Thursday 10 May 2012

Jack the Ripper Notes and Audition Pieces


If you are thinking of auditioning for our Autumn Show, Jack the Ripper, we already have the libretto and music audition pieces available:

Libretto Auditions
Music Auditions

To help you get into your part we also Character Notes and Director's Notes, which will help you become familiar with the show and start you thinking about which parts might suit you.

Producer Paula Fraser will be talking about the show and the different characters at our first rehearsal on Tuesday 15th May. Auditions are on Tuesday 12 June from 7.45 at Streatley Village Hall. There is a map on our Contact Us page.

If you have never auditioned before, don't be shy, just give it a go. The show is a new experience for all of us and there are a lot of parts.

Just to remind you, the Society will be hiring some scores, but if you would like to have your own copy scores and libs are available to buy from Samuel French Ltd. They cost £17 for the score and £9.25 for the libretto.

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Wednesday 9 May 2012

Merrie England at Wolverton


Wolverton G&S are presenting Merrie England on 26 May at St George's Church Wolverton. Click on the poster to enlarge it for full details! The music for Merrie England is wonderful and this is a rare chance to hear it. The Show has rousing chorus's and a story filled with intrigue and romance set in the court of Good Queen Bess:
'Merrie England is an English comic opera that concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.

The Queen is jealous of Sir Walter Raleigh’s affection for Bessie Throckmorton, her lady in waiting, whilst Essex has his own romantic designs on the Queen. Throw in a bratish May Queen, a mad woman and her cat, a witch hunt, Robin Hood, a dragon, a deluded Shakespearian actor, several songs about fish, Herne the Hunter and morris dancing and you’re guarenteed some right royal Tudor mayhem.

Songs from the opera include "O Peaceful England", “God Bless Elizabeth” and "The Yeomen of England”.'
Paula Fraser is singing Bessie Throckmorton, and Louise Thonger and Graham Breeze will also be familiar faces to PBGS followers!


Sunday 6 May 2012

Patience 'flippin' fabulous'!


Our run of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience ended last night and we all had such a fantastic time I think every one of us was sorry to say goodbye to our lovesick maidens and heavy dragoons!

It was wonderful to hear all our audiences laughing and enjoying themselves so much throughout the week - it was a real boost, especially as our Friday and Saturday nights sold out. The QMT Theatre Management made sterling efforts to put in extra seating to accommodate the queues! Thank you to everyone who made the trip to Hitchin to support us. We are really look forward to presenting our next Show to you in October 2012. Moving away temporarily from G&S we will be performing Jack the Ripper: The Musical, under the able direction of Paula Fraser who gave us the wonderful G&S Sketch Show last year.


There is already a lot of anticipation for this show, set in a Victorian Music Hall and on the streets of London. If you would like to be involved (especially men!!!) then please contact us. Rehearsals start on May 15th at Streatley Village Hall, Beds, and this would be a very good time to join PBGS. New non-performing members are also very welcome as there is always a lot of essential work to do behind the scenes. The people you see prancing about on the stage are only part of the effort that goes into every production!

If you are already missing your G&S, we have a fantastic triple bill of shorts coming up in Spring 2013 - Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial By Jury, Gilbert & Burnand's Cox and Box, and Sullivan & Stephenson's The Zoo. All equally funny and all in the spirit of classic G&S.


We look forward to seeing you all again at the Queen Mother Theatre!

Thursday 3 May 2012

Patience Ticket Update

We have been told that a few more seats can be put in for this Saturday's performance so if you can only come to see Patience on that night, ring the QMT Box Office on 07946 264886!

There are still plenty of seats for tonight and it would be lovely to see a full house.

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Wednesday 2 May 2012

PBGS Patience opens tonight!

Final Patience rehearsal at Streatley

Well - tonight's the night! We've settled into the Queen Mother Theatre (our home from home for the week), managed to get through the Dress with no mishaps and can't wait to show all our efforts to an audience. There are still tickets available for all nights, although Saturday is nearly sold out. It would be lovely to fill the theatre so if you are still thinking about coming, be assured that you can park right in front of the QMT and you can see perfectly from all seats! Tickets are £12 with £10 concessions tonight and tomorrow.

Patience is showing from:

Wed 2nd - Sat 5th May

Queen Mother Theatre
Walsworth Road, Hitchin Herts SG4 9SP

Box Office: 01462 455166 or 07946 264886

Paula (Patience) and Tim (Bunthorne)