I did get involved in one or two plays at secondary school and then in my first job, the company had a dramatic society. I somehow got cast as the queer (is one allowed to say that?) chef in The Amorous Prawn, without attending an audition!! I suppose the real laugh is that Bridget took her parents along to see the young man she was keen on in a play! I was too innocent to appreciate the significance of being a queer chef at the time.
Then came a move to a village in Essex, where I was one of the founder members of a village dramatic society, rehearsing in a very damp corrugated iron hut and performing in an equally primitive village hall.
One of our first plays involved the explaining to some Russian tourists how cricket was played. The jokes were pretty juvenile "the batsman’s in until he’s out, then he comes in and the next batsman goes out, and he’s in until he’s out as well" etc. But it did provide me with my best ad lib ever. We were, of course, wildly overloading the electrical supply and midway through this scene we had total darkness, in which I produced the line "and sometimes, bad light stops play!"
And so, with very little by way of fallow intervals, I came to join ODS in the winter of 1973/4, where, as well as directing or taking part in most productions, I have occupied most of the official positions, including being treasurer, with Yvonne as auditor. I only mention this because the roles were reversed at some stage and I tried to audit Yvonne’s accounts. I had to ask Yvonne to explain the bookkeeping to me!
Last updated 28th August 2001.
Strawberry Jam | Mar 1974 | Dr. Colin Varley |
Black Chiffon | Nov 1974 | Dr. Hawkins |
I'll Get My Man | Dec 1975 | Peter ('Venture Man') Graham |
How the Other Half Loves | Dec 1976 | Bob Phillips |
Something to Hide | Mar 1977 | Director |
Red Hot Cinders The Pigeon with the Silver Foot |
Dec 1977 | Compere / Prompt Prompt |
Big Bad Mouse | Mar 1978 | Mr. Bloome |
The Late Edwina Black | Jan 1979 | Henry Martin |
The Secretary Bird | Nov 1979 | John Brownlow |
Bonaventure | Mar 1980 | Stage Manager |
Lloyd George Knew my Father | Nov 1980 | Director |
Suddenly at Home | Mar 1981 | Glenn Howard |
The Full Treatment | Nov 1981 | Philip Scott |
Confusions | Mar 1982 | Terry / Andrew |
Caught on the Hop | Dec 1982 | George |
Trap for a Lonely Man | May 1983 | The Police Inspector |
Bell Book and Candle | Dec 1983 | Director / Anthony Henderson |
Midsummer Mink | Apr 1984 | Director |
Allova-Dinn and his Wonderful Gamp | Dec 1984 | Mrs. Dinn |
Murder Deferred | May 1985 | Col. Fountain |
The Twelve Pound Look | May 1987 | Tombes |
The Browning Version | May 1988 | Dr. Frobisher |
Hiccups | Oct 1988 | Harold |
Too Long an Autumn The Rescue |
May 1990 | Sound Clive |
A Small Affair | Oct 1990 | Guy |
House Guest | Apr 1991 | Robert Drury |
The Boundary Easy Stages |
Nov 1991 | Bunyans Sound |
Ring Round the Moon | May 1992 | Messerschmann / Sound |
Half an Idea | Nov 1992 | Mr Charlton / Mr Stiles / Set construction |
Rave no more Low Comedy Woman |
Jul 1993 | Inspector Davies Harry Forty |
Habeas Corpus | Autumn 1993 | Arthur Wickstead |
Curses, Foiled Again! | Spring 1994 | Director / Henry / Jasper Rotten |
Cindy Ella Red Riding Hood |
Dec 1994 | Stage Manager Mother Hubbard |
Music Lovers The Saxon Wives of Ellandune |
May 1995 | Mr Purley / Production team Production team |
Beyond a Joke | Nov 1995 | Andrew |
Last Tango in Ockley Distracted Globe |
May 1996 | Bernard Gerry / Set |
From here to the Library The Walking Dead |
May 1997 | Mr Gostilow Director |
Caught on the hop | Nov 1997 | Director |
Aladdin | Jan 1998 | Widow Twankey |
The Witching Hour What's for Pudding? |
May 1998 | Director Jack |
After September | Nov 1998 | Director |
Dick Whittington | Dec 1999 | Sarah, the Cook |