April 22, 2024

WEBSITE PROBLEMS

It was pointed out to us today that what appeared to be a (trojan) virus was downloaded when someone clicked on our website address. This was not in fact a virus but a harmless technical glitch with the site following some background updates to the system.

It has now been sorted but in case you did go to the site and experience what appeared to be this problem, we apologise and assure you that no harm will come to your computer!

March 12, 2024

Ticket update for Wyrd Sisters

This is the current situation with ticket availability for Terry Practchett’s Wyrd Sisters, which now runs from Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th April (note there is no Tuesday performance):

Wednesday 24th – good availability
Thursday 25th – 23 remaining
Friday 26th – SOLD OUT
Saturday 27th – 12 remaining

So, the message is – don’t delay!

February 2, 2024

Wyrd Sisters is cast:

Director: Jane Wilde
Producer: Peter Wilde
Stage Manager: Angela Ledsham

The Cast
Granny: Helena Gomm
Nanny: Helen Gard
Magrat: Rebecca Leadley
Duchess: Bernadette Lomas
Duke: Ben Gander
Fool: Craig Robb
Ghost of King Verence/Sergeant: David Cradduck
Hwyl/Guard: Frank Branagan
TomJon/Soldier 1: Chris Atkinson
Vitoller/Guard 1&2/Wimsloe: Tim Conway
Mrs Vitoller/Crowd/Player/Witch 1/Gumridge: Pauline Cornter
Chamberlain/Demon/Peasant/Player/Witch 2: Jan Conway
Bowman/Guard 4/Robber 1/Witch 3: John Weston/Peter Wilde
Soldier 2/Guard 3/Robber 2/Guard/Bedlin: Mike Cornter

Rehearsals start on Monday 5th and tickets are already on sale and selling!

January 29, 2024

Auditions tonight for Wyrd Sisters

Wednesday 29th January sees our open auditions for Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters at Cheriton Village Hall, 7.30pm. All are welcome, as always, and we are particularly looking for men to come along and audition for some of the roles. See you then?

December 3, 2023

A hole in one!

Sadly we saw the curtain come down on our latest production, Par For The Course, last evening but the memories live on and you can read all about it (including reviews) and see Simon Newman’s amazing pictures, on our Previous Productions page.

Watch this space for upcoming news of our spring production April 24th – 27th 2024.

August 22, 2023

Par For The Course ready to tee off

Our next play, Par For The Course, is a lovely comedy by our friend Peter Gordon who also wrote Murdered to Death (2012) and Third Week in August (2015). We are pleased to say that casting is now complete (although we still need a couple of backstage crew) and rehearsals start just after the bank holiday weekend. Tickets are on sale from 1st September, so book early! Click the ‘TICKETS’ tab in the top right hand corner to book.

The cast is as follows:

Barry West – Mike Cornter
Simon Weaver – David Cradduck
Nick Armitage – Glynn Williams
Tiffany Jennings – Bernie Lomas
Fra Jefferies – Jane Richards
Laura Weaver – Helena Gomm

Director – Pauline Cornter
Producer – Jan Conway

July 10, 2023

The AGM and audition for our autumn production

A quick reminder that our AGM/summer social is Monday 10th July – all welcome for a tipple, nibble and natter! Also we are delighted to announce our next production which is Par For The Course, another hilarious comedy from that talented playwright Peter Gordon. Important dates for this production are:

Read-through/auditions 17th July 2023
Tickets on sale from 1st September 2023
Rehearsals start 6th September (Mondays and Wednesdays) 2023
Performances 29th Nov – 2nd Dec 2023

January 24, 2023

Madam Bovary now cast

Thanks to all who came along for the reading of our next production, The Massive Tragedy of Madam Bovary, to be directed by Craig Robb. We had an amazing turnout and following that and an audition evening, Craig is happy to announce that he has now cast the play with six actors. Rehearsals start next week (1st February) when tickets will also be available. The cast is as follows (and we are very pleased to welcome two new members to the group in roles): Natashia Berrio, Tim Conway, David Cradduck, Charlie Hellard, John Weston andJane Wilde. Details of production team to follow.

November 14, 2022

Two return tickets for NSTA….

We have two return tickets for the Saturday matinée performance (3rd December 2022) of Never Say Trevor Again! if anyone would like them. If you are interested in buying them, please email us at thecheritonplayers@gmail.com and we will put you in touch with the sellers.

November 9, 2022

PLAYREADING 7th December

Cheriton Players would like to invite you to celebrate Christmas with us at a play reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Come and enjoy a mince pie and a glass of wine and be entertained by everyone’s favourite seasonal play, either by joining in the reading or sitting back and listening! The evening will be held in Cheriton Village Hall on Wednesday 7th December at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start. There will be no charge for the evening, but a small optional donation on the night to cover our costs would be appreciated.  

Please let us know by emailing us if you’d like to join us and if you’d like to read. Please email by 25 November.

October 13, 2022

Extra tickets available for NSTA

Due to popular demand, we have added an extra, matinée, performance for Never Say Trevor Again, our upcoming Bond spoof. The extra performance is Saturday 3rd and tickets are already selling fast so don’t delay. Get yours now at www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers !

September 26, 2022

NSTA is SOLD OUT

With over two months to go to curtain up, Never Say Trevor Again, our next production, is SOLD OUT. However, we have started a waiting list for tickets so if you either have tickets that are surplus to requirements, or you would like to be put on the waiting list for returns, please contact us by email at thecheritonplayers@gmail.com.

September 5, 2022

Autumn newsletter

In case you’re not on the mailing list or following our social media here’s a link to our latest newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/b34762319a49/01blvw78wo-5887315

Catch up with the latest news on our new production, Never Say Trevor Again!

September 2, 2022

Tickets on sale for NSTA

The long awaited sequel to our Bond spoof, Diamonds Are For Trevor, is drawing nearer! The cast and crew have been busy shooting the film sequences for Never Say Trevor Again during the summer, stage rehearsals start next week (Wednesday 7th September) and tickets are now ON SALE priced £13. We fully anticipate a sell-out so have slotted in an extra night, although we aim to keep overall audience numbers lower than pre-COVID. So book now to avoid disappointment!

March 22, 2022

CAN YOU HELP?

CASTING CALL! The production team for Calamity Jane need a venue manager/coordinator to work alongside our front of house manager to oversee and manage all the other important stuff like car parking, facilities, bbq, exterior lighting and so on. Preferably someone local or with local knowledge of the venue (Middle Farm Barn, Cheriton). You won’t be expected to do everything yourself, we have plenty of people to help, just need someone to coordinate them all. If you think you can help (and you don’t need to be a member of Cheriton Players and you won’t be expected to perform!) please get in touch at thecheritonplayers@gmail.com or call 07717 134272

March 2, 2022

Tickets now on sale for Calamity Jane

As our first rehearsal takes place this evening, so our tickets for Calamity Jane are now on sale! There are adult tickets, child tickets for 16s and under, and there will be a barbecue and licensed bar available for each performance, an hour and a half before curtain up. And as if that wasn’t enough, we are inviting our audiences to come along in costume (the theme is the Wild West in case you’re not familiar with the storyline!). For online tickets click here.

February 7, 2022

Calamity Jane is cast

We are delighted to announce the cast (and primary crew) for Calamity Jane, our summer 2022 production. We are also delighted to welcome a few new faces (and voices) to the group for this production. Tracey Anderson (director), helped by Rebecca Leadley and Pauline Cornter, have finalised the cast and backstage crew as follows:

Calamity Jane: Claire Smith
Wild Bill Hickock: Ben Gander
Lieut Danny Gilmartin: Charlie Hellard
Katie Brown: Lauren Anderson
Henry Miller: Mike Cornter
Susan Miller: Rebecca Leadley
Francis Fryer: Tony Bevan
Adelaide Adams: Alison Carter
Rattlesnake: Tim Conway
Doc Pierce: John Weston
Jo the Bartender: Jenni Watson

Pete: Pete Shepherd
Hank: Craig Robertson
Colonel of Fort Scully: Clive Burgess
Prospector: Arthur Smith

Chorus: Clive Burgess,Jan Conway, Tim Conway, Pauline Cornter, Darcy Gander, Caroline Holley, Paul McTaggart, Miranda Roadnight, Craig Robertson, Pete Shepherd, Arthur Smith, Emily Taylor, Rachael Taylor, Jenni Watson, John Weston

Crew
Director:  Tracey Anderson
Producer (Stage and Set): Craig Robertson
Producer (Light and Sound): Graham Arnott
Producer (Everything else!): Pauline Cornter
Music Production: Charlie Hellard
Stage Manager: Adrian Seale
Assistant Stage Manager: James Seale
Light and sound technician: Jamie Herdman
Props: Marilyn Weston
Décor (Stage and Set) : Retta Hellard
Costume Assistant: Margaret Shepherd
Front of House Manager: Jenny Cridland
Front of House Assistant: Hazel Round

Tracey and her team are still looking for a Venue Manager to head up the car parking, venue decoration, signage and so on. If you can help, please do contact us.

January 27, 2022

Curry ‘N Quiz POSTPONED

With deep regret we are postponing our Curry ‘N Quiz Night (Friday 3rd Feb) because of technical issues with the venue. Our apologies but health and safety is always paramount and this is an issue which could affect that, albeit temporarily. Watch this space for a new date.

If you have booked for this event you will be put on the priority list for the event when it happens, rest assured. In other words, you will have first refusal.

December 30, 2021

Calling all Cowboys (and girls!)

****CASTING CALL**** We are holding an information evening and reading for our next show, Calamity Jane (29 June – 2 July), in Cheriton Village Hall SO24 0PZ at 7.30pm on Wednesday 19th January. All welcome! Open auditions will take place the following week on Monday 24th and Wednesday 26th January. It is not necessary to be a member of Cheriton Players to read or audition, only if you are cast or volunteer as crew.

There are seven principal parts as well as loads of chorus roles and walk-ons. It should be a lot of fun. We look forward to seeing you!

November 16, 2021

Lady Windermere’s Fan – readers needed

We intend to hold an informal play reading of Lady Windermere’s Fan (by Oscar Wilde) on Friday 3rd December.

During lockdown periods we had several online play readings, the kind we would normally only have when reading a play we would like to do to see how it sounds. It was very popular, so we thought we’d carry on, but in our usual theatre environment.

Pauline Cornter, who is producing and organising the evening, says: “If you would like to come along and either read or just listen please could you let me know (details below) so that we have an idea of numbers attending for catering and planning purposes. An early response would be appreciated”.

Wine and mince pies will be served from 7pm and from 7.30 we will begin to read this popular Oscar Wilde play.

Tickets are £5, to include a glass of wine or soft drink and mince pies, payable at the door. Please feel free to bring a guest.

Contact: Pauline Cornter
Email:  cornter@btinternet.com
Mobile: 07568 375985

October 15, 2021

Murder Weapon back on track

After what seems a decade (bit will be the best part of two years in fact), Cheriton Players will be back on stage in just under a month’s time, performing the much-delayed production of Murder Weapon by Brian Clemens, originally scheduled for May 2020.

With almost the same cast (there has been one change from the original line-up and we welcome Glynn Williams back for another appearance), director Angela Ledsham has been rehearsing her team since September and reports that it’s going well and should prove to be a cracking poduction.

Tickets are also selling well – in the interests of COVID safety we have reduced the number of seats from 80 to 60 for this show – and in fact there are only a handful of seats left for the last night at time of writing, so if you haven’t booked yours yet, you will need to hurry!

Book tickets at our normal box office, Ticketsource. We look forward to welcoming you back!

March 2, 2021

Dr, Dr & the Dominatrix Solution

Two short radio sketches, written by Jonathan Edgington, form the latest production in our Lockdown Series of audio offerings, and went live today on YouTube and SoundCloud. Huge thanks to all who helped put it together and we hope it brings a smile to your faces in these challenging times!

January 29, 2021

The Big Online Quiz returns on Wed 24th Feb!

Jenny Cridland is busy compiling another set of devious and clever questions to test your general knowledge (and some not so general!).

The last quiz, held back in Lockdown #2, raised £125 for the Theatre Support Fund and this time we are donating the fivers (yes, it’s just a fiver) to the Winchester Basics Bank who desperately need your cash to help them provide food and clothing for families who are less fortunate during this difficult time.

Numbers will be restricted to 25 as previously, and will be split into teams of five. If you’d like to take part, either as a team or individually, please let Rebecca Leadley know at curryandquiz2020@gmail.com as soon as possible as numbers will be limited.

PAR FOR THE COURSE – Wednesday 10th Feb 7.30pm

We are delighted to be able to put on another Zoom playreading to keep our actors on their toes!

Peter Gordon, who wrote our first online playreading, Walk the Walk, is back with another of his wonderfully funny comedies, Par For The Course. Set in and around the Clubhouse Bar of the Seven Lakes Golf Club.

Captain’s Day gets off to a bad start when the men’s Captain is indisposed. Club secretary, Simon, relishes the chance to take over but is soon thwarted by the arrival of Vice Captain, Nick and his girlfriend, Tiffany. Lady Captain, Fran, and enthusiastic but hopeless Barry add to the confusion as a series of disasters mount. With the unexpected arrival of Simon’s wife, Laura, tensions build and things go from bad to worse.

If you’d like to be involved in this reading, please contact Marilyn Weston at marilynweston@yahoo.com as soon as possible as we will be restricting numbers to 15 readers.

A double bill is on its way…

… to a radio near you. We are delighted to say that, following the success of our festive themed radio production of Let Nothing You Dismay in December, we are busy again putting together a double bill of short comedy sketches by Jonathan Edgington.

Doctor, Doctor and The Dominatrix Solution are two hilarious pieces with adult themes but, as Kenny Everett would have said, “in the best possible taste”!

Casting is as follows:

Doctor Doctor
Man: Glynn Williams
Woman: Ali Carter

The Dominatrix Solution
George: David Baldwin
Kim: Jenni Watson
Laura: Helen Gard
Mavis: Helena Gomm

Sound engineer: Charlie Hellard
Co-directors: David Cradduck/Jonathan Edgington

More details on our Production Page. These sketches will be presented as a double bill on Sunday 28th February on our YouTube and SoundCloud channels and will be live indefinitely thereafter.

November 30, 2020

Ho, ho, ho!

Our short radio plays have been proving very popular and we were delighted when the most recent of those, Hologram, was broadcast in full on BBC Radio Solent and BBC Sounds.

The next in our Lockdown Series our next offering has a Christmas theme and is to be broadcast on Radio Christmas on December 13th at 7pm, and on Winchester Today Radio on Christmas Eve at 11.15am and 3.15pm. Also available on SoundCloud and YouTube from 9th December 2020.

Andy and Diana are churchwardens at St Ninian’s and are busy preparing for the annual Christmas Fair to be held in the church hall on December 23rd as always. The problem is that the Rev Tim has double booked the hall and there is also to be a wedding reception there for Tiffany and Gary at the same time. Add in a little Christmas spice in the form of two giggly elves and Gary’s rather short kilt and mayhem ensues…

November 6, 2020

The Big Quiz returns Nov 18th. Book your space now.

Come and pit your wits in the second of our light-hearted (but competitive!) online quizzes. Following our successful Zoom quiz in July, we are holding another, again with teams of five. You don’t have to be an active/paid up member of Cheriton Players, and you can come as a team or individually and we will allocate teams. The cost is £5 per person which will be donated to the Theatre Support Fund, helping those working in the theatre industry at this difficult time. The evening will be ably hosted by the wonderful Jenny Cridland again. So please come along and join the virtual fun!

If you would like to participate in the Quiz Night then please send your name and e-mail address to us by clicking this link. An email will then be sent out to you nearer the time with payment and login details.If you have a preference about who is in your team, please supply all their e-mail details up to a maximum of five individuals per team. If you don’t have a preference about your team mates then you will be allocated into a team by your Quiz Host. PLEASE LET US KNOW NO LATER THAN SATURDAY 14th NOVEMBER IF YOU WISH TO TAKE PART.

Thank you and see you there – get swotting!

October 21, 2020

Hologram goes live

Winchester based playwright Jonathan Edgington’s plays have been performed around the world on stage and film but never in an audio format. This is all about to change however as Cheriton Players have recently recorded an audio version of his short play Hologram.

Jonathan said “I’m really looking forward to listening to Hologram. Although my plays have somehow managed to clock up nearly 200 productions worldwide Cheriton Players are the first theatre group to record an audio version!”

Jonathan has written 43 plays, monologues, sketches and short pantos. His work has been performed in London and other parts of the UK and in various other countries including Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Ireland, Hungary, Morocco, Switzerland and the USA.

He is probably best known in the Winchester area for the Chesil Theatre’s 2016 Summer production of his award-winning comedy/drama Robin Hood in the beautiful Wolvesey Palace gardens. Locally, he has also had plays performed at the Maskers Theatre in Southampton, the Berry Theatre in Hedge End and on the Salisbury Fringe.

Despite the Covid related theatre industry shut-down, Jonathan is managing to keep busy. His short Aladdin panto is proving very popular with schools and theatre groups who are buying the script to make into videos for on-line audiences this Christmas. Jonathan is currently working on several new writing projects that he hopes will come to fruition in 2021.

More information about Jonathan’s plays can be found on his website at https://www.jonathanedgingtonwriter.com/ and Hologram can be listened to on the Cheriton Players’ Soundcloud channel or on YouTube.

Online playreading Monday 9th November

Jake Thompson has died suddenly and the family gather at his widow Babs’ house to hear the reading of his Will. Everyone has expectations about what they are going to receive and what they deserve to inherit, as the deceased has told each of his children that they were his favourite child. However, Jake discovered a shocking truth just before he died, and this is going to change everything. How will family members react towards each other when they believe they are now wealthy? Will their marriages survive and will they still be a family unit once the solicitor leaves the house?

Following on from the successful online (Zoom) readings of Walk The Walk and A Fete Worse than Death, we are delighted to be reading this quirky comedy sent to us from playwright Lesley Jones. Lesley currently lives in Bulgaria but despite the time difference will hopefully be joining us for the reading. If you would like to take part, or simply sit in, please contact Marilyn Weston at marilynweston@yahoo.com to receive the Zoom meeting details. We will be ‘meeting’ at 7pm and the play is a full length comedy so we will be taking a short break in the middle. Hopefully everyone who wishes will get to read a part. Do join us!

August 21, 2020

Mystery Shopper – our next radio play goes live 24th August

Ruth is starting her first day at work in a sunglasses shop in a seaside town. Keith, the owner’s deputy, leaves Ruth on her own to deal with a mystery shopper who appears to want to buy some expensive frames… but without paying for them. A nightmare scenario for Ruth that comes right in the end and restores your faith in human nature!

Mystery Shopper is the second in our series of short radio plays, this one is written by Cheriton Players member Craig Robb and was recorded and edited by Kevin Gover. The play will be available to listen to, free of charge, on SoundCloud and YouTube channels, from Monday 24th August.

We hope you enjoy it!

A Fete Worse Than Death

Imagine the scene: Actor Ray Martin is opening the village fete, playing on his fame as TV’s Inspector Brady. Little does he know that ambition, infidelity and marrow envy will lead to murder, and he’ll be left to solve the murder – without a script!

A Fete Worse Than Death, by Richard James, is the second in our series of ‘just for fun’ online play readings and to see how a play might read for future consideration as a full production. If you would like to take part you will be most welcome – we have already had a few people register their interest in reading. To do this, please let us know by Tuesday 1st September latest by emailing Marilyn Weston, who is once again hosting the event. She will need your email address to send you a script and to invite you to the Zoom call. We obviously want to include as many people as possible but to keep it manageable we are restricting numbers to 20 on a first come, first served basis. You do not have to be a paid up member of Cheriton Players to take part as this is not a production and there is no fee payable. If you would just like to attend but not read, you are still welcome to come and sit in. Our thanks to Richard James for allowing us to read this very funny play online.

We will ‘meet’ at 7pm and start reading asap after intros and explanations. This is a full length play so please allow a good two hours for the reading if you want to stay for the whole thing. We look forward to hearing from you!

July 30, 2020

Jack – our first radio play

2020 has certainly proved to be an odd year. We were to have performed Murder Weapon in May but as you know this has been postponed due to COVID-19. In its place we are pleased to present our first is a series of Radio Plays, Jack by member CJ Ellis. We invite you to listen, entirely free of charge on our SoundCloud or YouTube channels, whichever suits you best.

We hope you enjoy it – we had a lot of fun making it – and look forward to welcoming you back soon for the second in our series.

July 22, 2020

THE QUIZ!

A BRILLIANT quiz, hosted by Jenny Cridland and attended by five teams of five people in each, was held this evening. Everyone successfully joined by Zoom, split into their breakout teams and we are delighted to say that the winners were Team POPPIES (aka the Leadley family). As they were the ones who also kindly supplied the winner’s prize of a wonderful bottle of Black Chalk Classic 2015 they very generously donated the prize to the second place team, Team POPPIES. That’s a few quid in the bag for Blue Apple Theatre as a result and a lot of fun had by all. Thank you everyone who took part and a big thank you to Jenny for organising it so well.

July 3, 2020

It’s Quiz Night time! Wednesday 22nd July at 7.30pm

As we clock up over 100 days of lockdown and our spring production Murder Weapon is postponed, pending COVID-19 guidelines on live performances, we thought it would be fun to do a few things online. So apart from our virtual AGM on Monday 20th July and a Zoom playreading of Walk the Walk on Monday 27th, we are holding a Virtual Quiz Night. Sorry, no curry with this one and it’s definitely bring your own bottle!

It’s just for fun and could be slightly chaotic but we do ask as many people to take part as possible (maximum 25 participants working in teams of five) as this is a fundraiser for our lovely friends at Blue Apple Theatre who are raising money to cover the cost of their amazing online summer school.

There is no big prize (and no cheating), but lots of fun and the satisfaction of knowing that whilst we are having fun it’s raising money for a great cause.

If you would like to participate in the Quiz Night then please send your name and e-mail address to Rosie Reay. If you have a preference about who is in your team then please supply all their e-mail details up to a maximum of five individuals per team. If you don’t have a preference about your team mates then you will be allocated into a team by your Quiz Hosts Jenny and Rosie. PLEASE LET ROSIE KNOW NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY 15th JULY IF YOU WISH TO TAKE PART.

April 13, 2020

Ten minute theatre!

As rehearsals for Murder Weapon have sadly ground to a halt until the autumn, and we are locked up at home with an ever shortening list of DIY projects, we thought it would be rather fun to get everyone writing a ten minute play which the membership can judge anonymously and the best ten maximum (if we get ten) will be performed one evening when we are no longer locked down.

The rules are simple:

1. This is for fun only, there are no prizes and no hard and fast rules. It is not commercially based, there is no entrance fee and there is no restriction on who can enter BUT they must be either members or friends/regular supporters of the Players and prepared to either cast and direct their plays themselves when the time comes or have someone who is prepared to do that for them. When we do eventually stage it we will charge a modest ticket price to cover our expenses and we hope to have a fun evening or more.
2. We suggest a MAXIMUM of four cast members (who can play any number of characters) and your play must be no longer than ten minutes. That way we can stage it without hiring the Albert Hall over a period of weeks.
3. No particular theme or genre (eg drama or comedy), whatever you feel you want to write. But it must be entertaining, do-able and fit for family viewing.
4. Please submit your entries no later than 31st May 2020. We will then make them available for members and friends to read them, anonymously, and vote for their favourites.
5. We’re making this up as we go along!

With thanks to Deborah Edgington, Chesil Theatre and others for the inspiration and idea, which we have happily plagiarised.

A new arrival!

Huge congratulations go out to Craig Robb and Katie Hinds, both active members of Cheriton Players, on the birth of their son Pippin on Saturday 11th April 2020. These are strange times we live in currently with COVID-19 knocking at everyone’s door, and there has been such a lot of awful news lately that this piece of happy news makes it all the more poignant and happy. Welcome, Pippin, and we look forward to meeting you in person once the lockdown restrictions are lifted!

March 16, 2020

MURDER WEAPON POSTPONED

It is with sadness that we must postpone our next production, Murder Weapon, due to the Coronavirus that is gripping the whole world at present. We have rescheduled the production, which was well advanced in rehearsals, for Wednesday 4th – Saturday 7th November 2020. Anyone who has already purchased tickets should receive an email shortly from Ticketsource explaining that all moneys will be refunded in full, including the handling charge. We are very sorry to have to take this course of action but feel sure that our audiences will understand our reasoning and applaud the decision.

We very much look forward to welcoming our audiences back to us, in good health, in November. More on the future production dates will follow shortly in our regular newsletter. Meanwhile, stay safe and take care.

February 12, 2020

Casting is complete!

Angela Ledsham, director of Murder Weapon, our spring production, is delighted to announce that casting is now complete, as follows:

Jessica Bligh: Helena Gomm
Inspector Fremont: Paul Willcox
Hugo: Jim Glaister
Diane: Bernie Lomas
Charley : Tim Conway
Constable Walters: Paul McTaggart
Paul: Charlie Hellard

We welcome two new faces to our stage for this production, Bernie Lomas, an active member of West Meon Theatre, and Jim Glaister who was Director of Photography on our most recent production, Diamonds are For Trevor. We are thrilled that they are joining us!

Rehearsals are now underway for this murder mystery thriller and tickets are already selling well. In fact, there are only 14 left for the Friday night performance (15th May) so don’t delay in getting yours. The online box office link is here.

January 27, 2020

Spring production: Murder Weapon, May 13-16

We are delighted to announce that our next production is to be ‘Murder Weapon’ by Brian Clemens (who wrote The Avengers). It is a clever murder mystery/psychological thriller with a cast of seven. The run is May 13th-Sat16th, our director is Angela Ledsham and rehearsals start soon.

Whilst casting is nearly complete, we are still looking for an actress, 35-55, to play Diane, the wife of the murder victim. It’s not a huge part but neither is it a walk-on. The character plays a pivotal role in the play and ideally we are looking for someone with some experience in playing dramatic roles. Rehearsals will be on Mondays and Wednesdays although not everyone will be needed at all rehearsals in the early stages).

Are you that person? If so, please get in touch with us via the website.
Tickets are now on sale priced £12 from and if the last show was anything to go by (we sold out two months before the opening night), you shouldn’t delay in ordering yours!

January 14, 2020

Casting Call!

Sadly, the inclement weather last night prevented a lot of people attending the audition for Murder Weapon so auditioning has been postponed to the second planned audition night, ie Wednesday 15th January at 7.30pm. at Cheriton Village Hall SO24 0PZ. Please do come along if you are interested in reading for any of the parts. For a quick run down on the play, the plot, the characters and so on, check out https://www.concordtheatricals.co.uk/p/12519/murder-weapon (note that the Constable could be played by a woman). Membership is not required at this stage, only if cast. If you can’t come to the audition but are interested , contact us through the website https://www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk/contact-us/

January 9, 2020

Murder Weapon – dates confirmed

Just a quick update to inform everyone that the dates for the next Production, Murder Weapon, have been confirmed as Tuesday 12th – Saturday 16th May 2020. Auditions will take place on Monday 13th January and Wednesday 15th January at 7.30pm at Cheriton Village Hall each night. If you did not attend the reading in December but would like to be considered for a role, come along to the audition(s) anyway. Please do contact us if you have any queries about dates, times, roles and so on.

November 25, 2019

The Curry ‘n Quiz night returns!

The ever popular Curry ‘n Quiz night makes a welcome return to the village hall on Saturday 1st February. We will, as in previous years, be asking some challenging questions, as well as some easy ones. Our quiz masters are Richard Perkins and Ian Monier-Williams and a slap up curry will be provided as part of the ticket price for the modest sum of £15. There will be a licensed bar and we will be fielding 10 teams of six, so if you want to book a whole table or join another group, simply let us know how many people are coming and we’ll organise the rest! To book or make enquiries, contact us on this dedicated email address.

September 11, 2019

SOLD OUT (TWO MONTHS EARLY)

We knew this show was going to be popular so we added an extra performance, on Tuesday 19th November. But believe it or not, one week after starting rehearsal, and with two months to curtain up, Diamonds are For Trevor is officially SOLD OUT. We will, of course, start a waiting list for those who missed out and will do our best to ‘marry up’ buyers and sellers for returns. Bt we cannot offer refunds or transfers, sorry.

August 16, 2019

DAFT takes off

Well, with just over three months to go, we have an unusually high demand for tickets for Diamonds are For Trevor. In fact, the Saturday night (23rd) is now all but sold out, so we have added another performance to the run, that is Tuesday 19th November at 7.30pm. Filming is complete as far as the actors are concerned, and we had some intensive but fun days shooting in various parts of Hampshire during the summer. We still have some special effects shots to do, the editing and sound recording but then it’s over to the stage and the start of rehearsals in September for the play itself. Exciting stuff!

June 4, 2019

DAFT is cast!

DAFT (Diamonds are For Trevor) is cast! Helena has made her selection following auditions in May and the cast is as follows:

M – Rebecca Leadley
Pratt/Prince Philip – David Cradduck
Q – Katie Hinds
James Bond – Craig Robertson
Trevor Bond* – Charlie Hellard
Miss Spendapenny – Marilyn Weston
Fanny Stravaganza* – Tracey Anderson
Reporter/Computer Voice – Lauren Anderson
The Queen* – Pauline Cornter
Ena Slobby – Jan Conway
Norman Slobby – Tim Conway
Donald Trumpet* – Mike Cornter
Vladimir Putitov – John Weston
Bigjob – Paul McTaggart
TV producer (cameo) – tbc

*required for filming

Backstage crew are being cajoled/assembled/volunteered as we speak so they will be announced as soon as confirmed. Filming, with Jim Glaister, is due to start in early July and locations, cars, props and scenery are currently being acquired or decided upon. There are a couple of cameo roles for the film sequences; these will also be announced shortly.

Rehearsals will start in early September, rehearsals Mondays and Wednesdays, run is 20-23 November.

April 11, 2019

Casting Call!

Our next production is a Bond spoof entitled Diamonds are For Trevor and some of it will be filmed over the summer prior to starting stage rehearsals in September. At this stage, director Helena Gomm is looking to cast the roles of those characters that appear in the film sequences (and hopefully others too, although they can be cast later), so our first read-through of this interesting and exciting play will be on Wednesday 24th April at 7.30pm in the Cheriton Village Hall. All are welcome to this reading.

Other important dates include tentative shoot dates for the filming which will probably be over 2-3 weekends in June/July, locations to include a beach/sea scene and Cheriton Village. Pencilled dates for filming are: 15th/16th June, 29th/30th June, 6th/7th July, 13th/14th July but the chosen dates will be confirmed nearer the time and hopefully by the first read-through on 24th April.

Stage rehearsals will commence Monday 2nd September and will be on Mondays/Wednesdays until the run of the show which is Wednesday 20th – Saturday 24th November 2019.

More information about the play and the casting follows:

Diamonds are for Trevor: this production is a mixture of filmed material and stage acting. As such, it will be an interesting challenge and new experience for the actors (film acting is very different from stage acting). It will also be something that is fun to work on and to watch. It has scope for including local people and local scenes within what is essentially a spoof Bond movie.

The Queen and one of her corgis have been abducted, and MI6 have received a ransom video from an anonymous kidnapper with a suspiciously familiar mop of strange orange hair. Unless the Koh-i-Noor diamond is handed over, the Queen and the corgi are toast. This is clearly a job for Bond, but 007 is out on the tiles and his phone is answered by his hapless brother Trevor, who has always fancied having a go at this secret agent business. Meanwhile, the Queen’s disappearance must be kept from the public, so a lookalike is sought to take her place …

All the familiar Bond characters are there: M, Q, Miss Spendapenny, a ‘Bond girl’ Fanny Stravaganza, plus a couple of devious villains and their henchmen. There are car chases, underwater scenes (just about) and the villains’ lair is blown up just as Trevor hustles Queen and corgi out to freedom.

Only some of the sections will be filmed, so initially we are primarily looking to cast the characters in the following list with (F) after their name, who appear both on film and on stage. The filming will take place on a few weekends during June and July. If we can’t cast those characters who only appear on stage during the first audition, we will have time to conduct a further audition later in the year.

There are a few extra requirements. Trevor Bond and Fanny Stravaganza have to be able to drive. Trevor has to be prepared to go into the sea in a lime green mankini, and the vicar has to fall off a bicycle into the river (we can fake this, but he does have to emerge from the river wet through). We are also looking for someone who can scuba dive; this person will not appear in the film or the production, but we need someone suitably qualified and with the right kit to swim underwater a short distance out to sea with a periscope.

Speaking roles

Male: M, Pratt, Q, Trevor Bond (F), James Bond, Bigjob (very small speaking part), Donald Trumpet (F), Vladimir Putitov, Norman Slobby, Prince Philip

Female: Burly Chassis (F sings the Bond theme), two backing singers (for the main Bond theme), Miss Spendapenny, Fanny Stravaganza (F), The Queen (F), Ena Slobby, Reporter, TV producer

Non-speaking roles: vicar on bicycle (F only), henchmen, security people, TV crew members, an elderly woman with a zimmer frame and possibly a small dog (F only)

Those wishing to be considered for an acting part should register their interest at the read-through meeting on 24th April, or direct to Helena by email.

March 8, 2019

ONLY A MONTH TO GO!

Things are really hotting up now on the Cheriton stage as we get into the final month of rehearsals before the curtain goes up on our 2019 Very International Variety Show. There will be songs from the shows, sketches, bar and food so if you are delaying getting your tickets for any reason, delay no longer as the Friday night performance is nearly sold out. And don’t forget we are doing a matinée on the Saturday! Tickets can be purchased online at £15 including light supper. Just click here!

WE NEED YOU!!

We are in need of Front of House staff for our upcoming Variety Show, as we are serving food and have a licensed bar, added to which so many of our normal ‘crew’ are involved in this production. Can you help out for a performance or two, to help see people to seats, serve drinks and food? If so we would love to hear from you. Please click on this link to send us a message!

March 4, 2019

Race Night a Great Success!

A fundraiser at Cheriton school for the village hall Thank you to all our sponsors – The Flower Pots, North Motors, IVC, BarnStore, Service Point, Hellards and Black Chalk; to Moonlight Events for setting it all up; Cheriton School for the use of the hall; the every generous attendees who really got involved with the evening and dug deep. And a huge thank you to Jamie for running the bar and Jan who prepared the food. The result? £920 profit from 40 people, to go towards the village hall fundraising campaign. Well done, all.

January 14, 2019

THE (CAMEL) RACE NIGHT – FRIDAY 1ST MARCH!

Two years ago, we held a Race Night at Cheriton Primary School in aid of the Cheriton Village Hall fundraising campaign and very successful it was too! Great fun was had by all, so much so that we thought we would do it again this year. But this year we got the hump and decided to opt for camel racing rather than horses!

The rules are the same – turn up with plenty of change for the tote and strong wrists to pull those camels to the finishing line! There will be six races and the winner from each race will take part in the Grand Finale, the Black Chalk Cup (there’s a bottle of the lovely Black Chalk sparkling wine for the overall winner). With thanks to our lovely race sponsors Hellards Estate Agents, IVC, Service Point, The Flower Pots, North Motors, BarnStore Winchester and Black Chalk Wines. Tickets are limited, so book early! £15 to include a light supper. There will be a licensed bar too! Tickets on sale now www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

And there’s a chance to become a camel owner too, at an extra cost £5. Simply choose the option when you book your ticket (there are 36 camels altogether so plenty to go round). Owners will be awarded a rosette if their camel wins a race and, of course, there is the kudos! See you on Friday 1st March and – don’t forget – this event is at Cheriton Primary School (not the village hall) and proceeds will be donated to the Cheriton Village Hall fundraising campaign.

December 12, 2018

A Very International Variety Show – UPDATE

Tracey Anderson writes:

November 27, 2018

A VERY INTERNATIONAL VARIETY SHOW – INFORMATION EVENING 10th DECEMBER

Do you have a burning desire to perform as a certain character or read a special poem? Have you always wanted to perform a certain sketch or song? This could be your chance! We would love you to be part of our ‘Very International Cheriton Variety Show’.

The show will run from 3rd – 6th April 2019 and we need your talents to make our show a success.

Please come along to our information evening on Monday 10th December at 7.30pm at Cheriton Village Hall SO24 0PZ to find out more about how YOU can be involved.

There will be some festive drinks and nibbles for you to enjoy too!

If you can’t make it and would like to be involved, please let us know!

November 20, 2018

Fallen Angels – ticket update

The rehearsals are done, the cast and crew are ready and the final dress rehearsal is tonight, for our latest production, Fallen Angels by Noel Coward. We have a complete sell-out – however we have three return tickets for tomorrow night, Wednesday 21st, and one odd one in row C for Thursday 22nd if anyone would like to repurchase them. The ones for Wednesday are a pair together at the back and another odd one in row F.

In addition we still have a waiting list for Thursday 22nd (two required together) and Saturday 24th (two required) so if you now find you cannot come, please could you let us know?

The best way to contact us in either case is through this website at https://www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk/contact-us/

We wish the cast and crew all the best for a successful run and we hope you enjoy the show. Official photos will be posted next week after the show has finished.

September 20, 2018

Chesil Theatre Casting Call – young actors required!

CASTING CALL

September 19, 2018

Ropley Dramatic Society

Tickets are now selling for Ropley Dramatic Society’s autumn production, Theft, a two-act comedy by Eric Chappell.  Imagine returning from a pleasant anniversary celebration with some old friends to find that your home has been burgled – and the burglar is still in the house! For a while he masquerades convincingly as a policeman but, when his true identity is revealed, it transpires that he knows various somewhat uncomfortable secrets about each character! A well-written, full-length comedy with plenty of surprises that will keep you entertained up to the very end and send you home feeling that you have had an excellent evening with plenty of intrigue and good humour!

Performance dates are 16th and 17th November in Ropley Parish Hall, curtain up 8.00pm.

To reserve your tickets (£10 each) please email or telephone 01420 568265.

August 13, 2018

Fallen Angels set to go!

Richard Perkins (director of Fallen Angels 21-24 November) has agreed on his cast as follows:

Fred – John Weston
Julia – Denise Truscott
Saunders – Claire Smith
Willy – Matt Jones
Jane – Fiona Mackay
Maurice – Pete Shepherd

July 18, 2018

Readings and auditions for Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels is our next play, to be directed by Richard Perkins. Performances will be from 21 to 24 November 2018

June 14, 2018

REHEARSED READINGS SAT 16TH JUNE – CHANGE OF VENUE

***AMENDMENT***

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOW TAKE PLACE IN CHERITON VILLAGE HALL AT 7.30PM.

You are most welcome, if the weather permits, to bring your picnics to enjoy around the village or in the village hall (doors will open at 6.30pm) before the readings.

There will be a licensed bar and ice creams on sale.

This is a fundraising evening in support of our 2018 charity, Blue Apple Theatre.

April 30, 2018

CASTING CALL!

CASTING CALL! CASTING CALL! CASTING CALL!

We are putting on an evening of (two) one act plays as rehearsed readings, on 16th June in Chris Gardner’s garden at Old Rose Cottage (opposite the hall). Are you interested in reading?

Casting/read-through Wed 16th May at 7.30pm
First rehearsal Wed 6th June at 7.30pm
Second rehearsal Wed 13th June at 7.30pm
Final on-site rehearsal Sat 16th June at 4.00pm
‘Performance’ Sat 16th June at 7.30pm in the Gardners’ garden (or village hall if wet). Gates will be open for picnics at 6pm.

April 17, 2018

SOLD OUT! (well, almost)

We are now officially sold out for Communicating Doors which opens on Wednesday 18th April. However, we have two pairs of tickets returned for Saturday night’s performance (21st April) if anyone would like to purchase them. If you are interested please let us know by clicking here.

January 29, 2018

All cast and ready to go!

From Craig Robb:

We now have our cast for Communicating Doors as follows

Poopay – Fiona Mackay
Julian – Tim Conway
Older Reece – David Cradduck
Ruella – Helena Gomm
Young Jessica – Isobel Wolf
Young Reece – Charlie Hellard
Harold – Sam Griffiths
Older Jessica – Rebecca Leadley

January 8, 2018

Communicating Doors readthrough and audition

Tuesday 9th January sees the start of the 2018 season for Cheriton Players with the first readthrough for the spring production, Communicating Doors, by that master of the dark comedy, Alan Ayckbourn. Set in a hotel room between 1974 and 2014, a time travelling dominatrix finds herself embroiled in her client’s past.

There are parts for three men and three women and director Craig Robb is hoping for a good turnout. See below for cast list. The casting/audition/readthrough is on Wednesday 17th January.

If you are interested in an acting part, or you would like to get involved backstage, we’d love to hear from you. If you can’t make the readthrough, not to worry – let us know and we’ll pass your details on to the director and his team.

Characters are as follows (ages are guidelines only):

○ Reece (a businessman, aged 30, 50 & 70) – this role could be split between two actors, one playing the older version(s) and one the younger.
○ Jessica (his first wife, aged 25 & 45)
○ Ruella (his second wife, aged 45)
○ Julian (his business associate, aged 45 & 65)
○ Poopay (a prostitute, aged 33)
○ Harold (a house detective, aged 35 & 55)

Rehearsals will initially be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until February 22nd when they will be on Mondays and Wednesdays. All rehearsals will take place at 7.30pm in Cheriton Village Hall unless notified otherwise. The run is 15th – 21st April.

Curry ‘n Quiz a sell-out

Just to prove that it’s not just our plays that sell out, the return of our popular mid-winter Curry ‘n Quiz night has also seen us run out of tickets. If you would still like to go, please let Tracey Anderson know at cpmembershipsecretary@yahoo.com and she will put you on the waiting list. Tickets cost £15 to include food. There will be a licensed bar and quizmasters Richard Perkins and Ian Monier-Williams are all set to find the brain boxes and also those requiring a new wooden spoon. The date is Saturday 3rd February at the Village Hall, 7pm. If you have booked tickets and can longer go, please let us know, either by contacting Tracey or through our contact page.

December 14, 2017

Spring Production 2018 – Communicating Doors

Well, we said you wouldn’t have to wait long for news of our next production, and here it is: Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn, a comedy with several twists including murder, intrigue, suspense and a time travelling portal! Set in modern day in a hotel room, a professional dominatrix arrives to service a dying man and inadvertently gets transported back in time where she meets the man’s first two wives. In order to survive herself, she must warn the wives that they are in grave danger. Complicated but easy to follow, this masterpiece from the master of dark comedy excels.

Dates for your diary: Tuesday 9th January, general read-through; Wednesday 17th January, reading/casting/auditions; rehearsals start Tuesday 30th January and will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays for a while, then Mondays and Wednesdays from 22nd February; tickets will be on sale in the new year; the run is Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21st April 2018.

Craig Robb is making his directorial debut and is keen to hear from anyone who is interested in taking part both on- and back-stage. He can be contacted through the Contact Us page on this site. All are welcome to the readings and auditions, no membership is required (unless you are cast or help backstage in which case you must join The Cheriton Players for the princely sum of £5 to cover you for insurance purposes.

The Curry ‘n Quiz Night returns

Due to popular demand, our annual Curry ‘n Quiz night will be returning on Saturday 3rd February 2018 in the Village Hall. The quiz will be compiled, as ever, by our dynamic duo Richard Perkins and Ian Monier-Williams, the curry is to be supplied (as usual) by The Shapla in Alresford. Numbers are limited to 60 (ten tables of six) so get in touch with Tracey Anderson as soon as possible to reserve your places. If you can’t make up a whole team, don’t worry, we’ll team you up with others. The price is a ridiculously low £15 to cover the cost of the whole evening except for drink – and this year there will be a licensed bar so you don’t need to bring your own. Tracey can be contacted by email at cpmembershipsecretary@yahoo.com

September 25, 2017

The Big Clear-Out!

Those of you who have been involved with helping backstage will know that we build a lot of flats and that we make or beg, steal and borrow furniture and props from all over. The trouble is, after a few years this means we run out of space and we have to clear out our store so that we can at least see what we have! So sadly (and rather ruthlessly) gone is Fagin’s stove from 2003’s production of Oliver! along with loads of old flats, timber, doors, bed heads and other stuff that has been cluttering up our well-used shed for some while.

Next up for the same treatment is our costume store – many of our costumes tend to get damp and dusty and, like all local theatre groups we are always short of storage space. Ideally we would love to store all out costumes, props, flats and lighting in one, dry, secure place nearby but we don’t know of anywhere that might be available. Do you? If so, please let us know via our website.

And thanks to all those who helped with the big clear out last weekend!

July 4, 2017

The Game’s Afoot reading/casting

Monday 17th July – First readthrough of The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig – Cheriton Village Hall 7.30pm, all welcome.

Wednesday 19th July – Auditions/casting of The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig – Cheriton Village Hall 7.30pm.

If you are thinking of coming along, you will be most welcome (whether you are a member or not at this stage). Helena Gomm, director, writes:

The Game’s Afoot
This is a comedy whodunnit set at Christmas in the mansion of William Gillette, an actor who has made a name for himself playing Sherlock Holmes in a very long-running play. The original play is set in the USA, but we will be moving it to the UK, so no US accents will be needed. The year is 1936.
The characters are as follows (ages are very approximate and depend on the rest of the casting):

William Gillette
40s to 60s. He is an actor who lives alone with his mother in an art deco mansion he has just had built on the banks of the Thames at Henley. He likes new-fangled technology and his house has microphones that record what is said in each room, a speaker entryphone at the door and a revolving bookcase that reveals a bar (or a body!). He also plays Holmes in the opening scene.

Martha Gillette
60s to 90s. William Gillette’s mother. She is generally frail and a bit dotty, but occasionally she can be quite sharp, especially when she is defending her son. She is very welcoming to William’s guests, some of whom she has known since they were starting out in the theatre, as she was, herself, an actress.

Felix Geisel
40s to 60s. A long-term friend of William’s who has been in the long run of the Sherlock Holmes play in the West End. He also plays Moriarty in the first scene. He, his wife Madge and William play an irritating game of Shakespeare quotation one-upmanship which has obviously been going on for years.

Madge Geisel
40s to 60s. Another actress in the play and married to Felix. In the first scene, she plays Marian. She is glamorous, quite flamboyant and bright. She appears to mistrust her husband and this may or may not be well founded.

Aggie Wheeler
25 to 30 An actress (she plays Alice in the first scene). Recently married to Simon and they are about to break the news to the others. Smart, bright and pleasant.

Simon Bright
25 to 30 An actor (he plays Count Zerlinsky in the first scene). Recently married to Aggie and they are about to break the news to the others. He is good-natured and affectionate.

Daria Chase
25 to 50 A glamorous and very bitchy theatre critic who probably comes from quite humble beginnings and has dragged herself up the society ladder by her own efforts. She is sharp, witty and cruel. She spends a lot of the play as a body being dragged around and hidden, but keeps coming back to life in spectacular fashion.

Inspector Goring
Any age. Written as a female part, but could be played as a man. As a female part, I see her as very much like Vera in the ITV series starring Brenda Blethyn. She is unconventional but very intelligent.

June 29, 2017

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Wednesday 12th July – Annual General Meeting – Cheriton Village Hall 7.00pm for 7.30pm, all welcome. Free drinks, nibbles and natter!

Monday 17th July – First readthrough of The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig – Cheriton Village Hall 7.30pm, all welcome.

Wednesday 19th July – Auditions/casting of The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig – Cheriton Village Hall 7.30pm.

April 24, 2017

Murder Meeting!

If anyone is interested in taking part in (Another) Murder in Cheriton! on Saturday 17th June, either as a suspect of helping behind the scenes, there is a meeting to chat about it this Wednesday 26th April at 7.30pm in Cheriton Village Hall. Note: this is a change of date from that originally advertised. All welcome, even if you don’t want to take part. If you would like to participate but cannot make the meeting, let us know and we’ll put you on the list!

Tickets are selling well already and can be found at www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers. 

March 14, 2017

Murder in Cheriton (again)

Ten years ago Cheriton became an infamous hotbed of vice, second only to Midsomer, when a murder took place and some 90 people dressed as 20s super sleuths cracked the mystery of whodunnit, how and why. All afternoon, our detectives trudged around the village interviewing suspects, supping tea in the incident room (the village hall) and then imbibing in an ale or two over a sumptuous meal served up at the local school whilst they heard the Inspector reveal who was the culprit. Well, now it’s the 50s, the war is over, but again there has been a dastardly murder in Cheriton and your help is needed to solve it.

Details will be on our Forthcoming Productions page, and tickets will be on sale, from Monday 20th March. Numbers are limited, so hurry to snap yours up! The date is Saturday 17th June and participants will assemble at 2pm at the village hall for briefing and purchase of murder packs. Sleuthing will take place across the village during the afternoon and the grand reveal, with a BBQ, licensed bar, prizes and music, will continue in the evening at the school.

Any members of the Players wishing to take part should notify us straightaway as we will be meeting in April to organise the suspects and supporting artists!

February 14, 2017

Charley’s Aunt comes to Cheriton

Some 32 years ago, Cheriton Players presented the evergreen costume comedy by Brandon Thomas, Charlie’s Aunt. Those of us with long memories have very fond recollections of that production. What a fabulous play!

So when Cheriton Players were approached by Williams Baggs of BBV Productions to host a touring production of Charley’s Aunt on 22nd April, we were delighted to oblige. This is a one night only production at Cheriton, at the end of a short tour of local theatres and venues and it promises to be a cracker. Tickets are on sale now, priced £11, from our usual box office and you will find the usual Cheriton Players Front of House team to welcome you as usual. And, as always, there will be a licensed bar and those lovely Judes’ ice creams to indulge in. Why not make a night of it and invite your friends along?

February 6, 2017

Race Night a great success!

Cheriton Players’ annual social do, this year to raise funds for the Village Hall. Huge fun, a lot of work by a lot of people – thanks to the school for allowing us to use their (bigger) hall for the event, to the chilli makers, the people who served the food, worked the bar, washed up and ran the tote. Thank you to those who helped set up and take down. Big thanks to Nick Rowley of Moonlight Events who ran the races like clockwork, to the village hall committee for their support, to the people who attended and gave generously and to all the ‘jockeys’ whose wrists are probably only just recovering! The end result was a very impressive £526 for the village hall and a great kickstart to the fundraising campaign to purchase the hall and refurbish it. Final thank you to Hattingley Valley Wines who kindly donated a bottle of their Classic Cuvée as a prize (won by Geoff Ellis!).

February 1, 2017

Curtain Call Awards 2016

Congratulations to nominees David Cradduck, Glynn Williams and David Baldwin for their nominations in the 2016 Curtain Call Awards. And hearty congratulations to David Baldwin for winning Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for his wonderfully touching portrayal of Aylott in A Month of Sundays. At the glittering black tie ceremony in Southampton last week, at which local actress Sarah Parish was the celebrity guest, David’s award was collected by Craig Robb (sadly David was under the weather and too poorly to attend). This makes it three years in a row that Cheriton Players have had three nominations and won at least one of them each time (last year we won two!). Not bad for a small group that only puts on two shows a year. 

December 19, 2016

Performers invited!

For anyone interested in getting involved in the next ‘Ever So Slightly Bonkers’ Even Greater Cheriton Variety Show March 22-25 2017, come along on 9th January to the village hall at 7.30pm to hear what is planned and how you can join in the fun. There’ll be choruses, songs, sketches and even a melodrama to get involved with so do come along to see what’s happening. All welcome! Rehearsals will continue from then on Mondays and Wednesdays (usually musical items on Mondays at the beginning).

Curtain Call Awards 2016

For the third year running, Cheriton Players have been nominated in the Daily Echo Curtain Call Awards. Nicknamed ‘The Oscars of the South’, the annual Curtain Call Awards recognise amdram talent within Hampshire and surrounding areas in a multitude of categories. This year (for the second time) we have received no less than three nominations – David Cradduck for Best Actor in a Comedy in his role as John Cooper in A Month of Sundays: “Guided the play with a veneer of acerbic wit, masking a visceral sadness.”; David Baldwin for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy as Aylott, also in A Month of Sundays: “Skilfully and sensitively portrayed.”; and Glynn Williams for Best Actor in a Comedy in the recent Cash on Delivery: “Increasingly ludicrous and hilarious as the fraudulent claimant.”. Well done to all nominees, directors and cast and crew of both shows, and of course we wish them luck at the Awards Ceremony on 27th January in Southampton. A full list of the nominations for this year’s Awards can be found online.

December 6, 2016

What? No curry and quiz?

We have decided to give our stalwart curry and quiz organisers and quiz masters a well-earned rest this year and, to ring the changes, we will be putting on a Race Night on Friday 3rd February 2017 instead. As this is our members’ winter social we will be limiting the numbers to 60 members and friends, as previously, and to give us more room we will be holding the Race Night in the somewhat larger hall at Cheriton School.

Those of you who are imagining a film showreel of geegees racing, on which you have placed your bets, think again! This format is rather different and includes audience participation, teamwork and physical activity!

As with the quiz night there will be food included – jacket potatoes with chilli con carne (veggie version available) and rather than you having to bring your own tipple, there will be a bar selling beer, wine and soft drinks.

Regarding the ‘racing’, you will be a member of a team, there will be several races (probably six) with grand titles such as the ‘Murdered to Death Handicap’, the ‘Lord Arthur Saville’s Fillies Stakes’ and the ‘Season’s Greetings Meeting’ and team members will be required to ‘wind in’ their horses (see one or two pics). There are opportunities to have a flutter too, and the whole evening is organised and run by a professional, Nick Rowley of Moonlight Events.

As well as being our annual ‘social’, this is the first of many fundraising events to help raise money for the purchase and refurbishment of the Cheriton Village Hall, our permanent home for the past 55 years and hopefully for the next half century. In fact our next three events – the Race Night, The Even Greater Cheriton Variety Show (22-25 March) and Another Murder in Cheriton! (17 June) will all be fundraisers for the village hall, so do come and help us support a worthy cause.

If you would like to come to the Race Night you will need to get in fast, as spaces are limited and we have no doubt that it will prove very popular. This year, for the first time, we are making the tickets available through our normal online box office, which also has a telephone booking system.

November 28, 2016

Cash on Delivery a huge success

Just when we think we’ve done the best show ever, along comes another. Hot on the heels of our spring production, A Month of Sundays, the curtain has also now come down on one of the funniest (and most fun to do) productions the Players have ever embarked upon. Check out the picture gallery (thank you Ali Carter and Craig Robertson for your fab photos) on our Past Productions page and if you missed it, you can view the online programme too. Watch the washing machine fight on YouTube!

November 18, 2016

Cash on Delivery a sell-out

With just under a week until curtain up we are pleased to say that we have a sell-out for Cash on Delivery. If we have any returns we will post this on these pages and through our facebook and twitter pages.

October 31, 2016

Cash on Delivery heading for a sell-out

Our next production, Cash on Delivery 23-26 November, is selling out fast. At time of writing, Friday 25th and Saturday 26th are both SOLD OUT and there are only 16 left for Wednesday 23rd and 24 for Thursday 24th. To secure your ticket, go to our box office now! www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

August 1, 2016

CASH ON DELIVERY IS CAST

CAST SELECTED FOR CASH ON DELIVERY!

Helena Gomm has made her selection for our next production, Cash on Delivery, as follows:

Eric Swan – ­Glynn Williams
Linda Swan – Tracey Anderson
Norman Bassett ­– Craig Robb
Mr Jenkins –­ David Cradduck
Uncle George ­– Tim Conway
Sally Chessington –­ Katie Hinds
Dr Chapman –­ Richard Perkins
Mr Forbright ­– Paddy Roadnight
Ms Cowper –­ Jan Conway
Brenda Dixon ­– Claire Smith

June 22, 2016

‘Grave Concerns’ – playreading

Cheriton Players staged a ‘first’ to be proud of this week when we held our very first rehearsed play reading with an audience. Some 50 people, mainly members and loyal audience, came along to hear the first public airing of ‘Grave Concerns’, a brand new comedy written by Craig Robb, a regular performer himself on the Cheriton stage. Performed in the semi-round, to break with tradition and in order to involve the audience more, and with the minimum of props and stage directions, the cast of seven told of Mark and Deborah on holiday in Lake Como, celebrating Mark’s father’s 80th birthday with Mark’s sister Ruth and partner Ted. Mark’s near death experience when he falls and bangs his head brings him into contact with a spirit, whose task is to take Mark and Ruth’s dad to the ‘other side’. Apparently the spirit is happy to take another soul instead but this leads Mark with the dubious task of finding someone to murder… If you came to the reading and would like to feedback your thoughts to Craig, click here. 

March 21, 2016

Curtains!

The final curtain came down on A Month of Sundays (on Saturday) and pictures can be seen from the production, courtesy of Craig Robertson and Rachel Gover. Now we are looking forward to selecting our autumn production, to be directed by Helena Gomm and planned for production 16-19 November.

In between time, we are pleased to say that we are renewing our rather old and tired curtain tracks and motor with a new, state-of-the-art theatrical system which we hope will make a huge difference to the presentation of our stage.

March 16, 2016

Curtain Up!

The tech rehearsal is done, the dress rehearsal was a resounding success and the stage is well and truly set for curtain up tonight on Cheriton Player’s latest production, A Month of Sundays. If you haven’t yet booked, there are still a few tickets left for tonight (Wed 16th) and tomorrow (Thurs 17th) but Friday and Saturday are all but sold – check with the box office.

February 29, 2016

A Month of Sundays – ticket update

If you haven’t yet secured your tickets for A Month of Sundays, the wonderfully bitter-sweet comedy by Bob Larbey which is just over two weeks away from curtain up, then hurry! www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

November 22, 2015

Pics and Prog from LASC

The final curtain has come down on Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, which played to full houses for four nights. Huge thanks to first time director Sue Alexander whose attention to detail has resulted in another huge success for the Players. Pictures by Craig Robertson and an online version of the programme can now be found online. Click on the links to access.

CURRY ‘n QUIZ NIGHT

We are now taking table orders for our annual Curry ‘n Quiz Night – Saturday 23rd January 2016. Tickets are £15 per person to cover the food and quiz; bring your own drinks. Tables of six (we can make one up for you if you don’t have a full quota). Spaces limited so book soon by emailing Marilyn Weston, our chairman, or contacting us through this website.

November 17, 2015

ERROR ON FACEBOOK

URGENT – Due to a rogue posting on our closed facebook group, it appears that several people have wrongly been notified that Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime has been cancelled. THIS IS NOT SO and we look forward to seeing our audiences from tomorrow (Wednesday) through to Saturday.

November 11, 2015

Lord Arthur a sell-out

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime is a complete sell-out but if you missed out on tickets, here are two possible ideas for you: 1. Contact us to be put on a waiting list for any possible returns and we will get back to you if any tickets come our way. We will also publicise this on our facebook page. 2. Remember to book early for our next production, A Month of Sundays, 16-19 March 2016. Tickets will be on sale from 1st December from our usual online box office, www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

October 12, 2015

Friday 20th a sell-out!

Ticket update for Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime: at time or writing, with just over five weeks to curtain up, Friday 20th November is a complete sell-out, with Saturday 21st following close behind – there are just 14 tickets available for that night. Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th are not too bad with 40+ still available for each night, but these will go fast once the Saturday is sold. If you have not yet booked your seats, we strongly recommend that you do so quickly – click here to go straight to the box office https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers 

July 24, 2015

Lord Arthur is cast!

Right, the jury’s back in and the Judge, Justice Sue Alexander, has passed sentence as follows:

Cast for Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime – November 2015

Lord Arthur – Craig Robb
Baines – Richard Perkins
Sybil – Katie Hinds
Lady Julia – Helena Gomm
Lady Windermere – Alex Lofts
Lady Clementina – Jenni Watson
Nellie – Claire Smith
Mr. Podgers – Mike Cornter
Herr Winklekopf – David Cradduck
Dean of Paddington – Ian Monier-Williams

Medstead Players

Medstead Players are putting on ‘An Inspector Calls’ in December and there is a reading/open audition on 4th August. Details as follows if anyone is interested:

There are seven roles :-
Mr Birling – An industrialist and head of the household
Mrs Birling – her husbands social superior
Sheila Birling – Their daughter 25 to 30 years
Eric Birling – their son, half shy half assertive, not quite sure of his place in life
Gerald Croft – about to be engaged to Sheila, well bred man about town
Inspector Goole – solid and purposeful
Edna – the maid

July 14, 2015

Great turnout for read-through

We had an excellent turnout at the first read-through of Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime last night – thanks for coming everyone. If you are still interested in a part but missed last night, get in touch asap with Sue Alexander (director) or Jenny Cridland (producer) – Auditions are next Monday 20th at 7.30pm and there are scripts available if you want one beforehand, plus a note of the characters and the audition pieces.

June 23, 2015

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime

Our next production is to be Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime by Constance Cox and based on Oscar Wilde’s short story. The first reading for this production is to be on Monday 13th July, with the second reading and casting a week later on Monday 20th. Both meetings are in the Cheriton Village Hall at 7.30pm and all are welcome (you don’t need to be a member to read or put yourself forward for a part or to help backstage, only if you actually take part in the production itself), The rehearsals will start on 7th September and the run is Wed 18th – Sat 21st November 2015. If you would like to know more, contact us.

June 17, 2015

Village Hall Fundraiser

Cheriton Village Hall has been our home for 54 years so it is fitting that Paul Hellard should write:

“We are having a live music session on 31st July in (and on behalf of) Cheriton Village Hall. It will be an evening of really great live music – although I may be biased, as Jez is my nephew and Matt is my son! Tickets are available priced £12 from the village shop, The Flower Pots or online – and please do feel free to pass this on to anyone who is into folk or blues!”

June 8, 2015

Ticket Update for Third Week

At time of writing (8am Monday 8th June), we can give you an update on tickets now that he marquee is up and the seating installed. We have been able to squeeze in an extra ten seats for each night, making 90 available in all. So the tickets remaining as of today are:

Wednesday 10th – 25 tickets
Thursday 11th – 22 tickets
Friday 12th – 9 tickets
Saturday 13th – 4 tickets

So if you haven’t got yours yet and would like to come and see this hilarious comedy in a lovely outdoor setting, book now!.

June 6, 2015

It’s nearly show time!

With just a few days to go now until Third Week in August, ticket sales are really flying – there are just a few left for Wednesday 10th (opening night) and Thursday 11th. The set is in place, the lines learnt and the cast and crew are ready. Don’t delay if you want to take advantage of this hugely entertaining comedy in the great outdoors at The Flower Pots, Cheriton. Book now!

May 20, 2015

THIRD WEEK HOTTING UP!

Things are hotting up! Cast and crew of Third Week in August are getting all hot under the collar getting our next show in tip-top shape for you.

The barbecue is lit (yes, three weeks ahead – Neville takes that long to spread the flames properly) and the caravans will be in place in a few days time. Get your tickets now (Friday night is sold out except for one solitary ticket).

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March 29, 2015

And it’s on to the next one…

As the curtain descends on The Great Cheriton Variety Show for the last time, we are not standing idle but Pauline Cornter and her cast are already in rehearsal for our summer production, Third Week in August. More details to come very shortly and tickets will be on sale at our normal online box office from 1st April: www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

March 23, 2015

It’s SHOWTIME!

Rehearsals are (nearly) done, the technicals in place, the lights up and sounds on. The cast and crew, who have been working hard for weeks, are ready to entertain YOU! There are still a few tickets left for Wednesday and, literally, four for Thursday. Friday and Saturday are sold out. If you want to catch this fun show, you’d better be quick!. Book here to nab those few remaining seats!

March 20, 2015

When they’re gone, they’re gone!

Tickets are now flying off the shelf for The Great Cheriton Variety Show, 25-28 March. The boys and girls in the cast and crew have been working hard to bring you a variety show which promises to be great fun. At time of writing, there are tickets left for Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th only (Friday and Saturday are SOLD OUT). Get yours now!