Newbury Dramatic Society |
Next production
Outside Edge, 18th to 21st November
Sylvia Knight is directing Outside Edge and she is
looking forward to seeing you all at the readings on Monday 3rd
August, 10th August and 17th August. Where? 106 Enborne Road
Newbury, RG14 6AN. 01635 33572. Time 7:30 prompt. Please feel free
to contact her with any queries on 01635 569679 or e-mail
.
Where
Last production
Ladies' Day, 4th April and 7th to 9th May
2009
By Amanda Whittington. Work, love and life are one hard slog for the
fish-packing foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda. Their luck
changes when Linda finds tickets to Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot in
York. Out go the hairnets and overalls as the girls do themselves up
and head for the races. As the day unfolds, the champagne flows,
secrets spill out and their horses keep winning. By the last race,
the girls are on course for a life-changing win. See the review
below.
About us
 |
NDS is the oldest established amateur theatre group in the Newbury area. Current membership is around 45, and we stage a variety of shows each year in local venues, and also enter regional drama festivals. Between rehearsals we have an active social calendar - events planned include bowling, a car treasure hunt and group outings to other theatres. |
Recent Productions
| 1996 | Watermill | Flying Feathers |
| Wallingford Festival | Caught On The Hop (Festival Winner) | |
| 1997 | Watermill | Move Over Mrs Markham |
| Wallingford Festival | Parentcraft | |
| 1998 | Watermill | Habeas Corpus |
| 1999 | Kintbury | A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| 2000 | Watermill | It Could be Any One of Us |
| Festivals | Is It Something I Said? | |
| New Greenham Arts | Love Begins At Fifty | |
| 2001 | Festivals | World Première |
| Thatcham & Watermill | The Crucible | |
| 2002 | Festivals | Sganarelle |
| Mencap Centre | Sganarelle and People ARE Odd! A joint revue and radio play with Kingsclere Players | |
| Watermill | Taking Steps | |
| 2003 | New Greenham Arts | Arms and the Man |
| Watermill | An Ideal Husband | |
| 2004 | On tour | 2004 Review |
| Watermill | Whose Life is it Anyway? | |
| 2005 | Waterside, Newbury | Babysitting Calvin and A Radio Reminiscence |
| Watermill | Racing Demon | |
| 2006 | Festivals | What's for Pudding |
| Watermill | Abigail's Party | |
| 2007 | Festivals | A Fishy Business |
| Watermill | Far From the Madding Crowd | |
| 2008 | New Greenham Arts | Ladies Who Lunch |
| Watermill | The Recruiting Officer |
Contact Us
If you are interested in joining us in any capacity - whether
as an actor, director, stage manager, backstage helper or programme seller -
get in touch for details! Contact Fenella Newton -
Tel: 01635 873141
Mobile: 07912 565665
Email: .
Review of Ladies' Day
4th April and 7th to 9th May 2009.
From the Newbury Weekly News.
Pulling in the puntersNewbury Dramatic Society: Ladies Day, at New Greenham Arts, from Thursday, May 7 to Saturday, May 9 Amanda Whittington's play is rightly billed as a comedy and as the four main characters opened the performance by marching on in outfits reminiscent of Victoria Wood's Dinner Ladies TV series, the audience prepared for a laughter-packed evening. Laughter there is, but each character has problems which influenced the action as the play continued. Pearl, one of four Hull fish-packing women and about to leave the firm, has 'one dream left in her pocket' - to go to the annual Ladies' Race Day, held at York in 2005. What she doesn't tell her mates is that she's hoping to find Barry, a lover of seven years, who failed to turn up at their weekly rendezvous. Young Shelley, dreaming of champagne and a wealthy man to solve her money problems, is well up for it and naive Linda, ardent fan of Tony Christie, becomes keen to go along when told her idol may be there. The reluctant Jan, living her life through daughter Clare, is eventually persuaded to join them bringing, to Shelley's disgust, cheese and pickle sandwiches for a picnic. In the best scene of the evening the four do a clever, slick Monty-ish transformation, stripping off the fish-packing outfits to emerge behatted and bedecked, ready for the off. Excellent actresses are required and they were firmly in place. Jane Minchin (Pearl), Sylvia Knight, magnificent as Jan, Zandra Forder (Shelley) and Caroline Tripp (Linda) deftly brought their characters to life, maintaining accents and nicely judging both pathos and comedy. Without a horse in sight, they created the atmosphere of the race day which eventually solved all their problems. There were one or two places in the first half where the impetus dragged a little, but the pace picked up as the races continued. Mike Cole alternated admirably between factory worker Joe and racing pundit Jim, and in a particularly enjoyable scene with Caroline Tripp, Shaun Blake captured the mood of disillusioned jockey, Patrick, yearning for food. A well-chosen play, Newbury Dramatic Society's latest choice is one for which all involved, and director Fenella Newton in particular, deserve congratulations. CAROLINE FRANKLIN |