Our Latest Production - Spotlight Express

Newsletter September 2024

Welcome to our September 2024 on line Newsletter

Our current Chair and production Director Jackie Bingham and her husband David – our Treasurer celebrated their Ruby Wedding anniversary at the end of August.

Loddon Players wish them both long life and happiness!

Later in this edition, Maureen Larkin reflects upon Jackie’s involvement with Loddon Players from 1998 to the current day.

See the section Maureen’s Moments

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 dirty rats!

The production is now fully cast (see this link).

The first rehearsal will be at Funky Feet Dance Studio Chedgrave on Monday 7th October at 7.30pm. Click on the link above when the full rehearsal schedule is published)

AGM – 4th September

This was held at the Lecture Hall at 7.30pm.

There was an excellent turn out. All committee members continue in their roles as their terms of office continue at least until August 2025.

Proposals tabled to formalise membership arrangements were passed and the committee was tasked to action them.

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

Social events coming up include a karaoke night – see the Social Diary link for more details.

 

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

Producer

In addition to writing the scripts, Steve Burton is our resident Producer.

The Producer reporting to the Production Commitee has overall responsibility for the whole production – oversight of the creative direction, costs, scheduling, publicity, press liason etc.

The Producer will liase closely with the Director to ensure that the production is on course and going to be ready for the run.

Steve is hugely experienced in this role having been first a performer, then Stage Manager, Assistant Director and finally taking the role of Producer in 2008.

He also on occasions runs the sound and lighting desk.

At one stage the roles of Producer and Director were combined however Steve quite correctly has organised things so that he has final oversight of the production but ensures the Director, Musical Director and Choreographer are distinct roles in their own right.

He brings great diplomatic and organisational skills to the role.

Latest 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

Whats on now and coming up

including

Come from Away – 15th to 26th  October Tickets here

The Maddermarket Theatre

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.

NODA’s mission

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

Ruby Wedding Anniversary
Jackie & David Bingham!

Our Chair, Director Jackie and her Husband and our Treasurer David celebrated their Ruby Wedding Anniversary on 25th August 2024

Originally brought up in Pratts Bottom in the London Borough of Bromley and attending the same primary school, David and Jackie first became friends in the local amateur dramatic group. Their first panto together was Sinbad The Sailor, followed by roles in the powerful stage version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Here they are playing Angela and Tony in that searing suburban comedy/drama Abigail’s Party in 1982.

After marrying in 1984, they continued to perform togther in panto and drama. Here in Dick Whittington – in early 1990s.

Jackie and David moved to Loddon in 1998. She joined Loddon Players and her first role was as Toxaemia in Jack and The Bean Stalk in 1999.

After a short break when her children Josh and Ellie were very young, Jackie continued in panto and in summer play productions, eventually to become our resident Director for the majority of productions in recent years. Now as Chair, she has been joined as Treasurer by David who, in recent productions has returned to the stage.

Maureen says this about Jackie

“Jack of all trades..Master of None” is a well known phrase, but I want to pay tribute to our own “Jackie of all trades…Master of MANY”. ( should be Mistress of many ,but I didn’t want to give her a false reputation🤣)

Jackie  joined Loddon Players in 1998 and her first role in Panto was in Jack & the Beanstalk  in 1999, when she played the part of Toxaemia, the right-hand woman of the Giant, and she certainly scared many of the youngsters in the audience.

During the following years in Panto Jackie’s roles have been Soraya, Little John, Aladdin, Dick Whittington, Fairy Forget Me Not, a Panda, Velcro, Voice of the Mirror, a Soldier and a Chorus member. Her other roles have included Director, Additions to Script, Set Design &  Creation, Stage Manager, Stage Crew, Prompt and Make-up. At many of the Pantos she carried out all these roles at the same time. She also excelled in the many parts she played in our numerous plays.

Despite her many family commitments, Jackie has remained constant and committed to the Players. She has been our Treasurer, Vice-Chair ,Chair and Committee member and has hosted many of our committee meetings at her home. Plus she is always a voluntary presence on our stall at the many fundraising events in the town,and devotes lots of time sorting out and tidying the costumes stored on the balcony at Lecture Hall.

I regard Jackie as one of the most multi talented people to ever join the Loddon Players, and we are so lucky that she and David moved from Pratts Bottom and found us.

Finally I would add that I have admired Jackie from the very first moment that’s she joined the Players,and those words come from my heart.

I would like to record my personal congratulations to Jackie & David on celebrating their Ruby Wedding Anniversary on 25th August and the recent birth of their grandson Eric.”

Latest News

Recent activities of our dancers and performers

Events

How to join
Classes – Timetable

Announcements

Auditions for a dancing role in Loddon Players next Pantomime – Pied Piper were held on 14th September and the successful dancers have now been advised.

We are delighted to announce that earlier in August our dancers claimed first prize in 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.

Our social secretary Sam Bailey has organised at the Hollies Loddon a karaoke night for 5th October from 7.30pm

Bring your own drinks and snacks. Over 18s only unless accompanied by parent or guardian.

Please email Sam at [email protected] if you intend to come along.