KATS

The KATS web site is at www.kats.org.uk.

Next productions

My Fair Lady, 27th to 30th October, at the Corn Exchange
KATS take what is possibly one of the most well-known musicals of all time to Newbury Corn Exchange for a colourful evening of song and dance. Follow Eliza Doolittle as she is transformed from a cockney flower girl into a duchess by Professor Henry Higgins, and everything that ensues as she realises that she can be independent and does not need him.

Trouble in Pantoland, 24th to 26th February
There's something wrong with the Wicked Queen's magic mirror and He Whose Name No-one Can Remember, a seriously evil wizard, has invaded pantoland. He has already frozen all the heroes. All? Well, all-but-one, but can a humble frog really save the day? Join the Wicked Queen, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Widow Tawaky and a whole host of other Pantoland residents as they try to protect the kingdom with only a Frog.

Where

Kennet School, Stoney Lane, Thatcham.

Box Office

Tickets for My Fair Lady from the Corn Exchange. Tickets for Trouble in Pantoland are obtainable from The Family Bookshop, Thatcham. Tel: 01635 871777, or online at the KATS web site.

Review of Sherlock Holmes - The Final Adventure

3rd to 5th June 2010.

Review from the Newbury Weekly News.

Super sleuths KATS: Sherlock Holmes - The Final Adventure at New Greenham Arts, from Thursday, June 3 to Saturday, June 5 Written by Steven Dietz and deriving from the work of William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: the Final Adventure starts with the announcement of the death of Holmes, with Dr Watson narrating the story of his last case, at the end of which – as we all know – Holmes died, along with his nemesis Moriarty, at the Reichenbach Falls. Or did he? The set was fairly basic with two main areas representing Holmes’s study and other interior locations, with the surrounding space used for narration and other action. This worked well, with lighting showing the scene changes, although the actors sometimes put themselves in shadow. As director, you could approach this in several ways: as a straight play, camp it up, or as a melodrama. Kevin Miller chose the straight route, with forays into the other two. The play is so dependent on the characters and interaction of Holmes and Watson, and we got a magnificent partnership from David Richardson as Holmes – authoritative, arrogant and superior – and Nick Saunders as Watson – sensible, competent, put upon, but as Holmes says, “the one fixed point in a changing age”. Both seemed just right for the parts, and carried the production along on a high. Mike Cole as Professor Moriarty was smooth and believably evil although his sing-song delivery grated a little at times. Paul Strickland was a surprise as the King of Bohemia, looking like a cross between Batman and Keith Allen’s Sheriff of Nottingham and providing some camp comedy. As one of the baddies, Will Froud was a promising newcomer in his first major role with KATS, paired with Kayleigh Dibble as his sister. Paula Hart played the fickle opera singer, trying with little success to coax Holmes into a romantic encounter that didn’t involve a history of pipes. As the safecracking sidekick to Moriarty, John Hicks gave some good character acting but words got lost in his fast delivery. The costumes, by Eileen McCarthy, were impressive and gave a fine period feel to the production. The pace was good at the start, but dropped off a bit as the play progressed. Nonetheless, this was an engrossing and enjoyable production from KATS. PAUL SHAVE

Previous productions

Sherlock Holmes - The Final Adventure, 3rd to 5th June 2010
Cinderella 2 - After the Ball, 18th to 20th February 2010. See the review in the Archive.
Weekend Breaks and Dinner Plans, 30th July to 1st August 2009
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 19th to 21st February 2009. See the review in the Archive.
Moving Pictures, 31st July to 2nd August 2008. See the review in the Archive.
Babes in the Wood, Revisited, 21st to 23rd February 2008. See the review in the Archive.
Oklahoma!, 24th to 27th October 2007
Tiptoe through the Tombstones, 2nd to 4th August 2007
Wild Wild West End, 2nd to 5th May 2007
Arabian Knights the Panto! 15th to 17th February 2007. See the review in the Archive.
A Murder Mystery, 6th October 2007 in Thatcham Parish Hall
Oklahoma! 26th to 29th July 2006. See the review in the Archive.
A Tomb with a View, 7th to 8th April 2006. See the review in the Archive.
Dick Whittington, 16th to 18th February 2006. See the review in the Archive.
Little Shop of Horrors, 26th to 29th October 2005. See the review in the Archive.
The Truth, 11th to 13th August 2005. See the review in the Archive.
Hercules The Panto, 17th to 19th February 2005. See the review in the Archive.
Little Shop of Horrors, 29th to 31st July 2004. See the review in the Archive.
Five Gold Rings, 19th to 21st February 2004. See the review in the Archive.
Pause for Applause, 19th October 2003
The Slipper and the Rose, 28th to 30th August 2003. See the review in the Archive.
Frankenstein the Panto, 27th February to 1st March 2003. See the review in the Archive.
The Shakespeare Review, 1st to 3rd August and 4th October 2002. See the review in the Archive.
Sleeping Beauty, 14th to 16th February 2002. See the review in the Archive.
Carpe Jugulum, 30th August to 1st September 2001. See the review in the Archive.
Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood, 21st to 24th February 2001. See the review in the Archive.