Forthcoming Productions

EPSOM DOWNS      by Howard Brenton

12-15 November 2008, directed by Steven Rayworth.

Brenton's celebrated 1977 play, panoramic in every sense, attempts to bring a great public festival (Derby Day in Silver Jubilee year) to the stage. The play is typical of many at the time - the dramatisation of "the state of the nation". Brenton invests this landscape with punters of every class and creed: bookies, evangelists, a disgraced Labour peer, a working-class family just having a day out, high society, drunks and, of course, a few horses and jockeys. A fabulous mix of entertainment and social comment.

THE CHERRY ORCHARD      by Anton Chekhov

Directed by Steve Evans.

Thursday 19 - Sunday 22 March   AND

Wednesday 25 - Saturday 28 March, 2009.

Note: Wednesday, 25^th March is a special schools performance, starting at 7pm with tickets at reduced rates. More information. All other performances start at 7.45pm.

The closing lines of this masterpiece were the last words penned by the great man before his untimely death at the age of 44 after an extraordinary life and career as a doctor, story writer and dramatist. His work is often inappropriately labelled as 'gloomy' or 'dull' yet nothing could be further from the truth of this play. He wrote it as a comedy, insisted throughout that it was a comedy, and argued fiercely with Stanislavsky about the tone of the first production at the Moscow Art Theatre at one point losing all restraint and announcing 'Stanislavsky has ruined my play!'

Though the story is one of loss - loss of the Ranyevskaya's estate (The Cherry Orchard) through financial mismanagement, and loss of a way of life - the leisurely life of the landed gentry underpinned by free slave labour - the play is full of the warmth, wit and gentle humour which marked Chekhov as a man and a writer, and is also stunningly accurate in its portrayal of the people. Every character is recognisable, even 100 years later, and most of them are, in one way or another, funny. That is not to say it is hilarious in the vicar-losing-his-trousers sense, it's simply amusing to see our own foibles and strange ways embodied on stage.

The play has now been cast after auditions of the highest standard and we have been able to assemble a wonderful cast, including several of the Playhouse’s finest comic talents who will, I am sure, live up to the author’s expectations.

It is a perfect mix of experience and with several new faces. I would particularly like to welcome Becky Lauder-Fletcher from Theatre Studio and newcomers Leyna Wilde and Tony Jones, all of whom gave superb auditions.

We still need several key members of the production team. Please, if you have any skills to offer in set building and helping backstage, contact the production manager, Judith Baker on 01242 253130 or email judithkbaker@hotmail.com. This promises to be a wonderful experience for all concerned and I am sure we will all have a great time getting it on stage.

I am delighted to say that Carol Meredith has agreed to design the set. Carol is an exceptional talent and I had the pleasure of working with her on The Tempest in 2004. I am sure that she will make this production look fantastic and provide a perfect platform for our outstanding actors.

Steve Evans, director

Cast:

Ranyevskaya      Sarah Vaux

Lopakhin            Phil Ward

Gayev                Dave Mumford

Anya                 Becky Lauder-Fletcher

Varya                Rachel Prudden

Yepikhodov        Paul Scott

Trofimov            Tony Jones

Charlotta           Anne Chandler

Firs                   Len Vaux

Pishchik             David Holtham

Yasha                Keith Franklin

Dunyasha           Leyna Wilde

Dog                   Phoebe

Passer-by           Ben Perkins

Stationmaster     To be cast

Production team to date:

Director                                        Steve Evans

Production manager                       Judith Baker

Set design                                    Carol Meredith

Costumes                                     Liz White

Publicity                                       Sarah Evans

Stage manager/assistant director     Malcolm Kelsall

Lighting                                        Martin Oakes

Props                                           Sally Swinford

TOP GIRLS     by Caryl Churchill

Directed by Dave Mumford

Week beginning 5th July 2009.

ART      by Yasmina Reza

Autumn 2009, directed by David Holtham.