A Special Night

The next main production at Progress Theatre is Mine by Polly Teale starting on the 11th June. Director Chris Moran has given herself the additional challenges of training to run in the Race for Life on 20th June and helping to organise a one-off evening at the theatre on 25th May, both to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The theatre evening on Friday is open to all and is by  donation (min £5) on the door. The evening is a tribute to two Progress Members, Val Patchett and Anne McCubbin who lost their lives to cancer. Both women were very creative and the evening will be a celebration of this.

Val was a founder member of the Progress writers group and would be very proud of the many successful plays and writers that have come out of the group over the years. Her one-act play Way Out was first performed at Progress in 1999 and went on to win three awards at the Kenton drama festival. It will be performed again on Friday as part of this special evening. As well as writing Val was always busy behind the scenes with marketing or stage management, she even appeared on-stage as the dormouse in her own adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

The (incomplete) set for Friday's performance of 'Way Out'

Anne was also a writer and there will be readings of her short stories and poems during the evening as well as a sale of her beautiful hand-made jewellery. Anne was a very supportive member of the theatre and could often be found working in the box-office. Her two children, Alex and Laura came through the theatre's youth groups and are both still active members along with her husband Stuart.

If you need any more incentive to come along on Friday there will be a cake raffle! If you are able to bring a cake to contribute to the raffle prizes you will be even more welcome.... Doors open 7.15 for 7.45pm start.

All proceeds will be going to Cancer Research UK, via the Race for Life which Laura Mills, Abby Salter and Chris are running on 20th June. If you can't make the evening but would still like to donate please go to www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/progress-girls.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Coming up -

Mine by Polly Teale 11th - 16th June 2012, Progress Theatre

Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare, 12 Jul - 21 Jul 2012, Caversham Court Gardens