BARNES COMMUNITY PLAYERS
Act ~ Sing ~ Dance ~ Create ~ Donate
An Amateur Dramatic Society
Welcome…we’ve missed you!
Blackadder in
Barnes & Richmond
At long last, we are delighted to announce we will be putting our trio of Blackadder episodes on over a year and a half later than expected! With thanks to the whole cast and crew who have patiently anticipated this moment. Our first performance of this fantastic production will be at the end of October in Barnes, with a performance at the beginning of November in Richmond.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COVID ADVICE FOR PERFORMANCES
Mother Swan: our 2021 Panto
As our 2021 Panto is in the midst of rehearsals, we thought we’d treat you with the link for tickets! Book early to avoid disappointment!
LArgo Desolato
Congratulations to all who performed and were involved in Largo Desolato - we hope to perform this in the future!
Directed by Terry Oakes
Performed by Rodger Hayward-Smith, Trevor Hartnup, Marie Bushell, Steve Bannell, David Robins, Julie Smith, Chris Mounsey and Emilia Lederleitnerova
Lighting by Jane Gough
Front of house by Judy Skillington
Poster design by Francesca Stone
A note from Rodger Hayward-Smith
Over a weekend in September Barnes Community Players (BCP) staged two performances of their first show since the Covid pandemic closed theatres. They took place in the beautiful setting of Velehrad, the Czech cultural and charitable centre in Lonsdale Road, Barnes. The BCP were made to feel most welcome by the trustees and helpful staff of Velehrad and were honoured to be able to perform there for the first time.
It was highly appropriate that the play was Largo Desolato written by Czech playwright Vaclav Havel and translated by Czech born Tom Stoppard to whom Havel dedicated the play. Havel wrote the semi-autobiographical piece about a totalitarian regime, censorship and the price of integrity. A dissident intellectual, Leopold Nettles, is dogged by the secret police and pressured by those who may be friends or enemies. Shadowy figures seek to pull his conscience in opposite directions. He is offered a deal to stay out of prison but he cannot accept. His world gradually dissolves in a hallucinatory battle of conscience. Havel wrote the play when he had just emerged from prison in 1984. He went on to play a major role in the Velvet Revolution that toppled communism in Eastern Europe and became the first President of the Czech Republic.
After each performance of this thought-provoking play a question and answer session and general discussion took place involving the cast of the play and the audience.