Next at the Good Companions ... Hansel & Gretel A family pantomime December 12th, 13th, 14th & 15th Box Office: 07931 237206 If you would like to be involved contact Sylvia Daker for further details: 020 8959 2194 The Good Companions have a very extensive wardrobe and props collection and are very pleased to offer items for hire. Further information Tel: 020 7704 0299 www.thegoodcompanions.org.uk Tea and coffee is available for a small donation. The wine bar is open 30 minutes before the performance and for 20 minutes throughout the interval. A Letter From The Captain Backstage Dear Friends, I consider myself to be very lucky to have been Captain of the GC’s a number of times but it really is an immense Production Manager - Dawn Oliver privilege to be holding that position as we celebrate our Stage Manager - Marek Wedler 80th Anniversary. I joined the group at the tender age of fifteen and have been a member ever since! It is a place Set & Construction - Iain Savage, Daniel where, like others, I have met many wonderful people, some of whom have become my closest friends - it is my extended family. Pocklington, Joyce As with all Amateur Dramatic Societies we have had our ups and downs. Digweed, Mick Toon & Many of you will recall our desperation when some of our money was members of the cast stolen, of course we all share in the great sadness of losing close friends, who have meant so much and I especially recall the tears streaming down Lighting - Marko Saha my face as I stood on the corner of Church Close and watched our home burn down to the ground. Most of all however, the GC’s has provided us Sound - Richard Kearns & Khalil with some incredible memories of fabulous dramatic achievements. The fun Khan of pantomimes and award productions for festival plays both as a group and personally, how we worked our way from the bottom to the top of Wardrobe - Yvonne Miltiadou, Gina festivals in Mill Hill and Barnet and swept the boards on more than one Connolly & Sylvia Daker occasion, and how could we forget the thrill and excitement of a special performance at Central Hall Westminster of West Side Story an amazing Furniture - Abbey Theatre production we did with the support of The Mill Hill Council of Churches. Properties - Sharon Maynard-Seath, A big part of our life has of course been our strong ties with John Keble and Erica Vickers & Marion how we have worked together and gained strength from each other and all as a result of a small group of church people getting together in 1933 and, Oakley thank goodness, changing our name from the ‘Under Thirty Dramatic Society’ to ‘ The Good Companions’. Within the life of the society many Make-up - Gina Connolly people have enjoyed themselves and have helped form the community that now exists and it is hoped that GC’s will continue to be confident that what Hair - Deni Kaufman they do is well worth the effort. For being ‘a Good Companion a really Good Companion’ means that ‘you’ll have Good Companions too! Script Assistance - Colin Brodie Box Office & Publicity - Raquel Vieira With every good wish, Sylvia Front of House Manager - Sylvia Daker Cast List The Directors Note This is the Fourth time that I have directed for the GC’s. I am extremely Lester Cole - Daniel Maya honoured and privileged to have been asked to direct a production for this very special occasion. This production is the culmination of our celebrations Mrs Roper - Catherine Waters to mark the 80th Anniversary of this wonderful society. Lisa Koletzky - Vicky Brodie-Smith I first joined the group when I was seventeen years old and I then left after a short while before rejoining in 2005. Since rejoining I have been on the Professor Karl Hendryk - Nigel Tompkins Committee twice, been in several productions as an actor in addition to directing three previous plays. Dr Stoner - Steve Angus Verdict is one of Agatha Christie’s lesser known pieces of work. For this Anya Hendryk - Shana Conn reason it has been a challenge to direct as I don’t have any preconceived ideas based on productions or films of this play that I have seen previously. Helen Rollander - Jean O’Leary Christie was famous for Novel writing and in fact Verdict is the only play that she ever wrote. Verdict differs from all the usual Christie who dunnits Sir William Rollander - Philip Eastburn and detective dramas you shall have to sit back and relax and enjoy the show to fully understand what I mean by this. Detective Inspector Ogden - Richard Kearns May I take this opportunity to wish the society a very happy 80th Police Sergeant Pearce - Dexter Hanoomansingh Anniversary and let’s hope we are all still here in twenty years to celebrate our 100th Anniversary. Please remember to switch off those mobile phones Directed by - Jason Kosky sit back and let us entertain you the only way we know how. Assisted by - Dawn Oliver Jason Kosky Scenes Act 1 Scene 1 An afternoon in early spring. Scene 2 A fortnight later. Afternoon. Act 2 Scene 1 Four days later. About midday. Scene 2 Six hours later. Evening. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd Scene 3 Two months later. Late afternoon. Nigel Tompkins – Professor Karl Hendryk Philip Eastburn – Sir William Rollander This is Nigel's first play with Good Companions, and he has thoroughly enjoyed Philip has been treading the boards for more years now than he cares to working with this very welcoming society. He is honoured to have been asked remember. He started his acting career in 1959 as a lowly Detective to appear in this 80th Anniversary production. This is his second Agatha Constable in Agatha Christie’s The Hollow and has played various roles in many Christie play, having previously appeared in Witness for the Prosecution for of her plays since. He very much enjoyed a previous appearance for GCs as Radlett Players. Other productions with Radlett Players include Blithe Spirit, Mr. Gilmore, the solicitor in The Woman in White but his favourite role, perhaps Outside Edge, Lend Me a Tenor and, most recently, Round and Round the for understandable reasons, was as René Artois, the café proprietor in ‘Allo Garden by Alan Ayckbourn. Nigel has also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe ‘Allo, which he performed for Radlett Players. As well as acting he likes to get on two occasions. involved in all parts of AmDram, including set design and construction, Stage Manager and also has considerable experience in Lighting Design. Shana Conn – Anya Hendryk Jean O’Leary – Helen Rollander Shana aspired to be an actress from a very young age and attended The North Jean has been involved in drama for over 16 years and a member of the GC’S London Academy of Education and Arts as a teenager. Shana has recently for 13 years, assisting mainly behind the scenes but also appearing onstage in been in a production of Cinderella, which was performed by the teaching staff a few productions, possibly the most memorable as the back end of the where she works. Shana joined the Good Companions in 2012 and performed pantomime horse in ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’’! Family commitments meant in their Christmas Old Time Music Hall show. She said “Everyone at GC’s has that she has not been able to attend regularly over the last few years, instead been so welcoming and being back on stage felt just like going home!" Shana concentrating on her work based drama group appearing in two productions a has thoroughly enjoyed rehearsing and working alongside her fellow actors for year. Jean recently appeared as Lydia in ‘All my Sons’, the GC’s entry for this The Verdict and is looking forward to many more years and future productions year’s Barnet and District drama festival and is very pleased to be appearing in with the GC’s. ‘The Verdict’ and to be part of the GC’s 80th anniversary celebrations. Vicky Brodie-Smith – Lisa Koletzky Catherine Waters – Mrs Roper Vicky’s first experience of ‘treading the boards’ was at the tender age of 12, Catherine has been a member of the GC's for a few years now, her first when she played one of the ‘babes’ in the pantomime, Babes in the Wood. She appearance on stage being that of Headmistress in Jimmie Chinn's After has been a committed and loyal member of the Good Companions ever since September, and most recently as part of the cast performing Arthur Miller's All and has gone on to star in many pantomimes and musicals over the last 30 My Sons. She says that Kate will remain as one of her all time favourite roles. years. She has also ventured into more serious roles such as Under Milk Catherine regularly performs with another local group, The Chameleons, and Wood, Brush with a Body and more recently, Humble Boy, and All My Sons. enjoys being on stage so much, that just last weekend she was performing in Vicky is thrilled to have been chosen to appear in this next Agatha Christie their version of Will Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing!!. production of Verdict and is very much looking forward to making the most of this challenging role. Steve Angus – Dr Stoner Richard Kearns – Inspector Ogden Steve has been disgracing himself on the stage for more years than he cares to Richard joined GCs in 1998 with no intention of acting and has acted in 38 remember.