Casting

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

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Join us for the readings and auditions of our Autumn production, An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde, which will be directed for us by John Timewell having previously directed successful productions of Twelfth Night and The Philadelphia Story.
“Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.”
A brilliant politician of impeccable reputation and a perfect gentleman, Sir Robert Chiltern is the ideal husband for his adoring wife, the charming Lady Chiltern. However, when a dark secret from his past comes back to haunt him in the form of the scheming Mrs Cheveley their picture-perfect marriage is threatened.
Integrity in political life was a hot topic at the end of the nineteenth century just as it is now, with our leaders often failing to live up to the high standards we, perhaps unfairly, expect of them. An Ideal Husband draws a picture of a society struggling with issues still valid today.
In his delightfully witty play Oscar Wilde explores the themes of idealism, ambition, corruption in politics, and asks to what extent should we be held accountable for past actions whose importance has long since disappeared?
Readings and auditions are all at Harpsden Hall as always and the dates are as follows:
Readings – Tuesday 3rd June from 7.30pm and Thursday 5th June from 8pm.
Auditions – Tuesday 10th June and Tuesday 17th June, both from 7.30p.m.
The production will run from 22nd to 25th October at the Kenton Theatre.
Past Production

Absent Friends by Alan Ayckbourn

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The Henley Players Spring production will be Absent Friends written by Alan Ayckbourn and will be performed at The Kenton Theatre from 26th to 29th March 2025. Our Director is Mark Wilkin.

It’s always good to see old friends – isn’t it?

Diana has invited Colin over for a nice cup of tea and to catch up with friends he hasn’t seen in years. Given that Colin’s fiancée has recently drowned everyone is on edge worrying about what to say to him, but when he finally arrives he seems to be the most cheerful among them. The reunion only succeeds in opening old wounds and Colin’s jolly attempts to smooth the waters only make things worse.

Set in the 1970’s and rooted firmly in that era, Absent Friends is regarded as one of Alan Ayckbourn’s finest plays. He makes this road-crash of a party both sad and touching, but always bitingly funny.

Cast:

Diana – Lucy Weeks
Evelyn – Siggy Lee
Marge – Rowena McMenamin
Paul – Tim Harling
John – Kevin Goodfellow
Colin – Tom Rawlinson
Past Production

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

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“If music be the food of love, play on”

Our Autumn production will be Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare and will be performed at the Kenton Theatre in Henley-on-Thames on 16th to 19th October 2024.

Twelfth Night is a tale of unrequited love – hilarious and heartbreaking. Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity is a giddy mix of joy, yearning, farce, frolics and debauched revelry.

Following a shipwreck Viola, who has been separated from her brother Sebastian, disguises herself as a boy in the court of Count Orsino and is tasked on his behalf with wooing the Countess Olivia only to herself become the object of Olivia’s affections. Meanwhile Olivia’s steward Malvolio has ideas above his station when he is tricked into believing his mistress has amorous intentions towards him and wishes to see him dressed in cross-gartered yellow stockings.

Romantic intrigues, cunning deceptions, sexual confusion, and drunken songs abound in one of Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring comedies.

Past Production

Spring Production – Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

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We are very pleased to announce that our Spring 2024 production is Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. This classic comedy will be directed by John Goodman and will be performed at the Kenton Theatre from 20th to 23rd March.

 

Synopsis:

“I have created this thing out of the squashed cabbage leaves of Covent Garden; and now she pretends to play the fine lady with me.”

Eccentric phonetics expert, Henry Higgins, thinks he can pass off a poor flower girl in polite society with a few months of elocution lessons. It turns out that spirited Eliza Doolittle has a mind and personality of her own and is not willing to lose them as easily as she sheds her cockney accent. Strong characters and great wit animate this classic comedy, and the themes of social mobility and women’s empowerment are as relevant today as when Pygmalion was first performed, over a century ago. Whether you’re a lover of classic drama or a seeker of truth, this play promises an unforgettable evening.

Pygmalion spawned many adaptations for film and stage and was recently revived at the Old Vic.

 

Cast:

Professor Henry Higgins – Peter O’Sullivan

Colonel Pickering – Mike Mungarvan

Eliza Doolittle – Christie Southwick

Alfred Doolittle – Paul Gittus

Mrs Pearce – Liz McEwen

Mrs Higgins – Eileen Pinkarchevski

Mrs Eynsford-Hill – Caroline Hopkins

Clara Eynsford- Hill – Nancy Gittus

Freddy Eynsford-Hill – Joe O’Leary

Mrs Higgins’ parlour maid – Pam Pitts-Simmons

Nepommuck – Joe O’Leary

The Ambassadress – Pam Pitts-Simmons

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Autumn Production – A Bunch of Amateurs

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The Henley Players are delighted to announce our Autumn Production for 2023 which is A Bunch of Amateurs by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. This comedy will be directed for us by Julia Ashton and will be performed at The Kenton Theatre from 18th-21st October 2023.
Synopsis:
Ageing Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele is looking forward to reviving his career by acting with the likes of Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench in a production of King Lear at the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon. What he hasn’t counted on is that the production is actually being staged in Stratford St John, a sleepy village in Suffolk, and his fellow cast members are an enthusiastic bunch of amateur thespians desperately trying to save their theatre. This laugh-out-loud comedy, written by Ian Hislop (Private Eye, Have I Got News For You) and Nick Newman (Spitting Image, Murder Most Horrid) is full of hilarious characters and snappy dialogue as acting worlds collide head-on.
Cast:
Jefferson: Peter O’Sullivan
Dorothy: Pam Pitts
Mary: Rowena McMenamin
Nigel: Steve Mappley
Jessica: Christie Southwick
Lauren: Michaela Evans
Dennis: Mike Mungarvan
Casting

Spring 2023 – The Philadelphia Story

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Delighted to announce that our Spring 2023 production will be The Philadelphia Story.
We are fortunate to have a director new to the Players, John Timewell, well-known for the Garden Players’ Shakespeare productions and for numerous musicals for HAODS and other societies.
Readings will be held on 8th and 10th November in Harpsden Hall from 8.00p.m. The first audition will be on 15th November (also at 8.00p.m.) and a potential second one has been booked for 22nd November as the cast is quite large. Rehearsals will not start till after the Christmas holidays. The theatre is booked from 19th-25th March, and the playing dates will be 22nd-25th. March.
Synopsis
Philip Barry’s sparkling comedy The Philadelphia Story is a compelling mixture of wit, satire and romance which explores family relationships, class prejudice and human weakness. Wealthy, proud and beautiful, Tracy Lord is about to get married for the second time to her stuffy fiancé George Kittredge. But she hasn’t counted on Mike Connor, a principled reporter reluctantly working for a gossip weekly who has been sent to cover her wedding, and her quick-thinking, roguish first husband C. K. Dexter Haven. The presence of both men at her pre-nuptial party, a drunken midnight swim and champagne-addled declarations, forces Tracy to learn some painful lessons which knock her off her pedestal.
The Philadelphia Story was memorably filmed 1940, with James Stewart and Cary Grant starring alongside Katherine Hepburn. The musical version by Cole Porter, filmed as High Society, had Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the leading roles.
Characters
Dinah – Mid-teenage sister to Tracy. Intelligent and precocious.
Tracy Lord – Rich, haughty and strong willed. Divorced from C.K. Dexter Haven and about to marry George Ketteridge.
Margaret Lord – Mother of Tracy, Dinah and Sandy. Wife of Seth Lord.
Sandy Lord – Brother of Tracy. Trying to avert a family scandal being reported in the papers.
Uncle Willie – Kind hearted uncle of Tracy who likes a drink and is very flirtatious.
Mike Connor – Quality writer slumming it with a gossip publication to earn money. Strong working class principles who disapproves of the rich.
Liz Imbrie – Photographer working with Mike.
George Kitteridge – Self-made millionaire who comes from humble beginnings. Very ambitious and wants to marry into high society.
C.K. Dexter Haven – Wealthy and privileged, he comes from the same background as Tracy and was her first husband.
Seth Lord – Father of Tracy, Sandy and Dinah and husband to Margaret. Is having an affair with a young dancer, a scandal which Sandy is trying to prevent being made public.
Thomas/Elsie – An amalgam of 5 small servant roles
Productions

Ladies in Lavender

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Our Autumn production will be Ladies in Lavender which has been adapted for stage by Shaun Mckenna and is based on the film written and directed by Charles Dance. This lovely production will be performed at the Kenton Theatre from 19th to 22nd October 2022.

 

Synopsis

 

Ladies in Lavender is a heart-warming story of unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love. Based on the hit film which starred Judy Dench and Maggie Smith in the lead roles, it tells the tale of two retired sisters Ursula and Janet living in a close-knit fishing village in picturesque Cornwall in 1936.

A handsome and talented young Polish violinist bound for America was washed up on the shore. The sisters take him under their wing and nurse him back to health however the presence of the mysterious young man disrupts their peaceful lives and the community in which they live.

This is a beautiful poignant and award-winning piece of theatre adapted from the film by Shaun McKenna

 

Cast

 

Ursula – Jan Corby

Janet – Julia Ashton

Dorcas – Jenny Haywood

Andrea Marowski – Dean Stephenson

Dr Mead – Mike Mungarvan

Olga Danilof – Siggy Lee

 

Director – Wendy Huntley

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The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard

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The Henley Players are delighted to announce our Spring production, The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard which will be performed at the Kenton Theatre from 16th to 19th March.
Synopsis
Love is the focus of The Real Thing, a brilliantly constructed play within a play by Tom Stoppard at his clever, witty and poignant best. An early 80s West End hit starring Felicity Kendal, it was also a Tony Award-winning Broadway triumph, with Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons. Described by theatre critic Michael Billington as “that rare thing….an intelligent play about love,” its appeal endures almost forty years on as we watch four entertaining, emotional characters wrestle with the highs and lows of love and passion in their day-to-day lives. Playwright Henry is married to actor Charlotte and actors Max and Annie to each other; the drama unfolds as relationships unravel. But how do we know which relationship is the ‘real thing’? The main themes of love and adultery are underwritten with typical Stoppard questions about the influence of art on life. This pertinent, funny and touching play, which crackles with sharp dialogue and shines an unforgiving spotlight on marriage and relationships, is not to be missed. As Henry tells us: “It’s no trick loving somebody at their best. Love is loving them at their worst”.
Cast
Max – Ioan Havard
Charlotte – Donna Thomson
Henry – Tim Harling
Annie – Grainne Harling
Debbie – Sigourney Lee
Billy – Stephen Taylor-Brown
Brodie – TBC
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Saturday Sunday Monday – New Dates

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It is with great excitement and not a little relief that we can announce that our much delayed production of the famous Italian comedy Saturday Sunday Monday by Eduardo de Filippo will be performed at the Kenton Theatre on 20th to 23rd October 2021.
Synopsis
Naples, early 1960s. It looks like any other weekend in the Priore family house. Mrs Rosa Priore spends her Saturday preparing her famous ‘ragú’ sauce, although she betrays a nervousness made worse by her husband Peppino, who tells her off with the most trivial pretexts and vents his anger at all surrounding him. Starting with his son, who seeks his grandfather’s advice rather than Peppino’s; then his daughter Giulianella, caught in a quarrel with her fiancé; finally, aunt Memè, guilty of pestering her son with useless medical advice.
Tension within the Priore family mounts until it reaches boiling point the next day. The Priores have invited to their traditional Sunday lunch their neighbours, accountant Luigi Ianniello and his wife. Luigi is a congenial and outgoing, albeit slightly overbearing friend to the Priores, especially Rosa. This causes Peppino to mistake Luigi’s kindness for a romantic interest, leading to an outburst of jealousy that spoils the lunch, and the day, for everybody involved.
The outburst is a result of years of accumulated misunderstandings which have undermined the Priore marriage. Rosa is so upset by the scene that she falls ill and is bedridden, assisted by her relatives. In the meantime, her husband regrets his behaviour and feels misunderstood by everybody.
Finally Monday arrives. The Priores reflect more calmly on what has happened and understand that, deep down, the reason that made the couple fight is actually the love that still binds them. Rosa and Peppino finally express to each other the feelings they have suppressed for years: now, their love, and the memories of their love, are reborn for a new start.
The cast……..
Donna Rosa….Julia Ashton
Virginia …….Liz McEwen
Peppino… Michael Mungarvan
Rocco….Archie Newman
Federico……Len Pannett
Antonio…..Tim Green
Giulianella….Lili Lottie Tuttle
Meme……..Rachel Head
Attilio…….Sam Wimbush
Raffaele…..Liz Keens
Luigi Ianello ……….Stephen Taylor-Brown
Elenea Ianello…..Pam Pitts
Michele….David Parsonson
Roberto …..Arnaldo Teodorani-Fabbri
Maria Carolina…..Jenny Cobb
Catiello, the tailor……Tim Harling
Dr. Cefercola…..Tim Harling
Director…..Teri Zambigli
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SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY POSTPONEMENT

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It is with great regret that due to the worsening situation in the UK and globally with the coronavirus, and the Kenton Theatre announcing that as the result of the government advice yesterday it is closing till the end of April, we have no option but to postpone Saturday Sunday Monday until our Autumn slot at the theatre in October.  We had already been discussing this as the safety of our members has to be our top priority , and the risk of  infection with everyone in close proximity during rehearsals in the show week was becoming too greater for us to continue anyway.

I stress that we are not cancelling , but postponing, the production till our Autumn slot at the Kenton Theatre, which is 18th-24th. October. Our director, Teri, and the whole cast have said they are able to remain with the production, which is a great relief. They have all worked so hard and this is such a talented cast, so we are delighted to keep everyone together to do the play as originally intended.

We are still passionate about bringing this fantastic play to the Henley audience and I hope everyone will support the production in the Autumn.

Everyone please stay safe, keep washing your hands and we look forward to seeing you all soon.