Dear Friends and Members,
The Gage is happily celebrating the success of our first full-length play since the beginning of lockdown three years ago. Covid nearly ended our 70-year record of productions, as our financial loss was so much – but we have survived!
Our Spring production, Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders, was performed last week at the Riddell Hall. This play, written by Derek Webb and directed by Lesley Crowther-Smith, was a huge success. The good audiences were receptive, obviously enjoying the quirky comedy from various characters. It is always uplifting for the cast to hear laughter when the audience responds heartily to the humour. Often we forget how funny the lines are, having rehearsed them again and again for many weeks. From the actors’ point of view, it is the audience response that makes the effort of learning and remembering lines worthwhile. So – thank you.
We were pleased to introduce new acting members to our company in this play, and hope you will see them on stage with us many times again. Please remember that we are always ready to welcome new members to the Gage, whether acting, front of house, set-building or helping generally with running things. The committee is looking for two new members, and we also need someone to fill the vital role of secretary. Is there anyone among you readers with spare time and admin skills? Please contact us at friends@thegageplayers.co.uk to learn more about these not too onerous roles.
We now have a payment card reader, so we no longer need rely on you to bring cash to pay for tickets – in future you may pay by cash or card, as suits you best.
Our next project will be running the combined Gage Players/Bottle Tombola stall at the Walton May Pageant on Saturday, 20th May to help raise money for our funds. We are asking if you could please donate any bottles you can spare, from alcohol to cooking oil, fizzy drinks and squash to bubble bath or shampoo – anything you can think of that comes in a bottle.
Please ring Gill or Rod on 01737 812 703 if you wish to donate and deliver a bottle or bottles to them at Heather View, Dorking Road, Tadworth KT20 5SA. The Pageant is a great day out, with amusements, various stalls, a May Queen, refreshments and entertainment for all the family, so please make a note of the date. The Pageant Procession starts at Walton Pond at 2pm and walks through the village to the grounds at Howard Close. We look forward to seeing you there.
On 16th September we will be performing two rehearsed play readings, with your own drinks and snack supper, at the Riddell Hall. The first of the evening will be the second of Terence Rattigan’s renowned plays from Separate Tables, to be directed by Chris Slater. After the interval there will be a new short play written by our talented Gage member, Pip Rolls – his second draft text will be ready in July. This will be his fourth original short for rehearsed reading with the Gage (not counting a Murder Mystery evening where the audience at the end had to decide whodunnit). An audition call will be sent out, with auditions to be held in July – dates, times and places to be confirmed soon. If you would like to take part or help backstage please let us know at friends@thegageplayers.co.uk
We hope to hold the Gage Invitational Quiz one Saturday evening in September at St Katherine’s Hall, Merstham, hosted by the current trophy holders, St Mark’s Players. More information on this will be available around the end of May, but if any of you are keen quizzers please let us know, so that you can join our team or teams – all the teams come from local amdram groups: friends@thegageplayers.co.uk
It is lovely to announce that Molly’s Calling by Pip Rolls will be performed at last on 23rd, 24th and 25th November. You may recall that this will be our fourth attempt to stage Pip’s clever comedy, having been thwarted by Covid just one week before opening night. Most of the original cast are able to continue in their parts, but there may be one or two roles still to fill. Pip will direct for the last month of rehearsals, with original cast members revising their roles and guiding newcomers into the play up to that point. It is such a good play, it deserves to been seen on stage!
Looking ahead to 2024, we have pencilled in two main productions for Spring and Winter: The Nightingales by Peter Quilter and Death and the Maiden by Georgina Reid.
I haven’t forgotten our informal Poetry and Prose Zoom evening – the next one, usually on a Wednesday, will be announced shortly after our next committee meeting later this month.
I hope you are enjoying these warmer Spring days.
Best wishes,
Gay
Gay Weeden,
Chair, Gage Committee
