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…..

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”.