The Blewbury Players

February Update

The Blewbury Players — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:54:58 +0000

We can now confirm She Stoops to Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith, as the summer production, a brilliant and very well-known play with a splendid cast of characters, to be directed by Lydia Milman Schmidt, introduced to us by Laura Baggaley, our Director Emeritus, who directed The Winter’s Tale for us in 2007 and Twelfth Night in 2009.

Auditions will be on 25th & 26th February. Please contact Peter Saunders on 850245 to arrange an audition. Small and big parts for adults of all ages and we anticipate some parts for children of about 12 or older. We also welcome local people who would like to be involved with other non-acting roles such as wardrobe, scenery, construction, etc…..

A new adaptation of Great Expectations by the well-known children’s author Julia Golding (better known to us as Julia Saunders) has been postponed till next year, the 201st anniversary of Dickens’s birth rather than the 200th!

Workshops, rehearsals and lots of fun & hard work are underway for the youth production of Under Milk Wood directed by Jo Laugharne. This will be performed on 30th & 31st March in Blewbury Village Hall. Box Office opens at the Post Office on 3rd March. This production is going to be very special as it involves children from school years 5 -12 working together. Youngsters are taking on roles in stage management, lighting, front of house and finances with adult mentors.

Summer Production announced

The Blewbury Players — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:49:42 +0000

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, by Oliver Goldsmith, will be the summer production, a brilliant and very well-known play with a splendid cast of characters. the director will be Lydia Milman Schmidt, introduced to us by Laura Baggaley, our Director Emeritus, who directed The Winter’s Tale for us in 2007 and Twelfth Night in 2009.

Auditions will be on 25th & 26th February. Please contact Peter Saunders on 850245 to arrange an audition.

December Update

The Blewbury Players — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:59:51 +0000

Please note that our summer production of Great Expectations has been postponed until 2013 and we are discussing a number of exciting ideas for summer 2012 – watch this space!

Under Milk Wood
Following an introductory meeting on November 6th we are now underway with Under Milk Wood. I am delighted that the following have confirmed their involvement:

Alex Ewart	Charlotte Smith	George Brooks	Dylan Laugharne
Johan Nijssen	Alice Barton	Ellie Vincent	Ben Silverthorne
Emma Egbers	Megan George	Chris Willison	Robert Willison

This will hopefully be an exciting project which will give young people more experience in theatre performance, and if you are interested but couldn’t make the meeting, or if you have yet to confirm, please email me at jolaugharne@btinternet.com, as there are still places available.

November Update

The Blewbury Players — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:57:50 +0000

We are busier than ever…….
We will be staging Dylan Thomas’ play Under Milk Wood in March 2012 in Blewbury Village Hall.

Are you in Years 6 – 10? (see below if you fall outside this age range). Do you enjoy acting on stage? Would you like to learn more about acting skills and working as part of an ensemble? Would you like to be involved in a Blewbury Players Production for children and young people – on stage or offstage?

If the answer is yes to the above questions, read on! All eligible children from the village are invited to take part, and although there will not be auditions, all participants will be expected to commit to attending every rehearsal, as there will be a lot to do. During the project you will learn to improve your vocal and movement skills, characterisation, physical theatre and other performing skills, and the experience will also improve your confidence on stage. It will also be fun.

We are holding a meeting on Sunday November 6th at 5.00pm in the Vale Room, which will be a great opportunity for your parents, and you, to find out more. If you fall just outside this age range and/or you would like to know a bit more before the meeting please ask your parents to contact Jo Laugharne at jolaugharne@btinternet.com, for further information. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Jeff and Peter’s Music Quiz – Saturday 19th November
This ever popular quiz has questions for all ages and all types of music. There will be lots of prizes. Small teams up to 6 and large teams up to 10. Tickets now available at Blewbury Post Office.

With the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth in 2012, we are developing an entirely new adaptation of Great Expectations for next summer’s production. This is being written by Julia Golding and will be directed by Laura Baggaley, who has previously directed A Winter’s Tale and Twelfth Night for us. There will be a large cast of colourful characters and we’ll be hoping, and indeed will need, to see both old and lots of new faces getting involved.

A big welcome
We are delighted to report that Richard Blackford and Peter Willison have been appointed as Trustees and that Tracy Silverthorne will be replacing Chris Lakeland as our Secretary and Julie Hetherington as Friends’ Secretary. We welcome them all and thank Chris and Julie for their tremendous contributions to the Players.

October Update

The Blewbury Players — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:21 +0000

Jeff and Peter’s Music Quiz
Saturday November 19th. This ever popular quiz has questions for all ages and all types of music. There will be lots of prizes. Small teams up to 6 and large teams up to 10.

Tickets are on sale from 1st October at the Post Office.

Under Milk Wood
Are you in Years 6 – 10? (see below if you fall outside this age range)
Do you enjoy acting on stage?
Would you like to learn more about acting skills and working as part of an ensemble?
Would you like to be involved in a Blewbury Players Production for children and young people – on stage or offstage?

If the answer is yes to the above questions, read on!

We will be staging Dylan Thomas’s play “Under Milk Wood” in March 2012 in Blewbury Village Hall. All eligible children from the village are invited to take part, and although there will not be auditions, all participants will be expected to commit to attending every rehearsal, as there will be a lot to do. During the project you will learn to improve your vocal and movement skills, characterisation, physical theatre and other performing skills, and the experience will also improve your confidence on stage. It will also be fun.

We are holding a meeting on Sunday November 6th at 5.00pm in the Vale Room, which will be a great opportunity for your parents, and you, to find out more. If you fall just outside this age range and/or you would like to know a bit more before the meeting please ask your parents to contact Jo Laugharne at jolaugharne@btinternet.com, for further information.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stop Press: quiz tickets available now!

The Blewbury Players — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:55:37 +0000

By popular demand the always popular Music Quiz returns once again on Saturday 19th November. Small teams of six or larger teams of up to ten may enter.

Tickets on sale now from Blewbury Post Office.

Opera and the Devil at The Corn Exchange

The Blewbury Players — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:27:30 +0000

Troy Boy - A Comic take on La Belle Helene
Directed by Kit Hesketh-Harvey
Wallingford Corn Exchange Saturday 10 Sep 7.45pm

Stuck in suburbia the beautiful Helen’s fed up with her ridiculously boring husband, Menelaus. However, she really is trying to be good. But what can you do when the gods have other ideas and there’s a handsome young man waiting to whisk you away on an adventure?

Kit Hesketh-Harvey directs a cast that includes Myvanwy Bentall, Laura Casey, Rosie Coad, Christopher Diffey, Adriana Festeu, Anthony Flaum, Sam Furness, Marcin Gesla, Stephen Holloway, David Menezes, Joseph Morgan, Georgina Murray, Matthew Quirk and Emily-Jane Thomas. Music Director is Stephen Hose.

The Merry Opera Company has been created to open a door for people who find opera hard to access and understand, building on founder Matthew Quirk’s experience with Unexpected Opera (The Barber of Savile Row, Orpheus Down Under).

The Sinodun Players present
The Devil’s Gateway
by Sarah Daniels

Wallingford Corn Exchange Wednesday 12th – Saturday 15th October 7.45pm

It’s the 1980s and the world is changing. A new one is struggling to free itself from the old, Reagan and Thatcher are facing off against Brezhnev and women are on the march: cue laughs, warmth and an entertaining look into our past.

The Devil’s Gateway takes these huge themes and plants them in the living room where real people try to deal with them. Playwright Sarah Daniels finds the humour and humanity in what was a joint battle of the bombs and the sexes.

At its heart The Devil’s Gateway is about how mothers and daughters come to terms with each other and the new world they’re entering. It will make you laugh and cry and sometimes both at the same time.

We see housewife Betty wanting more than her traditional role. And her poor husband Jim, rooted in the 1950s, thinking the way to make her happy is to equip her with a new kitchen: No Jim!

All of this is played out against the unseen but ever present background of the Greenham Common protest movement.

See The Corn Exchange website for booking details.

“Under Milk Wood” to be staged by children next March

The Blewbury Players — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:06:34 +0000

We will be staging Dylan Thomas’s play “Under Milk Wood” in March 2012 in Blewbury Village Hall. All eligible children (school years 6-10) from the village are invited to take part, and although there will not be auditions, all participants will be expected to commit to attending every rehearsal, as there will be a lot to do. During the project you will learn to improve your vocal and movement skills, characterisation, physical theatre and other performing skills, and the experience will also improve your confidence on stage. It will also be fun.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

September Update

The Blewbury Players — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:36:18 +0000

News from the Blewbury Players

What a summer it has been. Orchard Dene garden was magically transformed into Neverland, with children dreaming of adventure, brawling pirates, very strange mermaids, and a fairy with attitude. Peter Pan was a great success and played to well over 1,000 people in four days at Orchard Dene Garden Theatre. We would like to extend a massive thank you to all who helped, took part in or were part of the enthusiastic audiences. It is reassuring to know so many people still believe in fairies!! Special thanks to our hosts Al and Zillah at Orchard Dene and their neighbours.

Date for your diaries

By popular demand the always popular Music Quiz returns once again on Saturday 19th November. Small teams of six or larger teams of up to ten may enter and the tickets go on sale at the Post Office on 1st October.

Love of performing passing through the generations ….

The Blewbury Players — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:48:44 +0000

Peter Pan is the 35th summer production at Orchard Dene Garden Theatre. We now have the third generation of some families taking part.
Peter Saunders, trustee and a founder of the Blewbury Players, has performed with his children and grandchildren. Peter’s wife Ann sources (often quite obscure) props. Their grandson Edward is playing John Darling in Peter Pan this year.
Dylan (10 years old) and his father Tom Laugherne are both in the cast this year. Dylan’s mother has performed and directed in past productions and his grandfather, local artist Ron Freeborn has acted, directed, and designed many sets and programmes including the first set in 1976.
Some people have been involved for over 35 years “I am very proud to have been involved with the Players from the very beginning and to have seen it develop to where it is today,” Tony Loy reflects as he prepares to take to the boards again as Italian pirate Cecco. Tony and Michael Allen (playing pirate Bill Jukes) both had parts in the Blewbury Players’ very first production in 1976. Tony’s wife, daughters and newborn grandchild have all appeared on stage at Orchard Dene over the years.
Chris Lakeland is playing Mr Smee this year and his wife Jo can be found up the lighting tower during performances. Their daughter Alex has also taken part over the years. Chris thinks that, “ The family unit is part of the larger village family and is a building brick of a successful community venture” and he enjoys, “Smiling faces, applause and people returning the following year which is a mark of their approval.”

Many families and individuals of all ages are involved in various ways with technical, stage management, wardrobe, front of house roles. The construction team relish the challenges of bringing the designers vision to reality (and nipping of for a well earned pint at the local village pub!). At weekends you can find the sewing team stitching costumes in the barn, people bent over in the orchard painting some of the scenery, an old pram piled high with pistols, bow and arrows and swords. It is exciting as the first night approaches and everyone involved can see all their efforts come to life.

Tickets from

Savages on London Rd, A417 Blewbury, Mon-Fri 9am-6pm & from 10am-noon on Saturday mornings (cash and cheques only).
Cornerstone in Didcot – 01235 515144 (they accept card payments).
Also on sale at Blewbury School Fair on Saturday 9th July from 12-4pm (cash and cheques only)

NEW FOR 2011 – family friendly tickets + group tickets

Adults – £12. Child/student – £6
FAMILY FRIENDLY TICKETS: Where children are accompanied by adults, for each two children paying the child price you get one FREE child ticket.
GROUP TICKETS: if you buy multiple tickets, you get one FREE ticket with every ten bought.
RAIN-CHECK VOUCHERS may be given but no refund or exchange – see Terms & Conditions on our website.

Original adaptation by Garth Bardsley. A classic tale that enchants and speaks to every age. New comic adaptation for the Blewbury Players.

Discover more about the many people who populate Peter Pan’s worlds. Find out what it is like to be Peter’s shadow, what happens when the Darlings discover their children have gone, why is Captain Hook so very rotten and how we all have crocodiles in our lives. Sign up for a fabulous flight of the imagination…