Barford Drama Group – Annual Report 2023/24
Well, we started 2023 on a fairly high note. Covid was retreating and we’d been able to do two productions in 2022 and we now had a pantomime “Alice in Blunderland” in rehearsal for March. What could go wrong? Plenty it seems.
Early in the year, very sadly two of our loyal, versatile actresses, Catherine and Barbara Winstone, both lost their battles with cancer. Then, not long afterwards quite unexpectedly, Ann Hall passed away. She had for many years been operating the sound and/or lighting desk for all our productions.
Then Terry and Barbara announced that they would be moving away from Barford and so we would be losing not only two good actors but also Terry as our Chairman, and Barbara’s many artistic skills on costumes and sets.
Lastly David decided to move too to be with his son, Nicholas, and his family. So now we were losing our set-builder, light and sound man, Stage Manager and also our Treasurer of many years.
However 2023 wasn’t all bad.
The pantomime in March went well. We were short of people so there was a lot of multitasking but we managed to cast it with the help of two new recruits, James Connelly and Sue Dunnett who we hope will stay with us. The panto made a decent profit too so we were able to donate £500 to Myton Hospice in memory of Catherine.
There weren’t enough people to do a Cabaret but instead Wendy and others put together a selection of Christmas readings and songs which, along with some mulled wine and Christmas snacks, made a very pleasant pre-Christmas evening.
On the social side we struggled to keep our monthly meetings going, but about twenty of us went out for meals together, once to the Granville in February and later to the Leopard in November, and these were very enjoyable occasions.
Rod offered to take over the position of Treasurer and Wendy reluctantly stepped into the breach as Chairman.
So where do we go from here? We must somehow recruit some new hopefully younger members to act and to work back-stage, but also we desperately need people able to deal with the technical side of things.
Those of us still here are keen to keep Barford Drama Group going, so let’s be positive and hope for a happier 2024.
Jane Scott
Secretary