John Baskerville

“Born eight miles north of Liverpool I started my amateur drama at seventeen. An appearance in a one-act festival play gave rise to the decision that my talents were best used backstage. Following several 3-act drama plays my excitement turned to pantomimes and then onto operatic shows in Liverpool’s professional theatres. Moving to Manchester and then London eventually broke my link with the Liverpool drama world. After a few years in London, and being at a loose end, I picked up with the operatic shows and eventually worked backstage for six societies across North London and the City. Moving to Letchworth in 1983 I came across the Settlement Players but work and family kept this a fringe activity. In the late 1990’s time was freer and I started to help backstage on a regular basis. I have been involved with set design/ construction, stage management, sound, lights and marked a few appearances onstage (a whole 4 lines once plus a cat and several dead bodies). The Starlight Theatre School is also close to my heart and I have enjoyed working with them on many of their end of year musicals. I love working in a creative team and to feel the magical excitement of putting on a piece of theatre.”

John Baskerville joined the Settlement Players circa 1986 and has credits spanning 37 years, being involved in over 110 productions. John has appeared occasionally on stage, but mostly behind the scenes with set design and construction and stage management.

Set Design and Construction

When we are married, February 1989
Nightmare: The Fright of Your Life, February 2000
Key for Two, May 2000
Round and Round the Garden, November 2000
Present Laughter, February 2001
Haywire, May 2001
Thriller of the Year, February 2002
A Respectful Funeral, Festivals April 2002
I Thought I Heard a Rustling, June 2002
My Three Angels, November 2002
Night of The Iguana, February 2003
Arsenic and Old Lace, November 2003
Tartuffe, February 2004
Theft, June 2004
Rumours, November 2004
One for the Road, February 2005
Barefoot in the Park, June 2005
The Intruder, September 2005
Deathtrap, November 2005
Florence Nightingale, February 2006
Inspector Drake: The Perfekt Crime, June 2006
The Anniversary, November 2006
A Month of Sundays, February 2007
Season’s Greetings, November 2007
It Could be Any One of Us, June 2008
Blithe Spirit, June 2009
Ghost Writer, November 2009
What the Butler Saw, June 2010
Arcadia, February 2011
The Odd Couple, February 2012
The Real Thing, November 2012
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, February 2013
The Taming of the Shrew, November 2014
My Own Show , February 2015
After Midnight – Before Dawn , April 2015
Cupboard Love, April 2015
Doggies, April 2015
The Ladykillers , June 2015
Ladies of Spirit, November 2015
A Servant to Two Masters, February 2016
Bride to Be, Festivals (Sawston, Cambridge, Welwyn) April 2016
Dad’s Army , November 2016
Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue, S’il Vous Plait! , February 2017
No Naughty Bits, June 2017
Three Tables, September 2017
Bronte, November 2017
Dial M for Murder, March 2018
The Ghost Train, June 2018
Sex, drugs and Rick n Noel, November 2018
Playhouse Creatures, March 2019
Hay Fever, June 2019
Dracula, November 2019
Queen Margaret, March 2020
Present Laughter, November 2021
Ladies Day, March 2022
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of Macbeth, June 2022
The Accused, November 2022
The Importance Of Being Earnest, March 2023
Wait Until Dark, June 2023
Here Comes The Sun, September 2023
The Game’s Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays, November 2023 (John designed the set prior to his passing in September 2023 and it was constructed in accordance with his design)

Decor

The Killing of Sister George, June 1987

Set Construction

The Anastasia File, February 1990
Talking Heads & Tails – A Women of Letters; Black and Silver; Cast Off Five, May 1995
Rose, February 1996
The Edge of Darkness, February 1998
Don’t dress for dinner, Festivals May 1999
She Stoops to Conquer, November 1999
Separate Tables, June 2007
An Inspector Calls, February 2008
Mixed Doubles, November 2008
Murder In Company, February 2009
Gaslight, February 2010
Beyond Reasonable Doubt, November 2010
Prescription for Murder, June 2011
Snake In The Grass, June 2012
Calendar Girls, November 2013
Ten Times Table, February 2014
Neville’s Island, June 2014

Executive Producer

Interior Designs, April 2014
Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me Another Song, April 2014
Joining the club, April 2014

Stage Manager

Little Red Whittington, January 1998
Singing in the Wilderness, April 2000
Key for Two, May 2000
Round and Round the Garden, November 2000
The Twelve Pound Look, April 2001
Haywire, May 2001
Thriller of the Year, February 2002
I Thought I Heard a Rustling, June 2002
My Three Angels, November 2002
Night of The Iguana, February 2003
Pity about Kitty, Festival April 2003
Building Blocks, June 2003
Arsenic and Old Lace, November 2003
Tartuffe, February 2004
Theft, June 2004
Rumours, November 2004
One for the Road, February 2005
Barefoot in the Park, June 2005
Albert Laddin, January 2006
Florence Nightingale, February 2006
Season’s Greetings, November 2007
It Could be Any One of Us, June 2008
Mixed Doubles, November 2008
Ghost of a Chance, September 2010
The Odd Couple, February 2012
Whodidit?, April 2012
The Wise Man Knows, April 2012
Snake In The Grass, June 2012
The Real Thing, November 2012
The Man in the Bowler Hat, April 2013
Whodidit?, April 2013
Breaking the Code, June 2013
Babysitting Calvin, September 2013
Overtones, September 2013
Tis Folly to be Wise , September 2014
No Naughty Bits, June 2017
Bronte, November 2017
Ladies Day, March 2022
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of Macbeth, June 2022

Assistant Stage Manager

Nightmare: The Fright of Your Life, February 2000
Separate Tables, June 2007
A Man for all Seasons, November 2011
Neville’s Island, June 2014
Ladies of Spirit, November 2015
The Chip Van Plays Dixie, April 2016
Wetwork, April 2016
The Ghost Train, June 2018
Sex, drugs and Rick n Noel, November 2018
Hay Fever, June 2019
Dracula, November 2019
Queen Margaret, March 2020
Wait Until Dark, June 2023

Stage Crew / Production Team

Night must fall, November 1986
The Importance of Being Earnest, November 1997
The Edge of Darkness, February 1998
Ruffian on The Stair (Reprise), Festivals April 2010
Ghost of a Chance, September 2010
The Opposite of Claustrophobia, September 2016
The Second Night, September 2018
All By Myself, September 2018
The Second Night, Festival March 2019
Philip and Rowena, April 2019
A Jolly Sinister Jape, April 2019
Soldiering on, Ties That Bind, Her Big Chance  September 2019

Sound

Mary Thorne, May 1989
Summer Extra – Close to Croydon, How to make your Theatre Pay, Failed Investments, July 2010
My Own Show , February 2015

Sound Design

Bronte, November 2017

Lighting

Beyond Reasonable Doubt, November 2010
Prescription for Murder, June 2011

Lighting/Sound

Arcadia, February 2011

Acting Credits

Servant and Fellow at the Inn in She Stoops to Conquer, November 1999
Stage Manager in Florence Nightingale, February 2006