| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Contact: | |
| When: | Monthly on Wednesday afternoons 2:00 pm-5:00 pm Group members have a choice of 4th Wednesday or Thursday, 2pm - 5pm in the Snug at the Bel & the Dragon pub. Not in August or December. |
| Venue: | Bel and The Dragon |
| Cost: | Annual membership of Hampshire Libraries "Odiham u3a Play Reading Group" |
This is an informal group that meets monthly to read plays of all genres, anything from the Ancient Greeks via Restoration comedies to a 20th Century whodunnit.
The emphasis is definitely on enjoyment and there will never be a requirement to perform the plays that we read. Although people do make an admirable effort if a particular accent is required!
As an example of the diversity of the plays we read, here is what we have read/are going to read this academic year 2023/24 and into 2025 :
The Admirable Crighton - 19th century fantasy by J.M. Barrie about "upstairs, downstairs" role reversal, set on a deserted island
The Lady in the Van - a comedy/drama by Alan Bennett based on true events; the film and stage play famously starred the late Maggie Smith
The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Drama Society's Production of Macbeth - a modern farce by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin Jr.
The Heiress - a drawing room drama in 19th century New York adapted by A. & R. Goetz from the Henry James novel "Washington Square"
Roots - the 2nd part of the Arnold Wesker trilogy, a "kitchen sink drama" set in 1950's rural Norfolk
Canterbury Tales Made Modern - 9 of Chaucer's tales given a revamp by Phil Woods, English actor & playwright
Journey's End - WW1 drama by R.C. Sherriff set in the trenches; there have been several TV adaptations of this
A Woman of No Importance - a social comedy by Oscar Wilde set in London in the 1890's, similar plot to Lady Windemere's Fan
Northanger Abbey - an adaptation by Matthew Francis of Jane Austen's novel about a young girl in 1800 getting the characters of her gothic novels muddled with the people she meets in real life
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - adapted by J. Preston Allen from Muriel Spark's novel, famously filmed with Dame Maggie Smith in her youth (or prime).
The Circle - "a sparky comedy of manners" by Somerset Maugham first performed in 1921.
Make and Break - a comedy by Michael Frayn set in the modern business world, an uninspiring group of salesmen and their hyperactive boss cope with work/life balance
A Tomb with a View - a comedy thriller by Norman Robbins, think "Kind Hearts & Coronets" meets "The Addams Family"
Les Liaisons Dangereuse - from the French novel by Choderlos de Laclos set in 1785 Paris, translated & made into a play by Sir Christopher Hampton in 1985. The 1988 film starred John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The White Sheep of the Family - by Lawrence du Garde Peach and Ian Hay, first performed 1951, is a comedy about a criminal family who are distressed when their son wants to go straight.
Uncle Vanya - or "Scenes from Country Life in 4 Acts" by Anton Chekhov. "Chekhov wrote 5 truly outstanding plays", of which this is one - a study of life in the Russian countryside for the well-to-do before the Russian Revolution.
The History Boys - Alan Bennett's famous story, written in 2004 is based loosely on his own Yorkshire school and grooming for the Oxbridge exams. The film in 2006 took some of the original stage actors and made names for Dominic Cooper, James Corden and Russell Tovey.
The group's only costs are (1) the annual library membership fee (where we borrow the play sets from) divided by the number of group members, approx £3 each and (2) our room hire is free in exchange for each member buying a refreshment (tea, coffee, wine etc.) at the bar, i.e. about £3.85 per month.
If you would like to contact the group by email click on the Group Contact above.
Go back to exploring all of our groups here.