Find out about theatre events coming up in and around
Newbury and West Berkshire, reaching out to Oxford, Basingstoke
and Reading. This site is updated very frequently - see
What's new below. Posters of forthcoming productions are here.
This
is the 62nd year of the Aldermaston Nativity Play.
Eight of these 14th century Mystery Plays from York are performed each
year to tell the story of the first Christmas. Around 80 members of the
community of Aldermaston and the surrounding area will come together, to
perform for four nights, this well-known story taking us all back to
simpler historic times through language, music, costume and place. It's
set in the beautiful, atmospheric 12th Century church of St Mary the
Virgin in Aldermaston. Performances are from 6th to 9th December,
20:00 on Thursday and Friday and 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets
are free: book
online. You can see reviews of previous years' productions
here.
New Era Players are holding a Theatre Open
Day on Saturday 20th October, 10:00 – 18:00. A day in the life of New Era
Theatre! See their show photography and admire their costumes; take a
backstage theatre history tour; find out about set design; and watch or join
in with the events on the stage. No admission charge.
What's new
You can get the latest updates via RSS or Twitter (@NewburyTheatre). If you don't know what
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is, this may not be for you (find
out more here), but if you're using an
RSS reader already, this is a good way to keep up to date with
the changes to this site.
Date
Item
14 Oct
Faringdon Dramatic Society are holding auditions for their January/February panto Wishing on a Star on Wednesday 17th October at 19:00 in the United Reform Church Hall.
14 Oct
Reviews of The Mill at Sonning's A Night in Provence("all good fun, very well acted and directed with flair" - NWN; "a frothy, amusing tale to send you out of the theatre feeling good" - The Stage; "boasts some genuine laugh-out-loud moments of comic genius and timing" - Maidenhead Advertiser; "6 talented actors clearly having a fantastic time... a fun evening out" - Wokingham Today).
12 Oct
New Era Players' next production is The Heiress between 28th November and 8th December.
12 Oct
Faringdon Dramatic Society's next production is The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery from 8th to 10th November.
4 Oct
Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group's next production is their first ever panto Sleeping Beauty from 22nd to 24th November.
2 Oct
Reviews of the Watermill's Trial by Laughter("engaging and educational" ★★★ - Guardian; "a David-v-Goliath celebration of dissent" ★★★★ - Telegraph; "another winner... highly enjoyable" BTG; "an amusing, enlightening evening" ★★★ - Times; "a strong production of an interesting and educational play" - Newbury Theatre).
30 Sep
Review of Silchester Players' Blithe Spirit("a very enjoyable production... polished and pacey" - NWN).
30 Sep
TADS' panto is Sleeping Beauty on 8th and 15th December in Tilehurst.
20 Sep
Review of New Era's Second Person Narrative("this challenging and much-enjoyable play was moving and impressive" - NWN).
Coming soon
Russell Players have two one-act comedies in Swallowfield from
12th to 14th October. In Funeral Tea, after Uncle Jacob’s cremation, the mourners settle down for tea. When they find the tea tastes funny they face an unthinkable possibility. The Reunion moves on to the problems that arise from Uncle Jacob's will and home-made wine.
Sinodun Players are celebrating their 70th anniversary
and 40 years at the Corn Exchange with a production of Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced in Wallingford from
17th to 20th October. It's classic Christie, a puzzle of concealed identities, mixed motives - and lies and more lies. A second murder provides supersleuth Miss Marple and the police with an interesting and dangerous case.
WSMC presents That 70s Concert
at three locations near Wantage between 19th and 27th
October. The 70s was the decade that taste forgot. The
decade of punk, of disco, of big flares and big hair. The
decade of Glam and Prog rock. The concert dives into this glorious decade to bring you some of the biggest songs given the WSMC twist.
Mortimer Dramatic Society's next production is Anybody For Murder? between
19th and 27th October. Max is planning to murder his wife Janet, collect her life insurance and enjoy a new life with his girlfriend when Mary and George arrive on their Greek island with news: Mary and Janet are beneficiaries of a huge fortune. Plans and plots hatch, and soon everyone is bent on murder.
AmEgos Theatre's next production is the Gershwin musical Crazy For You
in Wantage from 25th to 27th October. It charts the troubled
love story of Bobby, son of a wealthy New York banking family
and frustrated Broadway hoofer, and Polly, daughter of the
proprietor of a failing theatre in Deadrock, Nevada... and a
Hungarian impresario!
Faringdon Dramatic Society's next production is The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery
from 8th to 10th November. The hapless cast of 5 are faced
with the task of playing 15 wildly different characters
between them but remembering who they are and where they
should be at any given time may be a challenge too far for
the cast.
Compton Players' next production is
The Promise and Murdering at the Vicarage, two plays by H Connolly from 14th to 17th November. The Promise:
a few hours after Stacey Nash’s funeral, her estranged father sits menacingly and uninvited on the sofa in her front room. Murdering at the Vicarage: an amdram group battle against the odds to put on an Agatha Christie-type drama.
Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group's next production is their first ever panto and it's
a very funny version of Sleeping Beauty. The wicked fairy is mightily miffed when she dosen’t get an invite to the royal christening. Can brave Fairy Peaceful save Princess Aurora from the death spell and keep her safe for her dream prince? And how will the Queen Mum cope with a very long sleep-over? 22nd to 24th November.
New Era Players' next production is The Heiress between 28th November and 8th December. This was the first full length production by New Era Players in our Wash Common theatre, 40 years ago. It is set in 19th century New York and revolves around the wealthy Sloper family who live in the much sought-after New York address of Washington Square,
New York.
TADS' panto is Sleeping Beauty on 8th and 15th December in Tilehurst.
At the naming ceremony by the King and Queen of their newborn daughter, Princess Rose,
the Good Fairies bestow their gifts but bad Fairy Nightshade arrives and casts her spell of death by pricking her finger on a spinnng wheel. The Chief Fairy changes this to falling asleep for 100 years only to be woken by a kiss from a Prince.
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