Pied Piper - Tickets on Sale 9am 4th November 2024

Newsletter July 2024

Welcome to our July 2024 on line Newsletter

Spotlight Express 28th & 29th June

Produced by Steve Burton – and directed by Jackie Bingham

Performances were very well received.

Here is our review

Spotlight Express Review

AGM – 4th September

This will be held at the Lecture Hall at 7.30pm.

There will be proposals tabled to formalise membership arrangements. Further information will be sent out in advance. Please can we encourage all members to attend?

Panto 2025

Our next pantomime in January 2025 will be The Pied Piper.

Produced and written by Steve Burton and directed by Jackie Bingham. Get ready for jokes about huge suspicious-looking sausages and plenty of rodents!

Audition dates (Lecture Hall 7.30pm)

9th September – First reading
12th September – Audition
16th September – Audition
23rd September – Cast reading

Chet Valley Summer Fair 6th July

Unfortunately the weather intervened and the event was cancelled on the day! As we write this, no new date has been announced.

Latest PANTOMIME

Treasure Island Panto 24

Written and produced by Steve Burton, directed by Jackie Bingham, with musical direction from Alan Cant and choreography for Funky Feet dancers by Miss Vicky Codling.

Here are a few more images:

More details including reviews and lots of photos from the production

Script Writer

Steve Burton is our current script writer – a role he has undertaken now for many years.

We are very fortunate to have Steve. He writes for a number of amateur dramatics groups – who pay for his scripts.

In keeping with all of our members, he gives his time and output to us free of charge.

Steve is also Producer of our shows and a leading committee member.

The decision to pick a particular show comes out of a discussion at commitee. The commitee may suggest a particular production – for example Mother Goose, and Steve will either already have a script available to “Loddonise” or will undertake to write one. He will also give us details of scripts he has already written that may be suitable – this was the case with our last pantomime – Treasure Island.

The decision to pick The Pied Piper came out of that discussion. He outlined a script he was writing and it was the kind of production the committee wanted to see, so we commissioned him to finish draft script.

Once the draft script is complete, it is then shared with Jackie Bingham, the Director first, followed by the Vicky Codling – who will choreograph Funky Feet dancers and with Alan Cant, our musical director.

The final script is then ready for the first reading in September, followed by auditions and casting.

Current Show

Spotlight Express - 28 & 29 June 2024

Building on the success of last years Variety Show, we returned to variety again this year. Compered again by Maureen Larkin and Anthony Bunting. (Jackie Bingham stepped in on 29th).

Spotlight Express was in two Acts.

Act One  – an hilarious play called “The Last Bread Pudding”. Written by Nick Warburton

The committee of an amateur dramatic group are meeting to discuss a new play written by one of its members. What could possibly go wrong?

Act Two was a variety show  packed full of music, dance and comedic skits, some familiar, some new ones.

The show was extremely well received by the packed audiences.

We were also able to make a collection for hospice care on the nights amounting to £68. We will be donating that plus more to Priscilla Bacon Lodge.

Spotlight Express Review

Local Theatre

Theatre Royal

The Maddermarket Theatre

Whats on now and coming up

including

A Chorus Line 27th – 31st August – Tickets here

Lowestoft

Seagull Theatre 

What’s on

Marina Theatre

What’s on

Players Theatre

What’s on

Wisbech - The Secret Garden

NODA

The National Scene

Loddon Players have been members of NODA for many years. We get support for many issues including legal and welfare matters.

NODA nationally run events such as summer schools and training workshops.

Click here for their 2024 programmme

NODA in the EAST

NODA has a regional structure and we fall into that area in NODA East Region 6.

Our representatives normally visit us to watch and report on our performances – here is their report for Mother Goose which has just won their Best Panto Award 2023!

Their latest review is of Treasure Island 2024

Maureen's Moments

Previous productions & players

Our oldest and most celebrated active member – Maureen Larkin briefly looks back at her last pantomime as side kick to Derek Loyd

Mother Goose 1995

Derek appeared as an Ugly Sister in our first Pantomime in 1976. My first role was in the next one as a maid in Dick Whittington.

From that moment Derek and I forged a comedic stage partnership for the next 18 years. He was a brilliant ad-libber and we just had enormous fun together on stage. It was the perfect chemistry.

The 1995 Panto was when Derek retired from the role of Dame.

I remember thanking him for all he had taught me whilst being his sidekick, and he said “I haven’t taught you anything …it comes from your heart” I then said “but what will we do without you?” His reply was “There’s a young man, born here, knows so many of the locals, and he will make an ideal Dame. He’ll be a different Dame to me, but he will be good and you’ll work very well together – Anthony (Bunting) and you!”

Of course, Anth certainly has made the role his own, and he has been great to work with. In

Here is our archive page for 

Mother Goose 1995

Latest News

Recent activities of our dancers and performers

Events

How to join
Classes – Timetable

Announcements

Here is our summer school programme.

We are delighted to announce that we have won through to the finale of Beccles Got Talent!

Social Diary

Upcoming Events

Over the coming months our Social Secretary Sam Bailey will be organising various events. Most will be open to members and their accompanying partners and some will be open for younger family members as well. (see note below).

We will be holding regular monthly social meets ups around the area.

All current members will receive an email each month with a link to the newsletter. It will also be available to read on our website.

Sam has organised a mini karaoke night at the Hollies on Friday 2nd August from 7.30pm. Bring a bottle/bottles and those who want to eat, she will organise pizza etc.

(Note – if you have received this via an email link, you are on our membership list and are entitled to attend these events).