mentioned that Uday Duggal as The Dean—along with the members of the
Legion—supplied great comedic support, and added immensely to the
overall experience of the play... Although Soul Music was heavily
hampered by Eddleston’s disconnected script, great performances from the
majority of the cast and some tremendously comedic moments made this
production truly enjoyable..."
http://www.palatinate.org.uk/soul-music-review-hilarious/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
CABBAGECON 4 NEWS
"On 1 and 2 July 2017 the fourth Dutch Discworld Convention Cabbagecon 4
will happen at the hotel Carlton President in Utrecht. It will be an
occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad
to meet up again and have some fun. We hope to see you too!"
Advance tickets are available:
Weekend
€60,00
Language
English
Membership of Cabbagecon 4 for the whole weekend
Price: €60,00
Saturday
€35,00
Language
English
Membership for Cabbagecon 4 on Saturday
Price: €35,00
Sunday
€35,00
Language
English
Membership of Cabbagecon 4 for Sunday
Price: €35,00
http://www.dutchdwcon.nl/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on 30th November 1999
(-5874 days to go), according to their website, or more probably on
Monday 7th March 2016 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London,
W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email
BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk
*
Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "We
are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in
Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people
from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be
heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We
welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you
at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please
contact us via Facebook
(_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups
(_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or
join us at our next event."
*
There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the
Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will
continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan
Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
*
The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either
Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things
Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons,
Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery
party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24
suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun
night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December
so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's
Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who
meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula
directly at uwilmott at yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South
Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala
Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."
For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 3rd March 2016
(probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For
more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 4th
March 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards.
"Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of
Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis
since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not
in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at
The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to
discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles.
Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the
Discworld Stamps forum:
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 7th
March 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George
Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny
Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets
next on Monday 7th March 2016 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526
Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth
Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra
Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Just the one this time, and fingers crossed for its eventual realisation
in bronze. Paul Kidby's preliminary sketch for the proposed Pratchett
statue:
http://www.paulkidby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Sculpture-Proposal-webpic-432x733_c.jpg
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
That petition to name one of the newly discovered elements "octarine"
ultimately gathered 50,000 signatures, after which the
signature-gathering was closed. Chances are far below the fabled one in
a million that this naming will happen, but we can always hope. See you
next month!
– Annie Mac
Remember, the Wossname blog (_wossname.dreamwidth.org_) often features
image-based posts and is worth checking now and again. The mirror
version of this current issue can be viewed at
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/31147.html
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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