Current Shows
Bleak Expectations
Mark Evans
Auditions on Tuesday 28 July & Tuesday 4 August at 7pm.
The story Charles Dickens might have written after drinking too much gin… Follow half-orphan Pip’s extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn!
Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate?
Mark Evans’ stage play Bleak Expectations is a hilarious, chaotic caper, featuring dastardly villains, preposterous names, pulse-quickening romances, heart-rending death scenes, and definitely, probably, hopefully a happy ending. Based on the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, the play opened at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in 2022, directed by Caroline Leslie.
Upcoming Shows
Past Productions
Robin Hood
David Payne & Caroline Portsmouth
Deckchairs
Jean McConnell
Deckchairs is an evening of four playlets by Jean McConnell will an all female cast. The four plays are set on an ocean liner, seaside promenade and in a garden, with surprising twists. It features colourful and animated characters and delicate observations on life that are sometimes humorous, sometimes touching and always compassionate.
Running from Wednesday 25 to Saturday 28 March 2026 at The Harbour Theatre, Hope Street.
Directed by Tracey Baker and Assisted by Antoinette Richards
One Down
Paul Gorsuch
One Down… will be performed as part of the All England Theatre Festival on Saturday 21 March at The Warehouse Theatre, Illminster.
3 old guys attending their lifelong friend’s wake. They reminisce about how they met, their lives, questioning the role of religion, the meaning of life, framed by their northern humour.
There are a limited number of tickets at £5 each, please contact Paul Gorsuch on pggorsuch@gmail.com.
The Good Life
Jeremy Sams
The Good Life first came to the stage in 2021, adapted by Jeremy Sams, it was based on the popular and hilarious 1970s TV series.
The Weymouth Drama Club production will be performed at The Bay Theatre from Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 June 2026.
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me
Frank McGuinness
An American doctor and an Irish journalist are being held captive by terrorists in Beirut. They exercise and they argue, supportive in their mutual determination to survive. They are joined by an English academic.
The three display their national biases and prejudices, which are intensified in the cramped confines of their cell.
As time passes, will their resentments and recriminations give way to an acknowledgment of their characters, strengths and weaknesses?
Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 September
The Harbour Theatre, 7 Hope Street
Treasure Island
Richard Grafton
Evil Rocky Stone, King of the Portland Pirates, has buried treasure somewhere on the Isle of Slingers and wants to use it to take over the town of Weymouth. Can our hero Jim Hawkins and his pals defeat the evil Rocky? Will the local customs officers close the Admiral Benbow inn for VAT arrears? How can they evade a giant rampaging Rabbit? Will the cute bunnies be saved?
January 16th & 17th at 7:30pm
January 18th at 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden.
At the end of February we’ll be staging “The Accidental Death of an Anarchist” by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden. This riotous satire uses farce and slapstick to poke a stick in the eye of the justice system. Originally staged in 1970, it’s been brought right up to date in this version which ran in the West End in 2023.
An irrepressible fraudster known only as the Maniac is brought into Police HQ just as the officers are preparing for a judicial review of the recent “accidental” death of a suspect in custody. Outwitting his captors at every turn the Maniac dupes them into performing a farcical re-enactment of the incident, exposing the idiocy and corruption at the heart of the system.
Early Man
Hannah Vincent
A group of school kids spend a day at the local museum and are left to their own boisterous devices. They are left to tease, disobey the rules, betray one another, break confidences, set a world record for lock-jaw, fight over love interests and the last thing they want to do is learn about boring museum artefacts. That is until Sam’s encounter with a two thousand year old Bog Boy where an unlikely friendship blossoms.
Abigails Party
Mike Leigh
The Sweet Delilah Swim Club
A Jones Hope Wooten Comedy
Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 June 2024 at The Bay Theatre, Weymouth College, Tickets £17.50
This play set in North Carolina, is about five friends who set aside a long weekend each August to recharge their relationships. The play focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of 33years.
This is the story of five unforgettable women – a hilarious and touching comedy about friendship.
Dates for you to get involved:
Tuesday 12 March: Come to a workshop at our theatre with Jan and Julie about The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, their production to be performed mid June 2024.
Tuesday 19 March: auditions at the theatre for The Sweet Delilah Swim Club.
Please note this is an all female cast!
Dracula
Bram Stoker (adapted by Jane Thornton and John Godber)
October 2024
A new adaptation of the most chilling story of all time. True to Stoker’s original novel, Dracula is a fast-moving multi-layered masterpiece of fear. As a sudden and mysterious storm whips the coast of England, a young woman sleepwalks along the edge of a cliff. In the teeth of the gale, a ship crashes through the harbour entrance, abandoned except for an immense dog and fifty boxes of grave dust. The Transylvanian Count Dracula has arrived in England. Immortal only as long as he is able to drink the blood of the living, he pursues his victims with brutally devastating effect. From the remote wilderness of Yorkshire to a vast ruined castle near to London whose windows omit no light, the race to end Dracula’s lustful power is underway, if only there is still time…
Audition dates to be released soon!
The Real Inspector Hound
Tom Stoppard
Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 February 2023 at the Warehouse Theatre, Hope St, Weymouth DT4 STU
Tickets £12 includes fizz and nibbles from 7:30pm
Curtain up at 8pm
Dick Whittington
by Norman Robbins
Friday 19th & Saturday 20th January 2024
Plays and Chips…a second helping
By Paul Gorsuch
Cast off that onesie, kick off the slippers as Paul presents three of his brand-new short plays, to enjoy with a FISH and CHIP SUPPER.
Godfrey’s Last Stand
by Alan Stockdill
Godfrey’s Last Stand tells the simple story of Yorkshire amateur cricket umpire who dreams of umpiring an international match, a feat that becomes possible when he scoops a lottery win!! How will that go down with friends and family??
Blue
Written by John Cropper & Sadie Knight
All My Sons
Arthur Miller
On 13th, 14th 15th April 2023 at 7.30pm
Around The World In 80 Days
By Arrangement with Nick Hern Books
This year we are celebrating 40 years of the Curtain Raisers with our production of Around the World in 80 Days at Weymouth Pavilion. We thought this would be a great opportunity to get in contact with some of our past members to share some of their experiences as a Curtain Raiser.
The Pitmen Painters
2022
Arabian Nights
2021
Find A Partner!
2021
A Doll’s House
2020
Murdered to Death
2019
Le Grand Return
2019
Colder Than Here
2019
Ceasefire Babies
2018
Immaculate
2018
Goodnight Mr Tom
2018
Bent
2018
The 39 Steps
2018
Eclipse
2018
The Hollow
2017
Cheshire Cats
2017
The Lady in the Van
2017
Men of the World
2016
It Snows
2016
Communicating Doors
2016
Kindertransport
2015
Dad’s Army
2015
Mother Goose
2015
Oliver Twist
2015
Visitors
2015
2014 – Chip Van Plays Dixie and Towpath
2014 – Spider’s Web
2014 – Alice in Wonderland
2014 – National Portrait Service
2014 – Maskerade
2014 – Laying the Ghost
2013 – Ladies Day
2013 – Treasure Island
2013 – Chekhov & Chips
2013 – The Dresser
2013 – Strictly Murder
2013 – Comfort and Joy
2012 – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2012 – Calendar Girls
2012 – The Tempest at the Nuffield
2012 – Lucky Sods
2012 – Dead Guilty
2012 – Blue Remembered Hills
2012 – The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswoman’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol
2011 – Far from the Madding Crowd
2011 – The Cemetery Club
2011 – The Tempest
2011 – The Caretaker
2011 – Sleeping Beauty
2010 – Absurd Person Singular
2010 – Aladdin
2009 – Cold Comfort Farm
2009 – Out of Order
2009 – Dick Whittington
2008 – When we are Married
2008 – Stones In His Pockets
2008 – ‘Allo ‘Allo
2008 – Cinderella
2007 – Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime
2007 – Death Becomes Us
2007 – Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell
2007 – Sinbad The Sailor
2006 – Nicholas Nickleby
2006 – Twelfth Night
2006 – An Inspector Calls
2006 – Jack and the Beanstalk
2005 – Canterbury Tales – Chaucer Made Modern
2005 – The Enquiry
2005 – Little Tommy Tucker
2004 – Love Begins at 50
2004 – Wyrd Sisters
2004 – Fly Me to the Moon
2004 – Unoriginal Sin
2004 – Babes In The Wood
2003 – Herbal Bed
2003 – Nobody’s Perfect
2003 – Unleashed
2003 – Robinson Crusoe
2002 – Murder In Play
2002 – Beneath The Greenwood Tree
2002 – The Business Of Murder
2002 – Red Riding Hood
2001 – Blithe Spirit
2001 – The Weekend
2001 – Aladdin
2000 – The Ghost Train
2000 – Cider With Rosie
2000 – Anyone For Breakfast
2000 – Dick Whittington
1999 – Stepping Out
1999 – A Midsummer Nights Dream
1999 – Victoriana
1999 – Puss In Boots
1998 – Les Miserables
1998 – Passion Killers
1998 – Billy Liar
1998 – Cinderella
1997 – A Funny Thing Happend On The Way To The Forum
1997 – Much Ado About Nothing
1997 – Pride And Prejudice
1997 – Old Mother Hubbard
1996 – Arsenic And Old Lace
1996 – A Chorus Of Disapproval
1996 – Old Goat Song & Albertine In Five Times
1996 – A Sleeping Beauty
1995 – A Christmas Carol
1995 – Shakers And Bouncers
1995 – Jack And The Beanstalk
1994 – Macbeth
1994 – Daisy Pulls It Off
1994 – And A Little Love Besides
1994 – Aladdin
1993 – Towards Zero
1993 – Off The Hook
1993 – As You Like It
1993 – Mother Goose
1992 – The Fifteen Streets
1992 – Steel Magnolias
1992 – Lettice And Loveage
1992 – Little Miss Muffet
1991 – Dear Octopus
1991 – Touch And Go
1991 – Babes In The Wood
1990 – All My Sons
1990 – Groping For Words
1990 – Hay Fever
1990 – Dick Whittington
1989 – Johnny Belinda
1989 – A Tomb With A View
1989 – Children
1989 – Cinderella
1988 – Hobson’s Choice
1988 – Semi-detached
1988 – On Golden Pond
1988 – Jack And The Beanstalk
1987 – Conduct Unbecoming
1987 – Outside Edge
1987 – Sufficient Carbohydrate
1987 – Aladdin
1986 – Pack Of Lies
1986 – On The Razzle
1986 – Whose Life Is It Anyway
1986 – Robinson Crusoe
1985 – Privates On Parade
1985 – Local Affairs
1985 – Abigail’s Party
1985 – Sinbad The Sailor
1984 – The Accrington Pals
1984 – The Importance Of Being Earnest
1984 – Say Goodnight To Your Grandma
1984 – Humpty Dumpty
1983 – Night Watch
1983 – Lloyd George Knew My Father
1983 – Born In The Gardens
1983 – Cinderella
1982 – The Redville Wanderer
1982 – Surprise Package
1982 – Bequest To The Nation
1982 – Straight Up
1982 – Dick Whittington
1981 – Cavalcade
1981 – Ten Times Table
1981 – Alphabetical Order
1981 – Babes In The Wood
1980 – The Autumn Garden
1980 – Uproar In The House
1980 – Surprise Package
1980 – The Gingerbread Lady
1980 – Jack And The Beanstalk
1979 – Roses Of Eyam
1979 – Any Number Can Die
1979 – Family Dance
1978 – Toad Of Toad Hall
1978 – Round And Round The Garden
1978 – Tango
1978 – Aladdin
1977 – Pink String And Sealing Wax
1977 – Move Over Mrs Markham
1976 – The Male Of The Species
1976 – The Rivals
1975 – How The Other Half Loves
1975 – Suddenly At Home
1975 – Enter A Free Man
1974 – The Chiltern Hundreds
1974 – The Killing Of Sister George
1973 – Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime
1973 – Saw Who You Are
1972 – Not Now Darling
1972 – The Entertainer
1971 – Lock Up Your Daughters
1971 – Wait Until Dark
1970 – The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
1970 – Vanity Fair
1970 – Present Laughter
1969 – Not In The Book
1969 – Blithe Spirit
1969 – Private Ear & Public Eye
1968 – Tom Jones
1968 – The Whole Truth
1968 – Bare Foot In The Park
1967 – Mad About Men
1967 – The Burning Glass
1966 – Berkley Square
1966 – Count Your Blessings
1965 – Anastasia
1965 – Gilt And Gingerbread
1964 – The Killer Dies Twice
1964 – The Amorous Prawn
1963 – Sabrina Fair
1963 – Breakout
1963 – The Big Killing
1962 – The Admiral Crichton
1962 – Watch It Sailor
1961 – Night Must Fall
1961 – For Better For Worse