Past productions

Our last productions

Macbeth

Thursday 15, Friday 16 and Saturday 17 November, Thursday 22, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 November 2007

Our big jubilee production. Much time and effort went into the setting of this production - from sourcing authentic costume, to the Shakespearian style of performing the play in 'the round'.

See the Newbury Weekly News review here.

The Man from Toronto

Saturday 8th September 2007  
On the evening of Saturday, September 8th, we gave a performance of this play in the form of a 'rehearsed reading'. A rehearsed reading meant, in this case, that although the actors were in costume and moved about the stage in the usual way, the set was minimal and the actors carried the scripts in their hands. The play was the first one ever performed by the Compton Players after their formation in 1947 and the performance was a part of our Diamond Jubilee celebrations.  A full review is in the September Newsletter. Click here to read it.

Shakers Re-stirred

Wednesday 9th to Saturday 12th May 2007
Shakers Cocktail Bar is THE place to be! After work, before a club, to meet the blokes, to pick up the girls, to drink to celebrate or drown your sorrows, for birthdays and parties and romance and sin, this is the place to be seen.

And in Shakers the four young waitresses reveal the lives of its staff and customers and offer an insight into their hopes, dreams and disappointments. This revised version by John Godber and Jane Thornton builds on the success of Godber's earlier Bouncers to create a richly absorbing yet tellingly revealing modern comedy.

See the Newbury Weekly News review here.

Nobody's Perfect

Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th November 2006
By Simon Williams. Unsuccessful novelist Leonard resorts to a female pseudonym and quickly finds success. But the only way it can continue is if he takes on the identity of his creation Myrtle Banbury in this fast and funny comedy.  The review from the Newbury Weekly News, by Trevor Dobson, is here.

Thanks again to Dave Hawkins for the cartoon.

Here are some rehearsal photos. The cast were H, Mary, Nick and Naomi, with Eric directing. Click on the pictures to see them bigger.

The Entertainer

Thursday 11th to Saturday 13th May 2006
By John Osborne. This groundbreaking piece is set in 1957 and charts the lives of a failing music hall comedian Archie Rice, and his family, against a background of the Suez crisis where a member of the Rice family is serving. Laurence Olivier immortalised the title character on stage and at cinemas back in the 50’s. You can see photos and order prints here. The review from the Newbury Weekly News, by Trevor Dobson, is here.

Cast

Dad's Army

10th to 12th and 16th to 18th November 2005
The classic BBC TV comedy series of the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea, who battle daily against the Germans and local ARP Warden Hodges, comes to the stage. All the well-loved characters are here including: 'Stupid boy' Pike, 'Don't panic, don't panic' Jonesey, 'Doomed, we're all doomed!' Fraser, 'May I be excused, sir?' Godfrey, and all under the command of the redoubtable Captain Mainwaring and his effacing deputy Sergeant Wilson. You can see the photos here and order prints online. The review from the Newbury Weekly News, by Gerry Thurgut, is here.

Here's Dave's cartoon -

Our recent festival entries

2006
Don't Let Go Dad by H Connolly at the Wallingford Festival on Thursday 15th June 2006
Christopher Harrison's daughter has been knocked off her push-bike by a hit-and-run driver and is lying in a hospital bed. We now see how the Harrison family cope with this situation and how a disaster from years earlier has moulded and shaped all their lives. You can get the DVD here.

2004
Rock Bottom by H Connolly at the Wallingford Festival on 14th June 2004. You can get the DVD here.

2003
We took Bill and Bob by H Connolly to the Kenton Drama Festival on 17th May, the Wallingford Festival on 16th June (where we won the Punters' Prize), and to the Shinfield Festival on 17th July (where we won the Class I award and Tracey Pearce won the Best Actress award).

2002
Green Favours by Frank Vickery at the Wallingford Festival 0n 17th June 2002.

The full list

Some of these productions have reviews - if the title is a link, clicking on it brings up the review.
* = 1-act play, P = première.

Year Production 2007 The Man from Toronto (September) Shakers (May) 2006 The Entertainer (May) Don't Let Go Dad (Wallingford) * P 2005 Dad's Army (November) 2004 The Eighth Dwarf (February) P picture gallery Rock Bottom (Wallingford) * P Don't Dress for Dinner (November) 2003 Bill and Bob (April) * P picture gallery Green Favours (April) * picture gallery Pyramus and Thisbe (April) * picture gallery 2002 'Allo 'Allo (April) picture gallery - cartoon Green Favours (Wallingford) * Under Milk Wood (November) picture gallery - cartoon 2001 It Could Be Any One of Us (April) picture gallery Katherine Howard (November) picture gallery - cartoon 2000 Klondike Calamity (April) Dead Funny (November) 1999 Halfway up the M3 on the way to Basingstoke * The Golf Umbrella 1998 Trap for a Lonely Man A Man for All Seasons 1997 The Foreigner Close to Croydon * Bluey is the Colour * P The Crimson Cocoanut * 1996 Forgive us our Trespasses * P The House on the Bridge 1995 Natural Causes One Careful Owner * P Pack of Lies The Return of Prince Bumpo P 1994 The Nerd Happy Acres P 1993 Agnes of God Overtime * P Panic Stations 1992 The Further Adventures of the Sorcerer's Apprentice P Beyond Reasonable Doubt Daddy's Gone A-Hunting * P Snakes and Ladders P 1991 Blithe Spirit Murdering at the Vicarage * P I'll be Back before Midnight 1990 The Last Dragon P Murder in Mind The Mask * A Cut in the Rates * Travel Sick * P 1989 Twelfth Man P A Gown for his Mistress 1988 Dick Whittington P The Edge of Darkness Table Manners 1987 A Ghost on Tiptoe Abigail's Party 1986 Post Horn Gallop Cat's Cradle 1985 Outside Edge Pink String and Sealing Wax 1984 See How They Run Wanted One Body 1983 The Ghost Train Ten Little Niggers

Year Production 1982 Hobson's Choice The Sinking of Joseph Dymond P 1981 The Anniversary Arsenic and Old Lace 1980 Dry Rot Night Must Fall 1979 Living Together Mystery at Blackwater 1978 How the Other Half Loves The House on the Cliff 1977 A Shred of Evidence Thérèse 1976 Gaslight Children's Day 1975 Flowers of Sulphur P Relatively Speaking 1974 The Joy Ride Dazzling Prospect 1973 Ladies in Retirement Sleeping Partnership 1972 The Busybody The Twinkling of an Eye 1971 Bell, Book and Candle The Man Born to be King Look Out for the Catch 1970 The Rape of the Belt Battle of a Simple Man 1969 The Gazebo 1968 The Lady' s not for Burning 1967 The Amorous Prawn Arsenic and Old Lace 1966 When the Bough Breaks * The Monkey's Paw 1964 Private Lives The Tempest 1963 His Excellency Blithe Spirit 1962 The Hollow A Midsummer Night's Dream 1961 A Lady Mislaid 1960 Grand National Night 1959 What Shall We Tell Caroline 1958 White Sheep of the Family The Late Christopher Bean 1957 Twelfth Night Flare Path 1956 Grand National Night 1954 Third Time Lucky 1952 The Sport of Kings 1951 Quiet Weekend 1950 Suspect 1949 At Mrs Beam's The Man in the Bowler Hat * Husbands are a Problem * 1948 Mystery at Greenfingers 1947 Snob Court Hotel The Man from Toronto