Madhatters Theatre Club

December 2011

We put on a production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Way Upstream 2 to 4 December 2011 at Malorees Junior School (Review).

To prepare for this we ran open rehearsals and sing-along music at St Mungo’s. Staff and residents were inspired to come to our performances at Malorees.

We continue to meet at St Mungo’s on Wednesday evenings at 8 and residents often drop in to our rehearsals for a chat or to join in.

Kinnan & Asli - sound and light
for Way Upstream

Anneta, stage manager
for Way Upstream

August 2011 After three months working in the new St Mungo’s Pound Lane Centre, we put on an evening of music and comedy with residents and for residents, as well as visitors from outside. The show featured three short comedies and lots of sing-along blues and country and western. The three comedies started with a very funny play about the Battle of Trafalgar. We also performed a short Russian play, about a burglar who also goes in for blackmail, and a Victorian melodrama featuring murder, suicide, adultery and poisoning. Here too Victorian costumes added colour to the drama. St Mungo’s laid on refreshments and a kind Dollis Hill green grocer donated bananas and grapes to help the party go with a swing. The Madhatters Community Theatre Club moved in to St Mungo’s Pound Lane in June 2011 to work for residents and with residents. We are previewing scenes from our next production, Alan Ayckbourn’s Way Upstream, at St Mungo’s in November and planning a Christmas sing-along in December.	Everyone joined in singing well known songs such as ‘What shall we do with a drunken sailor?’ and ‘Bunch of thyme’	Lord Nelson tries to deal with modern health and safety rules. The play was dressed up with eye-patches and bell bottoms and of course included the famous line: ‘Kiss me, Hardy!’

July 2009 - Gladstone! 2009 is the 200^th anniversary of the birth of William Gladstone, four times Prime Minister of the UK, who spent many happy summers enjoying the rural peace of Gladstone Park, Dollis Hill. Michael Redston and Amy Bonsall (picture left) wrote us a play and Sian Thomas directed it. This was a very jolly romp with music and dancing, played out in different parts of the attractive pleasure garden of Gladstone Park. Actors from the local Madhatters Theatre Club played supporting roles to the professionals and our very own Martin Redston and Jess Abbo designed and painted the scenery. Review1 Review2

May 2009
Boom and bust - The Recession Revue

A celebration in drama and verse of the theme of boom and bust - the big topic of the moment.

May 2008
Treasure Island.
This was a completely up-dated and localised version of the classic children's novel, ably adapted by Michael Redston and Amy Bonsall - Amy also directed it, with the help of Sian Thomas. This was a very jolly romp played out in different parts of the attractive pleasure garden of Gladstone Park in Dollis Hill. Actors from the local Madhatters Theatre Club played supporting roles to the professionals, notably the incompetent pirates.
Review