Archived News - Theatre
The Snow Queen, 28 November 2019
This Is My Theatre present...
The Snow Queen
By Hans Christian Anderson.
Thursday 28th November, 7.30pm, Church on the Hill, Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire, LU6 2EP.
When her friend is stolen by the cold hearted Snow Queen, Gerda must find the strength and courage to travel across the lands to save him. An array of characters along the way will guide and aid her journey but can Gerda bring the warmth of summer back to her friend? With live music, song and characters all ages will love, this beautiful adaptation will warm hearts this Christmas.
More info can be found at www.thisismytheatre.com/edlesborough
Please contact This Is My Theatre via e-mail at: [email protected] or by phone: 07732 253311.
Curtain Call Theatre Group present 'Comic Potential' - 7th-8th June 2014
Book your tickets now from Ticket Souce
Curtain Call Theatre Group present...
'The heart warming comedy of the decade'
Comic Potential by Alan Ayckbourn
Comic Potential is set sometime in the future when actoids replace humans in the filming of soap operas. When the want-to-be writer Adam, discovers that one of the female robots has developed a sense of humour he decides to use it in one of his programmes. However having a relationship with a 'non human' has its drawbacks! Join Curtain Call Theatre Group this summer for an evening of laughs and maybe the odd tear. Contains strong language.
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th June 2014
7.30pm at Eaton Bray Village Hall
£9 Adults - £7 Concessions
Licensed Bar - Raffle - Free Parking
Tickets via the website of call 01525 220525
www.curtaincalltheatregroup.co.uk
Front Row Theatre Group - 20-22 March 2014
Front Row theatre group presents Peter Gordon's 'Generations Apart' from Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd March 2014 at Eaton Bray Village Hall.
This is a very amusing romantic comedy which should appeal to all!
Cast includes Bob Stilliard, Donna Hughes, Barbara Morton, Jessica Hills and Matt Flitton.
Licensed bar from 7pm.
Only £7 per ticket. Box office open now 01525 222283.
See you there!
Front Row Theatre Group - 14-16 November 2013
Front Row Theatre Group will be performing Alan Aykbourn's hilarious play Absurd Person Singular at Eaton Bray Village Hall from 14-16 November 2013.
Tickets £7 available from the Box Office on 01525 222283.
Curtain's up on new theatre group in Linslade
A veteren panto dame and leading light in the local am-dram scene is launching Linslade's first theatre group.
Families in the town will be spoilt for choice next Christmas when Gavyn Lugsden's new company, the Curtain Call Theatre Group, opens at The Raven Theatre with Aladdin.
Gavyn, former chairman and member of the Wing Players, an ex-Butlins Redcoat and a children's entertainer, has been involved in am-dram for more than 21 years.
And he knows his stuff when it comes to giving family audiences what they want. He's written seven pantomimes and has had his work performed at The Grove Theatre, in Dunstable.
But what the Eaton Bray actor and writer really wants is to give Linslade its own theatre group based in the second largest theatre in South Bedfordshire.
He said: "It will be the largest drama group in the area and will be based at the 360 seat Raven Theatre at Cedars Upper School.
"It is open to all budding actors, singers, dancers or to those who fancy dressmaking, scenery design, stage management, lighting and working behind the scenes.
"Initially, it will be open to everybody over 15 years of age but plans for a youth group are in the pipeline.
"Our first performance will be a spectacular pantomime - Aladdin - next January and yes, this will put us in competition with the Leighton Buzzard Drama Group!
"We then intend to showcase two further productions in 2011 before getting ready for the pantomime for 2012.
"We have a fantastic theatre and no-one is really taking advantage of it. The LBDG and other groups in Leighton use the Library Theatre but that has a third of the capacity of the Raven.
"I think this is the first drama group for Linslade, something the town has been crying out for. It'll be good to have a bit of healthy competition in the town.
"I have spent nearly 25 years in am-dram and I wanted to get more hands-on. This group will receive expert tuition and advice from qualified individuals, there will be workshops, a big social side, and three shows a year.
"We will be starting from scratch so we need people to help fund-raise and create scenery, backdrops, costumes etc.
"Our Aladdin will be truly extravagant production."
Rehearsals start in August but until then the group plans to enter a float into this year's Leighton Carnival.
"I'd really like as many people to register their interest, via the website, as soon as possible, so I can ascertain the level of interest at this early stage.
"We are also looking for a number of local businesses to sponsor the group, as starting from scratch will be quite an awesome task - but I fancy the challenge!"
For more details call Gavyn 01525 220525 or go to the website www.curtaincalltheatregroup.co.uk.
Source: Curtain Call Theatre Group
Front Row presents: Audacity
Front Row Theatre Group are putting on "Audacity" a play by Simon Mawdsley on 26-28th November in Eaton Bray Village Hall. Tickets £7 or £5 from the Box Office at 01525 222283
Philip is an average salesman, going through a messy divorce. Deciding to inject some much needed excitement and cash into his life, he devises a sure-fire get rich scheme. Realising he can't succeed alone, he enlists the help of two rather naïve business colleagues, John and Dave. With gentle persuasion from Philip, both are enticed into his get-rich-quick plan. However, when Dave and John start behaving uncharacteristically, their wives Gemma and Gillian become entangled in the plot, and things don't go quite as planned.
Theatre Review - Old Time Music Hall
A very special event took place on 28th March at Eaton Bray village hall. Eighteen young people aged from 10-18 presented a full-scale traditional Old Time Music Hall to a sold-out audience to raise money for the Friends of St Mary's.
There was a buzz of expectation as a packed hall greeted the appearance on stage of James Lake who introduced the evening in the guise of the traditional music hall Chairman. Dressed in top hat and tails he introduced each act with witty quips, jokes, alliteration and a bang of the gavel (who remembers Leonard Sachs on The Good Old Days?!). He introduced the 'orchestra' for the evening - Ros Yalden on the piano - with traditional jibes about the quality of her playing but it was all in good humour and she accompanied the performers beautifully all evening.
The opening choruses were sung by the entire company and we could tell straight away that we were in for a good evening as the cast danced and sang with great strength and quality - they were all clearly enjoying the experience. They all looked authentic, with period costumes and props supplied by Wendy Ashman, whose husband, Peter, directed the show and provided much of the script.
The workload for the evening was fairly shared across the entire company with each performer having at least one solo performance in each of the two acts - that was a wise decision as everyone in the cast was clearly a highly competent performer - there were no weak links.
The first half consisted of fourteen separate acts starting with one of the all time greats - Daisy Bell - beautifully sung by Sophie Yalden. Other highlights in Act One included: a cheeky performance of a little known song called What's that For Eh? by Alice O'Neill who had the audience in the palm of her hand; a hilarious comic rendition of the poem The Green Eye of the Yellow God by Heather Mullett whose arm movements were provided by Emily Ann Varley; the Stanley Holloway monologue Runcorn Ferry by Sebastian Calloway (how did he learn all those lines?); Don't Dilly Dally and Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow sung by the highly talented Heather and Holly Potten; Cockles and Mussels sung with great conviction by Alex Mustoe; a touching performance of Won't You Buy My Pretty Flowers by Molly Blumsom: and a melodrama which had Freddie Marshall being henpecked by a convincing Melissa Wade before getting his revenge by selling her to the local squire wonderfully played by a joke-cracking William Sanders (who went on to give us a classical guitar solo in Act Two).
After such a slick and fast-paced first Act, the audience were ready for their lovely ploughman's supper provided by Val Trantum and her vastly capable team.
In Act Two the audience were treated to delights such as I Was A Good Little Girl sung by Olivia Calloway who made several gentlemen's nights by flirting with them from the stage whilst her talented sister Sabrina Calloway attracted whistles from the audience as a scantily clad artist's model in It's Alright in the Summertime. Emily Lake gave a beautiful rendition of the little-heard Shine On Harvest Moon and the half climaxed with a performance of the melodrama The Old Red Barn which had strong comic acting from Erin O'Neill as the wronged Maria Martin and Joe Ashman as the wicked William Corder who ends up killing her - but not before he milked the boos and hisses from the audience.
The evening concluded with the Chairman inviting the audience to join in the final choruses in traditional style ("chiefly yourselves") and the entire cast sung and danced such numbers as Any Old Iron and Beside the Seaside with great energy, enthusiasm and quality.
The audience went home happy after two and a half hours - nearly a thousand pounds was raised for Friends of St Mary's and they had been entertained by a group of highly-talented young people. There were no 'stars' in this show - every performer was exceptionally strong - they looked good, were well-rehearsed and clearly enjoyed entertaining their audience. When are we going to get an encore?!
Source: Focus, May 2008
Gazette Gossip
Let's give Eaton Bray man Stuart Harding a big hand, as he bows out of the company he founded, Theatre Breaks Ltd.
The 70-year-old managing director, pictured on the right of our picture, is stepping out of the spotlight, and his son Simon is now taking centre stage.
Stuart isn't just a groundbreaking businessman, he's also a singer, actor and musical director.
When he set up the company, in 1980, it was called Theatre Rail Club.
Stuart launched it at the Royal Opera House, at an event packed with VIPs.
It was the first time that entertainment, travel and independant business had been combined into a one-stop shop.
That was a brave move - his background was with British Rail, where he was senior sales marketing manager for the whole rail network.
Anne Main MP dropped into the St Albans office to wish him well on his retirement.
I hear that he'll be keeping in touch with the company and the theatre world.
And as the curtain is brought down on Stuart's current Theatre Breaks role, I rather think he deserves a standing ovation.
For the latest news from Eaton Bray and beyond, get the Dunstable Gazette every Wednesday and make a daily date with Dunstable Today.
Source: Anne O'Donoghue, Dunstable Gazette, 23 April 2008
Stepping out in style
Village theatre company Front Row will be performing musical play Stepping Out at Eaton Bray Village Hall on 17th, 18th and 19th April.
The show, written by Richard Harris, is about the lives, laughs and loves of a group of people attending a weekly tap dance class held in a dingy north London church hall.
Director Wendy Baker said: "The cast of 10 have been working extremely hard, not only developing their characters, but also perfecting the different tap dances.
"Rehearsals have been great fun and it promises to be a very funny play."
Performances take place at Eaton Bray Village Hall on Thursday April 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19. Doors open at 7.30pm with performances beginning at 8pm.
There is a licensed bar and tickets cost just £7 each.
For more information or to book your tickets, contact the box office on 01525 221482.
Source: Focus, April 2008
Front Row Presents: Let's Pretend
Local amateur theatre group
Front Row
Presents by kind permission of Warner Chappell Plays Ltd
Let's Pretend
by Vanessa Brooks
Thurs 17 - Sat 19 May 2007, 7.30pm
Eaton Bray Village Hall
The hotel Nova Paradise may have seen better days, but it's still a home away from home for the long-stay British pensioners wintering in Majorca. When the arrival of a young couple, booked into the hotel by mistake, coincides with a near-riot by hotel staff, the many layers of deceit peel away with increasing speed. The play runs the gamut of human emotions, striking a fine balance between comedy and poignancy.
Licensed Bar
Box office 01525 222283
Source: Focus, May 2007
Front Row Present: Third Week In August
Amateur Village Theatre Company
Front Row
Presents by kind permission of Josef Weinberger Plays,
the hilarious Peter Gordon comedy
When Sue tries to get away from it all on a solo caravan holiday, little does she realise that she's booked into the caravan site from hell! Taken under the wing of 'expert' caravanner
Neville, he decides that a communal barbecue is the order of the
day, and things really start to hot up! With a script that is sure to raise a chuckle and a cast of oddball characters (if you've ever been near a caravan site you'll recognise them all!), let's raise the steadies and check the electrics - because we're all going on a summer holiday!
Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th November
at Eaton Bray Village Hall
Box Office 01525 222283 Tickets on sale from 1st November
Source: Focus, November 2006
Missing body mystery!
After a break of a year, popular local theatre group Front Row returns to Eaton Bray Village Hall this week with a period comedy murder mystery. 'Wanted - One Body' by Charles Dyer is set in a spooky country mansion following the death of its owner, Mr Barraclough.
When solicitors arrive to read the will, they discover the body is missing from its coffin!
What part has Faith, his stepdaughter played, who is Nikkamopoloffkis and what has George got to do with it? Add to this an eccentric doctor, a miserable undertaker and assorted domestics and you have a very complex mystery!
How the solicitors solve it, with many other twists and turns along the way, makes for a very funny evening's entertainment.
So ditch the TV for a night and support your local community talent!
The play runs from Thursday June 8 through to Saturday June 10 and tickets are priced at £6. The play begins at 8pm and there is a licensed bar from 7.30pm.
Call the box office now on 01525 222 283.
Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 6 June 2006