Towards a review of the first 30 years of Filkins Theatre

Some notes, dated 2017, found in a file destined for publication one day...

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   1986 saw the reforming of a theatre group in Filkins. In the 30’s there was a thriving company and judging by photographs showing complex and professional looking sets, it was obviously an accomplished troupe.

   The first production by FT was here in the village hall, although then there was a raised permanent stage and proscenium arch and little in the way of sophisticated lighting.  Noel Coward’s Hay Fever starred Reggie, Dorki and Juliet Hesslewood, Jeremy and Teresa Irwin-Singer, Pat Clark, Pam Assiter, Christopher Harrison and of course John Cambridge (have I got those right?)

   In those early days we had great direction from Marjorie Barstow (?what plays), writing talent from Judith Fay and Betty Booth of Filkins Farmhouse who adapted Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Sue Ashforth-Smith played Alice and swore the wardrobe mistress to secrecy that the innocent young child she was playing was in fact three months pregnant!  Dorkie Heselwood and John Cambridge danced on the chessboard floor as the White and Red Queens respectively, Tweedledum and Tweedledee were played by Robert Poole and Jeremy I-S, the beginning of a double act that went on the include the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella and always the slapstick pair in any pantomime.  Gill and Adam Baxter (what was Gill?), was the Cheshire Cat and Anne Bate as the frighteningly haughty Queen of Hearts.  At that time Suzanne Dore, long standing Parish Clerk, became Props Mistress and Stage Manager extraordinaire – usually appearing to change scenes wearing a green baize apron, long grey beard and waving a shrouded torch.

   Our only foray into the works of Shakespeare was A Midsummer’s Night Dream (?what year) starring John Cambridge as Oberon, Pat Clark as Titania and Sue A-S as Puck.  Small children, mostly belonging to the cast played fairies and attendants - it was a triumph.   Co-incidentally AMSND was the last FT production, many of you were there, on The Paddock across the road in beautiful sunshine, a rehearsed reading this time and with considerably older lovers and fairies!

   Between straight plays, comedic, suspenseful and mysterious came the biannual pantomimes, always popular.  The first in 1987 was Bo Peep, written in the village (by whom?) with such wonderful characters as The Duke and Duchess of Malaria (who carelessly lost their daughter Bo Peep whilst shopping in Carterton), Hiram J Potts of Lolly, and  Mrs McBundle (Barbara Bristow),  Then came Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Babes in the Wood (I think), Rumplestiltskin and of course The Great Catkinsville Bunfight.  Penned by Mike Clark it involved more of the villagers than ever before or since.  Who could forget Clive Gould, Dennis Constable and Plute Truman playing poker in the saloon, Sandy and Edna Saunders, then in their late 70’s (?) playing both ends of the cow, and vicar Ken Reeves as the Blacksmith (may have various pantos mixed up here), and the star turn of Dorki and Eileen de Brandt (both in their 90’s) splendidly sequinned and dancing as saloon girls!

   Many of the children of the early members cut their theatrical teeth in those early productions. The Ashforth-Smith boys (Olli is now professional or a drama teacher?), the three Hague boys, the Irwin-Singer boys, Eleanor Martin played the lion in Dickens of a Christmas aged 5, (there were few girls in those days), and lots of other children joined what became Filkins Children’s Theatre under the brilliant  tutelage of Pam Assister and Pat Scott.

   Stalwarts all, half way additions like Jeremy and Rachel Taylor, Lynne Savege, Paul Molyneaux, Alan and Barry Heath, and more recently Charlotte Ashby, Jules Morley, Mandy Scott, Paul Floyd and others from villages around and about, swelled the ranks.

   However… and there is always a caveat, more thespians are needed or wannabees, all necessary, particularly some younger ones… under 45’s maybe!  Without the backstagers nothing can work, so please, whatever your talents, real or imagined, you will be welcome, let FT go forward into another 30 years!

   Advertisement over… but one important item:  the metamorphosis of our pantomime dame – the ginger wigged, large bosomed John Cambridge who retired in the mid 90’s and turned into a chrysalis, but was to emerge slowly but surely into the siren cross dresser we have today in Jeremy Irwin-Singer!  Whatever the panto, whoever the player… there really is absolutely nothing like a Dame (Chorus: Jeremy, and probably Paul or Barry as JC)

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​   Jane Martin