THE SHOW
"You will be Scarlett O 'Hara". How many people in the world have been told this phrase? Only one: Vivien Leigh. And then? What happened next? You may say: she shot the film, of course. But let’s step back in the middle of time: what happened an hour after the proposal? Two hours after? How did she and how did Larry react to the news? What happens to a couple when one of the two is going to have his big chance? And what kind of “plans” a woman in her private life is forced to abandon to fill a career in the movies?
To be or not to be Scarlett O 'Hara tackles, with imagination, the moment immediately following the Christmas dinner of 1938 at first director-in-charge of Gone With The Wind George Cukor’s house. In the biography by Donald Spoto about Laurence Olivier it’s told that, while dining, Cukor took Vivien apart and announced she had been chosen for the role and then everyone was happy for her "except, maybe, Larry". In this single act we meet the two famous actors after dinner in their hotel room dealing with the crisis that a precious chance such as interpreting the eternal role of Scarlett produces on a pair. Just when the couple seems to find a balance, an unforeseen trouble comes out.
Man, as male individual, still struggles to accept women’s success. It is not a problem of times but rather cultural. As the Hollywood industry passed on feelings like a steamroller, so today the craving for self-affirmation, economic stability and success is threatening lovers’ peace. And actually, as in this comedy, it is the job’s world, with its strict and cold rules, to make decisions for us. "To be or not to be" was Hamlet's torment. Vivien’s. Or anybody’s.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This is a self funded production and we have been able to cover the initial costs thus far but we need your help!
As you can imagine the costs of putting on a theatre production are high, and your generous contribution to this play will help directly towards paying our ACTORS, the THEATRE HIRE, REHEARSAL SPACE, SET, BUILD and PROPS.
The amount we are looking to raise is the minimum required to put this play on the stage in front of an audience. However, with greater contributions we will hope to take this play further a field.
This is not a vanity project for us, we are passionate about the subject matter and want to take this play as far as we can to encourage discussion around the love, and passion. The more funds we raise, the further we can take and spread our message. Whether you want to donate a 'High Five', or pledge to have the production come to you, we hope you'll find a donation level that will suit your pocket. Check out the pledges on offer, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
THANK YOU!
The Night Express Live Team :)
Supporting the show
Collaboration and friendship are brilliant engines. So far, they’ve powered over eleven years of musical making. And now that we have our show ready for next APRIL 2017, with our budget and investments in place, we’re hoping for a little more horsepower. That’s why we’re here. .
So, please, if you can, help us raise our final £5000. Of course, you can also support our show with a ticket or two for the show when it premieres in APRIL. You can pop along to see our rehearsals.
However you choose to support us, we thank you. For helping new theatre Company find a space in the UK. But also for helping to water our acorn.
Risks & Challenges
Even small shows are expensive. There’s the hiring of spaces. The designing. The bringing to life of said designs. The printing. The PR. And then there’s the people … the amazing talent helping us to realise the dream …
The great news is we have an amazing team to support us. From our director Raffaele Cericola to the team . The Company is leading the way in fair pay on the fringe. It’s a cause we completely support. Any money you can give will be helping to pay for the hard work of talented professionals who aren’t always so financially supported by their industry.
What is the money NOT paying for? Well, it’s not paying for the writers. In fact, we’re investing in the show ourselves. We believe in the benefits of our hard work and midnight oil. We want all our own seconds and pennies to keep flooding our future. We have faith in this educational experience called ‘putting on a show’. We don’t think the budget should be funding our university, no matter how wonderful it is. And if we raise more than our minimum? All money raised will go directly into the show. We’ll let you know how through our regular updates.
