Latest news from CADS
July 2023 newsletter
(July 02, 2023)Boots marches onward
In case you haven't heard, our production of Nick Warburton's comedy Don't Blame it on the Boots won third prize overall at this year's Welwyn Drama Festival! It was also nominated for direction and stage presentation and for the adjudicator's special award for an outstanding moment. We're now looking forward to bringing it to a Royston audience - as our contribution to this year's Arts Festival in September, we're staging three repeat performances of the show, together with a screening of the short film Seven Movies by local author Roy Maddox, which was our multiple award winning entry at the virtual Welwyn Drama Festival back in May 2021.
Performances will be on Thursday 28, Friday 29 and Saturday 30 September at King James Academy Royston, Senior Site. Tickets will be £8 each and further details will be available shortly
CADS on air
Michael Young and Martin Maynard are about to record Stephen Wyatt's Strangers on a Film, adapted by Roy Maddox, for submission to Royston Radio. The play won second prize at the Cambridge Drama Festival in 2021; Martin won the award for best performance and Michael was nominated for best supporting role at the same festival. At the time of writing we have no idea when (or even whether) it will be broadcast, but we'll let you know through the usual channels.
We're hoping that this will be the first of several radio plays the group will record. We'll bring you more news when we've firmed up our plans but it's likely that we'll need to hold auditions and/or read-through sessions for at least some of these, so watch this space!
Here comes Summer
Emma and Joe Daintrey have kindly volunteered to host a social event at their home from 3.00 to 6.00 p.m. on Sunday 23 July. They're promising Pimms and nibbles and a chance to catch up with everyone - the invitation is open to anybody, whether a CADS "regular" or a newcomer. No need to RSVP, just turn up on the day at 66 Field Crescent, Royston SG8 7LB and meet the gang...
A sense of direction
We're still looking for someone to direct next year's pantomime! We're appealing to anyone who thinks they might like to do so to step up and be recognised, and we'll be putting out notices in the local press and on social media in the next few weeks. At the moment, we haven't chosen a script - that could be either be a decision any incoming director could ,make or we can search the usual sources for something suitable. If you haven't directed before, or haven't directed pantomime, there are always plenty of experienced people who can assist so if you have ideas, do please get in touch through the usual channels or have an informal chat with one of us, maybe at the Summer social event mentioned above.
Among the stars
CADS member Martin Maynard is reprising his role as Cardinal Barberini/Pope Urban in the Combined Actors' production of David Sear's The Medici Stars towards the end of this month (Saturday 22 July) at the national final of the National Drama Festivals Association competition. Martin won the award for Best Individual Performance in the role at last year's Cambridge Festival of Drama, and the play itself won first prize overall at the festival as well as Best New Play, and awards for technical achievement and costumes!
The national finals are at the Albany Theatre in Coventry and run from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 July. Combined Actors are performing on the Saturday night at 7.00 p.m. and, interestingly, the evening also includes the stunning A Sudden, Violent Outburst of Rain by Sami Ibrahim which won first prize at the Welwyn Drama Festival this year for Midlands-based Total Arts Community Theatre. Both plays are certainly well worth seeing - tickets are available from the Albany Theatre Box Office on 0247 699 8964 or via the theatre website.
Committee
Our next meeting is on 26 July 2023; if there's anything you'd like us to consider or discuss then, please feel free to contact any of us at any time via the Contact page of this website!