Players Prepare For (more) Intimate Exchanges.

Best Known for their annual pantomime the Ketton Players have also built up a reputation for captivating audiences with more challenging works. The challenge in this play (as with many Ayckbourn plays) is portraying the characters convincingly even when they reach the very edge of their sanity (the characters not the actors). Fortunately this is a skill the members of the Ketton Players have proved themselves to have possession of in a whole series of plays over recent years and they appear set to prove it again this coming weekend when this show goes before the public.

Affairs In A Tent is one possible version of the play Intimate Exchanges. Some regular followers of Ketton Players may recall previous productions of Intimate Exchanges, but do not fear, this is no repeat. When first created Alan Ayckbourn wrote several versions of the play starting from the same point and allowing the audience to choose what further scenes they saw. To learn quite so many scenes to the high standards the Ketton players demand of themselves would be a bit beyond the time available even to our valiant band of performers so the director chose the scenes at the beginning of rehearsals. This particular version is new to the Ketton Players but Peter Upton who is both director and plays the part of alcoholic public school head master Toby says that he and the cast believe this is the best version.

The play is full of the character based comedy for which Ayckbourn is famous as it follows Celia (Jill Holme) the head masters wife reaching the end of her tether. In all it promises to be a great night out and tickets are still available either from Kedington Butchers or by calling 01440 704293.

Related Stories: Other Ketton Players Productions Snow White 29/11/9 Players Prepare For Affairs In A Tent. 23/03/10 Review - Affair In A Tent 7/4/10

If you'd like to try your hand at acting and would like to join the Ketton Players an excellent opportunity is coming up. For the last couple of months the younger members of the group have been rehearsing the stage version of The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents based on the children's book (which seems equally popular among adults) by Terry Pratchett. When the play was cast back in January it was decided to just cast the junior roles and the rats (rats have quite a few lines in this tale) and leave the adult roles until after Affairs In A Tent was over. With Affairs In A Tent due to be performed this weekend auditions for the remaining adult roles in Maurice And His Educated Rodents will be held from 7:30 on Tuesday 13th of April with the show to be performed on the 16th and 17th of July. New comers are very welcome to audition as there are four speaking parts both male and female to fill and they will also be in need of people to play the role of villagers. Although all these parts only turn up in the last two scenes they are both big scenes and the parts very important to the play. Director Matthew Upton says "It's a brilliant play, It a comedy and for children but it's also very thoughtful and in places very dark and moody. It's great to act in and all ages will enjoy watching it." If you are interested in auditioning but would like more information please contact Matthew on 01440 704 341

Article by M.P.Upton - 23/3/10
If you have news of interest to Kedington or a response or further information on existing articles please contact News@KedingtonNews.co.uk