In May 2025, we took a little trip to the English seaside and performed a selection of short plays from Jean McConnell’s popular Deckchairs series. The five ‘twist in the tale’ play-lets (Shoppers, Early Blight, Theatrical Digs, Remember Me, Cupboard Love) all took place near a seaside promenade and each explored a relationship between two women – often with a humourous surprise!
“This is the sort of theatre that the ever-good Redlynch Players excel in producing and they have chosen well from the repertoire – a selection of five 15-minute episodes, where we meet an assortment of extremely colourful and exaggerated characters, with interesting tales to tell.”
“The ten characters are played by only Sarah Newman, Gina Hodsman and Ali Silver – a quite remarkable achievement. All three of them turned in skillful nuanced performances, as they moved from one character to another, with full costume changes, in quick succession. They gave the impression of accomplishing this with effortless ease, though the reality must have been the complete opposite.They engaged with the audience from the first to the last scenes and drew spontaneous laughter with a succession of comedic lines, together with emotional responses from the serious and harder hitting elements. In a word, they were brilliant!”
– Scene One +
“I thought the scenes were very well directed by Lloyd Perry with some excellent attention to detail throughout, and the right amount of humour brought out.”
“The three performers had a mountain of dialogue to learn and achieved it with great aplomb – well done!”
– NODA
In the Autumn of 2024, Redlynch Players were proud to perform Visitors by Barney Norris. A life-affirming tribute to love and gratitude for a life well-lived, Barney Norris’ tender and uplifting play is set in a sleep farmhouse at the edge of Salisbury Plain.
“This Redlynch Players production of Visitors was very good indeed, but then that’s what we have come to expect from this talented theatre group. It is always a pleasure to come here knowing that the quality of acting is likely to be first rate and the venue just perfect – even when the subject matter is as hard hitting as this.”
“Director Lloyd Perry and his production team can add another success to the Redlynch Players’ roll of honour!”
– Scene One+
“…Ali Silver was outstanding as the ailing Edie. As she weaved between rambling reminiscence, razor sharp coherence and moments of vacant silence, you could really believe you were in the presence of someone with Alzheimers..”
“Under the clever directorship of Lloyd Perry, Redlynch Players skilfully and sensitively brought this poignant subject to stage.”
– Salisbury Journal
For our 2024 Spring Production, Redlynch Players, in collaboration with Fordingbridge Players, brought the world premiere of The Village School by Ron Perry to the stage. Based on the Fairarce series of books by Miss Read, with some very colourful characters, lively school children and the overhanging threat of school closure, the themes contained are still ones we face today.
“Sympathetically adapted for stage by Ron Perry, the play is a delightful and amusing memoir from a headmistress’s perspective of life in a 1950s English village school. Through Miss Read’s discerning eye, we meet the villagers of Fairacre as she guides us through an autumn term and introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters”
“With plenty of humour, this excellent production is a powerfully moving insight into post-war village life.”
– Salisbury Journal
“Ron Perry’s passion for his work and eye for detail were evident throughout. The production was staged imaginatively, with a thrust-style seating arrangement, the audience sat down both sides of the hall with stages at both ends and schoolroom chairs and tables in the middle. This allowed both the classroom and Miss Read’s front room to be depicted throughout the play and gave the audience an intimacy that was not unlike that of reading a novel.”
“This was not the first Miss Read adaptation performed by the Players (they staged Thrush Green in 2017) and, if the high standard of The Village School is anything to go by, I hope it’s not their last.”
– Scene One+
Originally devised and directed by Mike Leigh in 1977 for stage and screen, Abigail’s party is a classic suburban situation comedy which satirises the aspirations and tastes of the middle classes in 1970s Britain.
“The original cringe comedy Abigail’s Party was superbly brought to Lover village hall stage last week by the Redlynch Players….under Lloyd Perry’s superb direction, this is a funny and cringingly brilliant production” – Salisbury Journal
“Redlynch Players may only be a small group, but they are well supported and always seem to achieve sell out performances….Once again I thought the standard of their production was excellent and to equal many professional productions that I have seen at the nearby Salisbury Playhouse..” – Brian Oliver, NODA
In Spring 2023, Redlynch Players staged The Titfield Thunderbolt by T.E.B Clarke; a fast, fun packed play based on the classic Ealing comedy of the same name.
“As always with this group the set was kept simple but very effective and the changes all ran smoothly throughout. I thought that it was very cleverly directed to bring out all the humour. The delivery and timing of the script was first class by every cast member which made it a very funny play. There was some inspirational mixed gender casting which produced several outstanding performances, but the person I feel I must mention is Desmond Longfield, a sprightly 93-year-old, playing Mr Valentine. I felt that the role could have been written for him. Once again Redlynch Players showed what a high standard, a small local amateur drama group can achieve”. – NODA
“With its gentle humour and simple plot, but with the attention to detail of the Director Lloyd Perry, enthusiasm of the cast and lashings of nostalgia it was a fun evening.It was terrific to see that the four-night run of The Titfield Thunderbolt was sold out before opening night. It’s encouraging to see amateur theatre so well supported and very appropriate when the theme of the evening was the importance of community.” – Scene One+
Talking Heads by Alan Bennett is a collection of monologues originally written for BBC Television in 1988.
Redlynch Players performed three of the collection in Autumn 2022; Her Big Chance, Bed Among the Lentils and A Lady of Letter, as well as excerpts from Alan Bennett’s diaries.
“I felt that each of the actors each gave a virtually faultless, outstanding performance. I was enthralled by each monologue and laughed out loud in many places. Their delivery and timing was superb , I was very impressed that several times they stopped and allowed the audience laughter to die down before continuing.” – NODA
“All in all, Redlynch Players production of Talking Heads is just great, but that’s what the local community have come to expect of this very good group of actors and Production Team. That’s why local people turned up in big numbers for yet another sell out production. Director Ron Perry and his support team have another hit.” – Scene One+
In Spring 2022, Redlynch Players and Fordingbridge Players reunited to perform the world premiere of Lark on the Wing, a captivating and charming portrayal of the life of Flora Thompson.
Flora Thompson was born in Juniper Hill, Oxfordshire in 1876. Her childhood was lived in poverty and she received a meagre education. Despite this uninspiring start, she wrote the world-acclaimed trilogy, Lark Rise to Candleford, which is still in print today.
“..Ron Perry’s Lark On The Wing reveals more by taking us on a journey through her life, conjuring up rich imagery, whimsical and peculiar characters, tragedy and joy. Most notably, he also gives high praise and a fresh voice to the woman who, against great odds, was determined to write her stories and poems and to have them published..” – Scene One+
“Another little gem from these enterprising drama companies.” – Lesley Bates
“..I thought that it was a magical production that was totally enthralling, very entertaining and a wonderful history lesson. It was very well put together with lots of humour and emotion. I was very moved when Flora spoke about the loss of her brother in France during WW1..” – NODA
“…the standard was very high and the play was produced so beautifully. The acting was amazing, as was the live music, lighting, front of house staff with their matching clothing, the backdrop, everything….! I have to admit that I shed tears, so moving it was..”
“You have created a masterpiece of social history..”