Next Season’s productions

 The Memory of Water  by Shelagh Stephenson.

Production dates: 29^th, 30^th and 31st October 2009

Three sisters meet on the eve of their mother’s funeral. As the conflicts of the past converge, everyday lies and tensions reveal the particular patterns and strains of family relationships.

Witty dialogue uncovers the harsh truths behind family struggles past and present, showing us daughters prompted, by the catalyst of their mother’s death, to grow up and move on. Full of black humour and touching realism this play, which was a West End hit winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2000, is a funny and touching start to our 2009/10 season.  

See How They Run  by Philip King.

Production dates: 14^th, 15^th and 16^th January 2010

The Vicarage, Merton-Cum-Middlewick, during World War II. With the Vicar away at a neighbouring parish, his wife, an ex-actress, meets a fellow member of her old troupe, now serving in the forces. They decide to spend the evening at the local theatre; all innocent enough. Cue her dotty maid, a Bishop, a tee-total spinster, an escaped German POW and a visiting priest...and mayhem ensues. Suddenly the vicarage is full of clergymen – nly some of whom are wearing trousers!

This classic farce, written in 1946, has recently had a West End revival and a rip-roaring tour of the provinces. Fast moving and uproarious, we’re sure this show will prove a popular tonic for those dark January evenings.

The Shell Seekers by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham, adapted from the novel by Rosamunde Pilcher.

 Production dates:  25^th , 26^th  and 27^th March 2010

Adapted from the best-selling novel, the play is the story of Penelope Keeling and her family and the passion and heartbreak that have held them together for three generations. It is a story of love, courage and determination and a painting which threatens to tear them apart.  

Switching between time and place, from World War II to the 1980s and back, we observe Penelope, in the final days of her life, remembering her past and planning for the future, while her bickering children attempt to develop plans of their own. Brought to life by the writing team behind Upstairs, Downstairs, yet remaining true to the book, this is a moving and sharply-observed family drama.