A new-look summer season mixing farce, mystery, musical and a brand new comedy with a coastal setting is being unveiled by Sheringham Little Theatre.
This year marks the 66th season of the venue hosting traditional summer “repertory” drama, where a small team of professional actors play a variety of roles in a mix of plays.
It opens with a comedy Lend Me a Tenor on July 29, before launching into a summer musical in The Little Shop of Horrors.
Then the mood switches to a thriller as Night Must Fall takes the stage, before the season bows out with a premiere of On The Edge one of the winners of the theatre’s first ever playwriting competition launched by president Suranne Jones.
Director Debbie Thompson said: “We are really keen to keep up our tradition of weekly ‘rep’ in its true sense with six actors appearing in all the shows.
“It’s an ambitious schedule that will see them performing a musical on the same day as they are rehearsing a farce, before switching to a thriller.”
The Little Theatre is proud to be one of the few remaining acts venues hosting ‘rep’ which is recognised in the industry as one of the best training grounds for actors because they have to portray multiple characters in a few weeks.
Many well-known actors including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Brenda Blethyn, and Keira Knightly have praised it for giving them the grounding to launch their stellar careers. Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones who visited the Little Theatre last year combined summer shows at the venue with work at the Royal Shakespeare Company on her way up the acting ladder.
In the 25th season of Sheringham running its own rep, rather than hosting visiting companies, Debbie said the venue was pleased to be going back to its roots while also adding new twists to suit modern audiences.
The shows are:
- Lend Me a Tenor – a classic farce about an opera singer who is replaced by an understudy (July 29 – Aug 1, Aug 12-15, 28-29)
- Little Shop of Horrors – a rock and roll comedy musical following the fortunes of a florist shop worker who raises a plant that feasts on human blood (Aug 5-6, 8, 10-11, 24-25)
- Night Must Fall – a psychological thriller set in the remote rural home of a grumpy old woman who is charmed by a suave young man who joins the household (Aug 19-21, 26-27)
- On The Edge – a comedy set in a storm in an erosion ravaged coastal village, penned by Robert White from Gresham (Sept 2-5).
Debbie said: “One the Edge had such a great a response when it was read at a public session by our president Suranne. Robert has written another act and we cannot wait to see it take to the stage for the first time.”
The summer mix at the theatre also includes an If It’s Laughter You’re After show by Norfolk entertainers Olly Day and Nigel “Boy” Syer on July 17, and a return, on August 16, of high energy “rockgrass” band Hayseed Dixie, who put a hillbilly slant on classic rock songs, following their sell-out gig at the venue last year.
For tickets and more information about these and other upcoming shows visit www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or call the box office on 01263 822347.
