GALLERY
PHOTOS BY ROSEY PURCHASE
DAISY PULLS IT OFF - AUGUST 2023
Directed by DAWN SMITHERS
It's 1927 and Daisy Meredith is the first scholarship girl taken from an elementary school to be allowed access to the hallowed halls of Grangewood School for Young Ladies.
Enthusiastic and plucky to the last, Daisy finds herself struggling against unspeakable snobs Sybil and Monica and their ghastly schemes to get her expelled. Ably assisted by her new best friend, madcap and self styled poet, Trixie Martin, Daisy finds herself caught up in a series of irresistible adventures including the search for missing treasure. Can they work out the mysterious clues and save the school from closure? Or will they be beaten by the enigmatic Mr Scoblowski?
STONES IN HIS POCKETS - APRIL 2024
Directed by DAWN SMITHERS
Set in a rural Ireland, a small village is turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood studio to film the latest historical blockbuster. Told through the eyes of local lads Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, who are employed as extras, it soon becomes clear that Tinseltown’s romanticised dream of Ireland is a long way from reality.
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DRACULA THE BLOODY TRUTH - FEBRUARY 2024
Directed by TONY HUDSON
Lights! Camera! Action!! HOLLYWOOD is coming to the Barn Theatre… but what happens when two Irish extras become the stars?! An authentic rediscovery of the worldwide phenomenon, ‘Stones in His Pockets,’ capturing the magic of the original with the thrill of new stagecraft. Set in a rural Ireland, a small village is turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood studio to film the latest historical blockbuster. Told through the eyes of local lads Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, who are employed as extras, it soon becomes clear that Tinseltown’s romanticised dream of Ireland is a long way from reality
NUNCRACKERS - DECEMBER 2023
Directed by KATE BENNETT
Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical
is the first "TV Special" taped by the sisters in their convent basement studio for Cable Access. It stars the nuns you love plus Father Virgil and some of Mt. Saint Helen's most talented students. It features all new songs including: Twelve Days Prior to Christmas, Santa Ain't Comin' To Our House, We Three Kings of Orient Are Us, and It's Better to Give Than To Receive. This show is filled with "Nunsense" humor, some of your favorite carols, a "Secret Santa," and an uproarious take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Nuncrackers will make you laugh and maybe tug at your heartstrings. It's the perfect way to insure your holiday season is merry and bright.
HOME, I'M DARLING - OCTOBER 2023
Directed by HELEN HARRIES-REES
Every couple needs a little fantasy to keep their marriage sparkling. But behind the gingham curtains, things start to unravel for Judy and Johnny who have adopted almost all they can of a 50’s lifestyle in the modern day. Not just enthusiasts with the cars and the vintage clothes, they have gone the whole hog. No mobiles, a 50-year-old fridge, daily ‘old fashioned’ fixed for hubby to wind down after work. Judy leads the way and loves her new-found freedom of housewifery - greeting Johnny every evening with a kiss before taking his coat, replacing his shoes for slippers, and slapping a meat and two veg dinner on the table. But is being a domestic goddess all it’s cracked up to be? While Judy sees no flaws in their choice to live as a ‘50’s couple’ in the 2020’s, Johnny and her mother are not so sure....
TOMBOY - AUGUST 2023
By STUART SMITHERS Directed by MURIEL CARNEGIE
In the gymnasium of Grangewood School, the ‘Class of ‘73’ reunion party is in full swing. Seeking refuge from the melee, Andy finds himself in the school hall which has changed little since he was last there, fifty years ago. He is joined by contemporaries, Gerry and Val, and their acquaintance is gradually renewed. A mutual secret, hidden away since their shared school days, reveals itself to devastating effect.
KINDERTRANSPORT - FEBRUARY 2023
Directed by GILL LAMBOURN
The Kindertransport was a British rescue mission that took place at the beginning of WWII. Over 10,000 Jewish children from various countries were placed in British foster homes. Helga and Werner Schlesinger are parents faced with the difficult choice of keeping their beloved daughter Eva in Germany with them, or letting her become one of the Kindertransport children, who are sent to the UK, alone. When Eva arrives in London, speaking no English, and feeling very much abandoned, she is taken under the wing of Lil Miller.
JANE EYRE - APRIL 2023
Directed by JAMIE CRAKER
Jane Eyre may be poor, obscure, plain and little, but she has heart and soul – and plenty of it.
Chris Bush's witty and fleet-footed adaptation lays bare the beating heart of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel, whilst staying true to its revolutionary spirit.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES - FEBRUARY 2023
Directed by TONY HUDSON
Adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholsons Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story gets a gloriously funny makeover. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story gets a gloriously funny makeover.When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on his estate, with a look of terror still etched on his face, and the paw prints of a gigantic hound beside his body, the great detective Sherlock Holmes is summoned from Baker Street, with Dr Watson in tow, to unravel the mysteries surrounding his death, and investigate the ancient curse of the Hound of the Baskervilles...
BLITHE SPIRIT - NOVEMBER 2022
by NOEL COWARD. - Directed by TONY HUDSON
Novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth are literally haunted by a past relationship when an eccentric medium – Madame Arcati - inadvertently conjures up the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, at a séance. When she appears, visible only to Charles, and determined to sabotage his current marriage, life – and the afterlife – get complicated.
BARNUM - AUGUST 2022
by Mark Bramble. - Directed by Kate Bennett
P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman on Earth, combines razzle-dazzle with charm and brass to sell “humbug” to cheering crowds. A joyful and moving musical portrait of the 19th century’s greatest show-biz legend, Barnum is a colorful, dynamic spectacle with heart. Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart’s rousing score includes “There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute,” “Join the Circus,” “The Colors of My Life” and “Come Follow The Band.”
I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES - JUNE 2022
by Neil Simon. - Directed by Sandee Lewis
Herb, a Hollywood scriptwriter currently "at liberty," is surprised when his forgotten past reappears in the form of Libby, a teenage daughter who's trekked from Brooklyn with dreams of movie stardom. With Steffy, his sometime paramour, at his side, Herb decides to take another stab at fatherhood and hopefully this time, get it right.
NEVILLES ISLAND - APRIL 2022
by Tim Firth - Directed by Kate Gill Lambourn
Four out-of-condition clueless middle managers are forced on the outdoor awayday from hell.
Shipwrecked, wrapped in thick fog and cut off from civilisation with one cold sausage between them, Gordon, Angus, Roy and the hapless Neville are about to experience the misadventure of their lives…
From the critically acclaimed Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls, The Band and Our House.
BY JEEVES - JANUARY 2022
Book & Lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn. - Directed by Kate Bennett
At a benefit gala to raise money for a new church steeple, Bertram “Bertie” Wooster is preparing to take the stage. The banjo-playing star is thrown for a loop when he finds his banjo has been stolen! Bertie’s faithful manservant, Jeeves, suggests Bertie tell the story of his adventure to Totleigh Towers to entertain the impatient audience. Bertie recounts to the audience how he became embroiled in the romances of several dim-witted members of the privileged class. With mistaken identities, romantic entanglement, and the adventures of the upper class, By Jeeves is the quintessential British musical farce.
THE LADYKILLERS - NOVEMBER 2021
Written by Graham Linehan - Directed by Tony Hudson
The Ladykillers is a classic black comedy. Mrs Wilberforce, a sweet little old lady, rents out a room in her lopsided house to Marcus, a professor of music. She is blissfully unaware that he is actually a maniacal criminal who is putting together against a gang of misfits who will stop at nothing to commit the heist of their careers. Unable to think of a suitable final stage to their plan, Marcus decides to involve Mrs. Wilberforce, unwittingly, as the perfect getaway ruse. However, at the final stage, Mrs Wilberforce becomes wise to their deception and the gang realize that there is only one way to keep the old lady quiet. As the gang is killed off one-by-one in their attempts to murder the old lady, Marcus faces Mrs. Wilberforce alone and seals his own grizzly fate.
YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN - AUGUST 2021
by Charles M. Schulz. - Directed by Kate Bennett
Charles Schulz’s beloved comic comes to life in Clark Gesner’s classic musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The whole gang is here: bossy Lucy is hopelessly in love with piano prodigy Schroeder who doesn’t give her the time of day, perfectionist Sally is still mocking blanket-toting Linus, Snoopy is in the doghouse, and “blockhead,” himself, Charlie Brown, is in rare form. Brief vignettes span the months from Valentine’s Day to Beethoven Day, from wild optimism to utter despair. In this revised version, with additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and dialogue by Michael Mayer, the sweet, joyful innocence of the Peanuts gang is maintained, but a fresh insouciance and playfulness is revealed.
TIME OF MY LIFE - JANUARY 2020
by Alan Ayckbourn. - Directed by Simon Walters
Laura Stratton is celebrating her 59th birthday in a restaurant with her husband Gerry, her son Glyn and his wife Stephanie and her other son Adam and his girlfriend, Maureen, who it is obvious Laura is not keen on. Glyn, meanwhile, has just come out of an affair and he and Stephanie are trying to restart their marriage. As the sons depart, Stephanie tells Adam that Maureen loves him, while Laura indicates Maureen is an alcoholic. Laura and Gerry are left arguing about family, business and life in general.
THE LATE EDWINA BLACK - NOVEMBER 2019
By William Dinner & Willian Morum - Directed by Brenda Merriott
The day before Edwina Black's funeral, Inspector Martin calls to interview her husband Gregory, her companion Elizabeth and her housekeeper, Ellen. Gregory has long endured the domination of his wealthy wife, but is in love with Elizabeth. It is revealed Edwina died from arsenic. Gregory and Elizabeth quarrel bitterly. However Ellen confesses that Edwina poisoned he'self: with vindictive spite she devised a suicide which would serve to incriminate Gregory and Elizabeth and so destroy them.
WE HAPPY FEW - AUGUST 2019
by Imogen Stubbs. - Directed by Barry Jarvis
A comedy drama about an all-female theatre company touring Britain during the darkest days of World War Two, written by the well-known actress and premiered in the West End.
While the men are fighting Hitler and the bombs are falling on London, a 'girls only' theatre company sets out in a battered 1920s Rolls-Royce to bring Shakespeare to a culture-starved Britain.
Imogen Stubbs' play We Happy Few was inspired by the real-life Osiris Players, whose travelling productions during the War inspired many to take up the profession - Judi Dench to name but one.