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…..

As the players enter the final straight, work behind the scenes is starting to heat up. We’ve got props on the way and the scenery ideas are starting to form. Hopefully it’ll all come together over the Easter weekend when we start putting the scenery together.

We’re going to meet Monday Evening at the Vic. Have got hold of some old scripts that were up at the store, blow the dust off and exorcise the spiders. One is a Priestly and the other is a farce. And off course there’s Ringwood Best and 49er on tap…

I’d also like to mention ‘Daisy Pulls It Off’, a production at the Arts Centre 24/25th April.

http://www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/24-25-april-%E2%80%A2-daisy-pulls-it-off-%E2%80%A2-wildcard-productions/

Several DD members are in it, directed by Sue Whiley.

Another enjoyable evening, with some good upper crust accents all round… Welcome to a new prospective member who popped in to find out a bit more and meet some of us as well.

Next evening is planned for 3rd March at the Victoria Hotel 7:30pm. Nothing planned for next week as most of us seem to be busy.

17th Feb

7:30pm at the Victoria Hotel Dorchester.

We’re going to read through some Noel Coward plays.

Noel Coward is known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called “a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise”.

While the play rehearsals are going on, the social evening play readings are also going down well. We’ve had several plays offered to us by their authors and these evenings allow us to have a look at them.

Next week however we’re meeting at the Vic on Wednesday 11th Feb, to read through an Alan Aykbourne, always a favourite with cast and audiences.

The week after we’ll meet on Tuesday 17th Feb. What we do/read is to be confirmed. If there’s anything you’d like to have a go at, just let us know.

And finally, Preston Pantomime Group are presenting Sleeping Beauty by Norman Robbins (Yes, it’s the same Mr Robbins that wrote Tomb with a View), at Preston Village Hall.

Tuesday 17th-Friday 20th Feb 7:30pm and Sat 21st Feb at 2:30pm & 7:30pm.

Tickets are £6 for adults and £4 for children available from Lynn on (01305)834410

Just got back from the Social evening down at the Vic Hotel tonight. We read the first act of “When we were married” (Priestly) and  a one act play “Star Chamber” (Coward). These are not plays we’re necessarily going to do in the future, though both would be easily do-able.

Both had us rolling in our seat at times and I’d recoomend coming along and having a go just for the giggle.

I’ve put up a quick excerpt, again just for fun… When listening to the attached clip, remember this is completely off the cuff, the actors have never read the play or practised the accents, so cut them some slack… Apologies to anyone of Northern descent. Also apologies for Jonny’s slight discretion of Language.

If you fancy coming along, the next social evening will be next Wednesday (4th Feb), 7:30pm at the Vic Hotel again.

Rehearsals are underway for the latest play, Generations Apart, written by Peter Gordon, and directed by Anne Ottaway.  This is a 8 player one with Tom Horsington, Harriet Still, Felicity Morgan, Steve Twinn, Ian Farley, Monica Hunt, Ellie Martin and Jonny White taking roles.

So what do the rest of us do while we’re waiting for props, scenery, costume etc. needing to be constructe,d made and found? Well, we’re having informal get togethers for a drink and chat on Mondays at the Queen Vic pub. This Monday we’ll be having an informal play reading. A chance to play about and practise those accents without being worries that you’ll actually be asked to do it for a whole play…..

See you there. 7:30pm