Archive for January 2026

Theft

By Eric Chappell

Directed by Jeff Wightwick

Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th April at 7.30pm

Tickets: Adults £15, Children/Students £12

Imagine returning home from a pleasant anniversary celebration to find that your house has been burgled. In this witty thriller, the culprit is still in the house, and for a while, he convinces the returning couples that he is a policeman. Unmasked as the thief, Spriggs reveals that he knows a number of uncomfortable truths that disrupt two seemingly happy marriages and one formerly strong friendship.

Eric Chappell wrote the award winning sitcom Rising Damp. This comedy is a parody of “An Inspector Calls”

This amateur production of “Theft” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd

Guildburys Theatre Company Present: Cold Comfort Farm adapted by Paul Doust from the novel by Stella Gibbons

Wednesday 25th – Saturday 28th March at 7.30pm

Tickets : £22. U18 concession £17.50

Following their hugely successful production of Hangmen at Nomads,  Guildburys Theatre Company return with “Cold Comfort Farm”.

Set in the 1930’sin the fictional village of Howling Sussex, the story follows Flora Poste, a young, sensible and “slender of ankle” socialite who is recently orphaned. Lacking an inheritance she decides to visit her distant relatives, the eccentric and doom-laden Starkadders, at their decaying farm. Armed with “The Higher Common Sense” Flora finds the farm in a state of chaotic misery and determines to “tidy up” her relatives lives by forcing them into the 20th century.

They are a crazy bunch………

Aunt Ada Doom: The terrifying matriarch who rules the familyfrom her bedroom, manipulating everyone by claiming she “saw something nasty in the woodshed “as a child

The beautiful Elfine: who roams the hills writing poetry

Uncle Amos:A fire-and-brimstone preacher of “Quivering Bretheren” sect who believes there will be “no butter in hell”

Cousin Judith: Heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness and engrossed in her son Seth, who is lustily obsessed with his own gorgeousness and dreams of Hollywood stardom

Not to mention Seth’s brother, despairing Reuben, and Adam Lambsbreath – an elderly farmhand who cleans dishes with a “twig” and is devoted to his four cows: Graceless, Aimless, Feckless and Pointless

The Archers, as performed by The Marx Brothers….hilariously barking mad!

Book online here

This amateur production of Cold Comfort Farm is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd

Audition Notice: The Taming of the Shrew

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Elaine Burns

Audition Dates Mon 23rd and Fri 27th Feb at 7.30pm

Performance Dates: Tues 8th to Sat 13th June

If you are interested please email Elaine on [email protected]

If you are interested but cannot make the dates please email Elaine so we can arrange to see you on a different date.

Key characters still required:

Bianca  female-  playing age 20s so someone in their 30s ideally

The 3 suitors for Bianca – a mix of ages, ‘elderly’ to youngish

Petruchio – playing age 30s-40s

Biondello – a servant, could be played by a female

Synopsis:

This play is a well-structured farce and is actually funny.  Baptista a wealthy citizen of Padua needs to find husbands for his two daughters.  Shakespeare wrote the play in 1590 so that’s how  things were.  But Katherine is bad-tempered and angry at the world, a shrew.  So no-one wants to marry her.  Bianca is modest and sweet-tempered.  So Baptista declares that Katherine must be married before he will allow anyone to ask for Bianca.  All the action follows from this moment. Costumes will be modern dress  and many wordy speeches have been edited.  Petruchio and Katherine are played as written.

Cast

Baptista                     father of Katherine and Bianca                                   40+

Katherine             eldest daughter, bad tempered, a shrew

Bianca          younger daughter, appears compliant and modest

Petruchio       alpha male    charismatic and loud

Grumio   his longtime servant, makes asides to audience

Curtis   servant based at his house  Act 4 only

Gremio     suitor for Bianca, elderly, tricked by others

Hortensio  another  suitor, friend of Petruchio.  He pretends to be a tutor to Bianca

Lucentio   another suitor,

Tranio   Lucentio’s servant,  clever.  Swaps clothes with Lucentio and pretends to be him while Lucentio pretends to be a tutor for Bianca

Another servant Biondello is younger

Tailor/haberdasher  presents new clothes to Katherine

Pedant/merchant  tricked into playing Vincentio, Lucentio’s father in Act 4&5   very funny role

Vincentio  Lucentio’s father, Act  5 only but a strong role.

Widow, marries Hortensio    final scene only

The widow and Curtis can be played by the same person

Biondello can be played by a female as a young man

Tailor/Haberdasher will be played by a female

Tranio could be played by a female

Horsley Live Music Club Presents:

The Great American Songbook with the Sarah Jane Eveleigh Quintet

Saturday 14th February at 8pm

Tickets £22

The Great American Songbook is a term used to describe the greatest American popular songs, show tunes, film music and Jazz standards of the twentieth century. In other words, it’s where Broadway and Hollywood meet Tin Pan Alley. You’ll hear the greatest songs ever written, performed by some of London’s finest musicians. Sarah Jane Eveleigh and her band will take you on a two-hour tour of the Great American Songbook, combining immaculate musicianship with stories and humour.

Audition: Theft

By Eric Chappell

Directed by Jeffrey Wightwick

Audition Date 12 Jan at 7.30pm

Performance Dates: 21-15 April

We are still looking for 2 male roles. If you would like to audition please email Moyra on [email protected]. If you are interested in auditioning but cannot make the date please email us so we can arrange to see you.

Synopsis:

Imagine returning home from a pleasant anniversary celebration to discover your house has been burgled. In this thriller, the culprit is still in the house, and for a while, he convinces the returning couples he is a policeman. Unmasked, as the thief, Spriggs reveals a number of uncomfortable truths that disrupt two seemingly happy marriages and one formerly strong friendship.

Characters: Still required

John Miles, (owner of the house) late 40-50’s

Spriggs playing age 50’s

This amateur production of “Theft” is presented in association with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk