Shinfield announces new season
One of the borough’s theatre groups is raring to go for its 2018 season. GEMMA DAVIDSON previews the plays coming up soon
THE NEW season at Shinfield Theatre has been announced, featuring a varied mix of musicals, pantos and comedies.
The Shinfield Players will kick off their new season with a bang on October 12 with a performance of a brand new musical, written by the group’s very own Martin Butler.
80s... Best Years of Our Lives tells the story of Eileen, Gloria, Mickey and Frankie as they relive their school days in and around Reading. With plenty of local references, an unexpected twist and some nostalgic singalongs, this is definitely one not to miss. Catch it on October 12, 13 and 14, with a matinee performance on October 14.
The Players return at the end of November with The Queen Beneath the Hill, written by Adam Wells. Someone has broken Anna’s kayak, and her sister Daisy is the main suspect. Can Anna keep her cool, and can she cope with her ex James getting married as well? The show takes place on November 22, 23 and 24 at 7.45pm.
The Youth Group will take to the stage on December 1 and 2 to give a combined review evening, showcasing a variety of performances they have been working on throughout the year.
Panto returns to Shinfield Theatre in January in the form of Snow White, written by Robert Billing. In a modern retelling of the classic story, Snow
White can Tweet and use Facebook, but is rubbish at cooking. Will she succumb to her evil stepmother’s evil plan, or will Grimhilda’s career go out with a bang? Catch the panto on January 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21.
The theatre will be opening its door for two different sorts of performances in February, as Film Nights take over the billing with two musical classics. First up is Moulin Rouge on February 3, followed by The Rocky Horror Picture Show on February 4. Both screenings start at 7.45pm.
A murder mystery evening will come to the theatre on February 10 and 11 in the form of High Flyer written by Carol Vockins. Including a chicken supper and a dessert, the evening starts at 7.45pm.
A Noel Coward classic comes to the stage in March, as the Players tackle Blithe Spirit. Charles Condomine invites a medium to his house to conduct a seance, in the hope of gaining some new material for his next book. But the plan backfires with he is haunted by the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, who begins to interfere in his second marriage.
The show is performed on March 7 to March 10 at 7.45pm.
Made in Dagenham, written by Richard Bean, tells the story of Rita O’Grady and her strike at the Ford Motor Co. plant in Essex. The comedy musical takes to the stage on April 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 at 7.45pm.
Following on from the success of last year’s concerts, singer-songwriter Dean Friedman will return to Shinfield Theatre for another sensational evening of music. Having achieved a number 3 hit in 1978 with Lucky Stars, Friedman has released an incredible 18 albums, which he will showcase during his performance on May 12. The show starts at 8pm, tickets are £27.50.
My Inlaws Are Outlaws, by Devon Williamson, will be the final comedy play of the year by the Players, taking place on June 6,7, 8, and 9. When Annie discovers that her mother-in-law has hired a mad group of assassins to kill her, she must use all of her mild- mannered librarian cunning to outwit the best of the Italian, Russian and Irish contract killers.
The season then comes to a close with the Junior and Middle Youth Group performances, as yet to be confirmed, on July 7 and 8, followed by the Senior Youth Group performances on July 13 and 14, also yet to be confirmed.
For further details, prices and to book tickets for any performance, visit www.shinfieldplayers.org.uk.
The Shinfield Theatre will be holding an Open Day on Saturday, September 16 between 10am and 1pm for anyone keen to know more about the theatre, its history and how they can get involved. To find out more, visit www.shinfieldplayers. org.uk.