In memoriam
We have just heard the very sad news that our Chair, Siobhán Hill-Elam, died on Saturday. We offer our deepest sympathy to her family and friends.
There will of course be an obituary in the June issue of Barn News.
Calendar Girls
Have you saved the dates?
So, dear reader, you’ve opened your email, seen that the May edition of Barn News has dropped into your inbox, and you’ve clicked on the link. You sit down, with a mug of tea, or perhaps a cup of coffee, maybe a biscuit, or two, and start reading about the current production that’s almost up and running in the theatre.
You stop and think about whether you’ve got a ticket: it’s a hot one so I’m hoping that you’ve been equally hot, and you have one safely stored away. If you haven’t, then there’s a good chance that they may all have gone: they’re selling that fast! Hopefully you might get lucky, and find the odd seat available for one of the performances.
The show in question is Calendar Girls and it will open in about two days’ time. It may even have already opened, depending on when you’re reading this. Much was said about the production in last month’s Barn News but it’s worth repeating that this will be a fabulous production. As director Hannah Sayer stated, “Calendar Girls is an inspiring story on so many levels… really funny and heart-breaking at the same time. Dramatic highs and lows but we’ll hopefully leave you feeling uplifted by the end”.
The astute among you will no doubt be saying “Opening on a Wednesday? That’s not true to form”. This is because there are going to be two special charity performances on 3rd and 4th May, raising money and awareness for Blood Cancer UK and the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust (Cancer, Early Diagnosis, Awareness, Research). It’s something of a tradition that productions of Calendar Girls have a charity night. However, the Barn is going one further and having two!
And speaking of calendars, and charity, there’s a rumour running around that there’s a ‘Backstage at the Barn’ calendar, in homage to the original WI alternative, and featuring some brave, and quite bare, souls from this theatre. The concept is to raise awareness of the different backstage roles that contribute towards mounting a show at the Barn, as well as honouring the idea set out by the ladies of the WI, and to raise some further monies. I’m also informed it was a lot of fun to produce! These may well start appearing during the run of Calendar Girls, so look out for them, and ensure you grab one. Who knows, they may be worth a few hundred pounds in years to come!
Another set of dates you’re hopefully aware of are when our final Studio production of the season will be performing. Ian Colpitts is directing Patrick Marber’s Closer and it will be running from 31st May until 3rd June. This is a play that’s been performed at the Barn before: it was directed by Sylvia Pepper, and played in the main house as part of the 2004 season. It’s a cracking play, one of this grey lady’s favourites, and will undoubtedly play very well in the intimate setting of the Studio. Ian has assembled a fabulous cast and crew, and rehearsals are progressing with aplomb. As with previous Studio productions,
This one will sell out quickly so you’re advised to get in early for your tickets.
May 2023
A letter from the Editor
Our latest production, Alys Always, played to very good audiences who were bowled over by the show. I heard some lovely positive audience comments on the night that I was House Manager. To top it off, the writer and playwright both attended the Saturday matinee and were full of praise. Well done to all involved! It really was superb and, in my view, follows a whole succession of high-quality dramas at the Barn. Our recent two-hander, Constellations, is testimony to this, picking up three awards at Hertford Theatre Week.
I personally think we’re blessed with a plethora of drama clubs and musical societies in our area. I won’t name them all for fear of missing one out but it appears that the local amateur drama scene is very much alive!
Up next, as you will have seen, is Calendar Girls in the main auditorium and Closer in the Studio. Looking slightly further ahead is Lou Wallace’s production of Being Jane Eyre. There have been a few problems with playing dates but that has now thankfully been resolved. Strangely we won’t be having performances on the normal last Friday and Saturday.
Also coming up on Sunday 14th May is something we all look forward to: the Directors Evening, when next season’s plays are announced and each director summarises their production. Hope to see you there.
Mike Smith
Editor
New Barn season on the horizon!
I hope you’re all excited about the Directors Evening on Sunday 14th May – that annual event where everyone comes together, not only for a fabulous social evening but to hear all about next season from the horses’, or directors’, mouths! If you’ve never been to one, make this year your first: I’ve got an exciting and varied new season to present, and you’ll be able to meet all the directors in the bar afterwards.
So where might next season’s plays take you? To a crashed plane on a desert island…to Dickensian London…to war-torn Russia…to provincial France…to high-society New York. And who might you meet? A couple of hungry orphans… a new monarch in the early days of his reign…a young boy sharing his relationship with food…a whole host of fairytale characters…and even a six-foot rabbit.
Intrigued? Everything will be made beautifully clear at the Directors Evening.
See you there!
Clive Weatherley
Artistic Director
Membership & Council
Minutes for the Council Meeting March 2023
Please find the minutes of the meeting of the Barn Theatre Council held on
14th March 2023.
Our membership news depends on information we get from YOU
New members
Welcome to the Barn!
India Palmer
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting, props
Lynsey Wallace
Membership level: Ordinary
Interests: Acting
Membership News
As no more responses have been received from the mailing of April’s Barn News, we put all those names who had participated in letting us know they had received their copy into a hat – over 100! – and the lucky winner is member Catherine Hutchinson. Well done Catherine: she collects two free tickets for a play in the remainder of the current season.
The exercise was essentially to check that our new distribution method is reaching all members as the previous system was not necessarily achieving this, so it’s quite possible that some of you won’t have been receiving Barn News previously – that’s now corrected.
Barn News gives you lots of information about the Club, including what’s coming up, reviews, audition notices and much more – we hope you enjoy it. We depend on our members to supply any relevant information pertaining to the Club, or just to send a letter letting us know how things may be improved, anything congratulatory or even a grumble if there’s a grumble to be expressed! Our ‘editor extraordinaire’ is Mike Smith and he’ll be very pleased to add any comment you may wish to raise as a member – his contact email is [email protected].
Nigel Rive
Membership Director
Membership subscriptions
It’s been some time that we’ve had an increase to our membership subscriptions. Along with the ticket price increases, Council have decided, as you’ll have already read, that with ever-rising costs (energy especially – we use a lot of that for a play!) we must also increase our annual subscriptions to the Club.
Youth and student will remain at £15, but ordinary (18+) will increase from £35 to £40; and senior (over 65) will increase from £25 to £30, all effective from July this year.
Nigel Rive
Membership Director
Ticket prices
In line with many places, we find ourselves in a position where we must review our ticket prices.
From September 2023, the standard price for main-stage tickets will increase to £15 and for Studio shows to £13 (with musicals being £18, due to the increased costs of staging a musical).
We have reviewed these prices against other local societies and are happy they are comparable.
Barn Theatre Club members will benefit from a special members’ price of £12 for the main-stage shows. We will extend the members’ offer to all performances, excluding the last night (musicals being £16).
I hope you will understand the reasons for the increase but are happy with the way we’re supporting Barn Theatre Club members by extending the members’ price to all but the last night performances.
Michael Merry
Barn 100
Would you like to be part of something big and very exciting?
I’m looking for a group of volunteers to work together, reviewing our existing facilities and looking at how we can expand and improve our facilities as the theatre approaches its 100th birthday.
This is a large-scale project that will require significant fundraising at some point.
The key focuses for this group are: to improve accessibility in our backstage areas; to look at how we can increase storage; and to create new flexible spaces.
This project requires people who can think big and look at the space in a new way. Most of the project will focus on the backstage, non-customer-facing areas. But nothing is off the table!
If you’d like to be involved, please come along to the first meeting in the bar on Sunday 28th May at 1pm. From there I will be looking to put together a sub-committee of members to take Barn100 forward and make it a reality.
For more information, contact me, Michael Merry – Facilities Director, on [email protected] or just turn up on Sunday 28th May at 1pm.
Michael Merry
Playing away
Will Smith and Matt Greenbank are appearing in Green Room’s production of Kinky Boots at the Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar from 2nd to 6th May.
Matt is one of Lola’s Angels so will be in drag for the whole show!
View from the back row - Treasure Island
This famous story by Robert Louis Stevenson has been adapted by Bryony Lavery for the National Theatre and most significantly offers a girl the opportunity to play Jim Hawkins: ‘Girls need adventures too’. To back up this statement some other roles as seafaring rogues were also played by the fairer sex, relishing their fascinating costumes and gravel-voiced exchanges.
Rosemary Bianchi’s set was a multi-level construction of decking, balconies, stairs and trapdoor which, with simple additions – a barrel here, a mainsail there and some tropical trees and a ship’s wheel – was ideal for the action. Props appeared almost out of nowhere, and the piratical atmosphere was firmly established by the frequent, though perhaps not varied enough, bursts of ‘Aaarrhh!’ and raucous shanties.
The splendid stage picture was superbly completed by Tiffany Breeze and Penny Coyston whose range of costumes was perfect for the period and the story.
Noah Breeze played Jim with vigour, style and certainty in a remarkable and very engaging performance. Godfrey Marriott doubled very successfully in two very different roles as Captain Smollett and Billy Bones, and John Keogh was the effete Squire Trelawney trying to appear as an imposing figure while trying to cope with rogues and ruffians. A steady hand in this chaos was provided by Stephanie Cotter as Dr Livesey, and Wendy Bage as Grandma Hawkins offered comfort and care to the impetuous Jim.
A very lively performance as Black Dog by Lauren Ryan and a gruff, threatening presence by Hope Powell Eddy as Long John Silver, together with several other ‘ladies’ completed the ‘rogues gallery’. Notable among the crew were Tallan Cameron as Israel Hands (a touch of Johnny Depp) and Laura Eddy as Joan the Goat, a frightening visage and make-up. Dan Breeze as Blind Pew led the shanties.
The crew of ruffians worked well together. Whenever needed to boost the action with a song or shouted threats, they leapt into life. Grubby make-up would have heightened their effect. Late in the play we encountered Ben Gunn, the wild lunatic castaway given a frenzied and vigorous delivery by Alice Croot.
The whole atmosphere of the piece was well developed and maintained. Although the stage was often full of whirling figures, it was disciplined and exciting. One lovely touch: when characters who’d just been killed needed to leave the stage, they stood, bowed gently and left. And the parrot puppet was operated by several of the cast, with appropriate voice.
The whole performance was lively, interesting and colourful and attacked with great spirit and pace. More variation to give necessary emphasis to significant plot moments would have added to the overall storyline. (The four trainee adjudicators in the audience all gave it high marks in their test pieces.) Laura Eddy and Rosemary Bianchi are to be congratulated on creating the piece so faithful to the aim of the adaptor, Bryony Lavery.
Social scene
As you may be aware, the Jazz Night on 19th May is sold out! If you’ve missed out on this one, don’t worry: we have another lined up on 14th July in the auditorium. Tickets are £10 and can be purchased on the Barn Theatre website. Performing at this event are Kind of Blur: Brit-pop meets bebop in creative mash-ups of familiar tunes, all re-cast in the style of the best-selling jazz album ever – Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. Setlists can include songs from Blur to Kylie Minogue via Chumbawamba and the Eurythmics. With the occasional Disney tune thrown in for good measure, the talented quintet takes each song on a journey into A Whole New World. Expect heaps of fun and sophistication.
We’re also very excited to have another Comedy Night on 10th June at 8pm. Tickets for this event are £7 and can be purchased on the Barn Theatre website. The expected line up for this event are:Tom Mayhew – BBC Radio 4, “Tom Mayhew is benefit scum”
Patrick Brusnahan – 2016 New Act of the Year Finalist
Emily McQuade – Wolfish, Brighton Fringe
Michalle Paker – “Hilarious”
Ben Adams – Host of ‘We aren’t Racist and We Love Gays’ Podcast
Benny Shakes – “Raises the roof every time”
Andrew Thompson
Mark Nicholas
Line-up subject to change.
Hannah Humbles
Social Director
Bar reminder
Dear members
Please remember that the barn bar opens Fridays from 20.00hrs to 23.00hrs when we do not have a show and Sundays from 13.00hrs to 15.00hrs except Sunday 14th of May when the bar will be open 18.45hrs for the Directors evening when all members will be welcome.
Martin Moore
Bar manager
Alys, Always
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the review of Alys, Always will appear in the June issue of Barn News. The author of the novel, Harriet Lane, and the playwright, Lucinda Coxon, attended the Saturday matinee and were very complimentary.
Sparkling success for Constellations at Hertford
As you know, I’m not often stuck for words but on this occasion I’m finding it difficult! After the terrific run and so many wonderful words from many of you after Constellations hit the Barn stage in February, we then went on to Hertford Theatre Week in competition and are pleased to report we came away as the Winner of the competition, also picking up the Stage Presentation Award as well as the highly coveted Audience Appreciation Award.
I can only say, of course, that the team deserved it, the bunch of people who really put their hearts and souls into the project. Everyone did their bit. The set builders were amazing. An early morning message on the day we set up and performed said they’d stopped for a McDonald’s breakfast on the way! Keith, Colin, Ian and Bob set up our exciting circular set carefully, touching up the honeycomb paintwork, whileClifton and Nick produced a revised lighting design aided and abetted by James’ magnificent construction of orbs that were to splendidly glow in different colours through our transitions. Magical! I wish you all had seen it!
I really hope Barn members and creators appreciate the time, skill and dedication put in by these people! The club is blessed.
Of course the ever-faithful Michael Merry steered our ship carefully through a reasonably calm sea into port. Fiona and Brenda looked after us all admirably: our green room was a very small kitchen. Then our magnificent actors Kelsey and Steve arrived and though basically we ran out of time to plot our 150 cues, so confident was the atmosphere that the performance went absolutely brilliantly. The very few in the audience who’d seen the play before thought it was an even better performance! Wow! Again so many folk came to talk and express their feelings about the piece. A wonderful night. A very, very late finish. All made worthwhile by the award ceremony on Saturday night.
So now the inevitable feeling of loss! These things are all a huge commitment and emotional pull. For our team (and here I include Andy, sound designer, and Stephen, original SM who had other voluntary commitments elsewhere and couldn’t be with us), it was a truly wonderful and forever-in-our-memory experience. Our WhatsApp group messages were euphoric!
Thank goodness we were welcomed into the fold so generously at the Treasure Island last-night party! Thank you Laura. We couldn’t bring our beautiful awards home to the Barn to share. I’m not sure the organisers realise how very soul-destroying that is. The awards have stayed in Hertford to be engraved! All a bit of a letdown really.
The play was astonishing! I know it can never be the same again and will simply remain in the hearts of the team who produced it and perhaps Lexy who supported us every step of the way, seeing it six times, I believe, and who did make it to Hertford. Also perhaps Mary Perrin, who came with me on her 90th birthday especially to see the play again in an afternoon run-through which never actually happened.
Perhaps we’ll get to celebrate our Hertford victory when the awards come home to the Barn. Worthwhile achievements are to be cherished. I hope there’s space in the cabinet.
You see my difficulty? Well done us!
Coral Walton
Welwyn Street Festival
The Welwyn Street Festival is taking place on Saturday 24th June, from 9am to 1pm. The Barn will be having its usual stall, ‘advertising’ all that’s good about the Barn and handing out our New Season leaflets.
I’ll be looking for volunteers to assist me – it’s always good fun! If you wish to volunteer please give me a call or email me.
07774 849606
[email protected]
Mike
Marketing volunteer
Welwyn Drama Festival
GoDA adjudicator
Why not come along and experience all the fun of a competitive drama festival in the comfort of our very own Barn Theatre? Whether you’re supporting the local Hertfordshire teams or interested in seeing our visitors from further afield, we have a great choice on offer.
This year we’re offering at least 11 plays, three of which are in the running for Best Unpublished Play.
At the end of each evening our GoDA adjudicator, Tristan Marshall, will comment on the script, direction and performances. Tristan has been an actor and director with The Questors in Ealing since 2003. You may recognise him if you attended either the Welwyn Garden City Youth Drama Festival or Hertford Theatre Week earlier this year as he adjudicated at both. He’s completing the Hertfordshire festival triple!
Performances commence 7.30pm Monday 22nd to Friday 26th May, and 7pm on Saturday 27th May. The festival ends on Saturday 27th May with our Awards Ceremony and celebrations in the bar where, if we’re lucky, we’ll enjoy beautiful singing from our Welsh visitors!
Tickets: £12 per evening; season ticket for all 6 evenings at a bargain price of £45. All available from the Barn Theatre Box Office, 01707 324300 or via www.ticketsource.co.uk/88th-welwyn-drama-festival
We hope to see you there!
Tuesday 23rd May
Feelgood Factor – BEST Theatre Arts
The Real Inspector Hound
by Tom Stoppard
Best Theatre Arts’ Feelgood Factor class brings you Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound. A ludicrous farce littered with dead bodies, pretentious theatre critics, outrageous philandering and complete buffoons. Stoppard’s play-within-a-play spins a web between two narratives that is almost impossible to untangle and has been described as ‘a classic of the English comic
tradition’.
Birch Tree
Potholes: the Modern Menace
by Pete Jeary
A new play on an old nuisance. Please join Harold as he tries to gather support in making the council do something about the state of the roads. He’s no Rod Stewart – but what Harold lacks in charisma, he makes up for in dogged determination. And what he doesn’t know about potholes isn’t worth knowing. “If people like us don’t make an effort, then who will?” This wry comedy twists and turns as if it were dodging potholes from beginning to end.
Wednesday 24th May
Les Comédiens de Calisso
Waiting for the Batby Mark McDonald Ingram
An academic awaits confirmation of his residency status, reflecting prosaically on life, loneliness and old age. Frustrated, desperate and fearful of expulsion, he starts to see a bat in the house. Could this creature portend his imminent demise?
Bawds
Philip and Rowenaby Gillian Plowman
Philip and Rowena meet in a hospice. Together they find friendship, romance and an amazing capacity for fun. And share an extraordinary devotion to life.
Thursday 25th May
Back to Front Theatre
Lila on the Wallby Edward Allan Baker
Journalist Lila must investigate a three-month-old story about a woman who saw Jesus’s face on a graffiti-laden wall. But the woman who saw it is off on a tour in Italy, and Carl, a young cameraman who prides himself in figuring out “emotional landscapes”, is determined to make Lila believe in something again.
Waterbeach Theatre Company
One Night in Toledoby Mark Easterfield
On the terrace of a hotel in Spain two women meet and, as they talk, an uncomfortable history begins to emerge. In such a chance encounter, when confusion is easy, is it right to step in when danger beckons?
Content warning: This play concerns themes of violence and abuse.
Friday 26th May
The Players’ Theatre (Wales)
Hamlet – the Catalystby William Shakespeare
King Hamlet of Denmark has recently died and his widow has quickly married his brother. Prince Hamlet is distraught with grief and horror at his mother’s swift and, in his eyes, abhorrent choice of husband. The Court is still celebrating the marriage while the land is on full alert against a threatened invasion. Two night sentries inform Horatio, a close friend of Prince Hamlet, that they’ve experienced a supernatural visitation. The three men inform Prince Hamlet of the ghostly apparition and he decides to keep watch with them…
SMP
Dead Offensiveby Paul Adam Levy
“The prime minister of the United Kingdom is f***ing dead!”. A rundown comedy club, four comedians and a Latvian sex worker. Can everything though be joked about and turned into comedy or are some topics strictly off limits? Written by the award-winning Paul Adam Levy and featuring a talented all female cast, Dead Offensive is guaranteed to have you in stitches one moment and questioning your own morals the next!
CADS
Don’t Blame it on the Boots by Nick Warburton
Eric is playing the ghost in a production of Hamlet. His fiancée Liz wants him to wear the boots her father wore at Stratford but Eric is more interested in the young and impressionable actor playing Ophelia. Director Kate is starting to wish she’d produced Macbeth instead…
Saturday 27th May
Total Arts Community Theatre
A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain by Sami Ibrahim
Elif shears sheep for a rich landowner. Every other waking hour she spends queuing outside the palace, hoping that the King will let her live within the city walls. She comes from a faraway land. She is searching for sanctuary. And this is what we call a hostile environment. From award-winning playwright Sami Ibrahim, a poetic fable of an impenetrable immigration system that mirrors our own, performed by current AETF British Champions TACT.
SMP
These Are the Days by Shari Gledhill
“Don’t you want me, baby”. Spilled coffee, Sweaty Steven and the 80s. Through the words of Matt and Vicky, we explore the highs and lows of one couple’s love story. But will theirs be one of happiness or sorrow? Featuring live on-stage music accompaniment, physical theatre and award-winning performers, this will be a storytelling experience like no other.
Followed by the final adjudication and Presentation of Awards.
Sharon Jolly
Festival Secretary
Celebrating 88 Welwyn Drama Festivals
Coming up this month is the annual Welwyn Drama Festival, this year celebrating 88 festivals since the first one in 1929.
Sadly, the Barn lost Louis Davis a few weeks ago. Not only was he the President and past Chairman of the Barn, but he was also the President of the Welwyn Drama Festival, having been Stage Director and Chairman in previous years.
Recently the Barn archive team were presented with a mountain of documents and photographs by Louis’s family which we have been going through to uncover things which we didn’t have in our archives. Mostly we already had copies of material in Louis’s collection but there were some items which we have gladly been able to incorporate into the archive.
One item that stood out was a copy of the very first Welwyn Drama Festival programme held from 8th to 11th July 1929 at the Welwyn Theatre (now demolished). The programme shows that the pattern of the festival was much the same as today with four teams competing each night from Monday to Thursday, the winning team receiving the Welwyn Cup as they do today. In 1929 the Barn Theatre Club, as we know it now, did not exist but there were other clubs which pre-dated it. So from Welwyn Garden City there were entrants from the Barnstormers, the New Stagers, Welwyn Folk Players and the Theatre Society. None of the teams from Welwyn Garden City won: the winner was a group called the Beethoven Street Old Scholars Drama Club.
The Drama Festival was established by Sir Frederic Osborn, one of the town’s founders, and the Stage Director was a young Flora Robson who went onto bigger things but interestingly remained as a Patron of the Festival (and the Barn Theatre) until she died in 1984.
An interesting aspect of the Drama Festival that year is that it was part of a much wider Welwyn Garden City Festival Week which ran from Saturday 6th to Saturday 13th July 1929. Among the various activities which took place were: civic luncheons; flower shows; athletic events; mounted police displays; ‘Twilight Tattoos’ with military bands; dances; cricket matches; hot dog suppers; whist drives; baby shows; amusements; motor cycle racing; gymkhana; chariot racing – plus an exhibition of local industries and products. Special trains were laid on from Kings Cross (at 2s 7d return!).
The Welwyn Drama Festival became a significant annual social event in the town’s calendar for many years until well into the 1970s. Tickets were hard to come by: the Welwyn Theatre seated around 1,700 and was always full. Today, with the Festival now held at the Barn (120 seats), it’s rarely full. Indeed, from the Festival’s beginning, the Barn and predecessor companies usually always entered at least two plays. This year the Barn is not entering a play and in recent years this has become a frequent occurrence, perhaps a sign of how society has changed since those heady days of the 20s and 30s.
So, if you’ve never ventured to the Welwyn Drama Festival, why not give it a go?
You might enjoy it. Can’t promise the other town events though…
Robert Gill
Being Jane Eyre
Performance date changes!
Due to unforeseen circumstances the playing dates for Being Jane Eyre have had to be changed. The new dates are:
Thursday 22nd June (preview)
Friday 23rd June to Thursday 29th June at 8pm
Matinee: Saturday 24th June at 2.30pm
We hope this hasn’t inconvenienced anyone.
Being Jane Eyre
by Lou Wallace adapted from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Cast and Crew
Cast
Charlotte Brontë – Lorna Thompson
Bertha – Lynsey Wallace
Young Jane Eyre and ensemble – Maisie Gilbert
Jane Eyre and ensemble – Hattie Thompson
Jane Eyre and ensemble – Rachael Crabtree
Aunt Reed, Mrs Fairfax and ensemble – Charlotte Collingwood
John Reed, Rochester and ensemble – Michael Mitchum
Georgiana, Adele and ensemble – Matilda Samuels
Eliza, Helen Burns and ensemble – Alice Thompson
Brocklehurst, St John and ensemble – Neil Harrison
Bessie, Mary and ensemble – Órla Kennedy
Abbot, Diana and ensemble – Rachel Woods
Grace Poole and ensemble – Jane Andrews
Creatives
Director – Lou Wallace
Company Managers – Carol Bush, Georgie Palmer
Stage Manager – Simon Wallace
ASM – Jane Pennett, India Palmer
Costume – Sarah Deamer
Lighting Design – Trevor Wallace
Lighting Operator – Clifton Hoyle
Music and Sound – Rob Wallace
Musicians – Katherine Freeman, Stu Clark, Rob Wallace, Dan Breeze
Props – Sheila Grimmant, Georgie Palmer
Rehearsal Prompt – Carolyn Mitchell
Set Design – Chris Janes
Who's Who
at the Barn Theatre Club
Directors
Chair – Siobhan Hill-Elam
Finance – Ian Major (07789 728997)
Marketing – Barbara Holgate-Stuckey (07740 812950)
Membership – Nigel Rive (07768 867534)
Facilities – Michael Merry (07973 238346)
Non-Executive – Sheila Grimmant (07970 929290)
Administration – John Davies (01707 882209)
Ex-Officio Council Members
President – Vacant
Company Sec. – Linda Miles (01707 335718)
Non-voting Council Members
Stage Director – John Cude (01525 374616)
Artistic Director – Clive Weatherley (07773 044801)
Studio Director – Cliff Francis (07547 373326)
Social – Hannah Humbles (07940 226917)
Other responsibilities
Archives – Robert Gill (01707 324572)
Barn News – Mike Smith (07774 849606)
Bar Manager – Martin Moore (07768 650660)
Child Protection – Linda Miles (01707 335718)
Club Nights – Hannah Humbles (07940 226917)
Coffee Bar – Sue George (01707 330274)
Costume Hire – Margaret Wallace (01707 321059)
Direct Debit Admin – Ian Major (07789 728997)
FoH Admin – Wendy Bage (01707 331494)
Library – Vacant
LTG Rep – Robert Gill (01707 324572)
Photography – Simon Wallace (07875 423550)
Photo-studio hire – John Davies (01707 882209)
Private Hire – Victoria Rive (01707 336446)
Properties – Barbara Foster (01707 694237)
PR – Simon Wallace (07875 423550)
All photos used in Barn News are courtesy of John Davies and Simon Wallace (MeltingPot Pictures)
Box office reminder
Member tickets are £11 on the opening Friday of most main-stage productions. To access the member price, customers will need the password ‘APPLE’.
Box office telephone: 01707 324300 (Mon to Sat, 9am to 5pm) – a £2 booking fee will apply for all telephone bookings.
The theatre box office will also be open every Sunday from 1pm to 3pm (from 3rd September).
Dates for your diary
Performances
Calendar Girls
By Tim Firth
Directed by Hannah Sayer
Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th May at 8pm. Charity performances
Friday 5th to Saturday 13th May at 8pm
Matinee Saturday 13th May at 2.30pm
Closer
By Patrick Marber
Directed by Ian Colpitts
Wednesday 31st May to Saturday 3rd June at 8pm in the Studio
Matinee Saturday 3rd June at 2.30pm
Being Jane Eyre
Written and directed by Lou Wallace
Friday 23rd to Thursday 29th June at 8pm
Matinee Saturday 24th June at 2.30pm
Welwyn Drama Festival
22nd to 27th May at 7.30pm
Social events
Singers at the Barn
Sunday 7th May, 7.30pm for 8pm
Jazz at the Barn
Friday 19th May at 8pm
Club events
Directors Evening
Sunday 14th May, 7.30pm for 8pm
Barn100 Kick-off Meeting
Sunday 28th May at 1pm
Welwyn Street Festival
Saturday 24th June, 9am to 1pm
Bar reminder
Barn bar opening hours
Fridays: 8pm to 11pm
Sundays: 1pm to 3pm