University of Exeter Footlights: Oklahoma!

Aim

Help Exeter University Footlights take our production of Oklahoma! to the Exeter Northcott Theatre this January!

Our production:

Based on Lynn Riggs’ Green Grow the Lilacs, this harmonically rich and wildly symphonic blend of ballet, ballad and barn dance is a musical that takes an unblinking look at a community trapped in the American economic and social underclass.

At the turn of the century in Oklahoma Territory, the spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the backdrop for a love triangle between Curly, a self-assured cowboy, Laurey, a headstrong farm girl, and Jud, her farm hand. Laurey plays hard-to-get with earnest Curly and instead accepts Jud’s invitation to the upcoming box social. Tensions rise between the men and capture the interest of the whole town. The path to true love is anything but smooth, but as the road to romance and statehood converge, the town prepares to weather the storm and start a new life in a brand new state: OKLAHOMA!

Here are some of our cast in rehearsals: 

“It’s fun, charming and beautiful; everything that makes musical theatre magic!” - Chloe Elliott, Vocal Coach

“A whole new side to Footlights - it’s moving, it’s intense, it’s exciting!" - Kathryn Pridgeon, Choreographer

“Incredibly rich, wildly symphonic, each number totally unique - we’re bursting with excitement to bring this to the Northcott stage.” - Harry Smith, Musical Director  

“An illustrious classic propelled by love, community and integrity. This gorgeous blend of ballet, tap, 1900s jazz and acrobatics makes for an exhilarating spectacle.” - Sarah Dean, Director 

Footlights is performing "Oklahoma!" at the Exeter Northcott Theatre from 23rd - 26th January. Tickets are available here: https://exeternorthcott.co.uk/calendar/oklahoma/

Why do we need your help?

The scale of a Footlights show requires great involvement from both students and the community. From performers to the audience, musicians to production team, this show requires a collaboration between a diverse group of people with varying backgrounds and ideas. This allows for the development of great friendships and novel ideas within a respectful and encouraging environment. With over 100 students involved from a variety of disciplines, there’s a lot of people relying on your generosity. 

This year, we intend to take our project one step further and have some exciting ideas that we’re moving forward with.

Schools Workshops: We are extending our audience engagement by running workshops in nearby schools in order to not only promote our show, but to also provide a valuable service to the local population, strengthening the university’s links with the local community. This brand-new initiative directly benefits students’ career prospects, with many of our members hoping to pursue careers in the education sector. 

Aroma-turgy: We also plan to include 'aroma-turgy' in this year’s production whereby we will pump smells into the theatre. This will create an innovative sensory experience, not only pushing the boundaries of what Footlights has done before but also those of South-West theatre. 

Sustainable set: We are building our set in a sustainable way, allowing us to use the resources in future productions which will benefit the society long-term. Our stage team are tirelessly working to create a set which can be reused and recycled year after year, here is a sneak of them at work:

We hope you’re as excited by our show as we are and would love for you to donate to what is set to be an incredible production. 

For more regular updates on our production, please like and follow us on our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook:
 
 @FootlightsUoE
 @exeterfootlights
 @exeteruniversityfootlights

What can I get if I donate? 

From backstage tours to signed posters, we have a number of gifts to thank you for your donations. Take a look on the right hand side to see what’s up for grabs! 

Where will your money go?

There are lots of different costs we need to cover, from venue and technical equipment hire to performance rights and marketing expenditure. We want to be as transparent as possible, therefore, we have included a detailed breakdown of projected income and expenditure below:

We are committed to making the most of all the money we receive from public donations for "Oklahoma!" This Crowdfunder makes up just a small part of the money we are aiming to raise. In addition to this Crowdfunder, we dedicate the months of September to January as fundraising for our production, holding events such as auctions, scavenger hunts, pub quizzes and raffles.

Who are Footlights?

Footlights is the University of Exeter’s biggest musical theatre society, committed to delivering fully realised, spectacle-filled productions throughout the year. We pride ourselves on inclusivity and this is one of the fundamental objectives of our group; to encourage students of all abilities and all levels of experience to exercise their skills and talents, whether this be in the band, cast or production team. Another one of our core aims is to provide high quality student theatre. We always endeavour to provide a professional level experience for our cast, band, and crew which we can only achieve with you help! 

Our Previous Productions:

In the past four years, Footlights has put on a number of exciting and successful productions:

"Singin' in the Rain" and "My Fair Lady" in 2018

"The Producers" and "Gypsy" in 2017

"The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Addams Family” in 2016

"Evita" and "Cabaret" in 2015

“Sophisticated scenery and set design, incredibly tight vocals and complex, beautifully executed choreography” (Her Campus, on Singin’ In The Rain, 2018)

"a rip-roaring feast of salacious Broadway indulgence from curtain up to curtain call." (RAZZ Magazine, on The Producers, 2017)

"the level of professionalism is incredibly high: from the quality of the dancers to the classical singers, this performance  is reminiscent of a West End production" (Exposé, on Phantom of the Opera, 2016)

Interested in finding out more?

If you have any questions about our crowdfunding campaign, the production, or Footlights itself, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or through our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/footlights/

Footlights is part of the University of Exeter Students' Guild, a Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee.Registered Charity Number: 1136468 Company Number: 7217324; registered in England and Wales Registered office: Devonshire House, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4PZ.

This project successfully funded on 16th January 2019