Welcome to the official web site of the Cromer & Sheringham Operatic & Dramatic Society.
 
The beautiful venue for our May musical - Cromer Pier Pavilion |
We hope you will find it interesting and informative. There's details about our history, previous productions, forthcoming shows and how to contact us. We always warmly welcome new members who wish to take part in our shows, whether as singers, dancers, actors, or all three!
If, however, you don't want to be on stage, but would like to be involved, there are hundreds of jobs to be done behind the scenes. We often build and paint our own sets so if you're a budding carpenter, painter or just good with your hands, or if prefer helping with costumes or organising publicity, in fact, whatever your talent, we can make use of it!
A warm welcome and one hundred friends await you! Alternatively, to keep in touch with what we're up to, and to be among the first to know what's coming up, why not become a Vice-President? You'll receive priority booking for all our productions and our bi-monthly newsletter, "Just A Minim". So do get in touch.
BOOK NOW ON
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Calendar Girls (drama) Sheringham Little Theatre
Wednesday 17th - Saturday Sat 20th October 2012
7.30pm (with matinee performance Sat 20th Oct at 2.30pm)
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LATEST NEWS We apologise that for technical reasons our photo gallery is currently unavailable. COMING NEXT Me & My Girl It’s England, 1937, and Hareford Hall needs an heir. Enter Bill Snibson – a barrow boy, a heartbreaker, a rogue – the long lost son of the late Earl of Hareford! It still holds the record as the most performed musical comedy in the history of West End theatre. In 1985 it won the Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical and Best Performer in a Musical (Robert Lindsay). In 1993 the amateur license was released to Samuel French where it became the most performed amateur musical ever with over 100 productions in one year. The last few weeks of rehearsal are in full swing under the direction of Robin Taylor, MD Posy Walton and Choreographer Carol Beatty. We've even had a good luck message from local boy, Stephen Fry, who rewrote the words for the modern stage production. All the cast are working hard to ensure we have a fabulous feelgood show which will provide a fabulous start to HM the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It's a show not to be missed so do book now on 01263 512495 or at www.cromer-pier.com *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** We are delighted that Roots, our October 2011 production has been nominated for Best Play in the East Region of NODA (National Operatic & Dramatic Association). Louise Waller has been been awarded the NODA Youth Award for her portrayal of Beattie in the same production. The Society has also won the Best Souvenir Programme Award for Half A Sixpence. These follow our success in 2011 when our February 2010 production of When We Are Married won the Best Play by NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) for East Region District 5. Congratulations to all those involved. Our Recent Productions Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Murder Mystery (22nd - 25th February 2012) The curtain has just fallen on our most recent production at the Sheringham Little Theatre and much fun was had by the cast and audiences alike. The Farndale ladies returned to the Little Theatre to present their "stab" at a murder mystery and we think the following press review says it all. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a terrific side-splittingly production and particularly to Director Chrissie Robertson. Show photos can now be viewed on the gallery page.
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Roots by Arnold Wesker (19th - 22nd October 2011) Written and set in rural Norfolk in 1956, and Norfolk accents to the fore, it tells the story of Beatie Bryant. the daughter of Norfolk farm labourers, who returns for a short holiday from London, where she has fallen in love with a young Jewish, working class boy, Ronnie Kahn. He is due to join her to meet the family. During the days of waiting, she regales her family with stories about Ronnie and his (to them) bewildering alien East London family. Her spirit is effervescent and sunny, but her words are not hers, they're Ronnie's.
Here's what the Press said................ Richard Batson - Eastern Daily Press - 20th October 2011 A rustic Norfolk family’s simple, frugal lifestyle is challenged by one of their own whose blinkers have been taken off by her intellectual London boyfriend in this classic “kitchen sink drama.”
It is a powerful play of words, characters and morals by writer Arnold Wesker, drawing on his own experiences in the county in the 1950s. And - even with the benefit of authentic local accents to deliver the dialect dialogue - it is a brave choice by the Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society for their autumn offering. There is little action to distract from the script, bar some baking, washing up, meals and sweeping are the house. So this rural Royle Family is all about the conversation, confrontations and observations of everyday life.
The central role of Beatie, returning home with her head filled with ideas from boyfriend Ronnie, is played stunningly well by 17-year-old Paston College drama student Louise Waller.
She confidently captures her blend of bucolic simplicity and big city spark igniting a desire to break free from the chains of her roots, and to live life rather than just exist. This is a talent to watch out for on a bigger stage in years to come.
Pick of the strong supporting cast is Mary Cubitt as her mother - a stubborn matriarch who eschews the “squit” of classical music, literature and current affairs, in favour of village gossip, domestic chores and simply surviving on the meagre wages of her farmland husband.
The others all add believable relatives and cameos, which, combined with Simon Thompson’s direction, make this a stage soap which seamlessly mixes social commentary with shafts of comedy. A rustic Norfolk family’s simple, frugal lifestyle is challenged by one of their own whose blinkers have been taken off by her intellectual London boyfriend in this classic “kitchen sink drama.”
It is a powerful play of words, characters and morals by writer Arnold Wesker, drawing on his own experiences in the county in the 1950s. And - even with the benefit of authentic local accents to deliver the dialect dialogue - it is a brave choice by the Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society for their autumn offering. There is little action to distract from the script, bar some baking, washing up, meals and sweeping are the house. So this rural Royle Family is all about the conversation, confrontations and observations of everyday life.
The central role of Beatie, returning home with her head filled with ideas from boyfriend Ronnie, is played stunningly well by 17-year-old Paston College drama student Louise Waller.
She confidently captures her blend of bucolic simplicity and big city spark igniting a desire to break free from the chains of her roots, and to live life rather than just exist. This is a talent to watch out for on a bigger stage in years to come.
Pick of the strong supporting cast is Mary Cubitt as her mother - a stubborn matriarch who eschews the “squit” of classical music, literature and current affairs, in favour of village gossip, domestic chores and simply surviving on the meagre wages of her farmland husband.
The others all add believable relatives and cameos, which, combined with Simon Thompson’s direction, make this a stage soap which seamlessly mixes social commentary with shafts of comedy. Half A Sixpence (May/June 2011 Set in the early 1900s in Folkestone, Kipps and Ann were childhood friends. When they were parted as children, Kipps cut a sixpence in half and told Ann to look at it whenever she missed him. Years later, Kipps is working as an apprentice in a drapers shop in Folkestone. Ann arrives in the town, looking for him. They meet and re-kindle their childhood friendship. Then everything changes. Kipps meets Chitterlow; an eccentric actor/playwright and finds out that he has inherited a fortune. He leaves the shop and is drawn into high society. He meets and falls in love with Helen Walsingham. They get engaged but Ann finds out before Kipps has a chance to tell her. She tells him that she never wants to see him again and is furious and upset at how he has treated her. But Kipps isn't happy in high society and with the changes it forces upon him. After a showdown with Helen's tyrannical mother, Mrs Walsingham, he calls off the engagement with Helen, realising it is Ann he loves, and he begs Ann to take him back. She does and they marry and start a new life with Kipps' fortune. But all is not well. Ann just wants a simple life without all the trappings that Kipps' money has brought with it. The money just causes rows between them. It looks as though their marriage wont survive until Kipps learns that his financial adviser, Helen's brother, has speculated all his money away and there is nothing left. Kipps and Ann are reconciled, realising that all that matters is that they have each other. In a surprising twist, Kipps comes into money again, but this time he realises that love is more important and has been all along. Based on the novel "Kipps" by H.G.Wells, it features great songs such as If The Rain's Got To Fall, Long Ago, Flash Bang Wallop, Economy, She's Too Far Above Me, this favourite English musical has been revised and includes new nine new songs. Director: Chrissie Robertson Musical Director: David McKee Choreographer: Carole Beatty. Pictures from the show can now be viewed in our photo gallery.
Richard Batson - Eastern Daily Press - Monday 30th May 2011
This year, our chosen charity was North Norfolk Radio's Families First. On our gala opening night, we were delighted to donate £500 to this worthy cause and a cheque was presented to NNR's Graham Lewis. This sum has been boosted by a further £1288 by the the generous donations of our audiences at the end of each performance. Thank you to all who gave so generously.For details of the charity, go to www.northnorfolkradio.com/charity _____________________________________________________________________________
Nunsense (February 2011) Thank you to all those who came along to support our production of Nunsense and what a terrific run we had at Sheringham Little Theatre. Whilst our houses were a little bit disappointing overall, word obviously got around, helped by a good review in the local press and the production played to very acceptable houses and was a great success. It was evident that no one knew quite what to expect but it took no time at all for all those who came along to support the five sisters in their fundraising endeavours, to sit back and enjoy the humour and talent of the nun! Congratulations to our five Little sisters of Hoboken who had worked so hard to learn so many musical numbers and so many words, and to our musical director, Adrian Connell, and director and choreographer Nona Gray for all their hard work. _______________________________________________________________________________ Animal Farm (October 2010) Congratulations to all those involved in a terrific production, and especially to our Director, Martin Rodwell. Houses weren't as good as we've been used to in recent years at the Little Theatre - perhaps some had memories of studying Animal Farm during their schooldays and felt it wasn't their cup of tea. What a shame as all those who did come along to see this production, clearly enjoyed it judging by the terrific appluase received at the end of every performance. It was a production of which the Society can be proud, and once again demonstrated it's versatility. From George Orwell to Singin Nuns! Photos of Animal Farm can be viewed on our gallery. _______________________________________________________________________________ Singin' In The Rain (May/June 2010) We had a terrific week playing to appreciative audiences, and the feedback we've received has been fantastic . This production was in the capable hands of the same team who masterminded our very successful My Fair Lady last year. (Director Chrissie Robertson, Musical Director, Geoff Davidson and Choreographer, Carole Beatty). Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, starring of course Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor, the show includes such classics as Make 'Em Laugh, You AreMy Lucky Star, Good Morning and of course the title number made famous by Gene Kelly and more recently Morecambe and Wise! And we really were "singin' in the rain" as the Cromer stage featured the famous rain sequence. The choice of show proved to be a popular one with our audiences and having never performed it before, 2010 is shaping up to be another exciting and hopefully successful year. This is what the paper said: (Eastern Daily Press 31st May 2010) Outside bank holiday trippers were dodging the showers. Inside this talented am-dram group were singing and dancing in the rain. This ambitious show included the famous Gene Kelly scene with the star splashing around in a downpour and puddles thanks to a piece of plumbing costing thousands of pounds for a brief but signature moment. But the stunning part about this production by the Cromer and Sheringham Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society is how a cast of amateurs of differing abilities, ages and sizes have been glued together into a spectacular, slick and entertaining show. There are stars on the stage, headed by the sweet-voiced and fleet-of-foot Katie Woodhouse playing Kathy Seldon the small time jobbing actress who provides the voice for silent movie siren Lina Lamont when the advent of the talkies exposes her fingernails-down-the-blackboard vocal cords. Sinead Merron is superb in that raucous role, and her What is Wrong with Me solo shows it is more than just a shallow cameo. Max Murphy impresses with his all round vocals, acting and dancing as the cool leading man Don Lockwood. Lee Chapman is a perfect knockabout foil Cosmo Brown, bringing down the house, and nearly his trousers. Richard Batson Our chosen charity for our Gala opening night was the Norwich based Nelson's Journey. The charity supports children and young people under the age of 18 who live in Norfolk, who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life Eg: parent or sibling. We were delighted to donate £500 to them on our opening night and this is being generously boosted by our audiences by way of a bucket collection at each of our performances. That raised a further £1500. So a huge thank you to all those who gave so generously. ________________________________________________________________________________
When We Are Married (February 2010) Our production in February, 2010, J.B. Priestley's When We Are Married, was a terrific success and proved to be a very popular choice with our audiences which meant we enjoyed good houses and a great reception at all our performances. We always knew how beautifully written it was and how funny but after many weeks of rehearsal, the laughs do tend to run a bit dry, so what a tonic on our opening night to hear such laughter from our first audience. This was repeated each and every night (and matinee particularly!). A huge thank you to our director, June Cooper, all the cast and crew and all those who came along and supported this production. Photos can be seen on our gallery page. Here's what the paper said......
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My Fair Lady (May 2009) What a fantastic week we had with My Fair Lady at the Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre. Blessed with enthusiastic and appreciative audiences, it proved to be a hugely successful week. Our opening gala night culminated in a £500 donation to Big C, our chosen charity for this year's show, which was generously boosted by donations from our first night audience as they left the theatre and a further collection at our final performance swelled the Big C coffers further, resulting in a final total of £1046. A very positive response was received from our audiences throughout the week with fantastic feedback from those who saw the show. Director Chrissie Robertson can feel justly proud of what was achieved, and Choreographer Carole Weeds is to be congratulated for her fantastic choreography. Not forgetting our fabulous orchestra led by MD Geoff Davidson. Behind the scenes, our small but vital band of scenery makers and painters did us proud with a fabulous set and a huge thank you to them, as without their talent and time, we wouldn't have a show. Then of course there's the lighting, costumes, programmes etc etc. It's a real team effort! Here's what the papers said..........
So plenty to keep us busy and to look forward to. We hope that our choices will prove popular with our audiences. They certainly provide a great deal of variety and hopefully continue to showcase the range and breadth of dramatic talent that North Norfolk has to offer. Be sure to bookmark this page in your "Favourites" to keep up to date with all that the Society is up to. And thank you for your interest and support. |
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CROMER CARNIVAL 2011 CROMER CARNIVAL 2011 Members promoting Me & My Girl at Cromer Carnival, bringing a burst of colour to the procession, and proving we are very much part of local North Norfolk life. |
Website Editor: Andrew Payne