1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,080 Hello and welcome to the Brentwood Buzz, a podcast 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,200 celebrating all that's good about the people and places of 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,800 Brentwood, Essex. I'm Kay Bellwood, The Brentwood 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,880 Buzz loves community theatre and many local amdram groups have 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,160 been featured on the podcast. We're stepping further afield 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,280 this time to say to the Romford Shakespeare Theatre, whose 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,360 summer 2026 production will be The Comedy of Errors, staged 8 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,400 outside at Ardley House in. But fear not, there's a 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,440 Brentwood connection, as it's being directed by Lindsay 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,240 Hollingsworth, a Brentwood resident and a member of the 11 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,120 College Players and Essex Music Services, with backup and help 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,240 from her husband Paul and daughters Amy and Phoebe. 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,040 Hello, my name is Lindsay Hollingsworth and I'm currently 14 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,440 directing the Romford Shakespeare Theatres production 15 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,000 of The Comedy of Errors. Let's start with that because 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,600 you've got a great history of directing and writing for local 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,440 community theatres. So, Romford Shakespeare, how 18 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:03,640 long have you been involved with them? 19 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:10,800 Oh gosh, since since Phoebe was 3 and she's now 20, nearly 25. 20 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,320 So that that long. Yes, I auditioned for Romford 21 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:18,720 Shakespeare Theatre and got a part and had just been involved 22 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,360 ever since. It's a lovely experience because 23 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,600 they perform outdoors and it's very different to any other 24 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,360 drama group I've belonged to because of that. 25 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,640 And it's also that we we perform over 2 weeks so you really get 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,680 to grips with your part and the character and and get to know 27 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,880 the cast and make make lasting relationships and friendships. 28 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,000 Yeah, because is it been a kind of like a a rolling number of 29 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,440 people or or are does the car stay fairly similar even over 20 30 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,560 years? Oh, I'd say it's pretty rolling. 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,160 You get new members coming in and people can dip in and dip 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,520 out, but it's a little bit incestuous from all the 33 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,640 different drama groups they will dip in. 34 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:02,160 So we've got quite a few local and DRAM groups and casting. 35 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,040 You can get appropriate people or more women, more men. 36 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,760 Because I think what we found with the podcast is that you 37 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,520 might kind of talk to the college players, but you find 38 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,040 there's somebody there from the Marlborough Dramatic Club or 39 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,720 somebody there from 149 or somebody there from Hutton. 40 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,360 And, and there seems to be like a core of people, a pool of 41 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,480 people that that circulate. Yes, definitely. 42 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,040 And it depends on what you're, what play you're doing and what 43 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,200 what type of age group or female, male or cast or what 44 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,360 who's appropriate for what part that you might dip into 45 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,120 different different groups. What's brought you from the 46 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:35,560 acting to the directing this time? 47 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,560 Because you're not new to directing by any means, but 48 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,800 you're new to directing with the The Romford Group. 49 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,320 Yes, this is my first time directing with Romford 50 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,480 Shakespeare Theatre. Before that, I'd always my 51 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,120 partner in crime, Nick Wilkes At College Players, we Co direct, 52 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,520 Co write and Co direct our pantomime, our annual pantomime. 53 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,880 And that's been going on for oh, I joined them back in, I joined 54 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,640 them back in 93 and we started writing pantos. 55 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:04,440 I've been acting with College players quite a while. 56 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,680 And then I put my hand up to direct Dad's Army, which was 57 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,480 fantastic production with a lovely, lovely cast and very 58 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,080 fond memories of that production. 59 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,320 And then a little bit later than that, I think I was 2015 Dad's 60 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,240 Army. And then a little bit later than 61 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,680 that, put my hand up to do, oh, what a lovely war. 62 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,320 Bill Wells twisted my arm to, to direct that with him. 63 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,560 Yeah. And that was we, we added music. 64 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,320 So I've got Paul Hollingsworth involved to be my musical 65 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,040 director, which I've also got as him as musical director for the 66 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,240 Comedy of Errors as well. So we're having some lovely 67 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,960 music to go with the Ottoman Empire theme. 68 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,240 Because Paul's a cornet player, trumpet player, isn't he? 69 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,840 So not not a lute or anything. Is it going to be more modern 70 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,240 type of music? What's the instrument called? 71 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,880 They've got mandolin, was it? And a bazookie. 72 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,960 I think Joe's are Joe Whiteman's playing bazookie and lots of 73 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,600 percussion instruments. And it's going to be, yeah, 74 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,480 interesting, but appropriate for the. 75 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,120 I mean, Shakespeare never actually went to the Ottoman 76 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,320 Empire and he never visited. And this was a shock to me, 77 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,280 never visited, visited Italy. Even though he wrote to 78 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,200 Gentleman of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, he never went to Italy. 79 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,360 He would never visited there. So my creation of the Ottoman 80 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,840 Empire is a kind of very Shakespearean take on what he 81 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,040 would have thought. It was a mixture of all 82 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,720 different things and costumes and music. 83 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:31,920 And how did you get involved in drama? 84 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,560 Have you always been somebody who did drama at school or has 85 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,880 done that as sort of am drams or community theatre? 86 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,120 Or is it something that's just happened since 1993? 87 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,280 Oh no. So if I go way back, way back to 88 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:47,080 primary school, I was that little girl that put her hand up 89 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,480 when some people came from the Queen's Theatre and I think 90 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,920 Chameleons, it was a Havering based drama group were doing a 91 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,000 production of Under Milk Wood and they needed little girl to 92 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,680 play Gwenny. And I put my hand up and I got 93 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,760 picked. So that was my first sort of 94 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,720 stage appearance. I can still remember the when he 95 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,120 calls the boys, they make such a noise. 96 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:06,800 Boys, boys, boys come along to me. 97 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:08,920 I can still remember it. It's a lovely, lovely memory. 98 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:14,520 And Nick was actually in that production as No Good Boyo in In 99 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:16,240 a Boat. I mean, it's just we were meant 100 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:17,600 to be friends. It was meant to happen. 101 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,440 And then I did see CSE music at Francis Bosley. 102 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:27,200 Yeah, just love that because it was, it wasn't writing, it was 103 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,560 improvisation. And that I think, was a great 104 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,680 thing as you're leaving school to be able to improvise. 105 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,120 So when you're sitting in the doctors feeling very awkward and 106 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,600 there's someone sitting next to you can start up a conversation, 107 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:39,840 you can talk about something. I was quite shy. 108 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:44,040 I wasn't necessarily outgoing and I could just chat to anybody 109 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,200 because of that background of CSE drama. 110 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,440 And then a little bit later in life I missed it. 111 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:53,040 Sort of life change for me and I thought I've got time to dip 112 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:57,480 back into drama. Saw this advertised as a the 113 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,960 college place where we're an adult education class. 114 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:07,760 Saw it advertised and that was in 94 and met Nick and we've 115 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,240 been best buds ever since. Yeah. 116 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,640 That was run by Angie Marshall and it was, she would include 117 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,360 everybody. It was really lovely inclusive 118 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,760 class. And we did the pantos, we did 119 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,400 plays. And then, yeah, we, we branched 120 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,360 away from the adult education and just carried on as the 121 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,480 college players. But yeah, it's. 122 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,880 And I love it. It feeds that side of my brain 123 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,440 with that creative side. I mean, I do musical things as 124 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,880 well, but I think if I'm not using that creative side, a 125 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,000 little bit of me dies inside. And I'm not, I'm not myself, you 126 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,280 know. So that was at the moment I've 127 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:47,320 got a house full of costumes and props and it's definitely taking 128 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,600 over. And Amy said, my daughter said, 129 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,480 what are you going to do when the show's over? 130 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,320 Because it is filling my mind. But I quite like that, you know, 131 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,080 with everything else that's going on in the world at the 132 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,360 moment, that that could really make you quite cross and, and 133 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,560 depressed. I'm I'm feeding my brain full of 134 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,760 what costume can I put so and so in and oh, should we get that 135 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,800 prop and oh, I need to find this and I need to direct that little 136 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,240 bit, little bit different. So for me, it's it's good 137 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:14,200 therapy. Yeah. 138 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,840 And you're also a drum teacher or a music teacher, but you 139 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,560 specialized in drums? Yes. 140 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,520 So that's also been another little hobby alongside the 141 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,280 drama, hence the house being full of instruments, if not 142 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,360 costumes. Yes. 143 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,160 So I work for Essex Music Services and as a Perry, a music 144 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,200 Perry. Yeah, I sort of fell in. 145 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,520 I fell into teaching. Funnily enough, Mike Applewhite, 146 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,400 who's in the show, I've known since we were teenagers, we did 147 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,000 Youth Orchestra together. He used to be in charge of 148 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,040 expressive arts at Shenfield. And they just got let down by 149 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,600 drum teacher and he said rang me up and said can you come and 150 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,080 teach drums? And I went no, no, no, no, no, 151 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:53,720 no, no. And then Paul said why don't 152 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,080 you? It's just one day and so I did 153 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,640 it for one day because I had Phoebe was one and that was 20 154 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,600 plus. Well she was one now she's 20, 155 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,280 nearly 25 S and I joined Essex Music Services and I joined 156 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,520 Thorough Services and got the training. 157 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,360 And yeah, I do enjoy it. It's giving back and I'm very 158 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,800 enthusiastic about drumming and music generally, which sometimes 159 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,960 gets missed a little bit and. Because you were very reluctant 160 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,200 to talk to me for the podcast. So I've got what am I going to 161 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:24,120 say? I've got nothing to say. 162 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:29,120 But there are so many kids who are now fully grown adults who 163 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,760 will have come through your, you know, drumming classes or have 164 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,200 seen your plays and pantomimes that it, it must be quite 165 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,240 enjoyable for you to kind of go. I've influenced them in some 166 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:41,120 way, shape or form. I. 167 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,080 I hope so, I hope so infuse them on that musical journey of 168 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,600 listening or remembering they they played drums. 169 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,040 You know when you go back you hear adults. 170 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,120 Oh, I learnt the, the, you know, once or I learnt the drums once 171 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,240 and you know, just just to, to learn that. 172 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,240 And it is so many, you know, music's so underrated. 173 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,440 It's it's history, it's maths, it's coordination, it's 174 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,680 creativity, it's improvisation. It's so many things I think just 175 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:08,920 gets underrated at schools. You know, you pull them out of 176 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,880 class to have your have your one to one lesson, but actually that 177 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,760 is doing them so much good having that one to one with the 178 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,800 teacher as well and just that time, but also thinking about 179 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,200 all those different things and focusing on something. 180 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:25,560 And I know, you know, any instrument comes down to 181 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:29,400 practising, but when you hear them spending hours on you know 182 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,040 what, what's it fortnight or something like that and they get 183 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:33,600 to level the next level, the next level. 184 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,400 That is exactly like learning an instrument. 185 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:38,400 If you really want to put your mind to it, you'll get to the 186 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:40,360 next level and you just work and work and work. 187 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,000 Because we've, we've done an interview for the podcast on 188 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,840 Brentwood's orchestra for young musicians, which you're involved 189 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:53,360 with as well. And the joy of all the horror of 190 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,360 young young. People playing. 191 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,320 What do you mean? When they're very young? 192 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:03,040 The the but playing together so that you have to somehow make 193 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,120 music and hear what other people are doing. 194 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:06,240 So you can't just go and do your own thing. 195 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,840 It's real teamwork. Yes, but there's a, you know, 196 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,840 that I help out with Fiona Hill, with the with the wind back and 197 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,960 the lovely kids. And they already, there's a load 198 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,800 of little nice banter going on and they're playing together and 199 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,280 they know when they play well and you know, they hear the 200 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,880 applause and yeah, it's a really, really lovely thing to 201 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,440 see and lovely thing to hear. I think you heard it when when 202 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,040 it was in it sort of. We're practising, rehearsing 203 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:31,760 it's, I think. There were only half members of 204 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,720 the the band there at the time and it was it was different and 205 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,680 loud. It was good, you know, we, but 206 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,480 the older ones, I went upstairs and I thought, that's nice. 207 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:42,320 They're they're listening to a record of some. 208 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:44,320 I thought, it's not a record, it's them. 209 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:45,720 It was so good. Well. 210 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:47,440 It's like that advert, you can't have this. 211 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,040 If you want this, you've got to have this and the the children 212 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,480 learning and playing and enjoying it. 213 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,680 It's got to be fun at the beginning. 214 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,320 It's got to be fun. They've got to enjoy it. 215 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,200 And they all have a laugh on a Friday. 216 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,400 I think it's great that they come along on a Friday night and 217 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,040 spend it with us. Yeah. 218 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,200 And, and you're the, I mean, obviously the doing the 219 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,080 Shakespeare kids struggle through at school with the 220 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,960 Shakespeare, the bits they have to do, but being able to see it 221 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,560 live, not necessarily the, the play they're doing for their 222 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:16,720 exams or whatever it might be. Being able to see people, normal 223 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,960 people, making Shakespeare sound like normal English, which it 224 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,000 sometimes it it doesn't when you're reading it. 225 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,320 In class, there's an art, there is an art to making Shakespeare 226 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,520 sound understandable, but also there's so much action and 227 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,120 emotion with everything he he's done. 228 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,720 So if the actors are and giving that emotion and giving that 229 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,320 energy, I mean, the comedy errors is a is a fast-paced boss 230 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:43,880 and there's lots of misunderstandings with identity. 231 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,920 And yeah, it's a it's, it's a good laugh. 232 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:52,400 But if the characters are creating that emotion and, and 233 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,960 the the, the confusion, it, yeah, it will come across, 234 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,280 they'll understand the language. Thanks to Lindsay for her 235 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,680 brilliant chat despite being reluctant at 1st and I know many 236 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:06,600 young people at Shenfield High School and Brentwood Orchestras 237 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:10,080 for Young musicians will know and admire her work too. 238 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,560 Keep liking, sharing and listening to the Brentwood buzz. 239 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,920 There's more from Brentwood to come soon.