A competition-winning playwright has created a new comedy drama filled with eccentric characters on a mission to save their residential home.
Kathy Reid’s forays into the world of drama writing started when she and her husband Marc moved to Egypt for Marc’s new job working for a gas company.
“I thought that the British community out there needed a panto. I ended up doing two, for parents and some pupils at the British international school in a Cairo suburb,” she said.
Kathy from Hurst, who trains Reading Citizens Advice advisors, went on to write Jack and the Beanstalk and direct Babes in the Wood, both for Hurst panto group.
Her prize-winning plays for festival competitions have been staged at the Progress Theatre, Reading and at South Hill Park, Bracknell. Kathy wrote and directed a well-received play End of Time for Twyford Drama in 2012.
Now she is directing the new play she has written, Fight Them For The Beeches, channelling the battling spirit of Sir Winston Churchill, for the Twyford group. She notes it will be a “world premiere production”.
The story follows a group of mature, eccentric characters whose connections to their residential home, Beeches Manor, and each other have deep roots.
Still lively and active, belligerent Colonel, wheeler-dealer Walker, mystical Cassandra and no-nonsense Iris need to use all their shared skills and experience to find out what is going on and save their home from developers.
Rehearsals for the performances on May 11-13 at 7.45pm at Loddon Hall, Twyford are going well under the directorship of Kathy, with Joanne Davis as assistant director.
Kathy said: “For me, this is really about a team effort. I’m lucky to have some great people working together supporting with the design, stage management and direction, plus of course an excellent cast.
“All the different, quite eccentric characters are coming together. The actors are enjoying themselves. As the director that is my priority, that it’s fun for the actors, people behind the stage and the audience.”
Tickets are £10 or £12. Visit www.tywforddrama.co.ukto buy them or call the box office on 0118 328 2825.
SUE CORCORAN
