dsp News Update December 2010

A Christmas Carol

Firstly, thanks to everyone involved with “A Christmas Carol” for making it such a successful production. Thanks especially to our audiences who turned out in large numbers and also contributed a big £574 to the BBC “Children In Need” appeal.
Many of the cast will have photos they could share with others. I am setting up an album on Picasa into which photos can be uploaded for all to view. If you have photos of the production and are happy to share them, please let me know and I will make sure you are authorised to do so. Just reply to this email and I will send you the details.
Players Party
"The Players' Renowned Christmas Party" has, for a number of good reasons, been postponed until 8th Jan 2011 at 7.30pm at the Players when, owing to the revised date, it will be known as "The Players' Renowned New Year Party". There will be music, dancing, a hot supper and central heating. Please let Paulette know on 01606 79779 or e-mail donpolander@tiscali.co.uk if you are coming, stating whether you want a hot-pot, chicken or vegetarian supper AND …..
PHONE OR EMAIL PAULETTE TO BOOK BEFORE CHRISTMAS - TICKETS £10
The party will be a good start to the new year's programme at the 'Players', which, after the resounding success of ' A Christmas Carol' promises to be a full and varied programme.
Next Production
Our next play' Billy Liar' is to be produced at Davenham by Paulette Anderson from 15th to 19th March. Auditions have been fixed for 11th & 13th Jan at 7.30pm. We last produced this play in 1970 at the Church Hall. The producer then was Peter Riley, who now lives near Tintern Abbey and plans to come to see our March production, just to check that Paulette has done it properly!
Jazz Evenings
The final DAN Jazz evening of 2010 was a great evening featuring young singer Sarah Ellen Hughes on tour showcasing her new album “Darning the Dream". The first 2011 jazz  date is Thursday 27th January.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are due in Jan and have been increased [sorry] to £15. Hope to see you at the Party and but if not, have a wonderful Christmas. Meanwhile, check out our BLOG and website for up-to-date news 

Players Christmas Party now Jan 2011

Please note that the date for the Players (renowned) Christmas party has been moved back from 11th December into the new year. As a result, it will transform into the Players Renowned New Year party. Watch this space for the new date, likely to be early January 2011 - with live music and hot-pot.

Children In Need audience collections at "A Christmas Carol"

An impressive £574.00 was raised from audience collections after the Friday and Saturday performances - thanks very much to all who contributed !

Remember Carol Brown who moved to France about 3 years ago? Read on..

Retired? Me? not on your life. Iv'e never worked so hard, but I believe its good for the soul. We have decided not to open up gites for reasons I will explain later, however we are converting the barn into self contained accommodation for friends and family who want to visit. It will be some time before that happens as we still have the main house to finish converting, the grenier (attic) in particular. The gite market has been saturated and clients are becoming more demanding as time goes by. They require exclusive use of a swimming pool, satellite TV and many other luxuries. It would be difficult also to contain our children and prevent them from making any noise to disturb the guests. Also some of our animals would have to go particularly the cockerel. He is so noisy and randy. We have a Beagle called Rug, our cat Ember (these 2 are sworn enemies) We have 2 ducks, 3 hens and a cockerel called Flashman. We get a surplus of eggs usually but they are not laying at present so we have to suffer the indignity of buying them from the supermarket. We also have a large pond with 3 very big koi carp and about 4 goldfish plus a very small frog and lots of interesting water critturs. We are visited regulaly by the most beautiful dragonfies,butterflies and birdlife. We are surrounded by fields which are farmed for grains or sunflowers. We have made a lot of friends both french and english, and the boys are doing very well in the local school. They are speaking french now as if they always had.  I keep myself busy making jams chutneys and other preserves, plus cooking for the family. Jacky my daughter in law and I go to pottery painting sessions and when the better weather arrives, we will be out with the camera and painting pictures of our lovely village and the surrounding countryside. I do miss the Players though, for the productions and the camaraderie. However I do believe there is a drama group in Verteuil sur Charente, a lovely village not far from here (They have amost wonderful Chateau). When my french is a bit better I intend to join them. I am attaching a few pictures for you to see and show to whoever is interested.

Give my regards to everyone who remembers me and please keep in touch.

Lots of love

Carole   ------ See a slide show of Carol's home over to the right ----->

dsp Newsletter November 2010

“A Christmas Carol” at The Grange School Theatre, Hartford

Rehearsals are well under way for this month’s production - Charles Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ adapted by John Mortimer, to be performed at the Grange school theatre starting at 7:30pm on November 16^th, 18^th 19^th & 20^th plus a  Saturday matinee at 2:00pm as well as the evening performance on the 20^th. The story is the traditional one of Scrooge the miser who on the approach to Christmas is visited by the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley who warns Scrooge of the peril to his mortal soul if he does not reform. Marley tells him that he will be haunted by three spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come who will show him of the chances he has missed in life, the mistakes he has made and what awaits him if he does not change his ways. Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit (Scrooge’s impoverished clerk) and the rest of the Cratchit family’s Christmas Dinner tells their part of the story as does the jolly Fezziwig and the other characters we have come to know and love.

A Christmas Carol is a new venture for the Players in that it is being produced in association with The Grange School Hartford. The cast includes many students from the Grange and with Linda Sunners from the Performing Arts faculty of the school as co-director with Phil Perry of Davenham & Sandiway.

And tickets for the show…..

Another new venture for A Christmas Carol is that tickets can be booked on-line or by phone from Quaytickets – see details below.

Prices are £7 & £5 [children and concessions] and are also available via Paulette on 01606-79779.

Click on quaytickets (phone 0843 208 0500)  or phone Paulette on 01606 79779

Owing to the larger venue, please note that we require payment on booking to avoid logistical problems, but if you wish to take a chance on some tickets being available, you can still pay on the door.

“A Christmas Carol” is a large production and offers of help backstage or with props and costumes or scenery painting will be gratefully received. We are in need of any props relating to the Victorian age, such as lanterns, top hats, walking sticks etc.

Please contact Phil Perry  01606 46382 if you can help.

Goodbye to Sue Tamblin !

Our chairman, Sue Tamblin, is sadly leaving us soon and I am sure many of you will want to say goodbye. Sue has been a member of our players for many years now but is moving to a beautiful new cottage in Cornwall with her husband Nick.

As the sole Sandiway survivor of the merger with Sandiway Players about 12 years ago, she has been a regular and active member, not only as our Chairman, but in many productions. Sue’s highlights include winning the ‘Best Actress’ award from the Cheshire Theatre Guild as Auntie Ivy in  “Girls’ Night Out”.

Some other memorable parts Sue played were Sister Robert Ann in “Nunsense”, Helga in “Allo Allo”, Lady of Letters in “Talking Heads” and most recently Ida in “Cemetery Club”.

We won’t let Sue go without marking the occasion and so are having a little get-together after our committee meeting on Wednesday 24th November at 59 Church street. Please come along from 8.30pm and join us in saying farewell and wishing and her husband, Nick all the very best for their new life near St. Austell in Cornwall.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tuesday 16^th Nov – Opening night of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Grange School, Hartford 7:30pm

Wednesday 17^th Nov – No performance

Thursday 18^th Nov – ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Grange School, Hartford at 7:30pm

Friday 19^th Nov – ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Grange School, Hartford at 7:30pm

Saturday 20^th Nov – ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Grange School, Hartford. Matinee at 2:30pm and Evening at 7:30pm

Wednesday 24^th Nov - Committee meeting at 7:30pm followed at 8:30pm by a farewell nibbles and drink evening in the bar for Sue Tamblin

Thursday 25^th Nov- Jazz Evening with 6PAC Jazz sextet. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597 or see http://www.danarts.info/p/brochure.html

Saturday 11^th Dec - Our renowned Christmas party with music, dancing and a hot-pot supper. For tickets and details phone Paulette 01606 79779

Thursday 16^th Dec- Jazz Evening with Sarah Ellen Hughes. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597 or see http://www.danarts.info/p/brochure.html

OUR NEXT PRODUCTION – “BILLY LIAR” 15^th-19^th March 2011

Our Spring production at Davenham is ‘Billy Liar’ produced by Paulette Anderson running from Tuesday 15^th to Saturday 19th March 2011. Auditions are already scheduled for Tuesday 15^th Jan 2011 and Thursday 19^th Jan at 7.30pm and Paulette will be looking for five women and three men of various ages to fill the cast.

CLUB NIGHTS

The forthcoming production of ‘ A Christmas Carol’ is going to be a very exciting and challenging venture for all and is going to employ most of our acting members plus a huge amount of backstage help. So if any of you are available for helping with front-of-house, including sales of tea, coffee, wine etc we would be grateful for your help. Please contact any of the committee if you can spare an evening. Because of this heavy commitment, club nights are suspended until after Xmas. Until the Spring, then, thanks for your support. And don’t forget, you can find up-to-date news about our events on our blog on http://dsp-davenham.blogspot.com/ or via our website at  http://www.davenhamplayers.co.uk/.

Our Next Production - Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" as adapted by John Mortimer. Venue The Grange School, Hartford

Newsletter September 2010

Welcome members and friends to the new season at the ‘Players’, especially to three members new this summer, Raymond Davy, David Eaton & Pam Molloy. By the time you read this you will have heard about or, hopefully are at the barbecue on 11th Sept which launches the 2010-2011 season. Unfortunately, we say a fond farewell to Maggie Tippin who has been an active part of our committee and club for an all too short period. We will miss her but hope she will continue to visit us and wish her a very happy and healthy retirement in Liverpool.

What have we been up to in the last season and over the summer? …
‘The Cemetery Club’, directed by Sheila Hetherington, was staged in June to enthusiastic reaction by audiences and was judged a very successful production by all.
‘Body Shop’ Our lady members spent an enjoyable few hours at ‘The Body Shop’ evening later the same month. Thanks go to Greta, Mo Morron’s sister, who was our hostess for the evening.
Theatre Guild awards - Bob, Sheila and I spent an exciting evening at the Cheshire Theatre Guild awards night on 7th June. I say ‘exciting’, because Barbara Crellin’s play ‘Humble Boy’ won the award for ‘Best Set Presentation’ – a most pleasurable but well deserved surprise. Virginia Hunt and her team had produced a stunning set for the play last autumn and now the Bramhall cup, a plaque and certificate stand proudly in our foyer. Congratulations to Barbara and Virginia. Phil Perry’s poster for ‘The Cemetery Club’ was in the last four out of a huge number submitted and was praised on a number of counts by the judges. Well done Phil, who now designs all our posters.

Work parties have been on-going throughout the summer and a great deal has been achieved thanks to those of you who have so freely given of your time. We have now decorated the kitchen, the stairs and the ceiling in the foyer. Arthur and Bob not only repaired the foyer ceiling but have also laid a lovely new laminate floor in the corridor between the loos. We still have long list of things to do but with your help will get it done bit by bit. HUGE thanks to those of you who have helped. You really have made a difference to our theatre.
Bar windows Thanks to Janet Illidge’s work on grant applications, we received £150 from Davenham parish council and, together with the one we received earlier from the Town council, used it to provide the much needed new double glazed windows in the foyer.
AGM – This took place on 8th July but was attended by few people. From this, we can only hope that the membership is satisfied with what the society provides. Feel free to tell us if you think otherwise. Our committee meetings are open to any member and we welcome participation and help in any form.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 15th Sept – Committee meeting at 8pm
Friday 17th - Saturday 18th Sept – Not a DSP event, but don’t forget the Northwich Beer Festival. The beer is sourced by CAMRA and the finance by Rotary. A great charity fundraiser and a chance to meet all local the people you know in the one evening !
Thursday 23rd Sept – Jazz Evening. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597
Sunday 3rd Oct – Film premiere of “Saskia” originally premiered on stage at Davenham – at DeBees, Winsford 7pm
Wed 20th Oct- A jewellery evening at the players at 8pm A chance to see and order some stunning pieces of South African jewellery by ‘Miglio’. A great idea for Christmas gifts for the wives, fellas!
Thursday 28th Oct - Jazz Evening. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597
Friday 29th Oct - An evening of Halloween readings at 7.45pm Tickets £6 to include a light supper from 01606 79779
Tuesday 16th Nov – Opening night of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Grange School, Hartford
Thursday 25th Nov- Jazz Evening. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597
Saturday 11th Dec - Provisional date for our Christmas party with music, dancing and a hot-pot supper. Tickets £10 on 01606 79779 – to be confirmed later.
Thursday 18th Dec- Jazz Evening. Tickets from DAN office on 01606 41597
‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’
Our first production in the 2010/11 season is John Mortimer’s arrangement of Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’. This is a first for Davenham, being a joint venture with the Grange school, Hartford. It is being co-directed by Phil Perry of DSP and Linda Sunners of the Grange. Rehearsals are already underway and the production will be one of our biggest yet, which is one of the reasons why we will be using the Grange’s lovely new theatre, which holds an audience of up to 250. Tickets will soon be available and we will let you know how to buy them as soon as we can. This traditional Christmas story promises to be a spectacular production so don’t miss it!
BILLY LIAR
Our Spring production is ‘Billy Liar’, produced by Paulette Anderson, and will be staged at Davenham from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th March 2011. Auditions are scheduled for Tuesday 11h Jan 2011 and Thursday 13th Jan at 7.30pm. The cast requirements are for five women and three men.
CLUB NIGHTS
The forthcoming production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is going to be a very exciting and challenging venture for all and is going to employ most of our acting members plus a huge amount of backstage help. So if any of you are available for helping with front-of-house, including sales of tea, coffee, wine etc we would be grateful for your help. Please contact any of the committee if you can spare an evening. Because of this heavy commitment, club nights will be suspended until after Xmas. We look forward to seeing you at the players during the autumn. Until then ........ thanks for your support.

Paulette Anderson – [secretary] 01606 79779
Bob Almquist- [treasurer]-01606 45186 Sue Tamblin – [Chairman] - 01606 852006