Just a quick amendment.
The venue for the 23rd August is now Goldies (36 High E St, Dorchester DT1 1HN).
This means we can have a social drink as well, though if you are already familiar wtih the play, you might just want to make sure whos serving……
Arsenic and Old Lace
Looking ahead to our next production, we’ll be having a reading of “Arsenic and Old Lace” at 7:30pm 23rd August, Goldies (36 High E St, Dorchester DT1 1HN)
This is not an audition, but if you are interested in being in it (on November 24th, 25th at Corn Exchange, Dorchester), it’s a good chance to check out the characters and meet some of the committee and Ollie, our director for this one.
So if we’ve been telling you to keep an eye out on the website and social media for the chance to come along, meet us and find out what we do, this will be one of those chances. There is no pressure to read or even audition later, if you don’t want to.
Also our AGM is scheduled for the 30th August at the Dorset Youth Association Hall (Lubbecke Way, Dorchester DT1 1QL), evening time to be confirmed.
The AGM is open to anyone, members, friends and all. There will be some business to sort out first (voting on the committee for the next year etc) which will be followed by some entertaining skits and general chatter.
We would ask anyone attending to bring along a sharing plate of nibbles and suchlike and something to drink as well.
See you all soon.
Farewell to Little Grimley
We bid a fond Farewell to Gordon, Margaret, Joyce and Bernard , wishing all the best for their new cabaret careers.
Following a very enjoyable four performances across two venues, congratulations go out to all the cast, techies and director. A huge thanks also to the FoH volunteers that helped run things smoothly.
Plans are already underway for our November production at the Corn Exchange on Dorchester.
Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring, a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family.
Keep an eye on facebook and the website for details.
Little Grimley – Tickets available now.
A pair of one act plays by David Tristram, regaling the dramatic efforts of the Little Grimley Drama group.
“Last Tango in Little Grimley” is a comedic play set in the small, quirky village of Little Grimley. The once-thriving local drama society is facing a major crisis due to dwindling audiences and financial struggles. Determined to revive the group’s fortunes, the eccentric members decide to put on a controversial and risqué production in a desperate bid to attract attention and fill the empty seats.
Full of wit, farcical situations, and unexpected twists, “Last Tango in Little Grimley” is a hilarious exploration of the lengths people will go to save what they love, even if it means pushing boundaries and embracing chaos.
“Murder in Little Grimley” is a thrilling murder mystery play set in the quaint village. However, things quickly take an unexpected turn when a real murder takes place within the village, mirroring the events of their play. The drama society members find themselves unwittingly caught up in a genuine murder investigation, with their amateur acting skills put to the test as they attempt to solve the crime and clear their own names.
With witty dialogue, slapstick humour, and a dash of farce, “Murder in Little Grimley” offers a delightful and light-hearted take on the classic murder mystery genre. As the truth behind the murder slowly unravels, audiences will find themselves laughing and guessing along with the characters, enjoying the playful twists and turns that make this play a memorable and entertaining experience.
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
Little Grimley
Last night we met up and read ‘Last Tango in Little Grimley’, and also welcomed a few Community Player friends along. We didn’t get a chance to read through ‘Murder in Little Grimley’ as the scripts haven’t arrived.
So we’ll be meeting up at the Pointe again next Monday 24th April 7:30pm (The Pointe Old Salvation Army Hall, Durngate Street, Dorchester DT1 1NA), to read that one with a view to starting rehearsals on Wednesday once the Director has cast everyone.
It would be great to see anyone who wants to come along, old and new members alike.
Next Productions
Just recently a few of Dorchester Dramas’ members have been involved with the latest Dorchester Community Play. During this, we’ve also been looking at what DD will put on, holding some informal play readings on a Wednesday evening.
So we’re pleased to say that we’re going to do a couple of one act plays, Last Tango at Little Grimley and Murder at Little Grimley. A couple of performances are planned, 1st July – St Marys Church Hall, Dorchester & 8th July – Charminster Village hall.
We’re holding a meeting Wednesday 19th Apr, 7:30pm at the Pointe ( The Pointe Old Salvation Army Hall, Durngate Street, Dorchester DT1 1NA) to say Hi to anyone who would like to get involved with Dorchester Drama.
Over the Summer, DD have also been asked back to collaborate with the Shire Hall Museum, on another Murder Mystery evening.
And we’re looking ahead to our normal November production back in the Corn exchange, details to be confirmed soon.
DD Play reading social
We’ll be meeting again at the Queen Victoria Pub in Dorchester next Wednesday (8/2/23) at 7:30pm.
This time we’re going to have a read through of ‘Curtain Call’, by Bettine Manktelow.
Curtain Call depicts an amusingly chaotic day in the life of Alec Partridge, Manager of Thurlow Playhouse. He has a lot to deal with. Doreta Mason, director of an amateur production of Oklahoma at the theatre, upsets the stage crew with her demands for real horses in the show; ms Murdstone, the far from genial agent from the Arts Council, arrives to assess the theatre’s eligibility for a grant; the Front of House manager’s flirty ways upset Alec’s secretary Val and, worst of all, Doreta’s husband Clarence, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, appears on the scene, bringing negotiation skills reminiscent of Attila the Hun to bear on the ever-worsening situation.
Everyone is welcome, even if it’s only to say hello and catch up.
DD News and updates
We’re looking at putting our next production on in the summer, though there is no decision as what it may be yet.
However in the meantime we are meeting socially, to read through some ideas for plays, have a natter and generally keep in touch with each other.
Wednesday 1st Feb at 7pm at the Queen Victoria pub in Dorchester, a few of us will be meeting up to have a look at ‘Noises Off’ by Michael Frayn. Consistently lauded as one of the funniest plays of all time, this should be fun to read through. All are welcome, including anyone wanting to meet some of the group and find out more about joining us. This is an ideal opportunity to do so.
The Trial – News
See below a message from our Director & Chairman.
“After having to sadly cancel half our run of Trap for a Lonely Man earlier in the year it saddens me to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances we have also had to cancel the upcoming production of “The Trial”.
I’d like to thank my wonderful cast for all of their time they’ve spent and hope we can show you what we’d achieved in the near future.
Refunds can be obtained via Dorchester Arts”
The unforeseen circumstances are mainly due to the lead character, Josef K, coming off his motorcycle and needing surgery on a broken hip, three weeks before the performance.
This is extremely annoying as he had learnt 99% of his lines and moves (Anyone who knows the play, will know that this is a huge amount of work) and, while he was willing to try to carry on while on crutches, this is actually quite a physical play. He gets thrown to the ground several times and it ruins the theatrical element if he then has to be helped up before being thrown down again…
Some might ask why don’t we use understudies, or someone else take over the role. We are a small amateur group and its a little unfair to ask anyone to put in a lot of extra work learning lines for a lead role that they are very unlikely to perform usually. And having the lead reading from a script is never going to give the audience the satisfying theatrical experience that we would like.
As the Director has said, we hope that we can return to this project and build on what we’ve already achieved, giving everyone a chance to show the results of our efforts to a standard that everyone expects from DD.
Next Production – The Trial
Our next production in November will be ” The Trial” by Franz Kafka.
Originally a novel written in 1915 and published posthumously on 1925, it is one of his best known works. It tells the story of Josef K, a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, with the nature of his crime revealed neither to him nor to the reader.
This production is due to be held at the newly refurbished Corn Exchange in Dorchester, where the techies are excited to be using the new sound and lighting setup there.
Performance dates are 24-26th November 2022, and tickets will be available online via the website.