Current CADS production

RAF at the RAF*!

Having just rung down the curtain on a hugely successful pantomime - the colourful and hilarious Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates - we're already preparing to hold auditions for our next show, which will be the CADS contribution to the 2019 Royston Arts Festival.

This year we're staging a real classic wartime drama - Terence Rattigan's Flare Path, first performed in 1942. It's a story, of love and loyalty, courage and fear, and was based in part on Rattigan's own experiences in the RAF. It tells of a group of airmen stationed on the Lincolnshire coast and perhaps more importantly, of the women in their lives. Bomber pilot Teddy Graham is celebrating a reunion with his actress wife Patricia at a small hotel, but the arrival of her ex-lover and Hollywood film star Peter, and a sudden urgent bombing mission over Germany both threaten to throw everyone's lives into turmoil.

We're completely delighted to have Brenda Cottis on board as director for the show - Brenda has appeared in recent years with CADS in Romance is Dead and Pygmalion but has a vast wealth of experience directing with groups both here and in Cambridge. The play will be performed over the two weekends of the Arts Festival (20/21 and 27/28 September), though there are still some details to sort out, but we can announce that auditions for the play will take place from 7.00p.m. on Thursday 25 April in the Drama Studio at Meridian School, Garden Walk, Royston.

If you're not familiar with the play, the list of characters is as follows (ages shown are playing ages as described by Rattigan - some latitude is possible):

Countess Skriczevinsky (Doris) - down-to-earth hotel resident, early thirties

Peter Kyle - Hollywood actor, about thirty-five

Mrs Oakes - no-nonsense hotel landlady, middle aged

Sergeant David Miller (Dusty) - air gunner, about thirty-five

Percy - hotel employee, fifteen or sixteen

Flying Officer Count Skriczevinsky - Polish Air Force officer, over forty

Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham - decorated pilot, aged twenty-four

Patricia Warren (Mrs Graham) - actress, mid to late twenties

Mrs Maudie Miller - Dusty's wife, mid thirties

Squadron Leader Swanson - veteran of WW1, aged about fifty-five

Corporal Jones (Wiggy)- cameo role (2 spoken lines) - age probably immaterial

More details about both the auditions and the actual performance dates as soon as we have them, but do make a note of that audition date...Meanwhile, if you'd like to get involved backstage with this or any future shows, or can offer help with costumes, make-up or whatever, or if you have any queries about the group in general, please do contact us and register your interest!

* joke courtesy of Mr Rupert Jordan!

IMPORTANT

If you are involved in a CADS production that also involves children (defined as anyone under the age of 18), it is important that you read - and confirm to us that you have read - our Child Protection Policy document and the set of procedures that accompany it. The policy is summarised here and that page also includes a link to the full procedural document - please take time to read both and then click on the link on that page to show that you have done so. Thank you.

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