Our Productions

Murder Mystery: Sinning at the Twinning

2025

After the success of Death at the Tenth in 2019 and Class War in 2022, Sinning at the Twinning was our latest Murder Mystery. Written by Gordon Lewis and Lynn Rushby. Thursday 19th and Friday 20th June at 8 p.m. Saturday 21st June at 3 p.m. It has been ten years since the Kentish town of Crumbdale twinned with Bouziville in France and the residents of Crumbdale have commissioned a commemorative plaque to mark the anniversary. A delegation from France has just arrived and many people are looking forward to renewing friendships with their “twins”. Adam McAdam, the chair of the twinning committee, will present the plaque at a ceremony in a marquee in the grounds of Crumbdale Manor, owned by his wife, Lady Caroline. Ruthless and highly ambitious, McAdam has made many enemies, both in his personal life and business dealings. He has big plans to develop the Manor and local area, but others have very different ideas about the future, both for his projects and for McAdam himself. So who will use the comings and goings of the day to try to get away with murder? This was a social, interactive event including a cold buffet served at tables.

Gaslight

2025

Sunday 28th September to Saturday 4th October 2025 Written Patrick Hamilton. Directed by Caryl Rapps. Matinees: Sunday 28 September and Saturday 4 October at 3 p.m. Evenings: Monday 29 September to Friday 3 October at 8 p.m. This classic Victorian thriller was first produced in 1935. Jack Manningham is slowly, deliberately, driving his wife, Bella, insane. He has almost succeeded when help arrives in the form of a former detective, Rough, who believes Manningham to be a thief and murderer. Aided by Bella, Rough proves Manningham's true identity and finally Bella achieves a few moments of sweet revenge for the suffering inflicted on her. This 1935 story is easily as relevant in 2025, although nowadays we often use the term 'gaslighting'.

A Bunch of Amateurs

2025

Written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. Directed by Lynn Rushby. Sunday 27th April – Saturday 3rd May 2025 Fading Hollywood action hero, Jefferson Steel, comes to England expecting to play King Lear with the RSC at Stratford, only to discover that his agent has actually booked him to appear at another Stratford, a sleepy village in Suffolk. His fellow players are members of the local am dram group trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s ego and vanity are in sharp contrast to the enthusiasm of the other cast members. The stage is set for a comic clash of cultures and ambitions. Matinees: Sunday 27th April and Saturday 3rd May 2025 at 3 p.m. Evenings: Monday 28th April to Friday 2nd May at 8 p.m. This production features sudden loud noises, flashing lights and the use of strong language.

The Mousetrap

November 15-23, 2024

A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include the newly married couple who run the house, and the suspicions in their minds nearly wreck their perfect marriage.

The Mousetrap

November 15-23, 2024

A group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include the newly married couple who run the house, and the suspicions in their minds nearly wreck their perfect marriage.

Around the World in 80 Days

2024

by Laura Eason. Directed by Paul Marshall Matinees: Sunday 1st and Saturday 7th December at 3 p.m. Evenings: Monday 2nd to Friday 6th December at 8 p.m. Embark on a thrilling and entertaining journey with the fabulously wealthy Victorian gentleman, Phileas Fogg, as he bets his fortune on circumnavigating the globe in just eighty days. Joined by his hapless valet Passepartout, the duo races against time through misty London alleys, the exotic subcontinent, and the Wild West, using trains, steamers, a wind-propelled sledge, and even an elephant. Time: 30th September to 22nd December 1872. Locations: London, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, the plains of the American West, New York City, Liverpool. Laura Eason's acclaimed adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel promises a high-spirited adventure, having delighted audiences at New Vic Theatre, Stoke, and Manchester's Royal Exchange before its London premiere at the St. James Theatre in 2015.

Funny Money

2024

by Ray Cooney, directed by Charles Marriott Sunday 29th September to Saturday 5th October 2024 A rollercoaster of laughter as the master of farce Ray Cooney reaches new heights of hilarity with Funny Money. Henry Perkins, is a mild-mannered office worker who stumbles into chaos when he mistakenly grabs a briefcase full of money. Believing it's illicit, he decides to keep it, setting off a chain of events that will have the audience in stitches. Henry's bumbling attempts to untangle himself from this self-created madcap situation leads to increasingly hysterical scenarios. Screenshot

Entertaining Angels

2024

Monday 1st July to Friday 5th July at 8p.m. and Saturday 6th July at 3 p.m. by Richard Everett, directed by Janet Clark Join us for a funny and thought-provoking journey with Entertaining Angels. Grace, a clergy wife, breaks free from a lifetime of proper conduct after her husband - Bardolph's - death. Now, she candidly speaks her mind, especially to the new vicar, Sarah, who also happens to be female. When Grace's eccentric missionary sister Ruth returns, hidden secrets surface, compelling her to confront Bardolph's ghost and the reality of their marriage. Entertaining Angels asks whether God can be trusted to do anything right at all, "Or is the whole thing a divine exercise in trial and error?" A sharp and witty comedy, first staged at Chichester in 2006 starring Penelope Keith, before embarking on a UK national tour.

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

2024

Based on a short story by Oscar Wilde, adapted by Constance Cox. Directed by David Page. Monday 29th April Friday 3rd May at 8 p.m. and Saturday 4th May at 3 p.m. Step into a world of wit and whimsy with our latest play, a comedic gem based on Oscar Wilde's 1890's tale. Lord Arthur Savile, engaged to the charming Sybil Merton, faces a bizarre prophecy from her palm-reading pet 'chiromantist,' Podgers. His destiny? Committing a murder! In a quest for a blissful married life, Lord Arthur takes on the bizarre duty of committing the murder before the wedding bells ring. This classic, side-splitting play follows Arthur on an uproarious journey to find the perfect victim and execution method (with varying levels of success, of course). All while striving to keep his fiancée and her mother delighted. Join us for a night of laughter, love, and lunacy.

A Tomb With A View

2024

By Norman Robbins. Directed by Martin Dale. Monday 26th February - Friday 1st March 2024 at 8 p.m. Saturday 2nd March at 3 p.m. This comedy thriller is set in as-sinister-an-old-library as one is likely to come across, presided over by a portrait of a grim-faced old man. There, a dusty lawyer reads a will, involving some millions of pounds, to an equally sinister family. One member has werewolf tendencies, another wanders around in a toga of Julius Caesar, and a third member is a gentle old lady who plants more than seeds in the flower beds… By the third act, there are more corpses than live members left in the cast - and what about the sympathetic nurse and the author of romantic novels? Are they all more than they seem to be? All is revealed as the plot twists and turns to its surprising conclusion. The production was a sell-out at Theatre 62.

Suddenly at Home

2023

By Francis Durbridge. Directed by David Page Tuesday 3 - Friday 6 October at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 7 October at 3.00 p.m. Synopsis This classic thriller by Francis Durbridge, the master of suspense and famous for his Paul Temple series, weaves its intricate path through a story of love and greed to its ultimate end, death. When Glenn Howard decides to get rid of his wealthy wife, firstly to enjoy her money, secondly to avoid spending the rest of his life in Bermuda, and thirdly to free himself for another woman, he works out a complicated but seemingly foolproof plan. Not only will this plan provide him with an alibi but also cast suspicion on his wife’s former lover, the writer Sam Blaine. Everything appears to be going according to plan, but Glenn has not counted on an opponent like the astute Superintendent Remick. This is Durbridge at his best.

Quartet

2023

By Ronald Harwood. Directed by Michael Darbon Tuesday 18th - Friday 21st July at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 22nd July at 3.00 p.m. This is a wickedly comic play – touching and poignant – about art, aging and how the human spirit remains undimmed. Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred reside in a home for retired opera singers in Kent. Each year, on the tenth of October, there is a concert to celebrate Giuseppe Verdi's birthday. Jean, who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts the equilibrium. She still acts like a diva and refuses to sing. But the show must go on.

Murder in Play

2023

by Simon Brett. Directed by Lynn Rusby Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th May 2023 at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 20th May at 3.00 p.m. Brian Smolensky's budget repertory prosecution of 'Murder at Priorswell Manor' is looking decidedly shaky. The cast are more interested in their egos than the play - and life imitates art when Boris' wife is murdered on stage. This hilarious play ruthlessly satirises the politics of the inept theatre company - and the numerous red herrings keep the audience guessing until the final moments of the play. Photos credit: BeLouder Photography

Old Boilers

2023

Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th March at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 18th March at 3.00 p.m. The Imperial Players and Theatre 62 presented their joint production of Old Boilers, a comedy by Adrian Cale. When four women of a certain age decide to celebrate divorce in style, they hit upon the idea of a weekend in Blackpool - a chance to get away from it all and let their hair down. But their accommodation is not what they had been expecting and then a face from the past looms along the prom. And what if that face is the last one they want to see … The action takes place in a Blackpool guest house on a Friday morning in October 2008. In association with LazyBee scripts

Foxfinder

2022

Monday 4th to Friday 8th April at 8pm. Saturday 9th April matinee at 2.30pm Foxfinder by Dawn King. Directed by Lorraine Spenceley A spell-binding and thought-provoking drama, Dawn King's Foxfinder won the 2011 Papatango New Writing Prize and premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London. It had its West End premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2018. Set in a dystopian future, England is in crisis. Fields are flooded, food is scarce and fear grips the land. William Bloor, a foxfinder, arrives at Judith and Samuel Covey's farm to investigate a suspected fox infestation. The Coveys' harvest has failed to meet its target and the government wants to know why. Trained from childhood, the foxfinder is fixated on his mission to unearth the beasts that must be to blame for the Coveys' woes. But as the hunt progresses, William uncovers some unsettling questions with answers he doesn't want to hear... “Foxfinder is a gripping, unsettling and darkly comic exploration of belief, desire and responsibility” (Finborough Theatre, London, 2011).

The Hound of the Baskervilles

2022

Monday 5th to Friday 9th December at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 10th December at 3.00 p.m. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Tim Kelly. Based on the story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Directed by Robert Chambers Holmes’ most spine-chilling mystery is placed in a modern setting in this version – with suspense, humour, and terror. Sir Henry is heir to the vast Baskerville fortune, a legacy that comes with a family curse: death at the fangs of a horror that prowls the moor. Only Holmes can stop the beast. While mysterious lights signal Baskerville Hall and the hound terrifies the countryside, the sleuthing begins and suspicion falls on sinister servants, butterfly collectors, ladies in distress, and escaped convicts. Who wrote the letter that summoned the hound? Is Sir Henry’s romance with the lovely Kathy doomed? Is the supernatural at work?

God of Carnage

2022

Monday 10th to Friday 14th October at 8.00 p.m. Saturday 15th October matinee at 3.00 p.m. God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. Directed by Nikki Packham This show is a modern comedy of manners, rather, or lack of them. Think of a boxing match. In the red corner we have the home couple and in the blue corner the visitors. After a bit of gentle sparring, the two couples start to face up to each other, culminating in some wild swings and attempts at knockout blows, before exhaustion sets in and and they all find themselves on the ropes.

Dangerous Corner

2022

Monday 27 June to Friday 1 July at 8.00 p.m. and Saturday 2 July at 2.30 p.m. "The sleeping dog was the truth, do you see, and that man, the husband, insisted upon disturbing it." Ever had one of those sliding door moments? Or ever wish you could turn back the clock and start again? Robert Caplan and his wife are entertaining her brother and sister-in-law, Olwen Peel and Charles Stanton – all of whom are associated with Robert in a publishing business. Robert insists on uncovering the truth about his brother Martin’s apparent suicide, but many unpalatable and uncomfortable revelations ensue. Will relationships ever be the same again? Dangerous Corner was first performed at the Lyric Theatre, London, in 1932 and has been a stalwart of British theatre ever since.

Murder Mystery: Class War

2022

Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th February 2022, 7.30 p.m. Class War! By Gordon Lewis and Lynn Rushby. Directed by Lynn Rushby A Murder Mystery evening including fish & chips The staff at Corkscrew Community College are preparing for a new academic year after the summer holidays. The Board of Governors have employed a new Bursar who has been appointed to make financial cutbacks and increase the efficiency of the school. However, some staff have more than education on their minds and, with changes in the air, whose hopes and plans will be affected? Whose secrets will be exposed?  Who will go to any lengths to protect their job and reputation? Come and work out whodunnit. Characters: Nick Pinscher, BursarGordon LewisSamantha Richer-Quick, Head TeacherChristine LeverCarole Curtain, Head of DramaRebecca EastBryony Bunsen, Head of ScienceJan StockwellAndy Cox, Head of PEIan EvansChris Coke, Laboratory TechnicianRuth AylwardBill Boilerhouse, CaretakerTony SkeggsInspector HagleyLynn RushbyConstable RacyDavina PikePlus...School CookPauline WathenFlorence Pain, school nurseJanet ClarkHead of Governors and CompereStuart ScottMark's Meals, caterersTheatre 62 members

Bedroom Farce

2021

Trevor and Susannah, whose marriage is on the rocks, inflict their miseries on their nearest and dearest – three couples whose own relationships are tenuous at best. The action takes place sequentially in the three beleaguered couples’ bedrooms during one endless Saturday night. Dysfunction, beds, tempers, and domestic order all are ruffled, leading the couples to reach a hilariously touching epiphany.

Barefoot in the Park

2021

Monday 4 - Saturday 9 October 2021 This was Theatre 62's first production since February 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon.  This is a romantic comedy.  A newlywed couple live in an apartment on the fifth floor of a block in New York City.   Whilst Carrie is positive about their exciting future, Paul is anxious about the various flaws in the apartment, such as a hole in the skylight, their cupboard which leaks and so on... After their six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Carrie's mother and decide to 'set her up' with their neighbour, Mr Velasco.... where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Setting: February 1964, Greenwich Village, New York

Home

2020

By David Storey.  Directed by David Page. As five apparently unrelated characters meet in a seemingly insignificant garden, the autumnal sun shines overhead and everybody waits for rain. What they discuss is superficially anything that can pass the time. What is portrayed is the very essence of England, Englishness, class, unfulfilled ambition, loves lost and homes that no longer exist. "a play…of haunting, elegiac power” The Guardian Home turned out to be our last production before the Covid-19 lockdown started in March 2020.

Christmas Revue

2019

Directed by Nikki Packham, Theatre 62 proudly presented its Christmas Revue, alongside a light supper, from Wednesday 4th to Saturday 7th December 2019. Friends gathered for an evening of mayhem and merriment, with a sprinkle of Sparkle and a touch of Tinsel, as eleven actors performed sketches, poems, songs and bite-size pieces of festive fancy, all for the audience's delight. The ensemble: Janet ClarkDiane EbdenJanet EddenMargaret GlennMary-Rose GoodliffeMargaret HeySue HicksPaul NewtonJohn OakenfullStuart ScottJan Stockwell

Just the Ticket

2019

Just the Ticket by Peter Quilter Directed by Kerry Heywood Susan is an eccentric sixty year old who decides to celebrate her birthday by repeating a journey to Australia she made with a group of friends when she was 20. Now she is travelling alone and carrying the excess baggage of 40 years of bittersweet experience which she recounts with wit and charm as she tells her unique story and slowly starts to write the next chapter of her life.

Dessert

2019

Dessert by Oliver Cotton Directed by Howard James “Dessert is a bit of guilty treat” The Independent, July 2017 This production is Theatre 62's entry in the 2019 Bromley Theatre Guild Full Length Play Festival - and will be the amateur premiere of this play.  The play will adjudicated after the performance on Thursday 2nd May. A British financier and his wife host a lavish dinner party for their affluent American friends. The food is delicious, the conversation animated and dessert is on its way - when from one second to another, the evening takes a sinister and alarming turn… With dark comic moments and unexpected twists, this is a powerful, thought-provoking play about wealth, greed and the lengths to which people will go to claim what’s theirs

Murder Mystery Night: Death at the Tenth

2019

The action took place at the annual Primrose Hill Golf Club dinner, where the audience members were also dining and later tried (some successfully) to guess whodunnit and why they dunnit.  A fun-filled entertaining evening, including fish and chips.

The Ladykillers

2018

The Ladykillers by Graham Linehan Directed by Paul Marshal The classic Ealing comedy which tells the tale of a sweet innocent old lady, alone in her home, pitted against a gang of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing. Posing as amateur musicians, the gang rent rooms in the house of sweet but strict Mrs Wilberforce. The villains plot to involve her unwittingly in a brilliantly conceived heist job. With only her parrot, General Gordon, to help her, she is alone with the men. But who will be forced to face the music?

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

2018

The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon. Directed by Wayne Sheridan. Mel Edison lives in an average New York apartment with his loving wife Edna. He’s got an average job, average clothes, average TV… Life’s just ticking along until the day he gets fired. Money becomes scarce, opportunities for a man chasing 50 are even more scarce and all this in the midst of a 1970’s heatwave when the temperatures roaring and the economy is crashing. Left with no choice but to pace the boards of his shrinking apartment, Mel’s mind begins to fall apart and it’s up to Edna to try and keep it all together. This fantastic Neil Simon comedy is, for the most part, a great two hander for a couple of skilled performers. It is made all the more relevant today with topics such as mental health, class divide and materialism all bubbling under the surface.

Di and Viv and Rose

2018

Di and Viv and Rose by Amelia Bullmore Directed by Howard James The hilarious and heart-warming comedy features three fun-loving young women, house-sharing for the first time. It's 1984 and, as Prince says, ‘Let’s Go Crazy’. The play is a thoughtful exploration of friendship's impact on life and life's impact on friendship.

Communicating Doors

2018

Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Kerry Heywood A dominatrix is hired for an elderly man by the hotel caretaker, but the man doesn't want sexual services. He wants her to witness a confession to the murders of his two previous wives by his psychopathic partner. The dominatrix finds a link through time: can she escape with her own life and go back through time to rescue the wives before they can be killed?

Hedda Gabler

2018

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen.  A version by Christopher Hampton. Directed by Alice Heather Just married. Bored already. The beautiful and headstrong Hedda longs to be free. Hedda and the ineffectual academic George Tesman have just returned from their honeymoon and the relationship is already in trouble. Her one hope of escaping is that Tesman has expectations of promotion and he becomes the outlet for her ambitions. But when those ambitions are threatened Hedda comes up with a plan to remove the obstacles, and have some excitement in the process.  If everyone will play along nicely then everything will work out fine. But Hedda is not the only one with a manipulative streak...

Neighbourhood Watch

2017

Neighbourhood Watch by Alan Ayckbourn Middle-aged brother and sister Martin and Hilda have just moved into a new development called Bluebell Hill. They are looking forward to leading a quiet, Christian life, but feel they should at least introduce themselves to their neighbours by means of a little housewarming gathering. Whilst waiting for their guests to arrive, their peace is shattered by a young trespasser and that peace will never return after Monty, their beloved garden gnome, is set upon. The resultant well-intentioned scheme for a safer community is jeopardised by Martin’s burgeoning romance with Bluebell resident Amy (married to Gareth), who has just finished an affair with Martin and Hilda’s next door neighbour Luther, husband of Magda. This has surprising outcomes for all concerned. Who could have thought that a young trespasser taking a shortcut through a garden could start a chain of events just as shocking as any crime drama seen on television?

Comfort and Joy

2017

Comfort and Joy by Mike Harding Directed by Sandie Campbell Set over a three-day period from 23rd to 25th December. Goff has volunteered, yet again, to dress up as Santa and hand out presents at the old folk's home and someone has stolen his jacket and trousers.  Helen has brought her dog Trumpton (who is aptly named) for the Christmas holidays. Kathy is coming to stay for Christmas and is bringing her 'friend' Crispin and her two cats because the cattery is closed (as the lady who runs it dropped dead in the Bran tub in Santa's grotto). Fiona (Goff's daughter) and Jimmy are home from Australia for the first time in 30 years and Goff has not forgiven her for running off to Australia with Jimmy and never returning tools he borrowed. Martin has bought an enormous Christmas tree 'off the back of a lorry' and has invited the new neighbours Monica and Chapman in for a drink, who turn out to be barking mad. Margaret is the peacemaker doing her best to hold it all together, but when the dog runs off with the turkey she loses the plot. Presents are exchanged, none of which are appropriately thought out, charades are played with quite a bit of cheating. The alcohol flows, tongues are loosened and buried resentments rear their ugly heads.  All in all...a traditional family Christmas!

Nell Gwynn

2017

Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale It's 1660 and the Puritans have run away with their drab grey tails between their legs. Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, French and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is selling oranges for sixpence. Little does she know who's watching. Nell Gwynn charts the rise of an unlikely heroine, from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain’s most celebrated actress and her hard-won place in the heart of the king. But at a time when women are second-class citizens, can her charm and spirit protect her from the dangers of the court? And at what cost? Bawdy, playfully anachronistic with plenty of innuendo, this is highly entertaining new play - fresh from the West End.

My Mother Said I Never Should

2017

My Mother Said I Never Should by Charlotte Keatley "My Mother said, I never should Play with the gypsies in the wood. If I did, she would say; 'Naughty girl to disobey" Secrets and lies! “My Mother Said I Never Should” explores the complex and difficult relationships between mothers and daughters.  Spanning 1940 to 1987, though in non-linear fashion, the lives of four generations of women develop.  Their loves, expectation and choices are set against the huge social changes of the twentieth century.  Unmarried Jacky gives birth to Rosie, unable to cope she hands Rosie over to her mother Margaret. Rosie is brought up believing Margaret is her mother, while Jackie is her older sister.  The play looks at the consequences of this secret and the emotional repercussions. This was a change from the originally published production The Women

The 39 Steps

2017

The 39 Steps by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow. Based on the book and the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, The 39 Steps is a splendid, nee dashingly handsome mix of comedy, adventure, mystery and thriller. Richard Hannay is a bored London gentleman whose life suddenly becomes infinitely more interesting when a woman is murdered in his apartment. Who is she? Why did she take refuge with him? And what are the mysterious 39 Steps? Framed for her murder, Hannay flees London for Scotland on a mission to find out the answers to these and other questions. Along the way he comes across an assortment of unusual and mysterious characters and is reluctantly accompanied by prim Pamela, who inadvertently finds herself handcuffed to Hannay. Will they save Britain from a den of devious spies? A small cast plays countless characters in this wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy about an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure. The 39 Steps by arrangement with Edward Snape for Fiery Angel Limited, John Buchan and Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon.

A Month of Sundays

2016

A Month of Sundays by Bob Larbey, directed by Janet Clark An amusing, uplifting and light-hearted play. The story revolves around two residents in a rest home: Cooper, who has voluntarily left his family to avoid the indignity of depending on them, and his friend Aylott. To manage the painful ritual of Sunday family visits and empty condescension the two inmates tackle it with wit and humour, aware that life can only be endured if treated as a comedy.

Ladies Day

2016

Ladies' Day by Amanda Whittington. Work, love and life are one hard slog - in this highly entertaining play - for the fish-filleting foursome of ladies. Their luck changes when Linda finds ticket to Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot - in York. Out go the hairnets and overalls as the girls do themselves up and head for the races. As the day unfolds, the champagne flows, secrets spill out and their horses keep winning. By the last race, the girls are on course for a life-changing win.

Collaboration

2016

Collaboration by Ronald Harwood This production was Theatre 62's entry in the 2016 Bromley Theatre Guild Full Length Play Festival. It’s 1931 and composer Richard Strauss and novelist Stefan Zweig embark on a fruitful and invigorating partnership. But Zweig is Jewish and the Nazis are on the march, destroying the artistic culture he values so much. Strauss, meanwhile, struggles to accommodate it, but for what reason? Is it possible to keep artistic aspiration and political action separate? This powerful play considers the fine line between naivety and realism, collaboration and betrayal. Ronald Harwood's other stage works include The Dresser, Quartet, The Handyman. Screenplays include The Pianist, The Browning Version, Oliver Twist

We'll Always Have Paris

2016

We'll Always Have Paris by Jill Hyem Three women of a ‘certain age’ gravitate to Paris. There’s Nancy, a retired headmistress determined to throw off the shackles; Anna, recently widowed – and free – after years of nursing a sick husband; and Raquel, a divorcee in search of eternal youth and a new toy boy. A feel-good play with laughter and tears, the promise of romance, friendship and anger, and the advantages and disadvantages of growing old. We’ll Always Have Paris is certainly a play that will leave audiences charmed, amused, thoughtful – and smiling.

Boeing Boeing

2015

By Marc Camoletti, translated by Beverley Cross. Directed by Paul Marshall This is a 1960s French farce. Lothario Bernard has three fiancées - Gloria, Gabriella and Gretchen - each beautiful airline hostesses with frequent "layovers". Bernard keeps "one up, one down and one pending" until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris and his apartment at the same time. His long-standing pal Robert gets mixed up in the inevitable ensuing chaos.

Honour

2015

Honour, by Joanna Murray-Smith. Directed by John Oakenfull George and Honor have been happily married for 32 years. She is a successful writer, he is a revered columnist.  They have a perfect understanding of each other. Well, that is until a young female journalist assigned to “profile” George seeks to undermine that understanding. The fallout leads to some dramatic consequences.

An Experiment with an Air Pump

2015

This daring and thoughtful drama spans 200 years. It is 1799, the eve of a new century, the house buzzes with scientific experiments, furtive romance and farcical amateur dramatics. It is 1999 in a world of scientific chaos, cloning and genetic engineering; the cellar of the same house reveals a dark secret buried for 200 years. Production photos at foot of page.

Stepping Out

2015

By Richard Harris.  Directed by Ray Harris. Theatre 62's production was a sell-out. Tickets were snapped up over a week before opening night. Synopsis: Mavis is an ex-professional dance teacher who leads an evening class in tap dancing in a dingy church hall. Her classes are attended by seven women: there’s timid Dorothy, snobby Vera, shrewd Maxine, bubbly Rose, plain Lynne, cheerful Sylvia and do-gooder Andy; not forgetting frosty pianist Mrs Fraser. Oh, and Geoffrey, the lone man. We find out about the ups and downs of their lives and loves. Despite being of very mixed ability, it’s thanks to Mavis’s teaching efforts that they enter a local charity dance festival. But will their performance be worthy of a chorus line?

Elephants Don't Run

2014

By Trevor Smith. Directed by Sandie Campbell. Photos below. Lily, a widow, is in hospital suffering from a number of psychological illnesses including dementia. Her daughter Debra has been caring for Lily for the last twenty years. Out of the blue Lily is visited by her other daughter, Megan, whom no-one has seen for twenty years. Why has she suddenly appeared? Where has Megan been for all these years? What is really been going on? And will Dr Pritchard fall for Debra's advances? All is explained through this thought-provoking, hard-hitting drama as the horrifying secrets of a family's past are revealed. The action takes place one summer a few years ago in a small cotage hospital in rural England.

The Flint Street Nativity

2014

The seasonal comedy drama: The Flint Street Nativity by Tim Firth, directed by Pieter Swinge. Miss Horrocks’ class of seven year-olds are preparing for their school nativity play, but in the classroom because the school hall hasn’t been finished as the builders discovered an endangered species of great crested newt. The children run wild, with fights over whose dolly should play Jesus, who is the best Mary, and what stars are really made of.  The classroom antics backstage at Flint Street Primary School are awash with jealousies, teasing, blackmail, unrequited love and, of course, Christmas carols as only children know how.  All the children are played by adult actors who, later on, turn into their parents.

Dangerous Obsession

2014

Dangerous Obsession by N.J. Crisp, directed by Patricia Melluish Sally has been sunbathing in the garden of her large country home.  An acquaintance, John, stops by. Sally doesn’t really remember him, but he ingratiates his way in. John lets Sally talk herself into thinking he is there to discuss a business proposition with her husband Mark who "is due home any moment". But John’s purpose appears to be a little more sinister.  This is a cleverly crafted tale with its fair share of surprises. The action takes place in the conservatory of the Driscoll’s house in the Home Counties, late afternoon on a hot day in late summer, in the late 1980s. Theatre 62 staged this production in-the-round. Originally a proscenium stage and set was planned, but during rehearsals it was decided that in-the-round helped establish intimacy and tension. Cast Sally Driscoll        Ruth AylwardJohn Barrett         Stuart ScottMark Driscoll       Bruce Wallace BackstageDirector                                        Patricia MelluishLighting & Sound Designer      Ian JamesStage Manager                            Sue HicksStage Director                             John HeatherSet design                                     Jan GreenhoughSet construction                         Members of Theatre 62Set décor                                      Jan Greenhough, Lynne CraigAssistant Director                      Nikki WilkinsonAssistant Stage Manager          Lianne MarchantTechnical programming           Jon LewisTechnical Operator                    Anna HowarthTechnical rigging                       Members of Theatre 62Wardrobe                                     Margaret UzzellProperties                                    Lynne CraigPrompt                                         Audrey Knighton, Beryl Neal House Manager                          John HeatherRefreshments                              Heather LondonRaffle                                             Lianne MarchantBox Office                                     Margaret Uzzell, Nina JamesPoster & Programme design    Graham CopelandProgramme Editor                     John Guttridge cast and crew in rehearsal in rehearsal in rehearsal cast and director

The Tempest

2014

King Alonso of Naples and his entourage sail home for Italy after attending his daughter's wedding in Africa. They encounter a violent storm - a Tempest - and are washed ashore on a strange island inhabited by the magician Prospero who deliberately conjured up the storm. Prospero and Miranda live in a cave on the island which is also inhabited by Ariel, a sprite who carries out the bidding of Prospero, and the ugly, half-human Caliban. A number of plots against the main characters fail thanks to the magic of Prospero; the Tempest is eventually calmed. More photos below

My Boy Jack

2014

By David Haig Directed by Caryl Rapps “Don’t tell me he was lucky! He wasn’t lucky, or…or brave, or happy! Jack was eighteen years and six weeks old! He died in the rain, he couldn’t see a thing, he was alone! You can’t persuade me that there’s any glory in that!” So says Carrie Kipling, Rudyard Kipling’s wife and mother of Jack (John) Kipling. My Boy Jack is a true story and tells of a nation at war offering an intimate portrait of one family’s complex and divided experiences in it. The author Rudyard Kipling, famous for the Jungle Book, uses his considerable influence, being on a War Office propaganda think tank, to get his nearly 18 year old son Jack admitted for military service during the First World War.

Season's Greetings

2013

By Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Paul Marshall. Enjoy watching family and friends celebrate Christmas for the umpteenth consecutive year. Except not all is peace and harmony as the cracks quickly start to emerge. Featuring the annual, excruciating, puppet show, drunken snakes and ladders, the rifling of Christmas presents - and that's just the start. Join us for this comedy. The perfect way to start Christmas! The cast: More photos below.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

2013

by Martin McDonagh. Directed by Janet Clark. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is set in the mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. The play is a blend of hysterical comedy, grand melodrama, violence and bleak tragedy. It tells the darkly comic tale of Maureen Folan, a lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag, her manipulative, ageing mother. Two sisters have escaped into marriage leaving Maureen, with a history of mental illness, trapped in a small bleak cottage and a seriously dysfunctional relationship with her mother.  Her mother's interference in Maureen's love life puts in motion some dark and frightening consequences. As events unfold the cottage is visited by the brothers Ray and Pato Dooley. Ray is the younger brother, an irresponsible and irrepressible young man. Pato is a construction worker fed up with his life which forces him to work in England to earn a living. A spark of romance occurs between Maureen and Pato and then fizzles out with disastrous results. This play was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1996, then transferred to Broadway in 1998.  In 2010 it was presented at the Young Vic before going on tour. The play has received various nominations and awards: it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Play; the 1998 Broadway production was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning four. Read John Drewry's review of the production below.

Calendar Girls

2013

By Tim Firth. Directed by Howard James When Annie’s husband John dies of leukaemia, she and her best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They manage to persuade other members of the W.I. to pose nude for an alternative calendar with help from the hospital porter Lawrence who just happens to be an amateur photographer. The news of this spreads like wildfire and the press soon descend on the small village of Knapeley in the Yorkshire Dales. The calendar is a success however a strain is put on the friendship between Chris and Annie because of their new found fame. This is based on a true story and has been performed all over the country. It was also made into a best-selling film. Find out how Theatre 62 supported Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research here.

When We Are Married

2013

by J.B.Priestley. Directed by Alice London. When We Are Married sees three couples who were married on the same day, at the same church, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries. The couples have positions in society and a public image to maintain. The husbands are leading members of the local non-conformist chapel and two of them have seats on the local council. The celebrations seem to be going well until the husbands discover to their horror that the minister who married them did not have the appropriate legal qualifications. Given their standing in the local community, the couples initially want to keep the whole business hushed-up. But as events unfold, some of the individuals involved see a chance to escape from relationships that have been rather less than true marital bliss. A play with many amusing moments and dialogue as relevant today as when it was first performed in 1938. More photos below. The cast:Alderman Joseph Helliwell                Richard TrantomMaria Helliwell                                    Carolyn TaylorCouncillor Albert Parker                    Del StoneHerbert Soppitt                                   David KinchClara Soppitt                                        Christine LeverAnnie Parker                                        Sandie CampbellGerald Forbes                                      Matthew SandersonHenry Ormonroyd                              Joseph HughesNancy Holmes                                      Ruth AylwardFred Dyson                                           Nigel LondonMrs Northrup                                      Penny VetterleinRuby Birtle                                           Alice FosterLottie Grady                                        Janet ClarkRev. Clement Mercer                         Jeremy Clarke

In Two Minds

2013

In Two Minds by Richard Harris. Director Eve Stone. Theatre 62's entry for the Bromley Theatre Guil Full Length Play Festival 2013. Set in the present day, divorced go-ahead bookseller David is moving into a new home in outer London with his partner Annie. Strange events cast a shadow over their new home and cause David's negative thoughts to rise to the surface. Their seemingly sinister neighbour, Mr Hewlett, keeps popping in uninvited. Mr Hewlett is married - but where is his wife? Why are their burnt clothes in the garden? Why don't the exterior measurements of the house don't match those of the interior? What's in the cupboard? David seems ready to excuse everyone of everything, but Annie struggles to cope with his doubts and insecurities. She finds herself in two minds about their relationship. Photos & review below.

Good Things

2012

by Liz Lochhead,  directed by John Oakenfull. Production dates: 3th-8th December 2012. This is a poignant, hilarious, “Cinderella story” with a lot to say about love the second time around. Susan Love, suddenly single and with the dreaded 5-0 staring her in the face, has an old dad in his second childhood, a daughter in the throes of aggravated adolescence and an ex-husband who, unfortunately, still has the power to wound. It is set in the charity shop where she is a volunteer. She deals with, colleagues who have their own problems, a succession of customers and people, who’ve donated "things", but are they Good Things? Photos below.

Under Milk Wood

2012

By Dylan Thomas. Directed by John Heather. A narrator invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of an imaginary small Welsh village, Llareggub.  This simple précis allows the imagination, humour and ability of Dylan Thomas to shine through. The BBC broadcast the first UK recording of Under Milk Wood in 1954, so Theatre 62 will also be staging the production as a radio play.  Those who have been to a radio production know how entertaining it can be to see actors reading the most unlikely characters. Members and Friends appearing were: Richard Barrett, Sandie Campbell, Janet Clark, Jeremy Clarke,  Philip Cohen, Myrna Delicata,  Andrew Heather, Sue Hicks, Howard James,  Muriel Kidd, Raymond Langford Jones, Sanchia Leddy, Christine Lever, Ian-Paul Munday, John Oakenfull,  Del Stone, Pieter Swinge, Carolyn Taylor, Penny Vetterlein, Eve Stone.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2012

By William Shakespeare. Directed by Patricia Melluish. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most delightful and well known comedies.  It is a play of such lightness and joy, romance and confusion, that even the most Bard-resistant audience members will be swept away by the tale of four lovers lost in an enchanted forest. Some of the cast and crew:

The Glass Menagerie

2012

By Tennessee Williams.  Directed by Paul Marshall. Tom brings a work colleague, Jim, to meet Amanda, his mother and former 'Southern Belle', and Laura, his insecure and slightly crippled sister who is absorbed by her collection of glass animals. Amanda is desperate to find a husband for Laura - but is Jim the answer to Amanda's prayers? It is a sensitive piece of drama – an intimate, absorbing and heartbreaking personal drama which examines how fragile the human heart can be, and how easily it can be broken. The Glass Menagerie won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play in 1945 when it was premiered on Broadway. Production photos & reviews below.

Great Expectations

2012

by Charles Dickens, adapted by Hugh Leonard, directed by Rosemary Harris. This play is based on the penultimate novel of one of the greatest writers of the 19th century, Charles Dickens. It was published when Dickens was at his prime. It is an absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham.

Flying Feathers

2011

By Derek Benfield, directed by Susan Adam. When Chief Constable Henry Potterton arrives at the peaceful country house of his late brother Bernard he is astonished to find several scantily clad ladies wandering about. Not knowing that during Bernard’s temporary absence on a religious commune in the Orkneys, his housekeeper, Nora Winthrop has turned the place into a house of sin. As she is not expecting the Chief constable and is fearful of the questions that he will ask, she hastily tries to hide the truth, leading to hilarious comings and goings. The cast: Chief Constable Henry Potterton     Alec Raemers Sarah Potterton                                  Janet Clarke Nora Winthrop                                   Susan Appleyard Roger Featherstone                           Bernard Harriss Mr Tunnicliffe                                     James Mercer Polly                                                     Ruth Aylward Debbie                                                  Sanchia Leddy Sally                                                      Alana Mortlock Jackie                                                   Rachel Judge

One for the Road

2011

By Willy Russell, directed by Sandie Campbell On the evening of his birthday Dennis is making a last ditch attempt to break away from the confines of middle-class existence. Imprisoned on Phase 2 of the housing estate, and surrounded by Tupperware parties, Weight Watchers and wife swapping, he tries to revert to his former easy-going way of life. He reaches breaking point when next door neighbours Roger and Jane arrive for his party carrying presents that epitomize the hated way of life. In between giving instructions on the telephone to his parents (lost in the maze of bungalows) and keeping a secret hidden in his reproduction Queen Anne Bureau, Dennis attempts to pack a rucksack. Then he finds that, in turn, Jane, Roger and Pauline (his wife ) all want to come with him… in rehearsal The cast: Dennis Cain           Rob ChambersPauline Cain          Rachel CormicanRoger Fuller          Ian-Paul MundayJane Fuller            Sanchia Leddy

The Deep Blue Sea

2011

by Terence Rattigan, directed by Muriel Kidd Rattigan's exquisitely crafted piece is set in a bleak 1951 London. Six years have passed since the end of World War II, but in England it is still a chill age of austerity and ration books, and a cold climate for love. Hester Collyer is emotionally desperate having left her husband for a semi-alcoholic ex-RAF pilot whose ardour has cooled. She loves him but cannot live with him, unlike her husband whom she can live with but cannot love. An attempted suicide fails and she wrestles with her inner turmoil. The cast: Hester Collyer        Claire Morris Mrs Elton                 Sandie Campbell Philip Welch            James Mercer Ann Welch                Nicola Bull Mr Miller                 Tony Skeggs William Collyer      Paul Marshall Freddie Page           Matthew Eades Jackie Jackson        Richard Webb

Dancing at Lughnasa

2011

By Brian Friel, directed by Janet Clark Dancing at Lughnasa, by Brian Friel, one of Ireland's most important playwrights, was first performed at the Abbey Theatre, in Dublin, in 1990, and garnered the 1991 Olivier Award. In 1998, Dancing at Lughnasa was adapted to the screen in a film directed by Pat O'Connor and starring Meryl Streep. Set in 1936 Dancing at Lughnasa is a play about hopes, frustrations, dreams and desires set against a background of Irish cultural identity, nostalgia, historical change, and pagan ritual. It revolves around the five Mundy sisters (Kate, Maggie, Agnes, Rosie and Christine), all unmarried who live together in a cottage on a farm 2 miles away from Ballybeg in Donegal with Michael, Christine’s seven year old son, born out of wedlock. The cast:Michael:       James MercerKate:             Janet EddenMaggie:        Sanchia LeddyAgnes:          Hayley BeszantRose:            Jess WebbChris:           Emily SmithGerry:          Ian-Paul MundayJack:             Del Stone

Earnest Endeavours

2011

by Ned Hopkins, directed by John Oakenfull We meet again Cecily and Gwendolen who got married in 1895 at the end of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. This new family drama, specially written for Theatre 62 by one of its members, explores how their lives might have changed in the maelstrom of the early 20th Century, after 20 years of marriage.

My Three Angels

2011

By Sam and Bella Spewack, directed by Ray Harris. It’s Christmas in a small settlement in French Guiana, one hundred years ago. The Dulay family run the general store, but as it is barely making a profit the outlook is bleak. Three convicts from the neighbouring penal colony become involved with the family and, by various means (none of them honest), transform their lives

See How They Run

2010

By Philip King, directed by Paul Marshall This play is fast, fun and furious, using stock elements of farce – a bishop, a repressed spinster and loss of trousers. It is set in 1943 in the local Vicarage. The lead character is Penelope Toop, the former actress wife of the local vicar, the Rev. Lionel Toop. They employ Ida, a Cockney maid. Miss Skillon, a churchgoer arrives on bicycle to gossip with the vicar and to complain about the latest 'outrages' that Penelope has caused. The vicar then leaves for the night, and Lance-Corporal Clive Winton, stops by on a quick visit. Penelope and Clive re-enact one of their scenes from Private Lives and manage to knock Miss Skillon unconscious. Miss Skillon gets drunk on a bottle of cooking sherry and Ida hides her in the broom cupboard. Then Toop is taken prisoner by an escaping German prisoner-of-war from a nearby camp, who takes his clothes as a disguise. The real Humphrey and the Bishop of Lax, unexpectedly show up early. Chaos ensues, culminating in a cycle of running figures, most of them dressed as clergy... CastIda, a Maid                                     Verity HallMiss Skillon                                    Sue AppleyardRev. Lionel Toop                           Stuart ScottPenelope Toop                               Rachel CormicanLance-Corporal Clive Winton      James NearyGerman prisoner                           Howard JamesThe Bishop of Lax                         Bernard HarrissRev. Arthur Humphrey               Ray HarrisSergeant Towers                           Tony Skeggs BackstageLighting Designer:                           Andrew HerbertSound Designer:                               Jon LewisSet Designer:                                    Adrian PopeStage Director:                                John HeatherSet Construction:                            John Heather, Andrew Heather, T62 membersSet Decor:                                         Adrian PopeStage Manager:                                Sally GuttridgeAsst Stage Manager:                       Claire MorrisTechnical Support:                          David Hart, Ian JamesProps:                                                Sally Guttridge, assisted by Barbara GadsdenWardrobe:                                        Valerie Polyydorou assisted by Margaret UzzellMake-up & Hair:                             Jean Golder, Christine Lever, Penny VetterleinPrompt:                                            Rosemary Harris House Manager:                              John HeatherRefreshments:                                 Nina JamesRaffle:                                                Dennis & Nikki PackhamBox Office:                                        Margaret UzzellPoster/Programme Design:           Graham CopelandProgramme Editor:                         John Guttridge

The Chalk Garden

2010

By Enid Bagnold, directed by Rene Hughes Elderly Mrs St. Maugham is now living in her country manor house with her young granddaughter Laurel. Laurel is estranged from her mother, who has re-married and is living abroad. They are served by a man-servant who is overworked and exploited by both the imperious grandmother and her wilful and disruptive granddaughter. Over the premises, unseen, is the brooding presence of the former butler, now bed-ridden and cared for by a nurse. Into this dysfunctional household comes the enigmatic Miss Madrigal, engaged by the distracted grandmother, without references, to be governess to Laurel. Madrigal, however, hides a secret past and her usual self-control is jolted into a feverish state of anxiety with unexpected return of Laurel’s mother and a visitor by whom she was known in the past. Is Madrigal’s true identity about to be revealed ?

Losing Louis

2010

By Simon Mendez Da Costa.  Directed by Howard James. It is the day of the funeral of Louis, and his two middle-aged sons are back in the family home with their wives, all of them suppressing their animosity. Flashing back to the same suburban bedroom 50 years’ earlier, the play reveals the roots of their mutual dislike. Louis was the secret biological father of both boys who were born to different mothers, and has passed on his guilt by favouring one son over the other. Gradually the layers are stripped away as they compete to get their hands on the family heirlooms.

The Clearing

2010

by Helen Edmundson, directed by Patricia Melluish. The Clearing takes us to the seventeenth century. The Irish people are being forcibly moved off their land as a result of Cromwell’s desire to drive the native Irish from their homes in order to give their lands and property to soldiers and businessmen who had supported him during the English Civil War. For generations the English perceived the Irish as 'sub human' and so thought very little of forcing families to leave their homes and start a new life in a part of Ireland, Connaught, that was little more than a desert at the time. Connaught had no law and order or infrastructure and thousands of those sent there died from famine and disease. Against this backdrop of persecution unfolds an enthralling tale of the effect Cromwell’s orders have on the lives of the regular people, both English and Irish, trying to continue their everyday lives in the face of political upheaval, prejudice and fanaticism. The play follows Robert and Madeleine – a blissfully happy English-Irish couple – and how their small, contented world is turned upside down and how they cope with the circumstances they find themselves in. While the subject matter is serious the play is not downbeat – it is an exploration of how different people act in situations that challenge the very foundations of their world and how some people will be crushed and others will find their wings.

Curtains

2009

By Stephen Bill.  Directed by Muriel Kidd. A mother's 86th birthday tea is a desperate affair. She is racked with pain and feels that she has lived too long, and her daughter feels guilty at not being able to help. After the party all the old family prejudices are forced out into the open in a sometimes hilarious, painful and moving picture of a family in turmoil. The action takes place in the back living room of an inner city Victorian House. Time: the 1980s, September.

The Accrington Pals

2009

By Peter Whelan. Directed by Eve Stone. The story of men from the industrial town of Accrington who enlisted for service in the First World War. They did not enlist for mere patriotism - military service provided a guaranteed income, regular food and clothing. This is a local and social history of the men at the front and the women who were left behind. Time period: from winter 1914 to summer 1916. Set in Accrington, Caernarvon, Ripon and the Western Front, The Somme.

Angels in Love

2009

By Hugh Mills. Directed by Noel Rands. Family feuds, mistaken identity and true love abound when Mrs Fauntleroy attempts to enlighten her now 25 year old married son - the 'Little Lord' - on the facts of life. Her hilarious efforts are complicated by mistaken identity, a poisoned teacup and a parlour maid's naughty novels in this comedy of Victorian manners. The play is set in the drawing room of Lord Fauntleroy's country house, not far from London. Time: Summer, about 1888.

Blithe Spirit

2009

By Noel Coward. Directed by John Heather. Coward wrote Blithe Spirit in 1941. The action takes place in the late 1930s in the living room of Charles Condomine's House in Kent. Charles Condomine:        Brian John Ruth Condomine:            Janet Sharrock Doctor Bradman:            Simon Waterfield Mrs Bradman:                 Pauline Whalley Madame Arcati:              Carolyn Taylor Elvira:                               Pat Adams Edith (maid):                    Grace Cannell

Dracula The Panto

2009

By David Williams, directed by Sandie Campbell As at 2022, this was Theatre 62's last pantomime. CastDracula                          John OakenfullDame Plasma                Howard JamesBuffy                               Vikki RedgraveFred                                Ian-Paul MundayRema                              Ruth AylwardDr Paul Bearer              Rob ChambersProf Van Helsing           Pieter SwingeMarquise de Sade         Del StoneBuster Blood Vessell     David KinchHans                                Peter BidwellAndrex Sisters               Nikki Packham, Janet Clark, Heather LondonInspector Ventrical       Dennis PackhamP C Platelet                    Bill RansomExtra Bat                       Rebecca LuckingBat                                  Amy BurnellBat                                  Patricia MatthewsBat                                  Sue Adams BackstageChoreographer:            Hollie CampbellLighting Design:           David HartSound Design:               Ian JamesSet Design:                   Adrian PopeStage Director:             Bernard HemsleySpecial construction:   Chris CampbellStage Manager:            Liane MarchantAsst Stage Manager:   Rachel CormicanAccompanist:                Sarah TalatLighting Assistant:      Mike WalkerSound Programmer:   Jon LewisProps:                            Beryl NealWardrobe:                     Margaret Uzzell, Valerie PolydorouMake-up & hair:          Jean Golder, Christine Lever, Penny VetterleinPrompt:                        Mary Ransom House Manager:           John HeatherRefreshments:              Nina JamesRaffle:                            Sandie Campbell, Liane MarchantBox Office:                    Margaret UzzellPoster/programme design: Graham CopelandProgramme Editor:     John Guttridge

The Ghost Train

2008

By Arnold Ridley. Directed by Ray Harris. Six passengers stranded at a remote station of the South Cornwall Joint Railway decide to stay the night in the cheerless waiting room. They soon regret their decision because they discover it is the anniversary of a terrible disaster; they soon see some ghostly and not-so-ghostly apparitions. The action tales place in the waiting room at Far Vale, a wayside station on the South Cornwall Joint Railway, during the course of a few hours in 1925.

The Importance of Being Earnest

2008

By Oscar Wilde. Directed by Paul Marshall. Worthing and Moncrieff invent the name Ernest for their alter egos. Worthing becomes Ernest when visiting Gwendolene in London, and Moncrieff when visiting Worthing's young ward Cecily in the country. Eventually they end up together in the country trying to bluff it out but their deceptions are discovered. The action is set in 1895.

Our Country's Good

2008

By Timberlake Wertenberger. Directed by Patricia Melluish. Set in Australia in the late 1780s, convicts are offered humanity by participating in the production of a play, 'The Recruiting Officer'. The convicts are sent by ship to Australia by the British and over time become animalistic - or so they seem to some of the officers guarding them. Captain Arthur Phillip thinks otherwise though, and asks Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark to direct a play starring the convicts. Some of the other officers are opposed, and Clark faces an uphill task of convincing the prisoners to work together. To cause further difficulties, some of the prisoners are sentenced to trials and hangings during the course of rehearsals. Cast - Officers Captain Arthur Phillip:                           John Heather Major Ross:                                              John Oakenfull Captain David Collins:                            Stephen Whalley Captain Watkin Tench:                          Tim Hinchcliffe Captain Jemmy Campbell:                    Ian-Paul Munday Reverend Johnson:                                 Rob Chambers Lieutenant George Johnson:                 Viki Redgrave Lieutenant Will Dawes:                          Hayley Weston Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark:           Stuart Scott Second Lieutenant William Faddy:       Ruth Aylward Midshipman Brewer:                              Pieter Jan Swinge Cast - Convicts Ketch Freeman:                                        Stephen Whalley Robert Sideway:                                       Tim Hinchcliffe John Arscott:                                             Ian-Paul Munday John Wisehammer:                                   Rob Chambers Liz Morden:                                               Viki Redgrave Duckling Smith:                                         Hayley Weston Dabby Bryant:                                           Ruth Aylward Black Caesar:                                             Kevin Carvosso Mary Brenham:                                         Jenny Jones Shitty Meg:                                                Penny Vetterlein Aborigine:                                                    Kevin Carvosso

The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge

2008

By Mark Brown. Directed by Janet Clark. The continuation of Dickens's Christmas story sees Scrooge one year after he learned the lesson of goodwill to all. Now the setting is a court of law, where he has sued the ghosts for kidnapping, breaking and entering, trespassing, stalking and emotional distress. This is a family comedy which ends with an ingenious moral twist. The action takes place in a London courtroom on Christmas Eve 1844.

The Woman In White

2007

By Wilkie Collins, adapted by Constance Cox. Directed by Rene Hughes. This production of The Woman in White was adapted by Constance Cox from Wilkie Collins’ 1860 novel. The story is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded by many critics as one of the first, and finest, in the genre of 'sensation novels', focusing on subject matter such as kidnapping, insanity, forgery and seduction. The play is set in the Drawing Room of Limmeridge Hall, Cumberland in 1861.

84 Charing Cross Road

2007

By Helene Hanff.  Directed by Bill Morley. Helene Hanff in New York writes witty letters to a bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Road, London, enquiring about second hand books. Replies are sent by the stodgy and proper Frank Doel. Helene's idiosyncratic path through English literature broadens as she grows ever fonder of her friends in England. The action takes place between 1949-1971 in Helene's New York apartment, and in Marks & Co, Booksellers, 84 Charing Cross Road, London.

'Allo 'Allo

2007

By Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. Directed by Jon Clark. Based on the long-running BBC Television comedy series, 'Allo 'Allo follows the adventures of Rene, a cafe owner in the occupied French town of Nouvion. Rene and his wife Edith struggle to keep a priceless portrait of the Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies by Van Klomp, stolen by the Nazis, hidden in a large sausage in their cellar. Rene is also hiding two British airmen, and with the help of the French Resistance, tries to repatriate them. Matters come to a head when news breaks that the Fuhrer is visiting the town, and the cafe quickly becomes filled with folk trying to impersonate Hitler... CastRene:                                            Del StoneEdith:                                           Sue Parker-NutleyYvette:                                         Susan AdamMimi:                                           Amy BurnellMichelle:                                      Sandie CampbellColonel von Strohm:                  Pieter Jan SwingeHelga:                                           Pauline WhalleyAlberto Bertorelli:                      Howard JamesHerr Flick:                                   Paul MarshallOfficer Crabtree:                        Stephen WhalleyMonsieur Leclerc:                      Biff HarrisonLieutenant Gruber:                   Geoff DillonMadame Fanny:                        Muriel KiddGeneral von Smelling:               Bernard HarrissPlumber:                                     Jon ClarkResistance Girls:                        Sarah Lewis, Ruth Aylward, Viki JonesFrench Peasants:                       Samantha Ellery, Sue Appleyard, James Neary, Peter BidwellBritish Airmen:                          James Neary, James Marchant BackstageLighting Designer:                      David HartSound Designer:                          Ian JamesChoreographer:                           Hollie CampbellMusic Director:                           Biff HarrisonStage Director/Set Designer:    Adrian PopeSet Construction:                        Bernard Hemsley, Adrian Pope, members of T62Stage Manager:                           Liane MarchantAsst Stage Manager:                  Katherine WhalleyStage Crew:                                  Louise Messenger, James MarchantLighting Assistant:                      Stuart ScottSound Assistant:                         Sharon FowlerProps:                                           Beryl Neal & Karen KehoeWardrobe:                                   Eve Stone, Jon Clark, Margaret UzzellMake-up & hair:                         Penny Vetterlein, Jean Golder, Christine LeverPrompt:                                       Janet Clark

Humble Boy

2007

By Charlotte Jones. Directed by Howard James. Unified Field research fellow, Felix Humble, returns from Cambridge to his middle England home following the sudden death of his father. However, he soon finds that his difficult and demanding mother has removed all traces of his father. After further domestic revalations he soon realises that unity must include his own home life. The action takes place in a country garden in the Cotswolds during one summer.

The Nativity

2007

By David Farr. Directed by Patricia Melluish. This is an imaginative portrayal of the Christmas story, which manages to combine the simplicity of the well-known Christmas tale, with stories from the Old Testament. These stories illustrate the beliefs of faith, hope and charity.  This combination presents a delightful mixture of reverence, humour and love. In this production, which was set in the round, the eleven members of the cast played fifty different characters between them, including: Sian Elliott:                              MaryStuart Scott:                           Joseph, ShepherdEmily London:                        Isaac, David, Sheep, BalthazarKeith Jeremiah:                     Joseph's brother, Minister of Justice, Israelite WarriorJohn Heather:                        Herod, AbrahamIan-Paul Munday:                 Goliath, Shepherd, Commander of the soldiersViki Jones:                              Shepherd, Villager, Prostitute, SarahRuth Aylward:                       Solomon, Villager, Waterseller, CasparJames Neary:                         Donkey, Ezra, Benjamin, SpySamantha Ellery:                   Angel Gabriel, Samaritan, MelchiorRichard Barrett:                    Mary's father, Israelite warrior, Solomon's officer Assistant Director:                  Sandie CampbellStage Director:                         John HeatherSet Design:                               John HeatherLighting Designer:                   Andrew HerbertSound Designer:                      Ian JamesSpecial Construction:              Andrew Heather, John Heather, Derek MelluishStage Manager:                       Liane MarchantAssistant Stage Managers:    Amy Burnell, Patricia MatthewsStage Crew:                             Derek MelluishLighting Assistant:                  Sam TannerSound Assistant:                     Sharon FowlerProps:                                       Beryl NealWardrobe:                                Margaret Uzzell, Joan MartinPrompt:                                    Nikki Packham, Mary Ransome House Manager:                      John HeatherRefreshments:                         Ann Herbert, Nina JamesRaffle:                                       Eve StoneBox Office:                               Margaret UzzellProgramme/Poster Design:  Graham CopelandProgramme Editor:                 John Guttridge

Rebecca

2006

By Daphne du Maurier, adapted by Clifford Williams. Directed by Muriel Kidd. Max de Winter's new bride arrives at Manderley to find the house filled with the presence of Rebecca, his first wife, whose memory is perpetuated by Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper. The second Mrs de Winter begins to doubt her husband's love until she uncovers the truth about Rebecca's death. The action takes place in the hall of Manderley, Cornwall, the home of Maxim de Winter, in early summer, some years before the second World War.

Separate Tables

2006

By Terence Rattigan. Directed by Patricia Melluish. Separate Tables is a study of the lies, class judgements and repressed passions of the long-term residents of the Beauregard Private Hotel in Bournemouth. Miss Cooper, manageress of the hotel, cannot remain aloof from the residents' troubles. An estranged husband and wide are reunited and two despairing misfits are drawn together as she gives the residents courage to face life. Set between 1954-1956 in the dining room and lounge.

The Hollow Crown

2006

Devised by John Barton. Directed by Raymond Langford Jones. The Hollow Crown: the fall and foibles of the Kings and Queens of England. Readers and singers: Susan Adam, Ruth Aylward, Alexander (Felix) Catto, Muriel Kidd, John Oakenfull, Arthur Rochester, Pauline Sammon, Burtie Welland. Music Director: Anne Greenidge Crisis? What Crisis? (see below)

A Doll's House

2006

By Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Frank McGuiness. Directed by Paul Marshall. Nora leaves her husband after realising that her role in the marriage is that of a doll and her home is a doll's house. Her husband's disgust on discovering she had committed forgery, to obtain money in order to save his life, causes her to search for a better life in her own right. The action takes place in the sitting room of the Helmer's apartment in a small town in Norway. It is Christmas 1879.

Cinderella The Sequel

2006

By Jackie Staite. Directed by Eve Stone. Cinderella - The Sequel or How I Ran Away to Join a Pirate Ship and Found True Happiness. After the traditional story of Cinderella, if you want to know what happens next, ‘the sequel’ provides the answer… Cinderella has decided that Prince Charming is too boring to marry, so she runs away to join a pirate ship. However, Baron Hardup, the ugly sisters, the Prince, Dan O'Deeny follow her to bring her back. Along the way Cinderella meets lots of new characters, including a swashbuckling pirate and the Old Man of the Sea. The ship sails to Mexico where pretty girls, bandits and lots more adventures await... Cast (in no particular order): Cinderella:                               Caroline OlsonBaron Hardup:                        Dennis PackhamFairy Godmother:                  Nikki PackhamPrince Charming:                    Richard StewartDan O'Deeny:                           Stephen WhalleyGorgeous Gertie:                    Del StoneDelectable Delia:                     Nigel LondonStepmother:                            Muriel KiddPirate Captain:                        Ian-Paul MundaySecond Mate:                           Jim JuddMaria/Pirate:                          Susan AdamOld Man of the Sea:                Peter BidwellBandit/Pirate:                         David KinchFirst Mate/Carlos/Priest:     Pieter Jan SwingePirate/Senorita:                      Jessie GiacomazziMexixan Pedlar/Conchita:    Viki JonesIsabella/Pirate:                       Amy BurnellPedro/Pirate:                          Gordon WattFlorentine:                                Lyn ThorpeMargarita/Pirate:                    Sharon FowlerPress Stud:                               James NearyMiranda/Pirate:                      Ruth HamiltonFrench Tart:                             Sandie CampbellPirate/Senorita:                       Marie Longhurst

The Dining Room

2005

By A.R.Gurney. Directed by John Oakenfull This mosaic of interrelated scenes, some funny, some touching, some rueful, is set in a dining room, the hub of social activity. Through a range of characters from little boys to grandfathers, from giggling girls to housemaids this insight into joy, sorrow, love and sadness creates a profound study of family life. The scene:an upper class American dining room in the north eastern United States over a period from the late 1930's to the 1980's, some scenes overlapping those before and after. The actors: Susan Adam, Nikki Packham, Sue Parker-Nutley, Michael Farrow, Raymond Langford Jones, Dennis Packham.

Pygmalion

2005

By Bernard Shaw. Directed by Bill Morley. In this, the source of My Fair Lady, Professor Higgins meets Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl, in Covent Garden. With the help of his friend Colonel Pickering, his housekeeper Mrs Pearce, and his mother, he teaches Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl to speak and behave correctly. As a result he transforms Eliza into the semblance of a lady. The action tales place in London 1913.

I Thought I Heard a Rustling

2005

By Alan Plater. Directed by Maurice Uzzell. The writer-in-residence appointment at Eastwood Branch Library of ex-miner Bill Robson pleases neither Ellen, senior librarian, nor Nutley, who coverted the position. A proposal to demolish the library unites these three in an unlikely strike group and this saves the library from closure.

Whenever

2005

By Alan Ayckbourn.  Music by Denis King. Directed by Rosemary Harris. Emily must travel to the end of time because wicked Uncle Lucas is plotting to steal good Uncle Martin's time machine. Along the way she picks up a chirpy Cockney, a sensitive android and a friendly Yeti who helps her to ensure evil does not prevail. Music Directed by Bernard John Choreography by Penny Heather

Silas Marner

2005

By George Eliot, adapted Geoffrey Beevers. Directed by Ray Harris Silas Marner, exiled from a religious community, lives only for his work and his growing pile of gold. But when the gold is stolen he is desolate. A foundling arrives at his cottage and he takes her in. Caring for her restores the happiness he lost with the money and he is redeemed by unconditional love for a small girl. The action takes place between 1790 and 1820.

A Murder is Announced

2004

By Agatha Christie. Directed by Rene Hughes. The residents of Chipping Cleghorn are astonished to read an advert in the local newspaper that a murder will take place the following Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock. All the residents of the town expect that it is a murder mystery party. Little do they know that they'll all show up for it, one by one, only to have the power go out and have shots fired - and a man is found dead. The police assume he had placed the ad and planned it as a robbery, but for Miss Marple it's not that obvious. She believes that the killer is one of the people in the room. When two of those present the evening of the murder are subsequently killed, it is left to Miss Marple to unravel a complex series of relationships and false identities.

Lettice and Lovage

2004

By Peter Shaffer.  Directed by Patricia Melluish. Lettice, employed as a stately home tourist guide, has inherited theatricality and eccentricity from her mother. Caught embroidering the history of the house by Lotte, her supervisor, she is dismissed. During the dismissal interview they uncover common ground with the result that she and lotte develop an unlikely friendship. Cast TBC Backstage TBC

Fringe Benefits

2004

By Peter Yeldham and Donald Churchill. Directed by Howard James. Two couples decise, this year, to change their plans for a customary annual holiday, since the wives are sick of Torremolinos and the husbands are engineering an assignation with two girls. A young man, who fancies the two women, arrives and predictably hilarious complications result. It is set in the 1970s, and all the action takes place in the small maisonette of one of the couples, Colin and Isobel Hudson.

Steel Magnolias

2004

By Robert Harling. Directed by Jon Clark. The regular customers of Truvy's beauty shop. the centre of a small town in Louisiana, enjoy a staple diet of gossip. They share the good times and bad and set the world to rights. But, when one of their number dies following an operation, they find a deep strength and purpose in life. It is set in the late 1980s in Chinquapin, Louisiana.

Garden

2004

By Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Paul Marshall. The action takes place in the Manor House, Pendon, home of Teddy and Trish Platt, during an August Saturday. Attractions include: Maypole dancing, Morris Dancing, Hoop-la, Bat the Rat, Tombola, Fortune Telling, Family Feuds, Jilted Mistress, Celebrity Guest and Political Chicanery. All presented in inimitable Alan Ayckbourn style. Maypole dance arranger: Penny Heather

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2003

By C. S. Lewis, adapted by Adrian Mitchell, with music by Shaun Davey. Directed by Rosemary Harris. Visit the fantastic and magical land of Narnia with the four children who have passed through the wardrobe gateway. Meet Aslan, the great King Lion, and wonder at the deadly struggle to free the land from the clutches of the evil White Witch... ...all brought together in this sparkling adaptation of the well-known story. Set in England and Narnia. Photos below.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

2003

By Muriel Spark, adapted by Jay Presson Allen. Directed by Rene Hughes. Meet Jean Brodie, eccentric, radical schoolteacher, fascinating her ‘set’ of sixteen year old girls with her ideas, beliefs and relationships with men. Out of pique, one of the ‘set’ arranges her dismissal for her fascist sympathies, ending the career of ‘an Edinburgh Festival all on her own’. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930’s and an Edinburgh convent in the 1970’s.

The Memory of Water

2003

By Shelagh Stevenson. Directed by Howard James. When Mary, Theresa and Catherine meet on the eve of their mother’s funeral, conflicts and tension from the past materialise. In this comedy of sparkling exchanges of everyday lies, through humour and depth of compassion, the strains of family relationships are revealed. The story is set in a bedroom at winter, over two days. Time – the present.

Neville's Island

2003

By Tim Firth. Directed by Bill Morley. A comedy in think fog. A team-building exercise in the Lake District by Gordon, Angus, Roy and Neville becomes a near-farcical shipwreck on an island in Derwentwater. With fog, unfriendly wildlife and being cut off from civilisation, the intended bonding process turns into a humorous fight for survival. The action takes place on Rampsholme Island, Derwentwater  during a weekend in November.

Amy's View

2003

By David Hare. Directed by Jon Clark. Love without conditions is Amy’s belief; a conviction with which Esme, her mother, a leading actress, committed to the memory of her dead artist husband, cannot come to terms. However, over a period of sixteen years, through her experiences, it is a view Esme finally comes to understand. The play is set in Esme’s house near Pangbourne and a London theatre dressing room. Act I is set in  1979; Act II is set in 1985.

Terra Nova

2002

By Ted Tally. Directed by Muriel Kidd. The epic story of courage by Captain Scott and his companions on their ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. All their determination, bravery and heroism could not prevent the enterprise ending in tragedy. This was an ambitious production, including the use of visual projection slides courtesy of Peter Bidwell, Maggie Hoyle and Ian James. The Antarctic costumes came from Leicester Drama Society and the Norwegian flag was loaned from the Royal Norwegian Embassy. Advice was provided by Dunstable Rep. Theatre.

The Farndale Avenue...Macbeth

2002

The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth. By David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin Jnr. Directed by Ray Harris. The enthusiastic Farndale Avenue ladies hope the originality of their production of Macbeth will get them, with the help of their producer, Mr Plummer, to the finals at Welwyn Garden City. Alas, events conspire against them and they fall at the last hurdle. Whilst the plot is a familiar one of amateurs hopelessly out of their league, the writing is brisk with many puns alng the way ("Macbeth: How goes the night? Boy: "the moon is down" cue hardboard moon crashing to the floor). The action takes place in the church hall of Our Lady of Cappuccino Arabica Avenue West  Hamwick.

Uncle Vanya

2002

By Anton Chekov. Directed by Paul Marshall. In the depth of the Russian countryside Vanya manages the estate of a retired professor and loves his young wife. She is attracted to the doctor who attends her husband and does not return Vanya’s love. The season ends, the family returns to the city and life continue its familiar round. The play is set on the country estate in the garden, dining room, drawing room and Uncle Vanya’s room. It is 1901.

The Cemetery Club

2002

By Ivan Menchell.  Directed by Denise Taylor. In this funny, wise and witty play Sam, whilst in the cemetery visiting his wife’s grave, meets three widows similarly visiting their husband’s graves. After exchanging initial pleasantries the conversation deepens. The three widows respond to Sam’s advances and Ida, Doris and Lucille’s lives are changed forever. The action takes place in Ida’s living room and a cemetery in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, between September and November in the late 1980’s.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass

2002

By Lewis Carroll, dramatised by Clemence Dane. Directed by John Heather. Lewis Carroll’s fantastic tales of Alice’s dreamworld of Wonderland, the people she meets including the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, March Hare. Together with her adventures Through the Looking Glass, she meets similarly well-loved characters. This is a story which enchants adults and children of all ages. This production included a large cast of all ages including twelve members of First Act (which later became known as Dramalab), some of whom appear in future Theatre 62 productions. Photos below

Map of the Heart

2001

By William Nicholson. Directed by Rene Hughes. Ruth and Mary are Albie's wife and lover. He is a doctor and isdissatisfied with his life so he goes to The Sudan with Mary to perforn charitable work. When he is taken hostage Ruth and Mary are left to poignantly take stock of their emotions. The action takes place in England and the Sudan during 1990-1991.

Let's Pretend

2001

By Vanessa Brooks. Directed by Rosemary Harris. British pensioners wintering in Majorca at the Hotel Paradise seek to impress their fellow guests by embellishing their life storie and capabilities. However, with the arrival of a young couple and a near staff riot, they see their layers of self-deceit peel away. The action takes place at the Hotel Nova Paradise, Palma Nova, Majorca. It spans the evening of the Valentine's Day dance and fancy hat competition, to one week later besides the pool.

A Chorus of Disapproval

2001

By Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Howard James. Perceived to be of influence, Guy Jones is courted by members of the Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society by promotion to the lead in 'The Beggar's Opera'. He is offered sexual favours and various perks, but is shunned when the truth is revealed. The action takes place in and around Pendon, Bucks, as members of the Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society progresses from their first rehearsal to a performance. Photos below.

Abigail's Party

2001

By Mike Leigh. Directed by Jon Clark. While Abigail, a neighbour's daughter, gives a party, Beverly, fan of Demis Roussos and appreciator of popular art, entertains hr new neighbours. Her persistent clichés and fatuous small talk escalate tension which finaly snaps and Beverley's homelife changes beyond recognition. The action takes place in Laurence and Beverly's house, one evening, in the 1970's.

Bell, Book and Candle

2001

By John Van Druten. Directed by Maurice Uzzell. Gillian is a witch who is interested in Anthony, her upstairs neighbour. To prevent his imminent engagement to an old school enemy, Gillian casts a spell. However, Gillian falls in love with Anthony and, as a result, loses her magic powers. The story is set in Gillian's flat, near Knightsbridge in London, in the mid-1950's. Time: from Christmas Eve to late wintertime CastGillian Holroyd                      Janet SharrockAnthony Henderson             Bernard HarrissAunt Queenie                        Jean GolderNicky Holroyd                       David BurrowSidney Reditch                      David Pollard BackstageSet designer                            Maurice UzzellLighting Designer                   David HartSound Designer                      Ian JamesStage Manager                       Heather LondonAsst Stage Manager              Alice LondonSet construction                     T62 membersSound Asst                              Daniel WhymarkProps                                       Joan Martin with Pat KingWardrobe                                Margaret UzzellPrompt                                    Phyllis Bardell House Manager                     Maurice UzzellRefreshments                        Nina JamesRaffle                                      Ann HerbertBox Office                              Margaret UzzellPoster Design                        Graham CopelandProgramme Editor               Maurice UzzellProgramme Design               Graham Copeland

The Wind in the Willows

2000

By Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Alan Bennett. Directed by Paul Marshall. Mole, Rat and Badger try to restrain Toad's foolish whimsies and penchant for fast cars, which land him in prison. Thrill as they brave the dangers of the Wild Wood and, by defeating the weasels, restore Toad to Toad Hall. Tha action takes place on The River Bank, The Wild Wood and The Wide World, near Cookham on the River Thames in the 1920's. Photos below.

Two Pinter Sandwiches/Triple Bill

2000

Two rounds of Pinter sandwiches deep filled with gizmo and bread pudding Trouble in the Works by Harold Pinter, directed by Jez Burrows. Fibbs            Maurice Uzzell Wills             Jim Judd First Act presents: Gizmo by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Lorraine Spencely Cast included: Sophie Jackson, Alice London, Gemma Betteley, Charlotte Orbegozo, Katie Figg, Stephen Whalley, Katherine Whalley, Emily London, Claire O'Sullivan, Rachel Cormican, Sara Molekenthin, Natalie Piddock, Marie Rose, Nicholas Wilcox, Eleanor Davies, Rachel Figg, Suzanne Piddock. Request Stop by Harold Pinter; directed by Jez Burrows. Man in bus queue            Peter Bidwell Woman                              Lisa Ventham Lady                                   Jean Golder That's Your Trouble by Harold Pinter; directed by Jez Burrows Person A                           Liz Webb Person B                           Tony Skeggs The Last Bread Pudding directed by Nick Warburton; directed by Ikram Khan Ken                                     Alec Raemers Jan                                      Jenny Jones Jack                                    Jez Burrows Denise                                Rebekah Watson Fleur                                   Penny Vetterlein Phyllis                                Jean Golder Tramp                                Jim Judd Interview by Harold Pinter; directed by Jez Burrows Mr Jakes                           Ikram Khan Interviewer                      Penny Vetterlein

Imaginary Lines

2000

By Reggie Oliver.  Directed Eve Stone. Wanda takes herself and her life very seriously indeed. Gentle Howard and succesful Sir Michael, the men who love her, try vainly to beat paths, imaginary or otherwise, to her door. However, Wanda, matchmaker - idealist - dreamer - is the despair of men. The action takes place a Hampstead in the nineteen eighties, in Wanda's flat and Howard's bookshop.

Dead Ringer

2000

By Charles Ross. Adapted from 'The Prime Petender' by Logan Gourley. Directed by Maggie Hoyle. The Prime Minister drops dead. Two members of the Cabinet, fearing the loss of the imminent general election, hire an out-of-work actor to fill the post. With the election won the 'stand-in' decides he likes Number 10. However, the head of security has some disturbing news... The action takes place at the present time in the study of the Prime Minister at Number 10 Downing Street. CastFrances Cowdray, Leader of the House Mary HolderDick Marr, Home Secretary                                       David TargetNigel Haywood, the PM's secretary                          Stuart ScottRay Turnbull, Foreign Secretary                              John HeatherRandolph Bolton, PM                                                David PollardGerry Jackson, actor                                                 David PollardEva Bolton, the PM's wife                                         Jean GolderColonel Hardacre, Head of No 10 Security               Tony Skeggs BackstageSet construction                                Adrian Pope, T62 membersSet decor                                            Carolyn Fuller, Polly Hart, Stella HarveyStage Manager                                 Ann Page-WoodStage Assts/Props                           Nina Herbert, Pat KingLighting Designer                             Andrew HerbertSound Designer                                 Ian JamesWardrobe                                          Pam Grafham, Penny Vetterlein, cast membersMake-up                                            Doreen Neale, Denise TaylorPrompt                                               Phyllis Bardell Refreshments                                    Joan MartinRaffle                                                  Sally GuttridgeHouse Manager                                Maurice UzzellBox Office                                          Margaret UzzellPoster design                                     Stella HarveyProgramme Editor                           Maurice UzzellProgramme Design                           Graham Copeland

Mrs Warren's Professsion

2000

By Bernard Shaw. Directed by Maurice Uzzell. Having grown rich "exploiting men", Mrs Warren brings up her daughter, Vivie, in comfort and gives her a university education. After achieving high academic honours Vivie learns the source of her mother's wealth and that she plans a life of luxury for her daugher. However, Vivie isn't so sure... The action takes place in England in the summer of 1900 in around a cottage, a rectory garden and an office in London. In 1893 Shaw completed Mrs. Warren’s Profession, however, it was censored for eight years. When it was finally performed in London in 1902, the public was outraged by its controversial content.

Same Old Moon

1999

By Geraldine Aron. Directed by Ray Harris.

The Visit

1999

By Frederick Durrenmatt. Directed by Maggie Hoyle.

Oleanna

1999

By David Mamet. Directed by Linda Harris

Love Letters

1999

By A.R.Gurney. Directed by Mary Holder.

It Runs in the Family

1999

By Ray Cooney. Directed by Peter Atkinson. An eminent neurologist is confronted by an old flame and discovers that their earlier liaison resulted in a son. With a potential knighthood in the offing he s frantic to hide the news from his wife and the hospital authorities as the pace of the farce grows fast and furious. The action takes place three days before Christmas in the Doctor's Common Room at St Andrew's Hospital in London.

The Understanding

1998

Whodunnit

1998

Bondagers

1998

The Odd Couple

1998

Daisy Pulls It Off

1998

Rutherford and Son

1997

My Cousin Rachel

1997

Bazaar and Rummage

1997

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

1997

Little Women

1997

Wuthering Heights

1996

Under the Stars

1996

Table Manners

1996

Shadowlands

1996

Follow the Star

1996

The Dresser

1995

The House of Bernard Alba

1995

And a Nightingale Sang

1995

Wildest Dreams

1995

Hay Fever

1995

John Snow

1994

Another Time

1994

Crimes of the Heart

1994

The Anastasia File

1994

A Christmas Carol

1994

The School for Scandal

1993

Agnes of God

1993

A Voyage Round My Father

1993

His, Hers and Theirs

1993

Filumena

1993

Dial M for Murder

1993

The Importance of Being Earnest

1992

On the Razzle

1992

Prin

1992

The Dover Road

1992

How the Other Half Loves

1992

Local Affairs

1991

Bitter Sanctuary

1991

Pack of Lies

1991

On Monday Next

1991

Dandy Dick

1990

Candida

1990

Ghosts

1990

The Whole Truth

1990

A Month of Sundays

1990

Arsenic and Old Lace

1989

Cider With Rosie

1989

You Can't Take It With You

1989

Blithe Spirit

1988

Rain

1988

Outside Edge

1988

Plaza Suite

1988

The Sleeping Beauty

1987

The Cherry Orchard

1987

Murder Mistaken

1987

The Complaisant Lover

1987

Amber for Anna

1986

Dark of the Moon

1986

Waiting in the Wings

1986

I Have Been Here Before

1986

Children's Day

1985

Shadow in the Sun

1985

Trio: The Rose & Crown, Mother Figure, There's Always Spring

1985

The Same Sky

1985

Toad of Toad Hall

1984

Our Town

1984

Charley’s Aunt

1984

Traveller Without Luggage

1984

Relatively Speaking

1983

The Tempest

1983

Ladies in Retirement

1983

Review of Revues

1983

Sweeney Todd the Barber

1982

The Diary of Anne Frank

1982

Bedroom Farce

1982

All My Sons

1982

Crime on Goat Island

1981

Happy as Larry

1981

Take Three: Mother’s Day, Company Come, A Night Out

1981

The Shop on Sly Corner

1981

The Twarting of Baron Bolligrew

1980

You Never Can Tell

1980

Rookery Nook

1980

Peter Pan

1980

Canterbury Tales

1979

Treble Chance

1979

The Curious Savage

1979

It's Bound to be Right on the Night

1979

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

1978

Habeas Corpus

1978

Gaslight

1978

The Wizard of Oz

1978

Move over Mrs Markham

1977

My Name is Oscar Wilde

1977

Come As You Are

1977

The Trial of Mary Dugan

1977

Pinocchio

1977

Book of the Month

1976

Three in One

1976

The Right Superior Residence

1975

Time and Time Again

1975

Something Borrowed Something Blue

1975

Alice

1975

The Love of Four Colonels

1974

Man Alive

1974

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

1974

The Crucible

1973

Black Comedy

1973

Master Dudley

1973

The Secret Tent

1973

It's Opening Time

1973

The Taming of the Shrew

1972

Not Now Darling

1972

The Doctor and the Devils

1972

The Insect Play

1971

The Murder of Maria Marten

1971

She Stoops to Conquer

1971

Triple Bill

1970

Yesterday the WorldFaithful Widow of EphesusA Resounding Tinkle

After My Fashion

1970

The Rape of the Belt

1970

They Came to a City

1969

Let's Get a Divorce

1969

Under Milk Wood

1969

Harlequinade

1968

The Patient

1968

Rhubarb Rhubarb

1968

Rebels Are Extras

1968

Arms and the Man

1968

The Play of the Nativity

1967

Triple Bill

1967

An Office of ProfitWays and MeansPoison, Passion and Petrification

Separate Tables

1967

My Three Angels

1966

Venus Observed

1966

Twelfth Night

1966

The Business of Good Government

1965

Everything in the Garden

1965

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

1965

An Italian Straw Hat

1965

Fallen Angels

1964

Sagnarelle, ou Le Cocu Imaginaire

1964

Three in One

1964

All on a Saturday NightA Family OccasionThis Desirable Cottage

The Tempest

1964

The Bride and the Bachelor

1963

The Chalk Garden

1963

Who's Your Father

1963

Watch It Sailor

1962

Programme: Reviews:

The Play of the Nativity

1962

Read below for a review of this production.

The Battle of The Sexes

1962

Dinner with the Family

1962

Here is the programme from 1962, and a review of the production:

No Man's Land

1962