1947- 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Welcome to the website of Endon Dramatic Society

 

WE ARE BACK

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 Details of our Spring 2024 production 

Endon Dramatic Society present

Murder in Play by Simon Brett

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Wed 22nd May - Sat 25th May 7.30pm

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Boris Smolensky’s budget repertory production of “Murder at Priorswell Manor” is looking decidedly shaky. The cast are more interested in their egos than the play and life imitates art when a cast member is murdered on stage. Simon Brett’s hilarious text ruthlessly satirises the politics of the inept company and the numerous red herrings keep the audience guessing until the final moments of the play.

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Tickets Full price £10 concessions £8 includes programme and refreshments.

Telephone/Text: 07772 464610 / 07870 750857

Email : endondramaticsociety@outlook.com 

 

The cast of Murder in Play by Simon Brett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cast of Lucky Sods by John Godber

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Sheila's Island photographs

 

 

 

 

 

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REVIEW  SHEILA'S ISLAND BY TIM FIRTH May 2023

 

Endon Village Hall

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SHEILA'S Island - written by Tim Firth ( Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots )  - was designed to feature an all - female cast.

It is a very witty dialogue -led comedy,  here presented by Endon Dramatic Society, exploring deep heartfelt tensions that work colleagues experience when out of their comfort zones. 

The Pennine Mineral Water Ltd's Annual Outward Bound  Team-building Weekend's Team C, consisting of Sheila, Denise, Julie and Fay, seem to be ahead of the game when disaster strikes.

A misdirected course change dumps them all in the shallows surrounding a small island in the Lake District.

We first meet Team C's captain Sheila (Catherine Leese), voted into position due to her renowned cryptic crossword prowess.

She is closely followed by a highly disgruntled Denise, acerbically played by Nick Jones, who is minus her rucksack. You know, the one with the emergency rations.

Their remaining team-mates emerge, Julie (Barbara Gould) and Fay, 'the Christian in a cagoule' (Jenny Otter).  

The initial fast-paced nuanced jibes and funny one liners fall mainly to Denise. One of my favourites was her boast of having

earned her 'Girl Guide peeing outside badge'.

The script showed a fabulous grasp of the English language, the intense interaction between work colleagues, not necessarily workmates per se, was also captured vert well. Fay's really beautiful soliloquy to God's creation of birds was deeply poetic and delivered with a lovely reverence.

Julie's well equipped, seemingly bottomless rucksack - I was expecting a kitchen sink at one point - gave many a visual comedic moment throughout the play. 

Well directed by Anthony Simcock and Philip Howard, the script seemed a tad long to me. It lost a little of the slick initial pace in parts.

All the cast brought a very well observed persona to this mentally delicate situation, which became more and more fraught as the 

scenes progressed, culminating in complete moral breakdown and led to an almost law of the jungle mentality.

During the course of the second act, the volcano of tensions, as Denise increasingly bullies each of her team-mates is palpable. 

A brilliant observational comedy.       

 

 

REVIEW RELATIVELY SPEAKING BY ALAN AYCKBOURN  November 2022

Endon Village Hall

 

This comedy by Alan Ayckbourn, performed by Endon Dramatic Society, is set in the promiscuous mid 1960s and opens with the Monkees song Daydream Believer, putting you right into this most iconic decade.

Greg and Ginny are living together, but Greg is becoming increasingly suspicious that he is not the only man in her life. Growing increasingly concerned about Ginny’s motive for a planned weekend to visit her parents, he decides to follow her.

In reality, Ginny is really going to see Philip, a considerably older ex-lover, in order to break up with him once and for all, and to put a stop to the relentless barrage of flowers and chocolates she’s having to find ever more implausible cover stories for.

Greg arrives first, mistakes the ex-lover Philip and his wife Sheila for Ginny’s parent’s, as per her arranged visit. He proceeds to court favour with them individually to try to ask for Ginny’s hand in marriage. Ginny’s arrival further compounds an already hilarious situation.

Greg (Anthony Simcock) and Ginny (Barbara Gould) had a good rapport as the fractious but loving couple, tiptoeing around one another. The wistful look as Ginny asked Greg “Do you remember when we first met?  ” Yes it was only a month ago” was hilarious.

Philip Howard played the, at times extremely animated Philip, with Catherine Leese as Sheila. There was great interplay between all the characters.

The excellent garden set was straight out of Percy Thrower’s Gardeners World Pot Plant Special. Very effective. Warmly lit, giving the sense of an English summer’s day. Costumes were also appropriate to the era and looked really authentic.

Director Graham Bond ably assisted by Nicky Jones, used there resources well in crafting a little piece of period hilarity. Great fun.

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