On July 23-24, St Jude’s will be putting on an evening of two one-act plays.

The first play will be “Guidance” by Bob Tucker, a very funny farce about a couple visiting a marriage guidance counsellor.

The second play will be directed by Robin Adams.  The play will be one of the following two, subject to availability of licence:

First choice: “From Here to the Library” by Jimmie Chinn.  I quote the blurb: Beryl Tidy, whose life is dominated by her elderly, irascible and demanding father, has a new boss at the library. Mr Gostilow has just moved to the North from London. When Beryl storms out of work after an uncharacteristic fit of temper and fails to return, Gostilow visits her to find out why. Despite the idiosyncratic and often hilarious comments from Beryl’s father, Gostilow succeeds in showing her that she needs and is needed by the world outside.

Second choice: “The Gatekeeper’s True Religion” by Michael Pearcy.  A black comedy set in the shadow of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station.

The timetable for the next few weeks is:

Tuesday 18 May

Readings: Guidance and The Gatekeeper’s True Religion

Thursday 20 May

Film night: we’ll be showing the video of our production of Little Shop of Horrors.  Popcorn will be provided.

Wednesday 26 May

Readings: Guidance and From Here to the Library

Thursday 27 May

Auditions for One-Act Plays

Tuesday 1 June

Auditions for One-Act Plays

Thursday 3 June

First rehearsal for one-act plays

All the above at the Social Hall, starting at 8pm.  New members are very welcome; just turn up and join in!

The current committee will be standing down, so we’re looking for people to put themselves forward for next year’s committee.  We particularly need people to stand for Chair, as Kathryn Ward shall not be putting herself forward again after three years’ hard work.

The following committee positions must be filled:

Chair
Secretary
Treasurer
plus a number of ordinary members.

Please send any nominations to Kathryn Ward.  Nominations will need to be seconded by the AGM.

We are looking for people who want to be involved in the show: actors, singers, musicians, backstage crew, and puppeteers, of all levels of skill, are welcome.  Please contact us for more information, or simply turn up to a read through or audition.

We shall be meeting to read through the script on 14 and 19 January.  Auditions are on 21 and 26 January. 

As in previous years there will be a £5.00 charge to cover the cost of the meat, bread, condiments, and some desserts and soft drinks, please contact a committee member to let us know you are planning on attending and to pay your fiver. We are asking for payment upfront this year as in previous years we have overcatered due to non-attendance on the day.

What you need to do:

1. Contact a committee member to confirm attendance and pay your fiver.
2. Turn up on the day with suitable beverages.
3. If you want to bring some food along (salads or other desserts) please let Kathryn know so she can co-ordinate
4. Enjoy a pleasant evening, including finding out the cast list for “Beauty and the Beast”

This Christmas, St Jude’s Players present the classic tale of a handsome prince transformed by a wicked witch into the monstrous Beast.  The curse can only be broken if he can win the heart of the beautiful Belle.  Can these two souls find love with only the help of Mrs Bustle the housekeeper, Ee-gor and Eye-gor the servants, the talking clock Medium-Sized Ben, and you the audience?

These dates have been set for a script read-through and auditions:

• Tuesday 4 August - script reading
• Thursday 13 August - auditions
• Tuesday 18 August - auditions

Everyone who wants to be in the show is welcome to come to these, whether you are a member of the group yet or not.

The cast list will be announced at the barbecue on Sunday 5 September.

A drama group’s auditions for their Christmas pantomime take a dark turn when one of the cast is found murdered.  It will be up to the audience on the night to decide whodunnit.

• 15th July: Tomb with a View by Norman Robbins


• 8th August: Beauty and the Beast, the script for this year’s pantomime

Based on the book Alan Turing, The Enigma by Andrew Hodges

A compassionate and often amusing play concerning the remarkable mind and tragic fate of Alan Turing, mathematician and computer pioneer who broke the code in two ways.  One was by cracking the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II for which he was decorated by Churchill and lauded by the state.  The second was by shattering the gentlemanly English code of sexual discretion and making little attempt to disguise his homosexuality.  For this he was arrested on a charge of gross indecency.  Whitemore’s play, shifting back and forth in time, constantly seeks to find a connection between the two events and tackles major questions such as the relationship between mathematics and personal morals whilst telling a very good story.

We received very positive reactions from the audience for this show.  Christopher Try said, “Tonight was the first AmDram production I have ever attended and I was amazed.  We are all conditioned by watching professional productions on the TV, and the danger is that we forget that we are not watching the results of highly experienced actors (and actresses, to be old fashioned) supported by teams of professionals.  However the perfomances produced this evening were outstanding.  My congratulations to all of you involved.”