Greater Manchester Drama Federation

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THE SEASON IS BEGINNING‼️‼️
⭕️LET’S MAKE THIS SEASON THE BEST EVER.
⭕️PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL THEATRES.
⭕️THE AIM: 💯 % AUDIENCES
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Here are the auditions and plays for September.
Can’t wait to see these wonderful plays.
👀SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE👀
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🟠AUDITIONS 🟠
⭐️The Vicar of Dibley:
Guide Bridge Theatre September 7th.
⭐️Be My Baby:
Guide Bridge Theatre October 4th
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🎭PLAYS FOR YOUR DIARY IN SEPTEMBER 2024 🎭
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🔶PACK OF LIES: 7-14
Chads Theatre
🔷AND THEN THERE WERE NONE 7-14
Farnworth Little Theatre
🔶LILIES ON THE LAND 7-14
Stockport Garrick Theatre
🔶OUR DAY OUT 9-14
Guide Bridge Theatre
🔷SHADOWLANDS 9-14
MADS Theatre
🔶GHOST TRAIN 9-14
Bolton Little Theatre
🔷THE HISTORY BOYS 16-21st Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
🔶THE ODD COUPLE (Female version)
18-21.
The Marco Players
🔷EVERY BRILLIANT THING 18-21
The Martyr's Players
🔶DEAR LUPIN 21-28
Whitefield Garrick
🔷PRIVATE LIVES 24-28
Woodford Players
🔶SNAKE IN THE GRASS 24-28
The Carver theatre
🔶UNDER THE STARS 29.9-5.10 Altrincham Little Theatre
🔷HANSARD 30.9-5.10
Lyceum Theatre Oldham

📣CALLING ALL YOUTH LEADERS📣
The following is information about 1 Act Plays for Young people
Brookdale Theatre Jenny Base Performingarts Heald Green Theatre Company Zoe Pickering Jenny saville Chlöe Kayes
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Youth One Act Festival Plays 🎭 This is a play about young people, and the power of young people to make a stand and to rally others to a worthy cause. It is also about a charismatic individual who inspires those young people to look outside their own experiences and to see others who are in a much worse situation than their own....

Congratulations to all Nominees and winners - a big fat, WELL DONE!
Our thanks to Brookdale Theatre for putting up with us and their fantastic help and support in hosting the 2024 Awards Nights.
thanks too to Ian M Butterfield for capturing the evenings on film as it were.
It goes without saying that we extend, as ever, huge thanks to our adjudicators, Bill, Andrew, Gerard, Mike and Seb, we can't do it without them.
Thank you to all of you for supporting Awards Night, it was lovely to see you all.
The list of Nominations and winners can de found here Friday Night's drama awards photographs are here

2023-24 Nominations and Winners - Greater Manchester Drama Federation GMDF Greater Manchester Drama Federation Full Length Play Festival 2022-23 Nominations

Photos from the Drama section awards last night at Brookdale Theatre https://photos.imb.biz/gmdf/2024dramaawards
We're about to do it all ovr again tonight for the musical and pantomime section. See you shortly!
thank you Ian M Butterfield

2024-08 Drama Awards Photography by Ian M Butterfield

Woodford Players
Tickets from: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/init/FDIEKMD

Congress Players, Whitworth AMDS, North Manchester Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society - trying to contact you, please can you email [email protected]? Thank you

https://new.gmdf.org/diary-dates/whats-on-in-gmdfland/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Tt7ab8L4AQxZuhIeS0jezjbdONhEdteE-G_Kltel5Seebj81uZBEfgJE_aem_FDgPOth1DIxWqlQ0RapdLQ

What's On in GMDFland - Greater Manchester Drama Federation GMDF Greater Manchester Drama Federation's (GMDF) Members' Events Calendar of Plays, Musicals, Pantomimes and Auditions

https://new.gmdf.org/diary-dates/whats-on-in-gmdfland/

What's On in GMDFland - Greater Manchester Drama Federation GMDF Greater Manchester Drama Federation's (GMDF) Members' Events Calendar of Plays, Musicals, Pantomimes and Auditions

'Gymnopédies', a two act play for three women and available now:

“Los Angeles and an empty stage in a ‘dark’ theatre. An unexpected invitation to attend a read through for a play reunites three actresses for the first time in thirty years; thirty years since they rehearsed together, what was then a ‘new’ play, Gymnopédies. Thirty years of three very different lives which now converge for one brief day. One day to reacquaint, to rehearse, to reconcile, to remember. But what else might happen when you are forced to remember, not just the make-believe of theatre, but also the reality of the past?
The past is a big place when you need somewhere to hide.
But not when you’re trying to hide from yourself.”

"The script is incredibly well written. It is tight, concise, and very relevant. It is also caustic, sharp, and some of the humour will have you belly-laughing, missing the next couple of lines, whilst other lines are so pithy that they make you stop in your tracks." Number 9 Reviews (August 2022)

For further information, just get in touch.
Promo: https://youtu.be/2w1_UAUXwAc?si=f_vEP21rQ1wyo__3

Here are the results of our 62nd One Act Play Festival held at Guide Bridge Theatre. https://new.gmdf.org/2024-gmdf-one-act-play-festival-winners/
Huge thanks to our adjudicator Martin Paul Roche - Theatre Writer for his invaluable feedback to all the entrants.
Congratulations to ALL the entrants Guide Bridge Theatre Brookdale Theatre Centre Stage Theatre Group Northbound Productions Batty Hatsters Woodford Players
Our programmes looked lovely so thank you to Michael Lawlor for printing them.
A note to theatre societies out there - the GMDF One Act Play Festival is an open festiva, you don't have to be a GMDF member, the standard is high so it's a valuable competition on many levels, we are well organised, friendly and don't bite so we would urge you to factor this festival into your season and join us next year!
Thank you again to everybody that contributed - you all made for a great week's theatre. National Drama Festivals Association Stockport Amateur Theatres

open our 62nd One Act play Festival tonight Guide Bridge Theatre with@Martin Paul Roche - Theatre Writer adjudicating. .
Thank you to Michael Lawlor for printing our programmes.
Northbound Productions Guide Bridge Theatre and Woodford Players are all on stage tonight.
Tix are available here: https://new.gmdf.org/2024-gmdf-one-act-play-festival/

the 2023-24 season Nominations are online here: https://new.gmdf.org/2023-24-nominations-and-winners/ Many congratulations to all nominees and indeed to everybody who takes part be it on the stage or off the stage because there is nothing like live theatre! Keep doing what you do.
Well done everybody and as ever, our huge thanks to our adjudicators.

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Please click below to see all the fabulous plays to watch near you in June.
SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE
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What's On in GMDFland - Greater Manchester Drama Federation GMDF Greater Manchester Drama Federation's (GMDF) Members' Events Calendar of Plays, Musicals, Pantomimes and Auditions

the One Act Play Festival Stage Managers' Meeting will be at Noon sharp Guide Bridge Theatre next Sunday 2nd June. Competing societies will need to have with them forms B and C. If you are a youth group entering the Festival you will also need to complete the child safegurading form. ALL forms can be found here: https://new.gmdf.org/2024-gmdf-one-act-play-festival
See you next Sunday!

🍦3 WEEKS TO GO🍦

In the summer of 1990 Manchester was the capital of cool, home to Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses and the Hacienda. All the Ordinary Angels, by Nick Leather, is set between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Thatcherism, at Raffa’s ice cream factory in Ancoats, Manchester’s “Little Italy” 🇮🇹

Family patriarch Giuseppe unexpectedly announces he wants to come in from the cold and retire from running the family ice cream business. But which of his sons will take his place – dreamy Lino who can make gelato but not sell it, or greedy Rocco, who’s useless at making ice cream but could sell it to Eskimos, let alone the children of Manchester? 🍨

As the pair are pitted against each other, Lino’s unsuitably feisty fiancée Lulu and Rocco’s wife Bernie are desperate to join the game. But who will win and at what cost? And just why is the new Raffa “Angelato“ ice cream so irresistible? 🤔

All The Ordinary Angels is no ordinary play. You’ll scream for ice cream!

Help! I'm looking for some venues to bring our two-act/two-hander play to between mid-July and mid-August. Just a couple of nights on a shared box arrangement.
We just require a black box set.
Interested in a collaboration?
Please get in touch via DM or email [email protected].
Thank you!
https://www.martinpaulroche.com/opposites-in-common.html

GMDF members - the 2024-25 Season Preliminary Full Length Festival Entry Form is here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/GMDFFullLengthPlayFestival/GMDFPreliminaryAmateurTheatreFestivalEntryForm
As ever, it's not the name of the shows we necessarily need at the moment it's the dates. We need this in order that we can construct the adjudicators' diaries because they have lives too! Be much appreciated if you could complete this asap. Many thanks.

ci3.googleusercontent.com

how dates for 2024-25 season Not sure how we've got to nearly closing the current season but we have. The season closes on Saturday 25th May after which our adjudicators will draw up their nominations and they will then be published on the website as usual, as soon as possible in early June.

🎭🎭Altrincham Little Theatre🎭🎭🎭
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We are delighted to announce the plays for the forthcoming 2024/25 season at Altrincham Little Theatre:

1. Under the Stars by Richard Crane
2. Waiting for God by Michael Aitkens
3. Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward
4. Glorious! The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the worst singer in the world by Peter Quilter
5. Murder by Misadventure by Edward Taylor

Please find below a summary for each play, list of characters, directors and performance dates.

You will have the opportunity to find out more about the plays, characters and directors at the informal
🔴Play Open Evening🔴
🟠on Thursday 16 May 2024 @ 7.30pm,
🟠at Altrincham Little Theatre.
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If you are unable to join us on the evening, don't worry, you can register your interest for any of the plays by emailing [email protected].

🔴🔴We look forward to seeing you soon.
Altrincham Little Theatre Play Selection & Casting Committee

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🟢Play 1: Under the Stars by Richard Crane

Performance Dates: Sun 29 Sept = Sat 5 Oct 2024
Director: Charlie Cook

A gentle, light hearted play about understudy actors Stella and Regina, who have spent their lives preparing for the Big Day, when they would be asked to step into the shoes of the classical actresses for whom they understudy.
Stella is a method actress, passionate about the magic of the theatre. Regina is cynical and practical, spending her days knitting and shopping.
Suddenly the Big Day arrives…… What will happen when the Director requests a “Known Actress” to take over instead of them?

Cast
Stella / understudy for HELEN - (any age)
Regina/ understudy for CLYTEMNESTRA - (any age)
Charles (any age)
P.Q. - (male, age 40+)
The known actress (any age)

and the voices of-
The Dame/ performing as CLYTEMNESTRA (any age)
Trixie / performing as HELEN (any age)

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🟢Play 2: Waiting for God - An original stage play by Michael Aitkens, based on the popular BAFTA nominated comedy TV Series.

Performance Dates: Sun 17 Nov - 23 Nov 2024
Director: Mike Russell

“If there was any justice, instead of farting about on SAGA cruises we would be doing loads of drugs and bonking ourselves into oblivion!”

Reminiscent of when the Rolling Stones got their bus passes, the TV characters you know and love are brilliantly re-imagined for today, facing the challenges that come with growing old disgracefully in the era of the silver surfer.

At Bayview Retirement Village, feisty, retired war zone reporter Diana Trent conspires with new and eccentric resident raver Tom Ballard to give the conniving manager Harvey Baines his comeuppance, with unexpectedly heart-warming results.

Cast
Diana Trent (age 65+)
Tom Ballard (age 65+)
Harvey Baines - (age 40+)
Jane Edwards – (age 40+)
Sarah Chase – (age 30 - 45)
Geoffrey Ballard – (age 40+)
Dennis Sparrow/ Basil the bayview stud/Doctor Henry – (any age)
Milly Dawkins/Undertaker - (any age)
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🟢Play 3: Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward
Performance Dates: Sun 19 Jan - 25 Jan 2025
Director: Lisa Barker

Socialite and novelist Charles tries to get inspiration for his latest novel by inviting the eccentric Madame Arcati to conduct a séance. During the séance she inadvertently summons the spirit of Elvira, Charles’ first wife, and his domestic bliss is disrupted by the jealous ghost.
A classic Noel Coward spirit-lifting play.

cast
Charles - (middle aged)
Ruth - (middle aged)
Elvira - (middle aged)
Madame Arcati - (any age)
Edith - (any age)
Dr Bradman - (male. any age)
Mrs Bradman - (any age)

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🟢Play 4: Glorious! The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the worst singer in the world by Peter Quilter

Performance Dates: Sun 9 March - 15 March 2025
Director: Barbara Harris

A sparkling play about a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
In 1940's New York, the performer who everyone wanted to see live was Florence Foster Jenkins, an enthusiastic soprano whose pitch was far from perfect. Known as 'the first lady of the sliding scale', she warbled and screeched her way through performances. This delusional and joyously happy woman paid little attention to her critics, instead she was surrounded by a circle of devoted friends who were almost as eccentric as she was.

Based upon a true story, the play spins from Florence's charity recitals and extravagent balls, through to her bizarre recording sessions and ultimate triumph at Carnegie Hall, in this wonderful, heart-warming play.

Hear Florence performing via You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwthfxxbKho

Cast
Florence Foster Jenkins (age 50+)
St. Clair - (age 50+)
Cosme McMoon - (age 25+)
Dorothy - (any age)
Maria - (any age)
Mrs Verrinder-Gedge - (any age)
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🟢Play 5: Murder by Misadventure by Edward Taylor
Perfromance dates: Sun 18 - 24 May 2025
Director: Mike Russell

What happens when one member of an award-winning writing duo wants to leave the partnership and the other refuses?

Successful thriller writer Harold Kent wants to dissolve his partnership with his long-term writing partner, Paul Rigg. Threatened with blackmail from Rigg and no escape from the partnership, Kent conspires with his wife to kill Rigg using a plot from a new thriller idea.
The plan goes smoothly ... or does it? When the Kents are visited by the persistent and perceptive Inspector Egan the plotters are in for surprises and twists abound in this ingenious thriller. Will the perfect crime be committed?

Cast
Harold Kent - (any age)
Paul Riggs - (any age)
Emma Kent - (any age)
Inspector Egan - (any age)

Queen Of The Night (Mozart) - Florence Foster Jenkins (2020 sound restoration by Atticus Jazz) New York, May 30, 1940.

News good or bad has a habit of travelling fast and many of you reading this will already know that the world of amateur theatre in Greater Manchester has lost a gem in Carla Stokes. It’s heartbreaking news and we send our love and sincere condolences to Carla’s sister Gail and wider family.

Carla was quite simply one of the nicest souls you could ever wish to meet. She had a heart of gold, true community spirit in her DNA and her dedication and commitment to amateur theatre was second to none, all 58 years of it! Anyone who had the privilege of working with her, acting with her, being directed by her or just being with her will always remember her kindness and ability to encourage or explain in a positive way why something needed doing differently. She brought her wealth of experience to so many situations and all of this was combined with a fabulous sense of humour.

Carla sat on the GMDF Board for more years than any of us care to remember and there too was the kindness, the degree of measure and common sense. She was for a long time a member of the One Act Play Festival team and irony of ironies, where is this year’s One Act Festival? Yes, it’s at Guide Bridge Theatre which was, of course, Carla’s home society. Think it’s fair to say there will be a few glasses raised to a special lady that week! In amongst all the heartbreak there are some happy and indeed laugh out loud moments so many of us have shared with Carla to which we can raise those glasses.

Many of you will know Carla when she visited your theatre as an adjudicator. There too, her passion for theatre, her huge experience, sense of balance and measure came to the fore. That said, Carla was no push over, she said it as it was and if something was “not right” she said so. We have one Board member, Gerard Lennox, with very special memories of Carla’s skills in the adjudicating department as she mentored him in the art and indeed launched him into the world of adjudicating. In turn, Ian Towsend will be reflecting on his mentoring of Carla as she set out to adjudicate. What goes round comes round.

As GBT have already said, Carla faced her illness with grace and this picture was taken at last year’s Awards Night. We already knew at that point that there was a tough road ahead but there she was smiling away determined to announce and give out the awards she had chosen. What a girl!

There are no words to be honest to say how much we shall miss Carla but she leaves behind in so, so many of us a fantastic legacy which will stand us all in good stead.
Once again, our heartfelt condolences to Carla’s immediate family and her GBT family.

Stella, Paul, Anita, Gerard, Barbara, Hazel, Jane and Jude
GMDF

'The King's Orphan' promotional trailer for the play by Martin Paul Roche Promotional trailer for the stage play 'The King's Orphan written by Martin Paul Roche.It premiered in Manchester in 2019. Further details about the piece an...