Directed by Mark Kimsey
May 10, 11 & 12, 2007

Location: The action of the play takes place in the hall of a village in rural England.
Time: The present

Programme Notes       [ Photographs ]

Day of Reckoning

The summer fête committee of a typical British village meets on a cold January night to discuss arrangements for that year's fête. As committee protocol gives way to bickering and gossip, we begin to see the personalities of those present.

Ethel, who knows everything about everyone; Pauline, the vicar's long suffering wife; Gloria, exhausted by caring for her elderly mother; horsey Marjorie who is very attentive to the new shy teacher, Angela; Mavis, who chooses when to observe and when to play senile and Sally, the brisk army wife, here to organise the lower ranks.

Much innuendo abounds around the vicar, whose faith is in question and who enjoys more than his share of the communion wine.

Thus the tip of the iceberg is shown, but it is six months later, on the afternoon of the fête that he secrets of the 'ordinary' people are revealed and their agendas unravel.

The Village Fête

One of the oldest traditions of rural England, the village fête is as popular today as it was centuries ago. Thousands of pounds are raised as villagers, schools and parish churches combine together to celebrate the local community. Tombolas, bouncy castles, brass bands and pet shows have replaced morris dancing, bran tubs and tug-o'-war competitions over the years but the village fête remains the social event of the year.

and finally

Thank you to Beryl Orders who, after many years of being our Membership Secretary, is enjoying a well earned rest!

Dorothy and Malcolm Bentote who celebrate forty years with Players during this production. See below

40 Years On:

When I was first asked to write something for the programme about Dorothy's and my 40 years with St. Lawrence Players it seemed quite easy.
At least the first sentence was. This production marks the 40th Anniversary of Dorothy's and my first appearances with the Players. The next sentence also flowed quite freely. The play was 'This Happy Breed' by Noel Coward on May 5th and 6th 1967. After that things got a bit sticky. Do I write something about every play (about 100) we've been in? Would there be enough room for even a selection of these productions? You could find out more about St. Lawrence Players and our productions by visiting our web site http://www.st-lawrence-eastcote.org.uk/slpwebsite. What changes have we seen over the years? Three performances of each play instead of only two. Set building with power tools!

Well, perhaps the most significant change is that when we first joined many of us were in our twenties and early thirties. Later on we had teenagers appearing regularly in our productions. Now we are short of younger members which, to a degree, limits our choice of plays. If you are a younger person and would like to join us, please talk to any of the players or, perhaps, come to one of our meetings in the Hall, most Thursday evenings at 8.15