Newbury Dramatic Society |
The Newbury Dramatic Society web site is at www.newburydramaticsociety.com. Facebook. Twitter: @NewburyDramatic
Last production
Bletchley: Beyond the Gates, 10th to 15th May 2025
“When Sarah Wilson approached me three years ago with some original scripts from Bletchley Park, where both her parents worked during the war, I knew we had a unique opportunity to put on a show in tribute to our codebreakers”. says NDS Chair Mike Brook.
Now, in time for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Newbury Dramatic Society present performances of a show put together from material that was first written and performed by people working at Bletchley Park during the war.
Where
Saturday 10th May, 16:00 - Royal British Legion Hall, Pelican Lane, Newbury RG14 1NP.
Monday 12th May, 19.30 - Kingsclere Library.
Tuesday 13th May, 19.30 - Yattendon Village Hall.
Thursday 15th May, 19.30 - St Michael and All Angels Church, Enborne.
Box Office
Details and tickets are available direct from the venues, or Yattendon Stores or phone the NDS Box Office on 01635 821307.
For More information contact Mike Brook: 07848 976717
Review of Wessex and Hardy – On the Cusp of Change
24th to 31st May 2024
Review from The Newbury Weekly News.
The essential Thomas Hardy
This was the third venue out of five that NDS presented their new one act play by Ann Davidson about Thomas Hardy and his beloved Wessex.
It isn’t easy to create a rural setting in the 19th century and portray people of the time in a very early church with no scenery and very few props. What the actors did have were very good costumes and, wrapped in these and adopting their best attempts at a Dorset accent, brought this one-act play to life.
Ian Martin and Paul Strickland effectively transformed themselves into various Hardy characters and there was good acting and some singing from Sarah Enticknap, Ruth Masters and Ros Kitson. The women also did well transforming themselves into sheep with a minimum of woolly fabric. They even did a little sheep dance at one point.
Parry Bates played Hardy as a young man and read lines from some of his poems.
The play focuses on the hard but acceptable lives of rural communities at the tune and Hardy’s attempts – usually unsuccessful – to get better pay for country workers.
For Hardy, the countryside he lived in was idyllic and he watched change with suspicion. He objected strongly to rough work, which he felt unsuitable for women.
There were, of course, many references to the bad weather, rain and snow in abundance. The storm scene from Far From the Madding Crowd was mentioned briefly, a good example of real-life tragedy that Hardy managed to portray in one of his novels.
Another was from the same book showing the catastrophe of Gabriel Oak losing his herd of sheep and with them his livelihood as they fell over the cliff into the sea. The mention of Tess of the d’Urbervilles indicated Hardy’s concern about the difficult lives of women at the time. But he did not want change if it interfered with his serene country life. He wasn’t happy about the industrial revolution and found life in towns uncomfortable. A shy man, he would run out of his back door rather than face strangers at the front.
Much of the character and times of this complex writer were captured in this short play.
DEREK ANSELL
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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. |
Previous productions
Wessex and Hardy - On the Cusp of Change, 24th to 31st May 2024
Murder In Store, 16th March 2024
Percy Shelley, 17th to 22nd April 2023. See the review in the archive.
Sleeping Beauty, 25th to 26th June 2022 at Morpheus Theatre
Dick Whittington, 30th November to 1st December 2019
Arsenic and Old Lace, 10th to 13th July 2019. See the review in the archive.
A Christmas Carole, 1st December 2018 at Morpheus Theatre. See the review in the archive.
London Suite, 5th July 2018. See the review in the archive.
The Interview, 7th to 12th August 2017 at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Stanley, 5th to 9th July 2017, on tour
Maskerade, 17th to 20th May 2017. See the review in the archive.
Just So Kipling, 13th to 15th July 2016. See the review in the archive.
The Interview, 21st to 23rd April 2016 and 7th to 12th August. See the reviews in the archive.
A Tale of Two Cities, 27th to 30th May 2015
Revolution and Revelations, 20th to 22nd November 2014. See the review in the archive.
The Local Heroes of 1914-18, 13th July 2014. See the review in the archive.
Tess of The D’Urbervilles, 3rd to 6th April 2013
Entertaining Angels, 8th to 10th November 2012 at ACE Space
The Taming of the Shrew, 2011 at New Greenham Arts
The Dog It Was That Died, 2011 at the Watermill
Curtain Up, 2010 at New Greenham Arts
Confusions, 2010 at the Watermill
Outside Edge, 2009 at New Greenham Arts
Ladies' Day, 2009 at New Greenham Arts
The Recruiting Officer, 2008 at the Watermill
Ladies Who Lunch, 2008 at New Greenham Arts
Far From the Madding Crowd, 2007 at the Watermill
A Fishy Business, 2007, Festivals
Abigail's Party, 2006 at the Watermill
What's for Pudding, 2006, Festivals
Racing Demon, 2005 at the Watermill
Babysitting Calvin and A Radio Reminiscence, 2005 at Waterside, Newbury
Whose Life is it Anyway?, 2004 at the Watermill
2004 Review, 2004, on tour
An Ideal Husband, 2003 at the Watermill
Arms and the Man, 2003 at New Greenham Arts
Taking Steps, 2002 at the Watermill
Sganarelle and People ARE Odd! A joint revue and radio play with Kingsclere Players, 2002 at the Mencap Centre
Sganarelle, 2002, Festivals
The Crucible, 2001, Thatcham and The Watermill
World Première, 2001, Festivals
Love Begins At Fifty, 2000 at New Greenham Arts
Is It Something I Said?, 2000, Festivals
It Could be Any One of Us, 2000 at the Watermill
A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1999 at Kintbury
Habeas Corpus, 1998, at the Watermill
Parentcraft, 1997, Wallingford Festival
Move Over Mrs Markham, 1997 at the Watermill
Caught On The Hop, (Festival Winner) 1996, Wallingford Festival
Flying Feathers, 1996 at the Watermill
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 Ann Davidson at .