A Bunch of Amateurs 8th to 10th June 2023
Directed by Dave Mayer
Keen to boost his flagging career, washed up Hollywood action hero, Jefferson Steele, arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard but a sleepy Suffolk village and rather than Dame Judi Dench or Sir Kenneth Branagh the cast are a bunch of amateurs!
Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians who are desperate to save their theatre from developers. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some hard truths about himself.
A Bunch of Amateurs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. On behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.ConcordTheatricals.co.uk.
Table Manners 20th to 22nd October 2022
A disastrously hilarious weekend of eating, drinking, and misunderstanding!
The hapless Norman is an unlikely Lothario, but having told his career-obsessed wife Ruth that he is going away on business, in reality he is planning an illicit weekend tryst with his sister-in-law Annie. Their plans are ruined by the arrival of Annie’s brother Reg and his prudish wife Sarah, who when she finds out about the “dirty weekend”, calls Ruth to come and put a stop to her husband’s philandering.
Throw in the presence of Annie’s kind, but slow-witted suitor Tom, along with too much alcohol, too much sexual tension and too little food and you have a perfect recipe for a comic masterpiece.
Directed by Tony Michael, ‘Table Manners’ is set in the dining room of Annie’s mothers house where every meal becomes a battle ground between the three siblings and their significant others, often with hilarious outcomes.
Ladies’ Day 25th to 27th November 2021
Four women working in a fish-filleting factory get the chance to swap their hairnets and wellies for hats and heels when they decide to head off for an unforgettable day at Royal Ascot, in the year it relocated to York. Champagne is sipped, secrets are spilled, and friendships are tested to the limits, whilst in the background their accumulator bet keeps on quietly winning!
The Wedding. A Suitable Girl Episode 3. An Audio Play released on 23 February 2021
Episode 3 is again a 15 minute comedy set in the near future and where Clive Martin and Charlotte Kemp getting married and Clive asks Alicia, his artificial intelligent virtual assistant, to plan the wedding and to officiate. However, Clive and Charlotte’s mothers believe that wedding traditions should be observed and decide to organise the stag and hen night. What could possibly go wrong?
Listen Below
(We couldn’t meet to record the play so it was all done via Zoom and recorded on mobile phones.)
Ben Tarring plays Clive Martin and Samantha Harvey is Alicia. Chris Mercer is Beatrice, Charlotte’s mother and Shirley Pryor is Elizabeth, Clive’s Mother. Charlotte is played by Suzanne Thomson and Parker by Dave Blacklock. The Lawyer is played by Tony Michael, Tim Beckwith plays George and Barry Mercer is Customer Services. It’s directed by Tony Michael and was written by Alan Pryor. It was engineered by Alan Pryor and Tim Beckwith and music composed and arranged by Alan Pryor.
Christmas Greetings (From A Suitable Girl). A Suitable Girl Episode 2 An Audio Play released on 15 December 2020
Episode 2 is again set in the near future where Clive Martin has met Charlotte Kemp through the machinations of his artificial intelligent virtual assistant Alicia. Clive has started a relationship with Charlotte but it’s not going well. Alicia tries to help them get back on track.
Listen Below
Ben Tarring plays Clive Martin and Samantha Harvey is Alicia. Santa is played by Tony Michael, Charlotte by Suzanne Thomson and Parker by Dave Blacklock. Tim Beckwith plays George, Chris Mercer is Emily the driver, Barry Mercer is the voice of Customer Services and Shirley Pryor is Clive’s Mother. It’s directed by Tony Michael and was written by Alan Pryor. It was engineered by Alan Pryor and Tim Beckwith and music composed and arranged by Alan Pryor.
A Suitable Girl. An Audio Play released on 11 November 2020
As our planned live production were postponed after the pandemic we presented a “radio” comedy as a virtual alternative.
It is set in the near future where our protagonist, Clive Martin, is conditioned by lock down to working from home, only leaves his house when necessary or to see his mother. His mother is concerned for his health and conspires with his artificial intelligent virtual assistant, Alicia, to change his life style. He is imprisoned in his house and compelled to follow a healthy lifestyle but he tries to rebel.
A Suitable Girl is a Marlborough Players production with Ben Tarring as Clive Martin and Samantha Harvey as Alicia. George is played by Tim Beckwith and Customer Services by Barry Mercer
It’s directed by Tony Michael and was written by Alan Pryor with additional material by Tony Michael. It was engineered by Alan Pryor and Tim Beckwith and music composed by Alan Pryor.
Listen below
Entertaining Angels 20 -22 June 2019
As a clergy wife, Grace has spent a lifetime on her best behaviour. Now, following the death of her husband, she is enjoying the new-found freedom to do and say exactly as she pleases. But the return of her eccentric missionary sister Ruth prompts some disturbing revelations, which force her to confront her husband’s ghost and the truth of their marriage. A funny, touching play, set in an English vicarage garden.
Laying the Ghost 21 – 24 March 2018
The Play is set in Yew Tree House, a retirement home for a group of eccentric, charming and “growing old outrageously” theatricals. The doyenne of the home is Margot Buchanan, whose 70th birthday celebrations are unexpectedly disturbed by a visit from her philandering ex-husband and others…
Bazaar and Rummage 16-18 November 2017
Set in a church hall in Acton London it tells the story of three agoraphobic women who, with the help and encouragement of ex-agoraphobic Gwenda and trainee social worker Fliss, try to break out of their troubled lives by staging a bazaar and rummage sale.
Breath of Spring 29 March – 1 April 2017
A gentle comedy set in London post World War I, four genteel ladies, and a retired brigadier now living as somewhat impoverished gentlefolk in Kensington hit on an idea to make money for charitable causes. After their initial success, they are emboldened to continue with their dubious activities until the arrival of Detective Sergeant Pape of Scotland Yard alters their lives for ever
Seasons Greetings 1 – 3 December 2016
Season’s Greetings is now regarded as something of a classic Ayckbourn play and a very appropriate choice for the festive season. Indeed it has been described as “Ayckbourn’s funniest play”. The humour is often dark and lies in Ayckbourn’s acute observations, his precise dialogue, and his ability to take credible situations to the absolute limit. He certainly does this in “Season’s Greetings”, taking the family Christmas to the brink of absurdity! The result is a comedy which, although it has its dark moments, is warm, acutely observed, and at times familiar.