Amateur performers in Belgium are certain to find something to suit their curtain-call cravings

Though Mrs Worthington was discouraged from putting her daughter on the stage in the famous song, the lure of the boards can prove too much for some. They must perform. Thankfully, Brussels offers many opportunities for budding thespians and musicians to do so.

But where to start? A good choice could be the improvisation sessions organised every month by the American Theatre Company (ATC). The Sunday events are for “anybody at any level who would like to participate”, says ATC president Chris Flores, and are run by either a member of the group (free entry) or a guest teacher (who charges up to €10 to participate). “We typically have around twenty people who show up to take part – some have been before, some have not, and some even come and observe. It’s really been a great way to get a lot more people involved and aware of the American Theatre Company and our shows,” says Flores. The ATC puts on three shows a year, the casts of which are commonly made up of many nationalities. “Usually Americans are in the minority,” says Flores, though some plays demand a strong American accent.

It can be very competitive, he admits. For the October production of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, 25 people auditioned for just four roles. Nevertheless, there are plenty of opportunities to become involved in a production backstage or front of house. “For the backstage, it’s always a bit of a struggle because most of the people involved would prefer to be acting on stage, but there’s always a new wave of volunteers. With Brussels being such a transitory environment, there’s always going to be new people who come in,” he says.

Of course, being part of a production requires a certain level of commitment. “Although all the productions are a little bit different, typically we rehearse two days during the week in the evenings and then one weekend day – typically a Sunday afternoon,” Flores explains. “The rehearsal period can span from three to six months. Our fall production tends to be a longer rehearsal process because of the summer when people are away. But we’re very flexible to work with people’s schedules, workwise as well as personal schedules, so people can participate. If you’re directing a show, it obviously requires a bit more commitment.”

The benefits of working on a production can be far-reaching. “One thing I’ve really enjoyed about being involved is that I’ve made a lot of friends through the theatre company, and also a lot of contacts,” Flores says. “It’s been good for my personal life and also for my business network. I’ve never been part of an organisation that is so open, because our needs constantly change, and people are constantly changing.”

For those with an operatic bent, the Brussels Light Opera Company (BLOC) could be the ideal group. They rehearse and socialise in Wezembeek every Tuesday from 19.30. “It’s a very friendly group,” says chair Diana Morton-Hooper. “You can try out for a part in a show as a singer, actor or dancer, but equally there are lots of production jobs – costumes, props, making sets, painting, makeup, hair and so on.”

In fact, the group has around 200 members, most of whom are expats. “We held an introduction evening for our next production, My Fair Lady, and we had about 125 people show up. Not everybody could be in the show but we try to keep them informed of how things are going; there are many jobs big and small to get involved in,” says Morton-Hooper. “With a large group of a somewhat changing population there are lots of people to choose from, and there’s scope to make new friends regularly. The quality of sound we make as a group of singers is mind-blowing. People work hard in rehearsal and we have some very talented members with a range of theatre skills.”

BLOC has its roots in the light operas of Gilbert & Sullivan and produced its first show, The Mikado, in 1976. “There is still a group of G&S enthusiasts who sing a G&S operetta together informally once a month. They also get involved with our two shows a year and other club events,” explains Morton-Hooper, who was a founding member of the group. The group, however, has long since expanded its range to include blockbuster musicals such as Evita and even a ‘steampunk’ version of Sweeney Todd. “We try to please our loyal public with variety,” Morton-Hooper explains. I think we’re a happy, interesting group of crazy theatre-loving nuts and we welcome anybody who wants to get involved in our productions.”

For more than a decade, aspiring songwriters have benefited from a platform to try out their new material and receive constructive feedback. Originally held at Sean O’Casey Irish pub on a Sunday, the event has been through various format and venue changes to become the current monthly 3 Acts in 1 Night at Scott’s Bar in central Brussels.

The performances of the three acts (the first typically has a 30-minute slot, the second 45 minutes and the headline act an hour) are recorded and aired on Brussels-based Radio X. The station broadcasts interviews with the acts carried out by Bulletin writer Karen McHugh, a musician who plucked up her nerve to perform some of her own songs for the first time through the event.

Held usually on the second Thursday of the month, the event is organised by singer-songwriter Andrew Mavin, who also cut his teeth as a solo performer through the event. “This is why I’ve got such a heart and soul for the singer-songwriter nights,” he says.

“It was at Sean O’Casey’s when someone told me about it and that I should go on for 15 minutes. So I practised and practised and practised in the bedroom three songs that I’d written, and I went along. Bai Kamara Jr was hosting and he made me get on, though I was very nervous, but I did these three songs and naturally enough the crowd went ecstatic,” he jokes.

The event’s unofficial house rule is that all songs should be original compositions, though exceptions can be made. Mavin says it’s heartening to watch the progression of an act, particularly in terms of their songwriting. “We’ve had four or five occasions where the first act has come in and done thirty minutes and then three months later I’ve phoned them or they’ve come back as a second act and then finally as a headline,” he says.

It isn’t always so freewheeling, however. “We’ve had some acts that were, er, difficult to listen to, but if these people don’t get a chance to go on stage to try it out, the music will die. We’ll just have the same twenty musicians going around Brussels all the time if we don’t get any new talent coming in,” he cautions.

“We have established acts and then those who want to bring songs from their bedrooms to an audience. A couple of people have played on their own and you can see that they’ve been nervous, but they know that they can do it the next time.”

Stage fright is fairly common, of course, but Mavin believes it can be overcome. “At some point in every musician’s life they have to act; they have to do something outside their persona to get a crowd with them, because all musicians love to have people applaud.”

USEFUL LINKS

English Comedy Club

British & American Theatrical Society (BATS)

Irish Theatre Group

Brussels Shakespeare Society

European Theatre Club

This article first appeared in The Bulletin's Newcomer magazine