The casting for ‘The Man in The Bowler Hat’ by AA Milne has been finalised as follows:-

– Val Barber as Mary
– Jim Anderson as John
– Glenn Wylds as Hero
– Abi Sage as Heroine
– Philip Bell as the Villain
– Dave Smith as the Bad Man

Good luck to the cast for the upcoming festival season and for the performance at The Settlement alongside “Whodidit?” on the 13th April.

Here is the cast for our June production “Breaking The Code” by Hugh Whitemore 13-15 June:

Alan Turing – Ivan Phillips

Inspector Ross – Greame Bussey

Ron – Glenn Wylds

Dillwyn Knox – Ian Mutton

Sara  – Sonia Weston

Pat – Abigail Sage

Smith – Douglas Harding

Alan Turing (young) – Jacob Powell

Christopher Morcom (young)  – TBC

Initial reading date : WEDNESDAY 10^th October , 8.05pm at The Settlement.  Meet in the canteen.

Performance dates : 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd February 2013

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime by Constance Cox from a story by Oscar Wilde

This is a period piece, very witty as you would expect, and lots of good parts.

As usual, I am not bothered with staying too rigorously with the ages, I am more interested in using people who are keen to be in the play.  However, as we have virtually no “older” ladies we will perhaps have to do some aging up on one of the characters.  One person I cannot do without and that is a COSTUME supervisor.  I really cannot cope with directing the play and all that entails and sorting out the costumes as well.  In fact, I am not prepared to do the play unless I get some help with costume.  Let me know asap if you are interested.   If you are not sure what it will entail, then I can tell you.

I have set a date (above) for an initial reading, this does not preclude you from auditioning if you cannot attend – there will be others.  I would like to get started in October on reading through the play together with the cast, but if you are in the November production you would, of course, only start after that had finished if dates clashed. However, I do need to know asap if anyone is interested and cannot come on the 10^th.   Phone me 01462 623959 or email on pat.bask@virginmedia.com  I have a couple of copies of the play if anyone wants to read it beforehand.  This is the cast in order of appearance:-

Baines, the butler :   Baines and Lord Arthur have a “Jeeves & Wooster” thing going on and he should appear a little older than Lord Arthur, but not necessarily a lot!  He is far from decrepit and has some good lines.

Lord Arthur Savile :  Youngish but not overburdened with brains.

Sybil Merton ; his fiancée.  Similar age or younger than Lord Arthur.  Charming.  Wears nice clothes, as do all the ladies.

The Dean of Paddington : Lord Arthur’s uncle so older than him but spry although a little absent minded.

Lady Windemere : Lord Arthur’s Aunt.  Beautiful, in her 40s.

Lady Beauchamp : His Great-Aunt so in her 60s but still delightful, of course.

Lady Julia : Sybil’s mother.  Somewhat in her dignity, not a warm woman.

Mr. Podgers : a Cheiromantist (he reads palms).

Nellie, the maid.  Usual maid part but has some good funny lines.

Herr Wineklkoff : the anarchist.  A voluble, excitable German.  Great Character part.  There is a picture of John Elson playing this part in the Elson dressing room – together with bomb.

I really hope that lots of you will be interested enough to come along and get involved.  I think it will be a delightful  play to do, lots of fun and great costumes and I am sure we will get good audiences.  We will, of course, stop rehearsals around Christmas and that’s why I want to get started in October.  February can be a depressing time of year so why not have something enjoyable to look forward to!

See you on the 10^th.

Pat

This is the bench that The Players are donating to The Settlement to commemorate 90 years of The Players being at The Settlement in 2013.  It is of a Lutyens Arts & Craft design in keeping with the buildings.  Hope you like it too.

Henry is a famous playwright whose current hit is a study of love and fidelity. As Henry’s own relationships become more complex and he struggles to write his next play will he ever find The Real Thing?

The Settlement Players are pleased to present one of Tom Stoppard’s most celebrated plays. The Real Thing is finely crafted, brilliantly witty, genuinely moving and promises to provide an entertaining and thought-provoking evening of theatre

Cast:

Max:   Stephen Charles

Charlotte:   Val Barber

Henry:   Ivan Phillips

Annie:   Nicole Ashbrook

Billy:   Glenn Wylds

Debbie:   Abigail Sage

Brodie:   Graeme Bussey

Tickets for The Real Thing will go on sale at David’s Music on the 20th October.

The cast for our September Open Evening production “Overtones” is as follows;

Harriet – Jeannie Williams
Margaret – Sonia Weston
Hetty – Lisa Cooper
Maggie – Jenn Groves

Thanks to everyone who came along to the readings.

To avoid a clash with the Euros final I have re-scheduled the second reading for The Real Thing on Sunday the 1st July to 4 p.m. The reading will be in the hall. Apologies to anyone for whom this causes a problem.

Auditions for November Production “The Real Thing” by Tom Stoppard

Henry is a brilliant and celebrated playwright.  With his wife Charlotte in the starring role, his new play examines the complexity of love and infidelity.  Henry’s reality and fiction blur when passions ignite and his own marriage becomes entwined with that of Charlotte’s co-star, Max and wife Annie.  As Henry struggles to write a new work, the players in this game of deceit and lust are all searching.  But can any of them find The Real Thing?

Characters:

Max, 40-ish

Charlotte, 35-ish

Henry, 40-ish

Annie, 30-ish

Billy, 22-ish

Debbie, 17

Brodie, 24

This is a play about the nature of love and the nature of reality with the customary wit and eloquence of Stoppard’s writing. The relationships between the characters are key to the success of the production and there is a real depth to all the characters so this will be an interesting, challenging and hopefully enjoyable production for all involved.

Performance dates are 15-17 November. As always readings are open to members and non-members alike and will be at The Settlement on two dates: Wednesday 27^th June 8 p.m. and Sunday 1^st July 7 p.m. If you are interested in a part but can’t make either or both of the readings then please let me know. As always I will be as flexible as possible on the ages so please don’t be put off if you don’t quite fit the exact ages specified in the script.

Stuart Cocks

A comedy, a ghost story, a thriller— its all that.

A warm summer night in the garden.  The father of the house has died leaving the daughter who stayed to care for him.  Her sister arrives home from abroad after a long absence. Her reasons for leaving, and those of her sister for staying, are dark and complex.  Their lives have gone in different directions, can they ever come together again when ghosts haunt them both still.

 Rehearsals are progressing well for what promises to be a great production of Alan Aykbourn’s Snake in the Grass at The Settlement on 14-16 June. Tickets are available now from David’s Music.