Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group

Many thanks to all those who attended our November production, A Brief Encounter with Noel Coward.  We were delighted that former members were able to join us for our Saturday celebration dinner.   Their company was much appreciated and it was a fitting way to end our sixtieth anniversary year.

But now we look towards our April play, which will be The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith.  This is a modern-day farce, which had a successful run in the West End last year, and is based on a real-life incident that happened to Germaine Greer, the feminist writer.  The plot concerns Margot Mason, a great 1970s feminist, trying to write her next book – she has writers’ block. Her publisher, Theo, needs the manuscript urgently to financially boost his failing publishing company.  As Margot is talking to Theo on the phone it goes dead.  Molly, a student, has cut the lines – she enters through the French doors and handcuffs Margot to the desk. She intends to kill Margot after she has told her story. Molly believes her life has been wrecked because of Margot’s writings and ideas.  The play unfolds as characters enter and complicate the action.  Tess, Margot’s daughter, Frank the taxi driver, Bryan, Margot’s son-in-law, Theo, the publisher, all add to the escalation.  This is a challenging and entertaining piece, quite dark in places but funny too. We are currently casting the play.  More news soon, but do save the dates – 22-24 April.

If you are interested in coming along to see what we are doing and get involved, we meet in the Village Hall every Tuesday at 7.30pm, and new members are always welcome.

Sally Lacey

KBDG Committee

The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith

Synopsis

Margot Mason is a feminist writer suffering from writer’s block; she can not meet the deadlines for her next book. Molly Rivers, a deranged former student of Margot’s, arrives unexpectedly at her country home with a gun and handcuffs Mason to her desk. Molly blames Margot for warping her mother’s mind with her hit book The Cerebral Vagina. Following Margot’s advice, Molly’s mother gave Molly away as a baby so that she wouldn’t be enslaved by motherhood and then killed herself. Molly has had herself sterilized to preserve her creativity, only to be told by Margot that she has no talent.

Margot’s daughter Tess arrives, exhausted from her house full of children. Margot has accused Tess of throwing her life away to embrace the role of housewife. Tess agrees that her mother should be shot. Tess’s sensitive stockbroker husband, Bryan also arrives to debate the virtues of Margot’s best-sellers, her inconsistent philosophy, and her inability to “mother”. Even a macho taxi driver (Frank) and her flamboyantly gay publisher (Theo) comment on Margot’s feminist failings.

As I am sure you are now aware (because we keep going on about it!), it is the sixtieth anniversary of the Group’s foundation this year and an article by Lance Bassett gives a potted history of the Group since its inception.

We’ve just uploaded a huge batch of pictures from some of our old productions. They can be found by clicking on KBDG Photo Archive or by visiting Previous Productions above.

There are some excellent pictures of plays produced in the 1960’s and 70’s.

Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group congratulated Linda Hudson, Lance Bassett, Nick O’Keeffe, Margaret Palmer, George Pulley, Ian Ashby and David Greenaway for their long service to the group. Presentations were made to the members at the Group’s annual dinner held at Fallowfields in Southmoor. The dinner marks the start of the Group’s 60th year celebrations.

20th January 2009, Rob Bateman of Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group presents a cheque for £500 to Stan Webb, of the Royal British Legion. This money was raised from a collection taken after the Group’s performance of The Accrington Pals, by Peter Whelan.  The play tells the story of the men of Accrington who went off to fight in World War I and mostly lost their lives, and how this affected the women who were left behind.