tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post115717614977516717..comments2024-02-11T19:28:27.997+11:00Comments on Personal Reflections: New England Theatre Centre & Brian D Barnes - Happy 75th birthday, BrianJim Belshawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-17912249380354611702017-12-04T10:17:34.174+11:002017-12-04T10:17:34.174+11:00Hi Peter. Glad to bring back memories! I went to t...Hi Peter. Glad to bring back memories! I went to that show and for many years had a poster.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-15845976937958026442017-12-03T12:43:44.815+11:002017-12-03T12:43:44.815+11:00Your blog takes me back to another time, part of m...Your blog takes me back to another time, part of my life that has long gone but well remembered. I was part of The Armidale Theater club in the early 60s and we had a fair amount of contact with the NETC. Right at the end of thier time in Armidale some members of the club and Harold Bennett put on Look Back in Anger, as far as I can remember I stage managed the production (certainly put up the set). It was my one and only experience with a professional actor, and it was a truly memorable event. After about 4 years of theater activity I turn my energies to being a professional scientist, a different but still exciting way of life. <br />PeterAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018236160305446541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-53864302910492897832016-10-25T19:20:52.524+11:002016-10-25T19:20:52.524+11:00Thanks for the memories, I remember you by your st...Thanks for the memories, I remember you by your stage name!<br /> Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-18533785098848122042016-10-25T06:35:12.886+11:002016-10-25T06:35:12.886+11:00Jim, I remember you, in the garage at 68 Mosman St...Jim, I remember you, in the garage at 68 Mosman Street, collating pages of the script of Wuthering Heights. (Brian's Mother lived at Artarmon-- the station up from St Leonards-- the first NETC cast met there & she had just completed the blue curtains for our set. We had to carry heavy buckets of water to steady the set & one night the curtains fell down. Tony Geappen-- Charles 'Bud' Tingwell's nephew -- ad libbed 'Papa, you have brought the house down about our ears with your news!' Thereafter we used weighted sand bags -- had to stitch the damn things! I also remember having to screw the legs on the table that was Cathy's 'desk' where she sat doing the household accounts. I always got it wrong & got blasted by Mark Edwards, the actor who played Edgar. Carole Skinner is the same age as you. She bought a house in Charlotte St., near Taylor Square. Some wag.removed the 'C', so then she was living in Harlotte Street. One memory of bringing theatre to thousands who hadn't experienced it before, particularly the children. We arrived at Willala to waist high grass & a note from the organiser 'I live 4 miles due West'. ...15 minutes before 'curtain up'-- an old Venetian blind-- there wasn't a soul to be seen .... Then lots of swanky American cars rolled up with farmers & their kids & we performed to a packed house & tumultuous applause! My stage name-- after an ancestor who was the Captain of a clipper 'The Ellora' in early days of the Colonie's history-- was Christine Clayton, I changed it when I discovered that 'Claytons' was a cheap drink. Jeanie Drinan -- so wonderful as Muriel's mother in the movie.Muriel's Wedding -- played the Princess in The Adventures of Ping Pong & Pang, one of the plays for Primary Schools, & Lisette, the maid, in The Game of Love & Chance in the first NETC tour. We all lived in the house in Armidale then & when our funding hadn't come through during the rehearsal period, we lived on apricots from the tree out the back. for breakfast, lunch & dinner. It was a great relief when Peggy Leask, the local librarian, brought us a gift of quinces!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11723888640254425155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-72994114224049212862016-03-02T06:53:51.408+11:002016-03-02T06:53:51.408+11:00That's a nice story, Nosizwe Martin. I don'...That's a nice story, Nosizwe Martin. I don't know if Brian is still performing. Searching, I found a reference to a German performance in November of last year.<br /> Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-53935854357422280782016-03-02T00:04:36.551+11:002016-03-02T00:04:36.551+11:00Hi Jim, Brian was my mother's closest oldest f...Hi Jim, Brian was my mother's closest oldest friend. She died many years ago, and so we have no contact with him. I am happy to have found this article on him. I saw him in Zambia when I was much younger and he was doing his Three Men in a Boat tour. I would love to find a location to see his latest performances. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13640044321215098932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-67630921476732082242013-11-17T11:03:25.875+11:002013-11-17T11:03:25.875+11:00It is nice to think, Hazel, that a post I wrote so...It is nice to think, Hazel, that a post I wrote so long ago should still be useful and give you a context for that box. Any chance of getting a photo of the box? Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-26759621480130044212013-11-16T03:38:25.650+11:002013-11-16T03:38:25.650+11:00We have recently come into ownership of a box whic...We have recently come into ownership of a box which was originally owned by Brian D. Barnes and has painted on it "Brian D. Barnes - one man theatre" together with worn shipping labels and instruction "to be called for at St. Leonards". We were curious as to who he was so looked him up and found your blog. hazel bartonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-82107867051319979782013-02-05T05:58:45.645+11:002013-02-05T05:58:45.645+11:00Thank you Siegfried. How interesting.
Thank you Siegfried. How interesting. <br />Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-30156098944765538572013-02-04T05:50:37.831+11:002013-02-04T05:50:37.831+11:00I saw Brian D. Barnes perform Under Milk Wood as a...I saw Brian D. Barnes perform Under Milk Wood as a student at Wuerzburg University in the 1960s and even had the chance to assist him . I must say that I was very much impressed by his one-man performance, and have never forgotten those hours. I hope he is still able to continue his work and wish him all the best.<br /><br />February 2nd, 2013<br /><br />Siegfried SchellerSiegfried Schellernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-25752038095933638172013-02-01T18:23:58.482+11:002013-02-01T18:23:58.482+11:00I missed this comment all that time ago, mop. My a...I missed this comment all that time ago, mop. My apologies. I hope that you do see him back in Stuttgart, Lisa.Jim Belshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10075614280789984767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-58513325171107455322013-01-31T23:15:41.630+11:002013-01-31T23:15:41.630+11:00I saw Brian perform Three Men and a Boat in Stuttg...I saw Brian perform Three Men and a Boat in Stuttgart at few years ago and absolutely loved his show. I think it was the following year that I saw him perform A Christmas Carol at the same theatre - again, an excellent show. Working as an English teacher at a bank at the time, I recommended his shows to some of my students, who not only went to see one, but returned to our next class, quoting some of the lines. I really hope Brian returns to Stuttgart.Lisa Ritchiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02604896365232562003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24338064.post-61453133313246667382010-07-14T18:22:33.976+10:002010-07-14T18:22:33.976+10:00Brian cast me as Ondine, performed at the first li...Brian cast me as Ondine, performed at the first live theatre to be built in 26 years, the Footbridge Theatre, Parramatta Road, Sydney, Australia. Part of the oldest University here, Sydney University. I played Sylvia in Le Joux de Lamour et de L'Hazard,(we were still translating the text into English on the opening night at Wauchope) and Cathy in Wuthering Heights, to rave reviews(the most successful show of all, for decades, according to Con Fardouly, the proprietor of the best cafe in Inverell.) These two latter productions were directed by Brian for NETC, with Carole Skinner playing Nelly in WH.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05600667209723115610noreply@blogger.com