Latest news from CADS
June 2019 Newlstter
(June 24, 2019)Panto 2020
As many of you will know, the annual Royston Town Pantomime is our biggest production in terms of organisation. For that reason we really need to have firm plans in place before the Summer to give everyone time to arrange auditions, book rehearsal space, plan for set building and so on. At present we do have a possible script - Beauty and the Beast by Tom Whalley (who wrote last year's record-breaking Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates) but no definite offers to direct.
Our next committee meeting is on Tuesday 30 July and we really need someone to step forward and volunteer to take this on by that date. If you're a first-time director, it would be almost certainly possible to appoint a co-director to assist... Performance dates will be Friday 24/Saturday 25 January and Friday 31 January/Saturday 1 February 2020.
Please contact us before the end of next month if you'd like to give this a go - it's our biggest production but it can also be the most fun!!
Royston Pageant (and Concert)
Creative Royston is staging its very own Historical Pageant on Sunday 7 July from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Priory Gardens where almost everything except food will be free. The Pageant includes a wide range of activities for all the family and will take in the 24-metre long Royston Tapestry, on display in the Town Hall for the first time since it's completion. You can also visit the Royston Arts Society Members Exhibition at Royston Museum on the same day and in the evening there is what should be an excellent concert at 7.30 p.m. at The Old Bull Inn featuring Tin Giants, a six-piece band featuring virtuoso musicians playing a variety of instruments including mandolin, hurdy-gurdy, saxophones, violin, bagpipes, guitars and drums. They are supported by Elizabeth & Jameson who are making waves on the folk scene and have impressed many people with their superb playing (violin and guitar) and harmonies.
Concert tickets can be bought for £10 in advance (£12 on the door) and details and booking links are all on the Creative Royston website http://www.creativeroyston.org or you can go straight to the ticket booking website https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/creativeroyston
Royston Museum
CADS has always had a good relationship with Royston Museum - some of you may remember our wonderful 1914 evening there - and we're currently in the early stages of planning another joint venture with them, probably this Autumn and probably in the form of a "poetry requests" evening. If you'd like to get involved, please contact us in the usual way...
Meanwhile, the Museum is holding one of its regular second-hand book sales this Saturday 29 June. These events are run by the Friends of Royston Museum to raise much needed funds for the museum. The sale starts at 10 a.m. and admission is free. The Friends regularly take donations of second-hand books, DVDs and records, so if you're having a declutter at home and would like to donate, pleasecontact them on 01763 242587. They're particularly looking for donations of children’s books at the moment...
On the following Tuesday 2 July, there's also a coffee morning at the Museum between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. Everyone is welcome and it’s a great chance to meet new friends or catch up with friends you’ve not seen in a while. It's free with any donations towards refreshments gratefully received and, if you missed the book sale on the Saturday, it's another chance to browse and buy!
Flare Path
Rehearsals are progressing well for our contribution to this year's Royston Arts Festival - a productive, hard-working and mercifully rain-free weekend recently saw the construction of the set, which looks brilliant. We now have most of our technical team but could still urgently do with someone to help with costumes - as you'll know, the play is set in 1942 and features both military and civilian characters. We have people sourcing the military costumes but it's the civilians with whom we could do with some help - if you're able to assist, please contact the producer Emma Daintrey as soon as possible or contact us in any of the usual ways...
Meetings
We are about to revive our "reasonably regular meetings" programme! These are meetings unconnected with any specific production and in the past have included play readings, talks by outside speakers, a quiz or a mini-workshop. The workshops would be hosted by a different CADS member each time using a venue in the town such as the Coombes Community Centre The first of them is likely to take place early in September (more details in this newsletter, on the website and on social media when we have them) but, in the mean time, if you have any bright ideas for a future meeting - whether or not you'd be prepared to host it - do please let us know.