Merry Christmas from PBGS

 

 

Merry Christmas from all of us at PBGS!

It's been a strange year with no shows to present to you and we were especially disappointed to have to withdraw our wonderful double-bill of Trial by Jury and The Sorcerer at our Tech rehearsal. We've missed getting together to rehearse and sing the music we love. 

Despite all the difficulties we are still here, still ready to perform and there are still things to celebrate as next year is our 50th Anniversary! We hope to have some news soon, as we plan how to mark this very special year with, hopefully, an anniversary production of Gilbert and Sullivan's masterpiece, The Yeomen of the Guard, in October.

We've missed seeing you all and thank you for your continued support. You can keep up with our news and see some nostalgic photos of past productions on our Facebook page. In the meantime we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a much better, music filled 2021!

N-OVAtion award for Manda Fraser and our Iolanthe costumes

Wonderful news - our very talented wardrobe mistress (and performer!), Manda Fraser, has won this year's N-OVAtion award for 'Most Exciting & Colourful Costumes' for her work in Iolanthe. All the fairy costumes were designed and made by Manda, and all of you who saw the show were blown away by how beautiful they looked. We are thrilled that all that hard work and inspiration has been recognised. Aren't they stunning? Thank you Manda!

Important Show Announcement

It is with great sadness that PBGS has had to make the decision to cancel our re-scheduled performance of Trial by Jury/The Sorcerer on 7-10 October 2020. Due to the ongoing uncertainty around live theatrical performances, and to ensure the safety of our cast, crew and audiences, we feel that this is the best course of action for all involved. We would like to thank our audiences for their continued support and apologise for any disappointment.

We look forward to the future and hope to be able to bring you a special year of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the society in 2021.

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Our Double Bill production of Trial by Jury and The Sorcerer will now take place on the 7th-10th October at the Queen Mother Theatre, Hichin. It was difficult for all of us to get so close to our first night before having to cancel, but we are looking forward to rehearsing it again once things start to return to normal, and polishing our show up nice and bright and shiny for you once more.

We look forward to performing for you again and thank you all for your patience and support. Watch this space for future booking details!

Trial and Sorcerer postponed until October 2020

IMPORTANT COVID-19 UPDATE

It is with regret that we at PBGS have to announce that this week's production of Trial by Jury and The Sorcerer is postponed until October 2020 following government advice and the closure of West End Theatres.

We feel that this is the best course of action to ensure the health and safety of our audience and company. 

The QMT will contact ticket holders in the near future to discuss rebooking for October or refunds.

Thank you for your support in difficult times.

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Socerer rehearsal photos

The Sorcerer can cast magical spells.

Some great Sorcerer rehearsal shots from our roving photographer and 'Reverend Vicar', Stephen Hoath. Our very funny production is directed by Richard Fraser, and the village of Ploverleigh, where the action takes place, may look strangely familiar to our audiences! The Sorcerer is showing in a Double Bill with Trial by Jury, and Director Graham Breeze has given us a modern day celebrity trial complete with a Press Corp and general mayhem!

Our G&S productions are always hugely popular and tickets are selling fast, so be sure to secure the nights you want by booking now using the button below.

Everyone loves a country dance.

Lady Sangazure is hopelessly in love with Sir Marmaduke

PBGS photoshoot

We had a lot of fun dressing up for our usual pre-show photoshoot. A passing cyclist nearly fell off his bike seeing a load of people in Victorian evening dress standing outside a cottage, but then you never know what goes on in villages, as our hilarious production of The Sorcerer illustrates. There is more than English Breakfast in that pot of tea! Then we donned our legal garb for our production of Trial by Jury. As you can see above, once you put those robes on things get pretty serious...

Many thanks to our 'Reverend Vicar' Stephen Hoath for stepping in to take the pictures at short notice and to our 'Counsel/Lady Sangazure' for letting us take over her lovely home!

Book early by clicking on the button below to ensure you get the seats you want, as all our G&S operettas are very popular!

Rehearsal Photos!

Rehearsals are coming along well for our Trial/Sorcerer Double Bill. It's always hard rehearsing two separate shows (or in the case of the last time we mixed shorter shows up... three!!!). One month you are in the village of Ploverleigh being dosed with a magic potion, the next you are in a court room trying to decide who is the guilty party in a breach of Promise of Marriage. In both cases you are caught up in typical G&S romantic mayhem. And taking of mayhem, that's our Jury above, not behaving as soberly as you would hope in a Court of Law.

Expect several digs at journalistic bias in our modern day Trial by Jury, as a celebrity case comes to court, and some very unexpected surprises in The Sorcerer - Ploverleigh might seem strangely familiar...

Great G&S music and comedy and the usual outstanding performances that you expect from PBGS. Be sure to book your tickets early by clicking on the link below!

Box Office is Open!

The Box Office is now open for tickets for our March Gilbert and Sullivan Double Bill, Trial by Jury and The Sorcerer.

Trial by Jury depicts the hilarious court case of a jilted bride and an undoubted cad brought before a learned but unpredictable judge. Will the Defendant have a fair trial? Will the jury be unbiased? Will the Plaintiff find true love or settle for the most unlikely of suitors?

On the same theme of mis-matched love, in The Sorcerer Alexis and Aline, an engaged couple, have instructed J.W. Wells, a 'dealer in magic and spells' to create a magic potion which will make the entire village fall in love.  They hope that everyone will be as happy as they are, but disaster strikes when the village wakes up and falls in love with the first person they see, mixing old and young and posh and poor. Chaos reigns.

Only the sorcerer can break the spell...

Book early by clicking on the button below to ensure you get the seats you want, as all our G&S operettas are very popular!