Present Day

In 1996 the Chiropractic College decided that the hall was to used for students, once again we were on the look out for new premises. We found the great theatre of St Peter's School to move to, nice comfy seating for 480 and a large acting area and vast changing facilities. One problem - no storage and rehearsal facilities on one night of the week only (Its at this point we would like to thank the patrons and members who have our wardrobe and props stored in their houses). We needed to rehearse for two nights a week; and it was back to Denmead for the extra night. We look at the hall now and wonder how on earth we managed to act on such a small stage. When you left the stage you would end up in a side room where you would have to stay put until the end of the act - there were no exit routes! To get from one side of the stage to the other you had to go out the side door, run around the hall and through the kitchen to re-enter.
The new millennium was celebrated in style as we presented Golden Memories in June 2000, a review show in which we included musical numbers from the nine musicals the society had produced up to that point. It was a great occasion for older members to get together for one last hurrah and for newer members to display their talents to our audience.
Unfortunately, Denmead Hall was recently demolished, so with an agreement with the school we rehearse most Tuesday’s in a classroom – but we do return to the All Saints Church Annexe during the school holidays! Our time at St Peter’s has seen us win several Curtain Call awards, including Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy to Martyn French as The French Cast in The Three Muskateers and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy to Lesley Lock for her portrayal of Dee Jobson in RolePlay. RolePlay itself was a play by Alan Ayckbourn of which we were the first amateur society in the country to produce it, along with Improbable Fiction, our most previous production. Our membership scheme has grown considerably, not least due such superb productions as Me and My Girl, Honk!, Flare Path, Bedroom Farce and several professionally penned pantomimes by ex Please Sir actor, Peter Denyer, including Aladdin and Jack & the Beanstalk. Today we have around 75 members and 900+ patrons. How we have grown and we intend to carry on for many years yet and are always on the look out for new members / patrons. Potential new members are more than welcome to join us any Thursday at the De La Salle Theatre at St Peter’s School, Southbourne at 7.30pm. On-stage, backstage – whatever takes you’re fancy, you’d be more than welcome!

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