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Swallowfield Parish Hall, Swallowfield Street, Swallowfield RG7 1QX

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Russell Players: 'Funeral Tea' & 'The Reunion'

The Russell Players present 'Funeral Tea' and 'The Reunion', two one-act comedies by Pat Wilson.

Funeral Tea
Following Uncle Jacob's cremation the attendees arrive for the funeral tea provided by the conscientious caterer, Mrs Ellis. As the four settle down for a cup of tea it becomes apparent that the urn containing Uncle Jacob's ashes is missing. When Miss Starkie the deceased's niece, suggests the tea tastes odd and they discover the tea jar is locked in the cupboard, they face an unthinkable possibility.

The Reunion
The discovery of a note written by Uncle Jacob, insisting attendees of his funeral come to the reading of his Will and partake in the drinking of his home made wine, has the ladies assembled again. As they preside over what they hope are his ashes, it becomes apparent they will receive some compensation for "reluctantly" providing for him. All they have to do is find the money. Unfortunately they have difficulty reading his Will. This is partly due to its poor condition and partly due to the potency of Uncle Jacob's wine. It looks doubtful they will find anything and they begin to wonder if a seance could be the answer.

Tickets: adult £10, including light supper, are available from Swallowfield Stores
or our ticket office on 07555073597
or online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/russellplayers (Booking fee applies) .

The Russell Players were founded in November 1977 by a group of Swallowfield Parishioners having performed informally together in 1976. We have had a long held tradition of staging pantomimes at the end of January / beginning of February each year.

More information: russellplayers.co.uk.

Wokingham Theatre, Twyford Road, Wokingham, RG40 5TU

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Wokingham Theatre: 'Sense and Sensibility' by Jessica Swale

When their wealthy half-brother cheats them of their fortune, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are left penniless. They are forced to leave the comforts of Norland Park and relocate to chilly Barton Cottage in Devonshire but when John Willoughby, a handsome stranger, arrives one day with a rain-drenched Marianne in his arms the sisters are convinced that their fortunes are changed forever.

Jessica Swale's beautiful retelling of Jane Austen's timeless novel will surprise and delight you.

Directed by Rosie Hill.

Tickets: £12 can be booked online from the theatre.

More information: www.wokingham-theatre.org.uk.

The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road, Wokingham RG40 3EU

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Whitty Theatre: 'The Oresteia'

Splendid Productions present an epic, murderous tale of family, history, vengeance and honour in a story nearly as old as theatre.

Condensing Aeschylus's classic trilogy into an hour, Splendid's regal cast of three retell the story of King Agamemnon, his queen Clytemnestra, and their children, Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes. A legendary family born to power, but destined to rip itself apart in a bloody cycle of tragedy.

Splendid's new creative adaptation explores the place where rage meets justice in an artful, political, physical, musical, entertainingly furious – and furiously entertaining – piece of theatrical magic.

Tickets: Adults £10, School groups £7 available from ticketsource.co.uk.

More information: www.thewhittytheatre.org.

The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road, Wokingham RG40 3EU

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Whitty Theatre: 'An Evening of Magic'

A charity event for the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre.

Following the success of An Evening of Magic 2017, we are back again with another spellbinding evening!

This time, award-winning magician Ian Vallance is joined by none other than Daniel Radcliffe's stunt-double in the Harry Potter films: David Holmes. For over a decade, David was the stunt-double for Daniel Radcliffe until a horrendous on-set accident left him paralysed for life.

The first half will see a set of mesmerising magic from Ian, with the second half giving the audience an insight into how the magic of the Harry Potter films was created in a series of interviews, stories and clips with David.

A full bar service will be running, so book now for a great evening – a positive alternative to Hallowe'en!

Tickets: Adults £8, available from ticketsource.co.uk.

More information: www.thewhittytheatre.org.

The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road, Wokingham RG40 3EU

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Whitty Theatre: 'Thirsty'

Based on our nation's love affair with alcohol, Thirsty weaves together real booze-based confessions collected from a 'drunken hotline' and hundreds of questionnaires answered by young and old.

From nightclubs to working men's clubs, from house parties to dinner parties; Thirsty relays tales from the happy hours to the early hours.

Fusing live music, verbatim text and stunning physical theatre, The Paper Birds examine binge drinking culture in the UK.

Tickets: Adults £12, School groups £9 available from ticketsource.co.uk.

More information: www.thewhittytheatre.org.

Wokingham Theatre, Twyford Road, Wokingham, RG40 5TU

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Wokingham Theatre: 'My Dear, Dear Boy' by Peter Stallwood

Celebrating the centenary of the end of WW1, WT are proud to present a new drama based on real letters from WW1 between a soldier and his family.

Directed by Jess Hadleigh and Thomas Joy.

Tickets: £12 can be booked online from the theatre.

More information: www.wokingham-theatre.org.uk.

The Whitty Theatre, Luckley House School, Luckley Road, Wokingham RG40 3EU

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Whitty Theatre: 'Elf Jr.'

Join the younger cast of Starmaker Theatre Company in a wonderfully festive production of Elf Jr.

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.

Tickets: Adults £14, Concessions £12, Family of 4 £44 available from ticketsource.co.uk.

More information: www.thewhittytheatre.org.

The Loft, Finchampstead Baptist Church (FBC) Centre, Gorse Ride North, Finchampstead RG40 4ES

How to get there. Access to FBC available from Nine Mile Ride or Barkham Ride by an entrance on Gorse Ride South and Gorse Ride North.

Established in 1999, the Showtime Academy leads the field in fun, performance based training in the song, dance & drama. Aimed at students aged 8 - 19 years old, we look to produce at least two quality musical performances each year for those with the desire to get up on stage and entertain.

Whilst members of the Academy do not have to have had any previous performing experience, we are looking for people who want to get involved and have fun!

If you have enthusiasm, want to make some great friends, work with experienced West End performers and technicians the Showtime Academy could definitely be the place for you.

More information: www.showtimeacademy.com.