It is with sadness that we mourn the passing of our wonderful Queen Elizabeth II, a much-loved and respected Sovereign who throughout 70 years never failed in her duty. Her radiant smile will be missed by all.  We send our condolences to the Royal Family.

The Gage Players are proud to present two one-act plays this coming on Saturday, 24th September.  Playgoers is a comedy by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, directed by Christopher Slater as a rehearsed reading.  Set before the First World War, this is a brief glimpse of the problems that arise for a newly married couple employing staff for their home, a situation perfect for showcasing a collection of interesting, and amusing, characters.  

The second rehearsed reading is an abridged adaptation by Pip Rolls of Under Milk Wood, a play by Dylan Thomas originally performed as a radio play in America.  This is written with a lot of sly humour, and our presentation reading is also played as if in a radio studio, jointly directed by Pip and Chris.

I hope you have booked your table, or places at a table, for 7pm on Saturday, bringing your supper and wine, beer or soft drinks to enjoy before the curtain goes up – coffee and tea will be served during the interval.  If you haven’t already booked your places, £10 a head, please ring the box office on 01737 812 703.  As we have tables, not rows of chairs, seating is limited, so do ring as soon as possible to secure your seat.

We are grateful to the Tadworth and Walton Residents’ Association for their contribution of £300 to help cover the cost of the annual insurance necessary to any production. We are constantly trying to raise money for our plays, and any contributions or ideas towards fund-raising are very much appreciated.

To put us all into the Christmas spirit, on Saturday, 10th December we shall be performing scenes from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Pp Rolls – another rehearsed reading with your supper and drinks to start the festive evening.  

Audition invitations will be emailed on Monday, 10th October, with audition slots notified between 11th to 14th October – the auditions themselves will be held by Zoom at pre-arranged times between 31st October and 4th November.  There are many parts, of different sizes, so do try an audition with us – if you’ve never acted before but have a yearning to do so, now is your opportunity to take a small part.   The Gage are a friendly crowd, and give each other lots of support.

We intend to reinstate our regular Zoom evenings of poetry-prose-short play readings, all your own choices, as they were so popular during lockdowns.   If you’d rather just listen in, that’s fine, too.  Dates will be sent out in due course.

The Gage Invitational Trophy Quiz is due to be hosted by St Mark’s Players on a Saturday evening in September 2023, at St Katherine’s Hall, Merstham.  There will be more news about this later, but do pencil the notion in your diary.    

2023.  At last we hope to be able to perform a full-length play for our Spring production, a village whodunit that combines laughs within its twists and turns, to be directed by Chris Slater.  It is over two years since we have put on a full play, due to Covid lockdowns, which forced cancellations and financial losses on us.  So we are happily looking forward with confidence to our Spring play being performed.  The dates for your diary are 27th, 28th and 29th Aril, 2023.

Our planned Winter 2023 production, Molly’s Calling by Pip Rolls, will be on 23rd, 24th and 25th November.  This will be our fourth attempt to stage the clever, funny play as it repeatedly fell victim to the lockdowns and our resultant financial shortfall – one blow after another for our writer/director, cast and crew.   This time it must happen!   

So, plenty of exciting events to come, and we look forward to seeing you next Saturday, 24th September, for Playgoers and Under Milk Wood at the Riddell Hall – 7pm with your supper, drinks, family and friends.

Best wishes,

Gay

Gay Weeden, Chair, The Gage Players