Welcome to The Old Gaolers

The Old Gaolers Drama Group, based in Buckingham, is considered one of the best amateur theatre groups in south-east England and we have received numerous awards over the years for our productions. We present two plays a year and also participate in national one-act play competitions, organise concert parties, stage murder mystery evenings and support the Buckingham Community Pantomime among other town events.

Our social calendar includes parties, theatre trips, quizzes and regular after-rehearsal gatherings. Productions range from comedies and thrillers to challenging dramas, costume classics and full-scale musicals. We have also experimented with audio recordings and made several short films. Anyone over 14 can join (we rehearse in the evenings, twice a week) and can sometimes offer opportunities for younger performers.

JOIN IN THE FUN!

If you would like to come along for a social and hear how things are going, or you are a prospective new member who would like to come along and meet us, we currently retire for a post-rehearsal drink and chat on most Thursdays at the Mitre pub in Mitre Street, Buckingham, arriving there as soon after 9.30 pm as we can (though we're in the Woolpack in Well Street this week, 11 March. Hope to see you there!

Forthcoming Productions

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
At the moment we are busy preparing two entries in the 2010 All-England One-Act Play Festival: 'The Rehearsal' and 'Darlings, You Were Wonderful'. The plays are cast, but we would love to hear from anyone interested in being Stage Manager for 'The Rehearsal'. Contact Liz Loutfi or David Pickering if you can help. Terry is also preparing his cast for a Murder Mystery evening(s) and we have plans for a play-reading evening (with an eye on what we might do in October and in the future) and for an evening of comic prose and poetry on 20 May (start thinking about pieces you think might be fun to do). We are also looking at the possibility of a traditional Victorian Music Hall show for 16/17 July, but are in need of a musical director - do let us know if you know of someone... otherwise we'll try to find something else for around the same dates.

Dates for your diary:

7.45 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays (usually Room MB1 or MB2) - Rehearsals of The Rehearsal

From late March - Rehearsals of Darlings, You Were Wonderful

Friday 19 March/Saturday 20 March - Chris Chapman and other thespian friends in Winslow are putting on a Mad March Music Hall at the Public Hall in Winslow in arid of St Laurence Church. They would love to see some Old Gaolers there (and it might give us ideas about our own planned music hall to come). Tickets (available from Jennie Wren's Tea Rooms 01296 715499 or from Chris Chapman 01296 712139 ) are £7.50 and include a ploughman's supper. The show kicks off at 7 pm.

8.0 pm Tuesday 23 March (MB1) - Rehearsal of The Death of Orlando Chesney murder mystery

8.0 pm Thursday 25 March (MB2) - Rehearsal of The Death of Orlando Chesney murder mystery

7.0 pm Tuesday 30 March - Performance of The Death of Orlando Chesney murder mystery in Bicester

April/May - Play-reading evening (details to be confirmed). Please bring extracts of any plays you think might be suitable for us to perform in the future.

Wk beginning 26 April - The Rehearsal and Darlings, You Were Wonderful to be performed in All-England One Act Play Festival (following a dress rehearsal before an invited audience in Buckingham: all Old Gaolers welcome at this one)

15 May - Second round of the All-England One-Act Play Festival, should either play get through the first round

20 May - Evening of comic prose and poetry, Buckingham Library.

16/17 July - Victorian Music Hall (to be confirmed)

July/August - auditions for our October production

October - our next main production