| Festive fun and frolics
Don't forget that this Wednesday, 1 December, we're holding another of our celebrated quizzes! This one has been set by the redoubtable Jeffrey Cottis and takes place at the Coombes Community Centre in Burns Road. Kick-off is at 7.30 p.m. and there will be suitably seasonal refreshments available for all participants. As with Jeffrey's previous quizzes, this is very much a general knowledge quiz, so no specialist drama knowledge is required. It's open to anyone - no need to book - and, as with all our evening meetings, it's completely FREE.
And, as a pre-Christmas treat, we thought it would be nice if we all got together for another informal social event, it being the season of good will and all that. So we've arranged an evening at the Old Bull Inn on Friday 10 December starting at 7.00 p.m. when we can all come together, have a drink and a chat and generally catch up with what's happening in CADS. Again, there's no need to book for this - just turn up and find us in the bar (or outside in the courtyard if the weather is suitably clement). We'd love to see as many of you there as possible.
Snow White tickets go live Tickets for the long awaited Royston Town Pantomime 2022, Snow White (in the round), go on sale for the first time at 9.00 a.m. on Monday 13 December! As previously mentioned, we've added another matinee performance this year, so performance dates and times are: - Saturday 22 January 2 p.m.
- Saturday 22 January 7.30 p.m.
- Sunday 23 January 11.30 a.m.
- Friday 28 January 7.30 p.m.
- Saturday 29 January 2 p.m.
- Saturday 29 January 7.30 p.m.
The shows take place as usual at King James Academy Royston, Senior Site and tickets cost £12 for adults (18+) or £8 for concessions (OAPs and under 18s). Note that the seating capacity is slightly reduced compared with previous years, so you're advised to book early, either online by following the links on this website or by calling our box office on 07925 674967. Please note that we cannot this year accept cheques by way of payment, but are happy to advise on other ways to pay.
It's Caddy time again Yes, it's the time of year when we consider who should receive our two annual dramas awards (one day, the world will refer to them as CADdies!). To remind you, the awards are the Fred Sillence Award - given to someone aged eighteen or over in Royston and the surrounding villages "for outstanding contribution to the performing arts" - and the Lizzie Houghton Award - given to someone up to the age of eighteen in Royston and the surrounding villages "for outstanding contribution to youth drama". The awards can be for acting, stage work, music, scriptwriting or for anything else that has made a major contribution to local arts over the past year. The winners, who will be announced at or shortly after next year's pantomime, each get a trophy and a cash prize! If you'd like to put someone forward for an award, please e-mail [email protected] before the end of December, stating their name and (in the case of the Lizzie Houghton Award) their age, your own name, and - briefly - your reasons for nominating them. Your contact details would also be helpful.
Bombs away We're already planning for next year's drama festivals and are proposing to enter the one-act play The Blonde Bombshell by Roy Maddox into at least one or two local festivals. The play, based loosely on real events, tells of the controversies surrounding an iconic wartime recruitment poster - controversies that still have a resonance today.
The first festival of 2022 is at Sawston and takes place between 24 and 26 March, so time is likely to be short for rehearsals post pantomime, but we're hoping to hold auditions for the play in the first week of February. More information about the piece, plus details of the roles (including genders and age ranges) can be found here. Auditions are open to absolutely anyone and are likely to take place at King James Academy Royston, Senior Site, but we'll confirm the exact date, time and venue in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, if you'd like to see a copy of the script, please e-mail [email protected]
Evening meetings Our evening meetings - each hosted by a different person, usually at the Coombes Community Centre in Royston - continue with a varied programme for the end of this year and the start of next. Some plans are still being finalised, but the line-up so far looks like this - Wednesday 1 December, 7.30 p.m. - Christmas quiz, hosted by Jeffrey Cottis [see above]
- February 2022 [date tbc] - play reading: The Staycation by Claire Hogan, hosted by Emma Daintrey
In 2022, we hope also to bring you a special series of evening acting workshops, hosted by former professional actor and current award winner Martin Maynard, concentrating on duologues, plus an evening of "coarse acting" presented by the anything but professional (his description!) Michael Young. Dates and times to be announced later.
Meetings start at 7.30 p.m. and generally run until about 9.00 p.m.. For the immediate future, we'll be making provision for anyone to join them via Zoom if they prefer to do so (please contact cads.secretary@gmail,com if that's the case). There's no need to book for any of our meetings if you're attending in person - just turn up on the night - and they're completely FREE! If you're lucky, we might even provide some refreshments...
Committee Our next meeting is on 5 January 2022 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 this website! |