January 2025

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 of Dominic Cooper, James Corden and Russell Tovey.

Filumena - by Eduardo de Filippo, marital drama set in Naples translated from Italian, toured last year starring Felicity Kendal.

A Murder is Announced - one of Agatha Christie's best murder mysteries, introducing Miss Marple to the world - say no more!

The Rivals - written in 1775 by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, a comedy of manners set in Bath when wigs were just going out of fashion and only some girls were being allowed to learn to read.

September 2025

Racing Demon - a modern drama by David Hare set in the English ecclesiastical world in 1990 following the turmoils of the Church of England hierarchy, some issues from which are still reverberating today

Separate Tables - two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan follow the social nuances of relationships in a seaside boarding house, both playlets making us think about our assumptions of right and wrong

Hobson's Choice - by Harold Brighouse set in Lancashire, filmed in 1954 starring John Mills, the play is based on an older legend about where the term came from, with a story woven around curmudgeonly bootmaker Hobson and his refusal to allow his 3 daughters to wed

January 2026

A Chorus of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn is set in Scarborough around the rehearsals of an am dram production of The Beggar's Opera, interwoven with the actors' actions and relationships. Amusing but also poignant.

Pygmalion - the original play by Bernard Shaw which was later made into the musical My Fair Lady. We probably won't include the songs from the musical, although "Get me to the Church on time" is very tempting!

Cold Comfort Farm - from the novel by Stella Gibbons, a successful TV version starred Kate Beckensale and Eileen Atkins. It's set on an isolated family farm in the 1930's where a strong-minded young woman comes to live with her very very odd extended family.

The Night of the Iguana - by Tennessee Williams, set in the 1940s on the steamy veranda of a hotel on the west coast of Mexico, this was first staged in New York in 1961 and filmed in 1964 starring Richard Burton as the alcoholic defrocked Irish priest, Ava Gardener as the sultry widowed hotel owner and Deborah Kerr as the unobtainable New England spinster artist.

Star Quality - by Noel Coward, his tribute to his great friend Gertrude Lawrence, whom he'd known since they were both young wannabees touring the English repping theatre, this was first a short story in 1951, turned into a play by Noel and later developed by Christopher Luscombe. The protagonist arrives in theatre-land as a young naive author and meets the full range of luvvies, cast & crew including the demanding, bullying, manipulative leading lady!

One O'Clock from the House - by Frank Vickery, written in 1984. A social comedy, slightly dark, about a discordant suburban family - 4 daughters, their spouses, kids & cousins - trying to sort out their lives in the aftermath of their father's death. All the characters have their unique foibles, some less lovable than others.

The Importance of Being Ernest - by Oscar Wilde. Starring the Handbag. And a happy ending for 3 couples.