July 2005

Dear Friends & Supporters,

It’s time again to update you on what’s happening with Rocky and Co. We’ve spent a lot of time this year stuck in to getting our new full length theatre show launched – literally, as its set in space. However, as I write this I’m amazed at how many other things we have still managed to fit in. I hope you enjoy hearing about them as much as I enjoy telling you!

Welcome to those of you receiving this letter for the first time. Thank you for your recent financial support. All of our previous newsletters are available in the website archives. These will help fill in the details about some of the ongoing events mentioned in this letter. For all of you who are online please remember you could save us admin costs by signing up to receive this newsletter in future by e-mail.

Events

Here's where we've been recently:

St Phillip’s Church - Werrington - March
This was a one hour holiday club style performance for the church’s midweek children’s club anniversary. A simple programme of interchangeable songs and sketches (suited for interchangeable Rocky Kids subject to availability!) and a stick of rock for everyone to take home.

Re:act3 – April

This was our 3rd city wide children’s event run in partnership with North Staffs YFC and helpers from other local churches. Around 120 children attended the Sunday afternoon extravaganza at the Queens Theatre. Our theme was Jesus’ miracles, and Rocky and the Rocky Kids did a slot each.

Burslem Festival - May
We did a 20 minute slot on stage in the shopping area of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, sandwiched between a scantily clad Kylie Minogue tribute act and another slightly risqué group called Vice Versa. Just before we went on the heavens literally opened and the family crowd disappeared for cover! But, the sun reappeared and so did the crowd. One of our Rocky kids, Emma, did a great job standing in for Rocky who had left his white gloves in the boot of a car! After our turn was over Rocky was approached by a drunken couple who told him they wanted to punch his nose in! Our message had annoyed them a bit! As this was a few days before the general election all sorts of people turned up including the Mayor and party political candidates. The picture shows Labour MP Joan Walley campaigning for Rocky’s vote and receiving a stick of rock.

Bilston Rocky Kids Club 1st Birthday Party - June
One of the encouraging follow up things to come out of doing these events has been the establishment of a mid weekly club at St Leonard’s Bilston. Led by Jayne Dooley and her intrepid team, around 20 children have been meeting for fun, songs, games, drama and bible stories every week for a year now. We went along to help them celebrate their first birthday and encourage them to keep going and keep following Jesus. We hope that this club will be a model for others around the country, particularly in churches where there is no club at present. We want to help churches start up their own Rocky Kids club by writing 6 months worth of club material. Ideally the club could start up after a performance of the show, or like Bilston, after a family fun week- end event where Rocky is introduced.

Theatres

Broxbourne Civic Hall - March

We gave an excellent performance of our show “A Reason to Celebrate!” at Broxbourne Civic Hall, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. This is a lovely theatre with lots of backstage space which we love! We have so much scenery there’s usually nowhere to put it when it’s not on stage.

This performance was a showcase for Church Army officers meeting that day at the nearby High Leigh conference centre. Because we tied the show to the conference date it wasn’t the easiest night to get a local audience – the last Monday of the Easter holidays – and not a day and time we would normally choose. So the local audience was a bit thin.

A group of the older Rocky kids were greatly encouraged however after they went into town during the afternoon of the show giving away last minute free seats to anyone who wanted them. They got into conversation with a fruit and veg stall holder who took some tickets and brought his family to see the show that night and thoroughly enjoyed it. After all, Jesus did tell us to go to the highways and bye ways and compel them to come in! We also made some new friends at St Catherine and St Paul's, the church who provided accommodation and hospitality for us. They so enjoyed the show they are busy trying to organise a repeat performance in the near future which they hope will be packed this time.We are also hoping that having seen the show, some of the Church Army officers will invite us to theatres near them.

Queen's Theatre

We’re still not in our office – yet! The ceiling that was freshly plastered was not bonded properly and fell in! Fortunately no one was underneath and we hadn’t moved any equipment in yet either. The room has been redone and looks good this time! We are just finalising some Health & Safety issues and then we should get the all clear. All our rehearsals and scenery building are currently taking place at St Chad’s Church Hall, Bagnall, our base for the past 5 years.

Schools

We continued to visit our 12 schools last term and made a first visit to a new school who now want to become a regular. Over 3000 children each term are enjoying hearing of Jesus and the Christian way of life through our fun assemblies.

We noticed that some of our schools were on a healthy eating drive, so we took that as our theme for our latest assembly. We based our drama around the story of Daniel and his friends in Chapter 1 of Daniel who chose to eat vegetables and drink water instead of the king’s rich food. In the end they proved healthier and more intelligent than the other young men they were being compared with. As usual we had fun with characters Carl, his pet elephant, and Mary his mum (who was also on a fitness regime).

It’s also been good to develop our school link by inviting them to take part in our new show currently being written, built and rehearsed for November. I have popped in at different times this term to 6 of the schools to rehearse their part. Each school is involved in one performance each, with between 12 and 30 children from year groups playing the parts of aliens living on the planet where Rocky and the kids touch down. These rehearsals will continue in September and October.

Gospel Rocky & the Rocky Kids in Space! November 9th - 13th

This was supposed to be a working title but has now stuck! It’s simple and to the point – but I keep getting flashes of the Muppets TV show “Pigs in Space”! We originally planned to launch this new show in July, but had to postpone it as we were nowhere near ready. I think I forgot just how much effort was required to put our original show on for the first time, and misjudged the time needed to write, rehearse, and build a brand new production whilst aiming for the highest professional standards within our reach.

It’s also a huge challenge to write a new story that will be enjoyed as much as “Reason to Celebrate!” and be as visually attractive and entertaining, as well as share something of the gospel free of cringe factor. I like to think we’re well on the way to achieving all this. For example, I’m so pleased that Alan Schofield who painted our backdrops for the RTC show was available again. I met up with him at Warwick University Arts Centre where we booked their theatre paint frame (a hydraulic lift against a huge wall where canvasses are hung for painting). In just 4 days Alan produced two more stunning backdrops for our new show.

We’ve also been working hard in our church hall workshop making scenery and props. Mary (70 next year!) has become papier mache Queen having just covered 8 balloons with 8 layers of newspaper each! Why? - she’s making Alien heads of course. Meanwhile, Andy, (a Church Army officer in between jobs who is with us until August) has become papier mache King making beach rocks and an 8ft windsurfer replica.

We’ve had quite a few changes in the company as some adult and child members have moved on. We are currently rehearsing hard each Friday and Sunday but still need to find 2 or 3 children to play parts. It’s not as easy as you might think to find people who want to be involved.

Fundraising

As you know, Gospel Rocky costs many thousands of pounds a year to run and depends upon the charitable giving of people who support Church Army. Thank you to all of you who have generously given during the past few years. Can I ask you to consider the following:

Make a regular donation This will help ensure that this exciting way of sharing the gospel can continue well into the future.

Make a single donation towards the cost of our new show It is likely to cost around £8,000 to stage.

Sponsor a school assembly There are currently 13 schools. It would be great if 13 supporters would be willing to pay £75 each per term to cover the costs.

Make a donation and recieve an inspirational gift - PSALM CD

As I’ve mentioned in previous letters, I have produced a CD of psalms set to music as a way of helping raise funds. A copy can be winging its way to you at the click of a mouse…or your biro. It’s directly available through the website supporters page. www.gospelrocky.co.uk/supporters.html or by writing to me. If you complete a gift aid form we can also increase the gift with recovered tax.

I have 200 of these CD’s waiting to send… less than the number of people receiving this letter. Come on friends, clear me out so I have to order more!

Well that’s all for now folks! Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We’d really appreciate it if you would please pray especially for the success of our new show. We’d love to see you at the theatre if you can make it, or arrange to drop in and see us some time.

Yours on the rock,

Director
Gospel Rocky Theatre Company

Download and print a PDF version of this newsletter