Rehearsals are underway for Toad of Toad Hall, scheduled for November. Costume design is also well underway and we’ve got to set up a meeting for set design and lighting.

If you’re interested in helping out backstage, drop us  line. We can always use a few more weasels and stoats to plot against Toad.

Below are a selection of photos from the initial rehearsals, including Weasels and Stoats.

Dorchester Drama has put together a summer programme of play readings and workshops to culminate in a social evening with performances on Wednesday 22^nd July – full details of the programme to follow shortly, but please, dig out that short monologue you’ve always wanted to do, come along to a regular Wednesday evening to find a partner for that funny sketch you love, and put something together for the 22^nd.

 In the meantime we will be continuing with another taster for our autumn production of “Toad of Toad Hall”.  Following on from Dees “Introduction to the Riverbank” where we released our inner toads (and moles and Water voles) , Lee will be running a workshop entitled “Colours, Shapes and Moods of the Riverbank” this Wednesday 17^th June at Sunninghill community Hall. It should be fun, please do come along.

 See you soon

This Wednesday, 7:30pm at the Sunninghill Hall, we’re running an evening to start looking at the next production, Wind in the Willows.

See you there.

Here is what Dorchester Drama is planning for the next few months.

 We have decided, after quite some discussion and consideration, not to pursue a Summer production, but instead to put our energies into play readings, workshops, and a social with, hopefully, bring and share food and performances.  We are thinking that all of these will best be carried out on our regular bookings at Sunninghill Community Hall– so Wednesday nights at 7.30 p.m. unless we let you know otherwise.

 There is lots going on outside DD for many of our members over the next few months, and time is getting short for a summer production, so we are going to concentrate on the social side of our group and have some fun.  We have been running regular play reading evenings alongside our rehearsals, since Christmas, and these have proved fun and popular.  Over the next couple of months we will add in some workshops including Stage Fighting and Improvisation,  and look towards both a big social gathering and the AGM in July.

 Please come and join us over the next few Wednesdays when we will be reading a bit more Ayckbourn (we had some fun with that this week), and Dee is putting together an “Introduction to the Riverbank” evening – I have no details but I suspect it is connected to our exciting upcoming Autumn production of “Toad of Toad Hall” – so be there!

A few of us intend to enter the carnival to promote DD and “Toad”.  We would love you to join us.  I am sure Dee will have ideas to help us out, but needs must, costumes will be simple – perhaps a whisker of face paint and a suggestion of ears.  Come on; Carnivals are Fun.

 Hope to see you all soon

The next couple of weeks, 22nd & 29th April, we will be meeting at Sunninghill main hall /Trinity Parish centre (where we put on Generations Apart) at 7:30pm to read through some scripts and get some ideas going.

Trinity Parish Centre – Culliford Road North, Dorchester. DT1 1QG

And so it’s farewell to ‘Generations Apart’.  Well worth the efforts cast & crew put in producing a play that surprised many not familiar with Peter Gordon, the author.

Thanks to everyone that came to see it. If you missed it, it’s a shame. I’ll post up some pictures at the bottom of the page and hopefully be able to put up some key moments of the play in clip form.

And so we look forward to the Summer production. It’s a busy period for drama in Dorchester with ‘Daisy pulls it off’ coming to the end of their run and New Hardy Players production of ‘Return of the Native’ starting to gain a head of steamas well as anything else that other groups are doing. So DD are looking to do a series of short plays and monologues.

The next couple of weeks, 22nd & 29th April, we will be meeting at Sunninghill main hall /Trinity Parish centre (where we put on Generations apart) at 7:30pm to read through some scripts and get some ideas going.

This is an excellent chance for anybody to come along and say hello to the group and have a chat to see what we do. Please don’t be shy. There will be coffee, tea and maybe chocolate biscuits…..

After tech and dress rehearsals, we’re finally counting down the hours to opening night.

It’s not too late to get tickets and there will be some available on the door.

The cast and stage crew have done a brilliant job at conveying two time periods and the minimalist set is a credit to the Directors vision. You can hear the gulls and surf in the distance and almost smell the sea air.

Doors open at 7pm for a 7:30 start and refreshments are available.

Trinity Parish Centre – Culliford Road North, Dorchester. DT1 1QG

Entering the last few days of rehearsals. And of course we’re now planning the Get In etc.

OK, so here’s the plan. We are going to get some lighting up on Sunday, but we can’t set any stage scenery up until Monday afternoon.  So Monday Morning will be spent getting stuff from the store if we’ve not gathered it in the next few days. Then we can set the stage and scenery.

We may need some extra greenery for the hedge, so if you can help out there, let us know. Pretty much everything else we should be OK for, but until it’s up and see how it looks in the light, we won’t really know what else we’ll need.

Then we have a few nights for technical and dress rehearsals before the first night on Thursday. Tickets (£8) are available at Trinity Stores (top end of Trinity St), or can be reserved on 265758. Spread the word and get some friends along.

See you all there.

The team, hard at it with rehearsals…..