Tomorrow night is a rehearsed performance at the Village Hall of our festival entries ‘Kill Jill’ and ‘When a Man Knows’. We normally do this for the village audience prior to festival week, entry will be £3 on the door and we will be offering refreshments so here’s a cheap theatrical night out for you previewing two plays. Doors open at 7pm, performance starts at 7.30.

Saw 'Alphabetical Order’ last week at the Playhouse. I went on the wheelchair and stick afternoon you understand. Bit of a culture shock realising you blend in I can tell you. Anyway I thought it was really good. The play was written by Michael Frayn who also penned ‘Noises Off’ one of my real favourites.

The set was excellent and I felt for the stagehands that had to clear up the paper strewn across the stage (and part of the auditorium) at the climax of the production. Set in the cuttings library of a provincial newspaper in the 1970’s the dialogue moved at a good pace as it needed to ‘cos there was little action and movement due to the set being crammed with filing cabinets and desks.

Alphabetical Order quite rightly won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy in 1975, shame if you missed it.

Off to see ‘Deadly Murder’ at the Mill at Sonning later in the week so further full critical analysis will be forthcoming in next weeks blog.

Anything else happened this week I ask myself? Well no not really, the old social calendar has been a lacking lately.

Getting back to amateur dramatics (which reminds me I must pay my subs) The ODN festival starts next Sunday at the Unicorn Theatre in Abingdon. There are two or three one act plays per evening until Friday 5th June. Three plays are called back for Saturday Gala night. This year the Adjudicator is Paul Fowler, and there will be a short adjudication and workshop after each performance (except Sat). Tickets £5 from :- The Book Store, The Precinct, Abingdon. or Phone 01865 736913 Full details on:-

www.abingdonabbey-unicorntheatre.org.uk/map.html

At Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group we are celebrating our 60th Anniversary this year and as part of the festivities are hosting a ‘Forties to Noughties’ Quiz Evening on Saturday 20th June at Southmoor Village Hall. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Familiar quiz categories will include questions from the 1940’s – 2000’s covering those decades the group has been in existence – hence the title see! Entry fee is £1 per person with a maximum team size of 6. There will be a licensed bar and snacks and refreshments will be on sale with prizes for the winners. Entrants will be accepted on the door (space permitting) but to guarantee your place please call Linda on 01865 820605. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a team, come along any way and we’ll find you one!