| Workshops!
CADS is delighted to announce the second in its new FREE workshop series! This one is on (unarmed) stag e combat and it's being run by Stuart McQueen on Saturday 24 November at Meridian School between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. As well as being an occasional member of CADS, Stuart has been a drama teacher for 20 years and has also trained with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat in a range of weapon styles including unarmed combat, rapier and dagger, sword and shield, single sword swashbuckling, formation fighting with halberds, blood pack work, and cut-throat razor! As an actor-combatant he has filmed with specialists Fight Rep.
To book your place at this exciting workshop, which is open to all and free of
charge, please fill in our online booking form by clicking here
Christmas drinks
It's arguably never too early to think about Christmas, and this year CADS is holding an open pre-Christmas drinks event at the Old Bull, Royston on Friday 7 December at 7.30 (just congregate in the bar area). It's a chance either to get together with old friends or to come along and meet members of the group if you fancy getting involved. No need to RSVP - just turn up and make yourself known.
A shout out to directors
We have several possible projects in the pipeline at the moment but we could really do with some input from any budding directors among you, please.
Firstly, Royston Museum have expressed an interest in organising another co-production along the lines of the hugely enjoyable "1914" evening (a cabaret-style show involving readings, poems, songs and drama) that we put on four years ago. We'd love some ideas for this one - ideally, something with a local historical theme; suggestions so far have included linking the evening with the centenary of the end of the First World War, or with the centenary of votes for women (or both), but we really need someone to take this on board and organise the show so if you fancy co-ordinating, we'd love to hear from you.
Secondly, the organisers of the Cambridge Drama Festival have announced that next year's festival will be held over a weekend rather than a full week, and that it will be moving from the Mumford Theatre to the ADC in Cambridge. They have pencilled in the weekend of Friday 6 to Sunday 8 September and are keen to hear from any groups willing to submit productions. As the new date is rather close to the Royston Arts Festival weekend (assuming there is one in 2019!), the suggestion has been made that we could prepare two one-act plays for the Royston festival and "preview" one or both at Cambridge (an alternative would be to produce a single one-acter for both Cambridge and Royston and run this as one half of a double bill, perhaps with another of our celebrated cabaret evenings, at the Arts Festival).
Whatever the outcome, again, we could do with someone to come forward with ideas and, ideally, to agree to direct something - either a one-act play or a cabaret evening. As the future of the Arts Festival is currently in some doubt, as you may have read, we don't yet have any idea of a theme for the event so you have a completely free hand at the time of writing... Please contact CADS either via the Contact page of our website or by e-mailing [email protected] and let us know if there's something you're burning to direct!
Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates
Rehearsals are now well under way for the 2019 Royston Town Pantomime, Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates by Tom Whalley. Performance dates are Friday 18 and Saturday 19 January, and Friday 25 and Saturday 26 January 2019. Tickets will, as is traditional, go on sale to the public at this year's Greneway Christmas Fair on Sunday 18 November (doors open at 11.00).
Meanwhile, we have a weekend booked for set building at Meridian School on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December for which we'd appreciate any and all offers of help - tasks are likely to include painting (artistic or otherwise), carpentry and related DIY, and basic lifting and shifting. If you're free, we'd very much appreciate your help if only for a few hours...
Once again this year we are lucky enough to have a wonderful cast of juniors in the show, but this does mean that we are in need of chaperones to supervise the children whenever they are not on stage. We'd like, therefore, to make an appeal to anyone with a chaperone licence, or who has children involved in the show, to come forward if they are able to help at the technical rehearsal on Saturday 12 January (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), the dress rehearsal on Sunday 13 January (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or on any of the performance dates shown above (Fridays 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays 12 noon to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
If you think you can help us, please contact Zoe Reader at [email protected]
And, if you're involved in the show already, please remember that we now require you to confirm that you have read our Child Protection Policy document which can be found on the website or by clicking here.
You, the jury!
Our own David Atkins is currently in rehearsal for a production with Sadleir Players - The Accused by Jeffrey Archer is a tense courtroom drama with a difference. You, the audience act as the jury, as if you were in the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey, and will decide whether Dr Sherwood murdered his wife, whether Jennifer Mitchell was his mistress, and which of his alibis should be believed. At the end of the dramatized trial, you will be invited to deliver your verdict of guilty or not guilty. Once you have made that decision, the play will continue – with one of two different endings, depending on your verdict. Only then will you finally discover the truth!
The show is being staged at Standon Village Hall between Tuesday 27 November and Saturday 1 December (doors open at 7.30 for an 8.00 start). You can now order your tickets by sending a request to [email protected]; they will then book the tickets for you and reply with details of how you can pay for them.
Meridian School
Finally, a reminder to CADS members who may have occasion to visit Meridian School during school hours, for example to retrieve items from or return things to one of the containers - please remember to sign in at the school office. We have a very good and long-standing relationship with the school and we need to respect their requirements in this respect, please.
Committee
Our next meeting is on 11 December so if there's anything you'd like us to consider or discuss, please feel free to contact any of us at any time via the Contact page of the CADS website!
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