Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Society was held at The Gaping Goose in April and was attended by 15 members, apologies were received from 5 others. The following Officers were elected: - President Judith Elliott
- Chairman Janet Gisburn
- Vice Chairman Mike Baker
- Secretary Kim Howard
- Treasurer Pat Toes
Members’ Representatives: - Carole Hurst
- Erica Nicholls
The meeting was followed by a buffet supper, and the minutes have been sent to all members. ‘My Friend Miss Flint’ From our Chairman—Janet Gisburn The decision to produce this comedy was received with mixed feelings by Members of the Society. It was a very wordy play and the main characters were on stage for most of the acts. Under the expert direction of Anita these worries were unfounded and the cast were soon involved in the comedy of the play. Who wouldn’t love to defraud the Taxman and get away with it? A special thank you must go to Mike Nicholls and his crew as the set was magnificent and each night received great applause from the audience. Al though the audi ences were somewhat sparse this time, probably due to the school holidays and the recession, those who did attend thoroughly enjoyed the production. Every Member of the cast, and most off the backstage crew, were suffering from heavy colds during the week, but troupers that they are, carried on with the play and crawled of f t he stage and dragged themselves home to bed to recover for the next superb performance. Many thanks to them. Sorry no medals or Oscars! 2009 Lions’ Gala As some of you will have read in the February Committee Meeting minutes, it was decided not to attend the Lion’s Gala in July due to the big increase in stall rent which meant that the money remaining from the sale of the books etc did not warrant members’ time and efforts. However due to some quirky proposition whereby The Society will pay the rent but then will receive an allowance, it has been agreed by the Committee that we will have a stand on Sunday 5th July, selling books and children’s clothes Please contact Janet if you can help anytime between 9.30 and 4.30 0113 2866358 Our Theatre Visits Disappointingly only 7 Members/Friends were on the trip to the West Yorkshire Playhouse to see the brilliant play ‘When We Are Married’ by J. B. Priestley. The set, the costumes and the performances were all excellent, making a very enjoyable production which was much appreciated by the audience. As many members will know, GADS has presented this play three times over the years, and those amongst us who had been in those productions were amazed at how the words came flooding back (even after a glass of wine before the start). It was a very happy way to spend an evening. Pam Hill On 28th May, 14 members went to a Grand Theatre matinee to see ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley. Another brilliant production which has been a smash hit in the West End and on Broadway. It was a very different approach to the original presentation with ‘wildly imaginative staging, lashing rain and searing suspense’. It had us all in awe and wondering how they did it! The cast, costumes and effects were faultless and at the final curtain we were all speechless with admiration for such a magnificent afternoon’s drama and entertainment. Pat Toes P.S. Another theatre visit was planned for 24th June to The West Yorkshire Playhouse to see ‘Bedroom Farce’ by Alan Ayckbourn, but unfortunately this performance is fully booked. Our thanks must go to Janet for arranging these excellent visits.. PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION FOR THE NEXT GADABOUT TO MARTYN BEFORE 23rd August 2009 | Recent Productions NODA Report on ‘My Friend Miss Flint’ April 2009 A well deserved round of applause was given when the curtain went back to reveal a carefully thought out set with some very appropriate dressing showing the apartment of a well to do gardening celebrity. A lot of groups would be very envious of the talented set builders. A strong cast had been assembled and the play moved at a good pace. Congratulations to the director on her first production for Garforth as she had rehearsed her cast well and they were word perfect and well timed with their movements. This was not the best of plays as it was very wordy and convoluted, but the cast coped well and it was well received by the audience. Pam Booth, NODA Representative NODA Report on ‘It’s Never Too Late’ -November 2008The report by Mrs Pam Booth in the latest edition of ‘Scratchings’ is as follows: It was good to hear that members are returning to Garforth and a strong cast had been assembled for this amusing but poignant play. There was the usual well built set which was tastefully decorated to suit the owners of the house. Props were excellent and the change to party time in the second act was very effective. An excellent leading lady kept the pace moving well as this was quite a wordy play, and the strong supporting cast contrasted well with each other providing interesting characters. I think that making Thomas even more of a nerd could have added to the humour. Once again the Hall was full and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It's Never Too Late
By Martyn Drake
I hope the audiences enjoyed watching our most recent production as much as we enjoyed rehearsing and presenting it, although I must say, I still haven't been able to force myself to face another quiche . . . . .
I didn't recognise the potential of this play when we initially read it, but then again I never do. The rehearsals started very well, and I would like to think under Pam's guidance, the momentum was kept going all the way through to the last night.
Although the nature of the audiences seemed to vary from night to night, I think a common denominator was that the situation and the characters struck a chord with most people, murmurs of recognition arose on the delivery of certain lines on more than one occasion.
The aerobics and the dance sequences were vital to the success of the play and although fun, were hard work to perfect. Their execution by Anita, Lorraine and Mike is to be congratulated. Less physically demanding, but just as much fun, I did enjoy the opportunity to wave ladies frilly lingerie around the stage. This was always guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser and certainly didn't disappoint.
Death Walked In NODA Review A well constructed set, with good props, beautifully portrayed the inside of a country hotel. This was a wordy play but the cast , especially the ladies, managed to get the most out of the lib and kept the interest of the audience. It was good to see yet another new face in the Society and one worth hanging on to. There was good interaction between the two sisters and a good contrast in their characters. Sadly, after all the intrigue the ending was very predictable.
Thank you Garforth for your warm welcome. I look forward to my next visit in the autumn. The White Cliffs Still celebrating their sixty years of amateur theatre this Society chose a play set around the time it was founded. It was good to see that a lot of thought had gone into costumes and hairstyles and, along with the set and props, you got a real feeling of the 1940s. There were some strong character performances in this quite wordy play and the two ladies in the final scene are to be congratulated on keeping the audience enthralled. Garforth ADS is still managing to attract new members and, if this continues, I am sure they will carry on for many years to come. | Sponsorship if you would like to sponsor us then call our Secretary Lorraine Leonard-Parsk on 01977 557217 or click here to email us. BBQ Picture the scene—bombs dropping, sirens screeching and planes roaring overhead as twelve members of GADS with their families and friends picked their way between the glares of the searchlights to make their way to the Nicholls’s house for shelter. On arrival our identity was checked and we were handed our Ration Cards. The Chief Catering Officer (Mike) was already hard at work cooking the sausages and Spam fritters on his field kitchen. Although we were on strict rations, the food was scrumptious. The Spam fritters were a huge success and very tasty, in fact I think this delicacy will be finding its way to many a table—war or no war! Hang the expense. Most of us had managed to go in some sort of ‘ Forties’ costume and there were representatives from the army, navy and a very dashing W.A.A.F. who along with very posh housewives, ladies in evening dress and very well dressed gentlemen enjoyed themselves immensely. Very many thanks to Mike, Erica (who looked very chic in her evening dress), Tom and Libby for once again making us very welcome to their home. Shame about the weather. Just one question—has the Gazebo ever been used to shield us from the sun?? Janet Gisburn Treasurehunt Test your skills of observation, navigation, history (and patience!) as well as discovering the villages, lanes and by-ways of our nearby lovely countryside. Bring along your friends and join in this annual fun event which starts from Tesco Car Park on Friday evening 26th June at 6.30pm and finishes at The Gaping Goose where a Buffet Supper will be available. Our congratulations must go to Danny Martin on the recent announcement of his engagement. Dates for your Diary Play Readings at The Gaping Goose - Wednesday 1st July
- Thursday 9th July
- Wednesday 15th July
- Thursday 23rd July
- Wednesday 29th July
@ 7.30pm Everyone is welcome Sunday 5th July, starting @ 10am Lions’ Gala Contact Janet Gisburn: 0113 2866358 Tuesday 1st September Rehearsals start at The Miners’ Welfare Hall Saturday 18th October Autumn Jumble Sale 18th,19th, 20th, 21st, November Performances of the Autumn Play at The Miners’ Welfare Hall. Friends of GADS Become a Friend of GADS. Ask a society member for details or contact the Secretary Have you paid your 2009 Subscription yet? |
