2017 productions

12–14 October 2017

No Dinner For Sinners

By Edward Taylor

Jim Watt runs the London office of a stock exchange firm and is hosting dinner for the International Director and his wife, Bill and Nancy McGregor, members of the anti-permissive society group. As Bill strongly disapproves of unmarried couples living together, Jim asks his girlfriend, Helen, to pose as his wife for the evening.

This suggestion goes down like a lead balloon and Helen walks out on him, leaving Jim with no partner, no cook and – after ringing around all of his ex-girlfriends rather unsuccessfully – only one last option: his eccentric cleaning lady, Edna, who will do the job for a fee, of course.

Disaster reigns as Edna attempts to cook an elaborate dish while keeping her guests happy with “religious chat”. At an extremely inopportune moment, Helen returns to play the role of his wife, and so does his young personal assistant, Terri! A string of hilarious miscommunication unravel as Jim tries to save the situation – and his job – by trading lies and wives almost as quickly as Bill is trading shares.

15–17 June 2017

Our Country’s Good

By Timberlake Wertenbaker

Sydney Cove, Australia, in the 1780s. The first British settlers – a motley collection of convicted criminals and undesirables under the guard of Royal Marines – have established a penal colony. The Governor of the colony, Captain Arthur Phillip, favours reform over punishment and assigns a theatre enthusiast, young Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark, to direct the inmates in a performance of George Farquhar’s ‘The Recruiting Officer’.

With no previous experience and a mixture of thieves, whores and ruffians in the cast, there’s a fair share of dark comedy in the process. Ralph’s task becomes even harder when he realises that some of the cast can’t even even read the script, rehearsals are halted for floggings, and one of his leading ladies is on trial for petty theft and may be hanged before opening night.

Yet despite such setbacks, Captain Phillip’s hopes are realised as the convicts, in the process of pretending to be Restoration ladies and fops, reveal their true and better selves.

9–12 February 2017

Sinbad The Sailor

By Paul Reakes

Sinbad returns from a year at sea on Princess Yasmin's birthday, as soon as their eyes meet he falls madly in love with her, but being from a poor family he's not good enough to woo the princess.

When the Princess is abducted by the evil magician Vazar. With the promise of wealth and her hand in marriage, Sinbad sets sail on his rescue mission with his mother, Dame Semolina Sinbad, Monty the Monkey, the Captain and Mr Mate.

As if Sinbad didn't have enough to contend with, the villainous pirate, Black Hook, soon captures them and attempts to sell them at the Zalabar slave auction.

With the Captain and Mr Mate dressing as a couple of dancing girls to distract the Black Hook anything can and does happen before Sinbad wins the day and his sweet Princess Yasmin