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Workshop Director

The Workshop Director is responsible for running Weekly Drama Workshops, with the New Works Rep and EVC.

Role History

Committee Year
Member
May 2021
Luke McDonald

View shows by Type

  • Fringe Theatre
  • ODN
  • Weekend Show
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We are unbelievably thrilled to announce that tick We are unbelievably thrilled to announce that tickets for the three shows we are taking up to the Edinburgh Fringe are now live! All productions will be performing at The Space Triplex in the Jenner Theatre from the 23rd to the 28th of August. The six show runs of each show each have tickets available for a standard price of £7, concessions for £5 and student tickets for £4. Tickets are available now at: Intricate Rituals - tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/intricate-rituals Love Me - tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/love-me Sweating the Small Stuff - tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sweating-the-small-stuff
🥳WE HAVE A NEW TREASURER Thank you to everyon 🥳WE HAVE A NEW TREASURER Thank you to everyone who came to our EGM on Wednesday !! It is with great pleasure we can now introduce our new Treasurer, Dan Sinclair. Dan will be stepping into the shoes of the amazing Abel Kent who has done an absolutely fabulous job over the last couple of years ! And finally, a huge congratulations to Dan in your new role… 🎉 And if you want to be apart of the DramaSoc committee, stay tuned 👀
💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 After l 💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 After last weekends amazing 'Photograph 51' we sadly have no more shows for you - but that doesn't mean we have no more fun stuff for our final week of the term! Through the week we have our regular activities, which if you've never attended now is a good time to give them a go before the end of the term. On Monday at 6PM we have Writers Circle, ran by our New Works Rep Annabel Lunney. This is a great group for writers of all levels of experience to develop or start scripts. Then on Wednesday at 5PM we have our brilliant workshops ran by Luke McDonald. Typically covering acting but also other aspects of theatre, keep an eye on our dedicated Workshop Facebook page for the topic that will be covered in that week's workshop. Then, this Saturday, the triumphant return of a DramaSoc tradition in the form of our annual end of year event, the Summer Solstice! Gathering at 7PM at The Quiet Place, expect revelries on the grass as we reunite at an in person event for the first time since the 2020 Spring Social. The centrepiece of the event will be a cue-to-cue reading of the Shakespearean classic 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', which I'm sure will prove to be amusing, if perhaps not Tony award winning. We can't wait to see you there!
⏳🎭NOT LONG LEFT TO SIGN UP TO BE APART OF OUR ⏳🎭NOT LONG LEFT TO SIGN UP TO BE APART OF OUR WONDERFUL SUMMER SOLSTICE 🎭⏳ - Fancy being in a performance without learning lines ? - Want to celebrate the end of the academic year in true Shakespearean STYLE ? Then sign up to be apart of our wonderful cue-to-cue performance of ‘The Merry Wives Of Windsor’, to be performed on Saturday 26th June ☀️ It’s even easier to sign up to… Use the form linked on our Facebook page to get stuck in !! For more details, see our recent post on the Summer Solstice or contact the page for further information… But be sure to be quick as it’s fast approaching ! ⏰ We are SO SO excited to see you all there !! 🥳
It's opening night for our final weekend show of t It's opening night for our final weekend show of the term - and the academic year! Premiering at 7:30 this evening, 'Photograph 51' written by Anna Ziegler and directed by Claire Cole is a historical play reevaluating the position of Rosalind Franklin in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. This production was filmed across campus, including in the Barn, and looks to be an ambitious and cinematic way to finish off the term. You can grab tickets for either tonight or tomorrow's show at ticketsource.co.uk/drama.
🗳WE ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW TREASURER TO JOIN OUR 🗳WE ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW TREASURER TO JOIN OUR COMMITTEE!! The treasurer manages the society’s finances and applies for grants from YUSU and the wider community. They help shows manage their budgets and manage ticket sales. Elections will take place on Wednesday 23rd June at our open meeting at 1:45pm. The zoom link will be posted on our members Facebook page on the day! You’ll be asked to give a 3 minute speech on why you should be the new Treasurer. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions and we hope to see you there !! Good luck… (Please note you will need to be a member of DramaSoc to run and vote).
JOIN US FOR OUR SUMMER SOLSTICE☀️ Join Drama JOIN US FOR OUR SUMMER SOLSTICE☀️ Join DramaSoc in celebrating the end of the academic year. And what a year it has been… We are overwhelmed with the amount of creativity and talent shown in performances across the three terms, so it’s only right to perform some more in our Summer Solstice !! 🎬 Sign up to take part in a relaxed cue-to-cue performance of Shakespeare’s ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’. There is NO audition required, just you’re interest, so fill in the form (linked on our Facebook page) to get involved… But be sure to fill the form in by Sunday 20th June. We will then be in touch to get a fabulous cast together.🎭 Rehearsals will take place between Tuesday and Thursday of Week 10 and you must be available for the performance on Saturday 26th June. Meetings will be on zoom, or outside (weather dependant). ☀️🌧 The rehearsals will be quite chilled and more based around getting used the the lines and casting the roles… so it’ll be a relaxed process !! More details will be on the google form… 📄 So come and celebrate all your amazing work over the past year. We can’t wait to see you !!
We are thrilled to announce our amazing lineup for We are thrilled to announce our amazing lineup for next terms ODNs! With one of our biggest ever number of pitches received this was a really tough choice so commiserations to those who were unsuccessful and a massive congrats to those who will be showing their work next term! Alongside our Weekend shows, next terms lineup will go as follows: Week 4 - £9,250 a Year by Monica Yell Week 5 - Planes Trains and Boats by Piers Gilfillan Week 6 - Unlawful by Sophie Burton Week 7 - In Two Minds by Neve Carey Week 8 - Loose Ends by Romilly Swingler Week 9 - Occupational Hazards by Mimi Wilson
🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍🌈 HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! 🏳️‍🌈 It’s June and it’s Pride Month! And here at DramaSoc we are celebrating by posting some important plays that cover LGBTQ+ topics… There is a link to this list of plays, including their synopsis on our Facebook page 🔗 The plays can be found on Drama Online, accessible through your university account. LGBTQ+ PLAYS : - The Inheritance, By Matthew Lopez - Gently Down The Stream, By Martin Sherman - The High Table, By Temi Wilkey By no means is this an exhaustive list so if you have some good recommendations, feel free to message our page, and we can add to our list… 📖
💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 We're b 💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 We're back and oh my god it's our final week of performances this term! Time has absolutely flown, but keep an eye on our page for announcements about our annual Summer Solstice event. First up, our final ODN of the term, Gill Yue's '(not so) dearly departed)', directed by Fin Avison. This show invites us into a zoom call between a group of recent graduates, gathering following the death of their mutual friend Tanya. Bouncing between laughter and tears, this exploration of friendship looks to be an amazing way to wrap up a term of brilliant online ODNs, and you can catch it for free this evening at 7:30 on the DramaSoc YouTube channel. Then, our final weekend show of the term! Directed by Claire Cole, Anna Friel's 'Photograph 51' is a historical piece reexamining and reclaiming the role of Rosalind Franklin in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. Excitingly, this production has been filmed in several locations around campus (including our beloved Barn!), and it looks to be a filmic and ambitious way to close out this term and academic year. Tickets are available to purchase for Friday and Saturday at 7:30 via ticketsource.co.uk/drama.
Workshop weekend is fast approaching and we have s Workshop weekend is fast approaching and we have some wonderful sessions lined up from some of our amazing committee members !! 📣 Our line up for the weekend is as follows: FRIDAY: 2PM - 4PM - Directing for Zoom with Luke 5PM - 7PM - Acting workshop with Frey SATURDAY: 2PM - 4PM - Using Music in Drama with Lorn 5PM - 7PM - Voice workshop with Luke SUNDAY: 2PM - 4PM - Auditioning with Luke 5PM - 7PM - Shakespeare workshop with Luke So, come and join us this weekend and get involved ! The zoom links are posted on both our official and members Facebook pages 🔗 [ID: A blue and green background featuring a gradient coloured circle with light blue spots, and other circles surrounding the background and the information above, all in a white font.]
There's no weekend show this week, but don't worry There's no weekend show this week, but don't worry because we've still got some excellent dramatic fun for you all to get involved with - our Workshop Weekend! Join us this Saturday and Sunday for a series of brilliant workshops from both members of our DramaSoc community and professionals from the wider industry. Full lineup to be announced very soon, so keep an eye on our socials!
After a weekend of impressive pitches we're very e After a weekend of impressive pitches we're very excited to announce our Weekend Show lineup for next term! Congratulations to all our successful applicants and commiserations to those who were unsuccessful this time around. Alongside our ODNs, whose pitches are still open, next terms lineup will go as follows: Week 4 - 'Hedda' by Lucy Kirkwood (after Ibsen) directed by Ali Moodie and Connie Peel Week 5 - 'Two' by Jim Cartwright directed by Will Goodwin and produced by Becca Brown Week 6 - 'World, Shut Your Mouth!' written and directed by Tom Spencer Week 7 - 'The Here and This and Now' by Glenn Waldron directed by Ciara Southwood and Dan Sinclair and produced by Lorn Suzanne Week 8 - Fresher's Play Week 9 - 'The Duchess of Malfi' by John Webster directed by Seren Parri
It's opening night for our production of Cole Gree It's opening night for our production of Cole Green's 'The Exits Are This Way'! It's always so exciting when we get to feature student writing in our Weekend Show slot, and this show comes from our very own ODN Rep, who is also directing alongside assistant director Jess McIntosh. This monologue tackles the story of Caz, a flight attendant laid off after the 2020 pandemic first hit. Flitting from hilarious to hard hitting this one woman show looks to be a brilliant look back on the struggles of the past year, and not one to miss. Tickets for the show are available NOW at ticketsource.co.uk/drama, where you can buy for tonight's show at 7:30pm or tomorrow's show at the same time.
💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 It's We 💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 It's Week 7 already and goodness the term is flying by - we hope you enjoyed 'Calling Long Distance' and 'Constellations'! But don't you worry, we've still got lots of amazing theatre for you all to enjoy. First up, our Monday ODN! 'Femzine', written by Lori Stott and directed by Becca Brown, is an irreverent and empowering play about three women running a feminist magazine and the complexities of female friendships. With an all-female cast and crew, this funny and political show is sure to be a provocative watch. You can catch it streaming for free at 7:30 this evening on the DramaSoc YouTube channel. Then, in our Weekend Show slot, is another student written piece! 'The Exits Are This Way' comes from our very own ODN Rep Cole Green, who is also directing with assistant direction from Jess McIntosh. A hilarious one woman monologue about a flight attendent grappling with redundancy in the midst of a global pandemic and based on real life stories, this show looks to be an incisive take on the madness of the past year. Airing at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday, you can get tickets for this show and support the cast and crew at ticketsource.co.uk/drama.
It's opening night for our production of Nick Payn It's opening night for our production of Nick Payne's 'Constellations'! Directed by George Robertson, this modern classic is a time bending two hander about love, honey and astrophysics. With an amazing cast and crew behind it, this romance of potentiality sounds like it's going to be bee-utiful (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) - certainly not one to miss! Premiering at 7:30pm this evening, tickets are available for tonight's show at ticketsource.co.uk/drama, along with the tickets for tomorrow's show at the same time.
🎉ODN PITCHING IS NOW OPEN!🎉 Do you have an i 🎉ODN PITCHING IS NOW OPEN!🎉 Do you have an idea for a script that you’ve been working on for a while, or have you just thought of an idea from seeing this post? Why not submit a pitch for an ODN next term? We would love to hear your ideas whether it be a musical, improv, drama, or anything in-between! Our amazing ODNs are streamed on a Monday night on YouTube for anyone to watch and are completely free. You get a few weeks to develop your show with a cast however you like, whilst receiving support from our ODN Rep and New Works Rep along the way. It’s a very chill process and what better way to show off your original ideas? Pitching is anonymous: once you’ve submitted the form, a member of the committee sorts the applications and removes any identifying information from them before the New Works Rep and ODN Rep read them. Please find the pitching form on our website, under the ‘members’ section and log in with your uni email address. Pitching closes on Wednesday Week 8 at 1:45pm. Our line-up will then be confirmed the weekend of Week 8. Please keep in mind that if your pitch is successful, ODN auditions will be held in Week 9 Good luck and happy Pitching!
💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 Hello g 💻 THIS WEEK IN THE (virtual) BARN 💻 Hello gang! It was lovely to be back in the hallowed halls of the Drama Barn for our Open Barn Weekend, thanks to everyone who came out to put up murals, check out props, or just to get some biscuits. We're back now with more online performances for you all, and this week is a busy one! Our ODN this evening is Lorn Suzanne's 'Calling Long Distance', directed by Emma Prestedge with musical direction from Chris Rundell and Lorn Suzanne. An ensemble piece about love and relationships, this show weaves between poetry, prose and music to create one of the most unique and exciting shows of the term! It also appears to be a hotly anticipated production judging by their crazy ticket sales - congrats to the team! If you're one of the few people who haven't already nabbed a FREE ticket to this show, it's streaming this evening at 7:30 on the DramaSoc YouTube channel, see you there! And following that, we have our Weekend Show 'Constellations' by Nick Payne, directed by George Robertson. This beloved two-hander continues on with our theme of love, featuring the story of Roland and Marianne as the what-ifs and could-bes of their relationship plays out in front of us over the backdrop of quantum theory and beekeeping. A modern classic excitingly transferred into an online format, you can get tickets for the Friday and Saturday 7:30pm performances of 'Constellations' at ticketsource.co.uk/drama.
🕛FRINGE PROD TEAM ROLES STILL AVAILABLE! 🕛 🕛FRINGE PROD TEAM ROLES STILL AVAILABLE! 🕛 Sweating the Small Stuff are looking for a: • Lighting Designer • Sound Designer DEADLINE: Saturday 22nd May, midnight Intricate Rituals are looking for a: • Designer • Tech designer • Press & Publicity NO DEADLINE For further information on applying, check out their Facebook pages or Instagram for links to the forms. Come and join these fantastic plays and get designing!
🎉 WEEKEND SHOW PITCHING IS NOW OPEN!! 🎉 Wou 🎉 WEEKEND SHOW PITCHING IS NOW OPEN!! 🎉 Would you like to put on a show with DramaSoc next term? Well then this is exciting news for you, because pitching for our Weekend Show lineup for next term is now open! Pitching is open until Wednesday Week 7 at 1:45pm, and if you wish to pitch then you must attend one of our mandatory pitching workshops. These workshops are being held at 5pm on the 21st, 26th, 28th and 31st of May. You can find the pitching form under the 'Members' section of our website, and you will be invited to a follow up verbal pitch in front of a small panel of committee members once you've submitted your written pitch. If you have any questions please feel free to drop the page a message or contact a member of committee. Good luck, and happy pitching!
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