Ladies day Poster 01 03 2016

After an exhausting few days for the Cast and Crew, Toad of Toad hall comes to a close. The scenery and props are back in the store and costumes are being cleaned before joining them. A huge thanks to everyone who helped put this together, whether it was helping out with Front of House, painting a couple of flats on a Saturday morning, or getting up early and staying out late to help lifting, shifting etc.

Thank you.

There are some wonderful shots out there on the interweb of the set and players and some links are below.

First of all there’s some photos taken by a Friend of Badger’s, Mr John Boyle, capturing some quite unique moments of the play. – click Link –

Secondly, there’s Marion Cox’s review published on their website. On the whole a good review, but she felt that the play was let down by the length and didn’t like Toad. It is worth noting that the version that was printed in the paper had some of the better points edited out and they applied an unsuitably negative headline. An edit that Mrs Cox herself was not happy with. This may well have put the opportunist Punter from coming out on the Saturday night.

And last, and showing that different reviewers can see different perspectives, there’s Anita Harris’s review featured in her Durnovaria diaries. See below.

      We open tonight, Show starting at 7pm.

We still have some tickets available on the door, so if you’re free, we’d love to see you.

Here are some pics from the dress rehearsal.

Here’s the Flyer that we’re currently circulating around some of the local schools.

PDF version to download below

Toad schools flyer

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