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Members' Newsletter September 2016
Quote of the Month

“If you spend a hundred bucks, or more, to go to the theatre, something should happen to you. Maybe somebody should be asking you some questions about your values, or about the way you think about things. Maybe you should come out of the theatre, something having happened to you. Maybe you should be changing, or thinking about changing. But if you just go there, and the only thing you worry about is where you left the damn car, then you wasted a hundred bucks.” ― Edward Albee

Edward Albee (12 March 1928 – 16 September 2016)

Thoughts of Chairman Mo ...




NEVER take your eye off what MDG is doing! If you do, if you blink, you WILL miss something......

My theme last month was “new beginnings” because that’s an essential for September and so we continue -

Since last month we have one new home, one new marriage, one new baby and, by the time you read this, one new hip! We have two great pieces of work coming up before the end of the year and at least four pieces in a varied programme for next year – what’s not to love about all of that, eh?

So I’ll mention the first item and the others will be covered later in the newsletter.

We are now at home in Babbage House (which includes an actual shop window in which to lay out our wares) with a similar but not exactly the same arrangement as for Foundation Park but with MDG only. A terrific amount of work was done by Claire in order to achieve our occupancy and now we need to vindicate the effort by making the most of a fantastic space with wonderful visibility in the town centre. The possibilities are enormous. Anyone who would like to see the place need only come on any Monday, Wednesday or Thursday where we will be rehearsing our two upcoming productions. You will find us immediately opposite the cinema.

MDG were approached by Radio Berkshire to talk about the group in relation to the PM’s remarks about the wonderfulness of Maidenhead. The way that the invitation was presented led me to believe that Theresa May would herself be in attendance at the Magnet for the interview. What a gullible fame-seeker I am! And when Beth (the young blood) and I (the old) rocked up to do this interview at the Magnet, how disappointed was I to realise that the whole thing was to be conducted by a roving reporter, out of the back of a van in the CARPARK!! Vanity of vanities, all is vanity......

Anyway, we did it, raised the profile and pointed up the ever-decreasing demarcation between amateur and professional work. Didn’t quite mean to call us a society but things were evolving as we went along – what we definitely are not is an “amateur dramatics group”! How dare they, how very dare they?

So feeling very upbeat, very positive, very theatrical – and looking forward to seeing you all very soon, either at Lovesong, Jack and the Beanstalk, Babbage House or in the pub on a Thursday after rehearsal.

M

Hello MDG Members!
 
So! Autumnal Equinox has fallen upon us and nights are drawing in! ...But, fear not! We have lots of exciting things happening in September with rehearsals for Lovesong in full swing and Christmas panto rehearsals having commenced at our exciting new MDG home at Babbage House!

The social gatherings are also in its height of activity ...

Saturday, 24th September saw our MDG Quiz evening take place at The Rose in Maidenhead town centre. With a full house and the drinks flowing, it was a wonder anyone could concentrate and still remember the questions, let alone get the answers right!

The teams were ...

The Benbujays! - Team Maureen
The Foggy Foggy Dew! - Team Jenny
Mr R. Slicker & The Shy Teds! - Team Sam
The Universally Challenged! - Team Anna 
May Contain Nuts! - Team Drew 
Dopey, Grumpy, Frumpy, Pumpy, Numpty, Hottie & Sleepy - Team Robin
The Four Wise Monkeys + Johnny - Team Mick



With special thanks to Colin Jackson, our Quiz Master for the evening and to all participating teams.

So! The winning team? ... It was close! But, winning by a theatrical margin ... Congratulations to 'The Benbujays.' 

Keep a look out for details for future social pursuits. Thursday nights after rehearsals will still see our usual drinks gathering, but this time at The Bell ... a convenient, staggering distance, no less! Other functions in the pipeline are a murder mystery evening, a Christmas Members' party with live music and casino and a spectacular MDG Gala Talent Evening event.

If anyone has any other ideas they would like to suggest, you are very welcome to email me at membership@maidenhead-drama.org.uk. 

Liz 
 
Autumn Production
 

Reahearsals going well, absolute joy to be working with Jeanette, Tori, James, Maggie and Paul.

From a director’s perspective, the technicalities of bringing to life an emotionally and physically challenging piece can sometimes make you lose sight of the qualities that attracted you to it in the first place. As we get further and further along in our rehearsals we are getting a beautiful balance and my excitement is growing all the time. Jeanette’s movement work is awesome - I’ll be a blob of quivering delight by performance!

And on that, because of the configuration of the performance space, we have a smaller number of seats available and I must urge you to book asap.

 

 
EMERGENCY REQUEST

Does anyone have a firm 4ft mattress that you could loan us for the performances?
The only we are currently using is a bit too squishy!

If you can please help, please call Maureen on 07796 543105.
Wedding Bells
 
On behalf of Maidenhead Drama Guild, we wish to offer our heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes to Richard Mauldon and Carol Hammond, who married this month.

We wish them good health and a long and happy future together. 

   
 
Maureen presented the happy couple with beautiful Champagne flute glasses as a gift on behalf of MDG. This is Richard and Carol's thank you note to the Guild.
Christmas Panto 
CAST ANNOUNCED
We thank all those, who attended panto auditions over the last couple of weeks and we are excited to announce this year's panto cast. Congratulations to all those, who have been cast in principal roles. 
  • Charlotte Frate - Princess Rose
  • Kirstie Bradbrook-Armit - Jack
  • Robin Lovell - Dame Trott
  • Samantha Partridge - Poison Ivy
  • Patrick Ashe - Dozy Den
  • Beth Wood - Fairy Beansprout
  • Graham Howarth - The King
  • Fiona Mottershaw - The Prime Minister
  • Hayley Smith - Buttercup the Cow (one half)
  • Rob Harris - (The body) - The Giant Blunderbore
  • Ann Croft - The Giant’s Housekeeper

Rehearsals have commenced and the box office is now open.

If you are interested in being involved in Panto, please email Samantha Partridge or click HERE for further details about all the various backstage roles that go towards making a successful production.

Please see the website for further details www.maidenhead-drama.org.uk 

Panto performances are at the Desborough Theatre from 
Wednesday, 14th December to Sunday, 18th December.

Theatre Trips

MMCS' production of the well known musical, Calamity Jane begins next month. Performances from Wednesday, 12th October to Friday, 14th October at 7.45pm and Saturday, 15th October to Sunday, 16th October at 2.30pm at the Desborough Theatre, Town Hall, Maidenhead.

Tickets are £13.00 per adult. Online booking fees apply.

Please email membership@maidenhead-drama.org.uk to register your interest.


 

The Marlow Players' forthcoming production is A Touch of Danger by Francis Durbridge to be performed at the Shelley Theatre, Marlow from Thursday, 10th November to Saturday, 12th November at 8.00pm. Tickets are £12.00 for adults.

Max Telligan, a popular novelist, has returned to his London apartment from a business trip to Munich to find his evening newspaper containing a report of his violent death. He subsequently is greeted by a parade of mysterious visitors who seek a pocket sized calculator, threaten him with a poison-tipped walking stick and display photographs of his wife in flagrante delicto. Max has, it seems, unwittingly become embroiled in the activities of an international terrorist group!

"Mr. Durbridge is a master craftsman, with an unequalled record of keeping TV audiences poised on the edge of their seats." - Daily Telegraph

Please register your interest to the membership secretary should you wish to see this production. Email: membership@maidenhead-drama.org.uk.


Maidenhead Operatic Society's forthcoming production is The Hired Man, written by Melvyn Bragg.

Performances are from Wednesday, 16th November to Saturday, 19th November at the Desborough Theatre, Town Hall, Maidenhead. 
 
Set in Cumbria from 1898 to the 1920s, THE HIRED MAN is the story of the Tallentire family and their village community, who work on the land and in the mines, and hope to survive the WW1 battlefields. This powerful and uplifting musical is a collaboration between two of the country’s best-known writers and broadcasters. Melvyn Bragg based the story on his grandparents’ lives, and Howard Goodall’s music perfectly matches it, being inspired by English folk and choral music. A memorable experience awaits cast members and audiences alike.

Please register your interest to the membership secretary should you wish to see this production.
Email: membership@maidenhead-drama.org.uk.
BABY ANNOUNCEMENT

It is with utter delight to announce that Hayley Smith has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Maisie Rosina, who was born on 5th September. We wish Hayley, her partner Chris and older daughter Ellie, all the very best for a wonderful future.






 
Hats Off to our Costume Ladies
 
Our marvellous wardrobe team have been nipping and tucking at Waldeck House.
Organising the costumes and props is by no means an easy task and a mammoth one at that. But, with a little help from a glass or two of Italian Prosecco; Kate Rayner, Roz Bartlett Inglis, Jenny Evens, Ros Joynes and Kathryn have been tackling, labelling, rearranging and catagorising the entire costume department.

Our lovely ladies completed the ongoing work, which Noa McAlistair kindly began during the summer months.
So, I'm sure you will agree that they have all done a splendid job and we thank each and every one of you wonderful ladies for your time and effort in painstakingly collating essential information needed for our forthcoming productions.

Thank you, ladies and cheers! 

We want to hear from you!

If you have anything you would like to be included in next month's newsletter; photos from an event or rehearsal, a newspaper article, a review, or anything you think would be of interest to the MDG community then please email me HERE

If you would like to get in contact with another MDG committee member,
you will find all their email contacts HERE
Copyright © 2016 Maidenhead Drama Guild, All rights reserved.


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