A new play season is almost upon us and we will be sharing our programme for 2022 / 2023 with you in the next bulletin. Meanwhile we have news of our recent AGM decisions and some changes to announce.

MOVING TO TWO PLAYS PER YEAR

Our long established routine of three plays per season has had to reduce to two, at least for the near future. Many of our devoted followers will be disappointed, but this is a reluctant decision that we have managed to hold off in recent years. However, the reduction in membership since the pandemic; the difficulties in recruiting new actors into the pastime of live stage performances – especially males; coupled with the increasing burdens of the sheer hard work and many hours of our spare time that our few members have to undertake, is sadly no longer sustainable.

We have for decades managed to produce three plays back to back, a nine month process of rehearsals and performances that start in August and run continuously until the end of April. As a small group this means that most of us are required as actors or support crew in every play with no break. Without new members to share this load something had to give.

So for the 2022-2023 season we will perform two plays, one in November and the other in May 2023 and we will be announcing the dates and the plays in our next post – watch this space!

TICKET PRICE

Our future ticket prices will increase slightly to £10. This remains great value for money for a night of live theatre with our souvenir programme and the return of the ever popular interval teas/coffees and biscuits.

Season tickets are still available – these are £20 each and have the advantage of reserving your favourite seat position and performance night for our two plays.

AUDIENCE SEATING

Another change we expect to implement this year is a reduction in seating in the hall. We hope, where possible, to create a little more room for our audiences – spacing between chairs and more leg room in the flat on the forward rows.

The pandemic gave rise to increased caution which was still obviously a concern at our recent return to the stage production in April and feedback regarding the condensed seating in places.

We shall be exploring a new layout shortly.

WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT

Wendy Elliott has decided to step down from her role as President of our society. Wendy, of course, has been a member and presence on our stage for decades before ‘retiring’ and then taking the role of President after Mo Spence who had served in that role for 25 years.

So it is now both fitting and a delight that Mo’s daughter, Nicci Robinson, has accepted the role and was ‘inaugurated’ at our recent Committee meeting. Nicci, who has been a member and performed with us in the past, has been a staunch supporter, attendee and patron of our group along with her husband Paul. So we thank Wendy for her service and now welcome Nicci to the hopefully non-taxing position as President.

We also confirmed our committee and Chair for the year ahead, an election process that was far simpler, faster and less acrimonious than the one dragging on for PM!

Richard Bateman remains as long-serving Chair yet again, a unanimous and popular hands-up decision that differs from totalitarian regimes in that committee members aren’t threatened with labour camps. Although set-building weekends constitute hard labour punishment at times.

Our Committee can be found here: Our Society

NEW PLAYS & DATES

Finally, we have decided on our plays for the season ahead and rehearsals are about to begin. Watch out for our next post in a few days with all the details and dates to get in your diary!

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