Past Productions

Cinderella 2012

Sun, 1 Apr 2012 19:54:45 +0100

Our Panto in January 2012 was a return to Cinderella for the fourth time previous productions being in 1980, 1994 and 2005.

This year the script was by David Williams via Limelight Scripts. Photos by Tina Kirkup and Dave Hill.

The Darling Buds of May 2011

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:12:22 +0100

For our 2011 visit to The Place we chose to perform The Darling Buds of May by H.E. Bates again - we had previously performed this at the village hall back in 1997.

The play is based on a novel written in 1957 and later became well known as a television series starring David Jason, Pam Ferris and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Pandora and Glovers 2011

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:58:22 +0100

“Waiting for Pandora” is a humorous fantasy play for schools, with seventeen speaking parts. Inspired by Samuel Beckett's masterpiece Waiting for Godot, Waiting for Pandora takes the idea a step further with the gentlemen tramps guarding pandora's box for the return of Pandora. But Pandora is not the only person who wants the box. Evil wood spirits, wacky scouts and a strange woodman appear and disappear along the way. Ultimately the final twist will take you by surprise..... Great fun.

Out of Focus 2011

Sun, 22 May 2011 15:22:58 +0100

“Out of Focus” by Peter Gordon is a comedy which details the chaos that occurs when the Village Hall is booked simultaneously by the Badminton players, the Brownies, the Pantomime cast and Leonard, who insists he has booked the hall for an illustrated talk on steam locomotives. Eventually they come together to put on the panto; events culminate backstage after the final performance at the cast party when everyone receives their just desserts!

We presented this on May 19th-21st 2011 at Wootton Village Hall.

This Ayckbourn style play is the tale of a panto, how it is created and what happens when it is presented at the village hall. The whole panto cast are hopeless leading to some of the funniest scenes.

Directed by Graham Pavey and Wendy Field, this play sees the debut of some new members, Guy Quint as Leonard, best described as “a nerd” and Ann Peckham who played Sue.

Ali Baba 2011

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:02:57 +0000

For our 2011 pantomime we were lucky to have a script written for us by one of our members (Alan Gilmore) who also played the role of Ali Baba! It was also the directorial debut of Alice Cacchio.

Thanks go to Kevin Hanwell from KH Lighting for the loan of the lighting desk, dimmers and star curtain; also to the Marionettes for the loan of the pyrotechnic firing kit!

Daisy pulls it off 2010

Sun, 3 Oct 2010 16:58:29 +0100

“Daisy pulls it off” ran for 4 days from 22nd to 25th September 2010 at the Place Theatre in Bedford and was directed by Peter Davies.

Once again, we were visited by our local NODA rep., you can read her review further down the page.

Daisy Pulls it Off is the blissfully assured pastiche of all those hearty adventure stories for girls, popularised by the likes of Angela Brazil and Elinor Brent-Dyer, which flourished through the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s up to the point where the ‘permissive society’ took hold.

Surely one of the reasons for the success of the play - which enjoyed a long run in the “West End” in 1983 - is that it has a foot in both periods. It invites a more cynical and knowing age to look back in laughter at a bygone boarding-school world of lusty innocence and moral conformism. At the same time, it evokes that world with such zest and spirit that its admirable qualities shine through - it loves the very thing it spoofs.

It is about the attempts of super-achiever Daisy Meredith to submerge her poor elementary school background and find acceptance in the snobby confines of Grangewood School for Young Ladies. Our plucky heroine undergoes a number of tribulations (including possible expulsion) before, by being honourable and straight in all things, all comes right in the end with Daisy saving the lives of sneaky Monica and toady Sybil - her arch-enemies - discovering the treasure of Grangewood and scoring the winning goal at hockey!

An evening capturing the uncomplicated innocence of a world gone by.....

Wyrd Sisters 2010

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 11:14:55 +0100

We presented Terry Pratchett’s “Wyrd Sisters” at The Place in Bedford from Tuesday 25th may ‘til Saturday 29th May 2010.

This is the first Discworld play that we have attempted and it went very well although I think our director has been left a nervous wreck!

“Terry Pratchett takes Shakespeare’s Macbeth and then turns it up ‘til the knob comes off. It’s all there - a wicked duke (Graham Pavey) and duchess (Margaret Ellins), the ghost of the murdered king (Alan Gilmore), dim soldiers (lots of people!), strolling players (Mark Haines, Steve Spring, Daniel Robinson), a land in peril.

Who stands between the Kingdom and destruction? Three witches. Granny Weatherwax (Caroline Forrest-Holden) - intolerant, self opinionated and powerful; Nanny Ogg (Leila Bland) - down-to-earth, vulgar; and Magrat Garlick (Alice Cacchio) - naive, fond of occult jewellery and bunnies.”

Set by... well, everyone really! Sound by Dave Hill, Lighting by Sam Ohllsson, backstage crew: Adrian Flynn, Gemma Flynn, Katie Flynn, Rhiannon Bland, Sophie Cray and Charlene Dobrzanski. Produced by Wendy Field, Directed by Joyce Halpin. Choreography by Carol Wallman. Thanks to Graham Pavey and anyone else that we’ve forgotten to mention.

We received a visit from our local NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) representative, you can read her review further down the page.

Old Mother Hubbard 2010

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:01:20 +0000

Old Mother Hubbard by Tony Nicholls was presented over two weeks - January 14th to 17th and 21st to 24th at Wootton Village Hall.

After enduring centuries of bone-free cupboards, Old Mother Hubbard (Graham Pavey) has decided that she and her dog (Josh Kirkup) deserve a break so she arranges for her daughter Polly (Sarah Caccio) to marry the very rich, though very unpleasant, Duke Ferdinand (Graham Cole). Polly, however is in love with Dick (Alice Caccio), the poor woodchopper’s son, so they run away to seek their fortune. Unfortunately they fall into the clutches of the Witch Hepzibah (Caroline Forrest-Holden) who, having been beaten in her quest to become the Queen and General Panjandrum of the Witches, Warlocks and Miscellaneous Monstrosities Union by the much younger Little Witch Barbie (Amanda Kidgell) now seeks a pure young maiden as a key ingredient in her cunning plan to regain her lost youth (who hasn’t passed this way!!).

Set by David James, Lighting by Bano Caccio. Photographs by Bano Caccio.

Old Time Music Hall 2009

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 09:50:50 +0100

On behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the Country Players presented an “Old Time Music Hall” in September 2009.

A veritable cornucopia of pleasures brought to the patrons of the “Wootton Empire” at enormous expense - a grand extravaganza of music, melody, madness, mirth and melancholy.

Thanks to all the cast and crew, and especially to Clare and Ross Macdonald for the music and Simon Brown, the MC.

Bully Dancers 2009

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:09:24 +0100

A play by Frank Gibbons which examines the interaction between two troupes of dancers - the “pacifist” Zodiacs and the “bullying” Scorpions.

This play was also presented at Robert Bruce school and Biddenham Upper school after the performances at the village hall.