Sarah Gooch embarked on her directing debut for the Players and staged Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th June, 2008.

Set in the West Country during the long summer holidays of 1943, the play centres around a group of seven year old children, all played by adult actors. The children’s games, fighting and relationships reflect their understanding of the adult world and the war around them. The play is a deceptively simple tale, ending in tragedy, and was originally shown on television in 1979.

Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter, Gulbenkian Theatre. Reviewed by Sian Napier, Kentish Gazette Actors show the darker side of childhood

Blue Remembered Hills Review by Sian Napier, Kentish Gazette

DENNIS Potter's tale of the loss of childhood innocence in the hills and woodland of rural England during the Second World War throws some difficulties in the path of those taking on the roles of seven children.

It is not a question of the actors just playing the parts of seven-year-olds - they have to almost become children if the audience's credibility in the story and the action unfolding on stage is to be maintained.

Fortunately Canterbury Players managed this and the acting from all seven was particularly strong with no weak links. Especially impressive were the facial expressions and exaggerated movements, which are so typical of children.

Although, on the face of it, a play about innocence, childhood and games, the play carries much deeper and thought provoking insights into the way children behave and why.

We see them at play, but their make-believe conversations are often a mirror image of those heard at home from their parents. And thoughout we are shown, by the children's behaviour, the way the human mind and emotions work and the sheer cruelty that can result. This is no romanticised view of childhood and this came over convincingly in the performances by all the actors - Sid Moon, James Newberry, Ed Clark, Laura Brown, Katherine Durio, John Rye and Samuel Stolton, who took on this difficult task and rose to the challenge.

Derek Standing's simple and effective set also worked well.

Sponsor:

CATHEDRAL GATE HOTEL: You too can rest where pilgrims did before Blenheim, the Boyne or even Bosworth were contested.This ancient and modern hotel provides city centre comfort from which to brave re-enactments from all ages, even unsettling ones like "The Birthday Party", assured in the knowledge that a hospitable welcome awaits you on return. Twisting passageways, low beams and just the occasional ghost lend drama to the experience, as do the stunning Cathedral and Buttermarket views. 27 well appointed rooms, Bow-Window restaurant and a cosy bar for that post-performance palliative. Prices from £22 per person (15% preferment) on presentation of the programme for "The Birthday Party".
Contact Cathedral Gate Hotel: 36 Burgate, Canterbury. Tel: 01227 464381 or email cgate@cgate.demon.co.uk

The Cathedral Gate Hotel have kindly handed their sponsor's tickets for "The Birthday Party" back to the Players, for use by drama students and others who might otherwise not have been able to attend.

Ed Clark
Actor: Justin, in Roleplay; Tom in The Accrington Pals; Peter in Blue Remembered Hills

Ed has played a variety of roles over the last few years and keeps up his skill set in a number of other disciplines, including singing and sports, making him a very useful member of the Players and to others, including film and tv production teams etc.

Until April 2006, James (Jim) had spent the past 20 years or so on an acting break between career engagements, latterly running his own management consultancy, training and coaching business, People Scope.

In his first acting life - primarily for the Cambridge University Players, at Uni in Birmingham, and the Goodrich Theatre, Putney - he got to play in different stuff: including a panoply of Shakespeares (Much Ado, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet), Beckett (Krapp's Last Tape), Bennett, Simon Gray, Pinter, Edward Bond, Athol Fugard et al.

In late 2005, Pinter's the Birthday Party - in all its non-sequitury weirdness - re-appeared and he started again....

Sid Moon
Actor: Willie in "Blue Remembered Hills"; Fred in "Two".

Blue Remembered Hills will be Sid's first shot at straight acting (if you forget the school nativity play). He did not start performing until he passed 50 when he played the part of a miner in the community opera, "Promised Land" as part of the Canterbury Festival in 2006.

It was there that Sid met Sarah, the Director for Blue Remembered Hills and John Rye who plays the part of Donald in this production. Last year Sid and Gill, his wife, had great fun being part of Canterbury Players Palace of Varieties show.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of Canterbury Players for the warm welcome they have given us and the friendships we have made within the society."

Samuel Stolton
Actor: Raymond in "Blue Remembered Hills"; Count Claudio, Much Ado about Nothing.

Samuel has held a passion for acting, theatre and film for many years, and prior to joining the Canterbury Players, has taken up roles such as Jimmy Porter In John Osborne's 'Look Back In Anger' in which Samuel portrayed the classic 'angry young man' to critical acclaim. Samuel is a keen musician, actively playing the electric and acoustic guitar. He also likes to keep himself busy by learning Italian, reciting Shakespeare, writing poetry, scriptwriting, and playing a number of different sports. Samuel plans to pursue a professional acting career one day, and is very grateful for all the help that The Canterbury Players have offered him.

Laura Brown
Actor: Angela in "Blue Remembered Hills"

Laura has adored performing for as long as she can remember and grabs at all opportunities of ‘Treading the boards’.

Laura has trained in musical theatre since the age of 14 with the Kent Youth Theatre and the BRIT School of Performing Arts before gaining a variety of credits to her CV. These include leading roles in professional pantomimes at the Marlowe Theatre, tremendously fun summer seasons singing and dancing in holiday venues, and show cases at the London Palladium and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Her most recent credits include:
Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of OZ’, Shelby in ‘Steel Magnolias’ and the title role in ‘Cinderella’ with the Up The Creek pantomime society.

Performing as Angela in ‘Blue Remembered Hills’ will be Laura's debut production with the Canterbury Players. She is grateful for the opportunity to perform with such a talented group of actors and she would like to thank the cast and crew for welcoming her so warmly.

Katherine Durio

Director: Much Ado About Nothing"
Actor: Audrey in "Blue Remembered Hills"

Katherine has been dancing, singing and acting since she could walk. Many lessons later, an acting degree from Bretton Hall, a post grad at The Bridge Theatre Training co. and Katherine's CV has roles ranging from Sandy in Grease to Viola in Twelfth Night. Professional work also includes Mae in Anthony Minghella's 2003 film "Cold Mountain". Having had the taste for the big time Katherine is now happily living in Wye and working with The Canterbury Players. Audrey in Blue Remembered Hills was Katherine's first role with the company and she will make her debut directing for The Players later in the year with "Much Ado About Nothing".

John Rye
Actor: Blue Remembered Hills, Much Ado About Nothing; Two; The Vortex.

John has always loved the stage especially musical theatre. He took lead roles in university productions of ‘Fame: The Musical’, ‘East’ & ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. He also directed successful performances of ‘Bouncers’ and an adult pantomime. Since moving back to Kent he has worked with Yellow Brick Road Theatre Company as well as the Really Promising Company in their shows ‘Promised Land’, ‘Kentish Tales’ & ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’. John made his Canterbury Players debut in 'Blue Remembered Hills' and loved every single second of working with the wonderful cast, crew and the fantastic support.

John moved back to kent after graduating in the summer of 2005 and is now working far too hard as a teacher at Chaucer Technology School. Recently he has worked with the Really Promising Company in their shows Promised Land and Kentish Tales, through which he has met Sarah Gooch and Sid Moon. He has also worked with Yellow Brick Road productions in a very well received performance of 100 last year.

John would like to thank the Players for their warm reception and he is looking forward to successful future productions.

Sarah Gooch
Actor: Much Ado About Nothing; The Birthday Party; La Ronde; The Accrington Pals; WPC in "Bazaar and Rummage" by Sue Townsend..
Performance Director Blue Remembered Hills; Two; Day After The Fair
Stage Manager - RolePlay
Social Secretary & Actor

Sarah has been involved in theatre since the age of thirteen and has been a member of Canterbury Players for the past ten years. Recent acting roles with Canterbury Players include Meg in “The Birthday Party”, the actress in "La Ronde", Viola in “Twelfth Night” and May in "The Accrington Pals".

Liz Findlay
Actor: Play It Again Sam; Much Ado About Nothing;
Stage Manager The Birthday Party, La Ronde, The Accrington Pals, Gosforth's Fete; Play It Again Sam, Fallen Angels, Blue Remembered Hills; Two; Arsenic And Old Lace

Liz joined the players in 2005 as prompt for Roleplay, rose to the position of chief of teapot bearing and has been stage managing since then in Pinter's "Birthday Party", Ayckbourne's "Gosforth’s Fete", Schnitzlers "La Ronde", Whelan's " The Accrington Pals" and Woody Allen's Play It Again Sam in which she also took the part of Vanessa.

Liz is trained in Fine Art and has exhibited locally and has launched a new small business for which www.canterburyart.co.uk will be the new website. She designed the posters for Fallen Angels and Blue Remembered Hills and Much Ado About Nothing.

Derek Standing
Set Design & Construction

Some 42 years ago, Derek responded to an urgent advert from Canterbury Dramatic Society and although only 18 he got a job and even survived giving the cast a nightmare on his first set because he did not know that one has to add size glue to the powder paint.

Recent productions: RolePlay; The Birthday Party; The Accrington Pals; Play It Again Sam; Fallen Angels; Much Ado About Nothing

Mark Charles Smith
Actor: For Canterbury Players Gosforth's Fete; La Ronde; Fallen Angels; The Accrington Pals; Much Ado About Nothing; Arsenic And Old Lace
Sound Engineer for Blue Remembered Hills.
For Chilham Players: Seasons Greetings
For Kent Shakespeare Company: Twelfth Night.

Mark is pleased to be back in rehearsal with the Canterbury Players after a brief foray at Mt. Ephraim with Kent Shakespeare Company's production of 'Twelfth Night'. He is looking forward to his first 'farce'. (Comments will surely appear after that statement!)

Mark has appeared in a number of Canterbury Players productions, as well as end of year short films at universities in Canterbury and Hastings, as a film extra for various productions filmed in Kent including "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "Wild Child", in a Chris Tarrant TV programme called 'Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose' and as a major player in a KETV production called 'The Sea Shall Have Them'.

Mark is looking for more TV and film work to get him out of the office once in a while.

My Facebook page.
A recent video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY9qcWjPomk

Louise Gibbins
Actor: Play It Again Sam; Gosforth’s Fete; The Accrington Pals; La Ronde; Much Ado About Nothing; Bazaar and Rummage by Sue Townsend; Woman in Two; Day After The Fair

Louise joined the Players in 2006 & has since been involved in several productions.

The first was Harold Pinter’s ‘The Birthday Party’ where she was the official teapot bearer between Acts II & III. Following the success of teapot placement, she was cast as Councillor Mrs Pearce in Alan Ayckborne’s ‘Gosforth’s Fete’. Louise proved herself to be a massive hit when Charlie Jubber (Gosforth) omitted to catch her as she fell off the podium backwards.

In Schnitzler's ‘La Ronde’, she played a prostitute which was lucky as Louise was concerned about being typecast! Louise also appeared in the production, "The Accrington Pals" by Peter Whelan. Here, she played Sarah, a hardworking but fun loving mother in her late twenties.

Louise is seeking film extra work, her public profiles on casting websites can be found HERE and HERE.