Round and Round The Garden on the Chorleywood stage

4:49pm Thursday 1st May 2008

Ayckbourn's amusing stab at middle class mores, The Norman Conquests is soon to be revived on stage courtesy of Chorleywood Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS).

Following a production of California Suite, in November last year, CADS is preparing to bring Round and Round the Garden, from The Norman Conquests trilogy, to the Memorial Hall on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10.

CADS have once again drafted in Doug Elkins who has been with the Amersham Playgoers Dramatic Society for 30 years and directed three other CADS shows.

Doug tells me CADS are actively looking for new members to join the 15-strong group. He says: "I use Chorleywood people where I can but I brought in someone from the Amersham group when we needed an older lady. At the moment we have a problem finding actresses in their 20s and 30s. Three dropped out recently because they were expecting."

Doug has found enough local folk for Round and Round the Garden though.

The play takes place in an old family home in suburban England in the 70s. Reg and Sarah come to look after mother to let full-time carer Annie have a weekend off. They think that Annie is going away with her boyfriend Tom, the boring vet, when, in fact, she is planning a secret weekend away with her sister Ruth's husband Norman. Unfortunately, Norman creates havoc wherever he goes, so the weekend turns into a disaster for everyone. The play is set in the garden, which Doug feels is of particular appeal.

He says: "It is the funniest play and also the fact its set outside is nice. A garden set is much better than the bog-standard three walls.

"Our sets are built by Mike Campbell. He's a carpenter by trade and he constructs all the flats for us. Everything bolts together so we were able to construct the last set he built in the barn before the show so we could see what it would look like."

Doug is happy to be lending a hand too.

"I feel like I'm giving them the benefit of my experience and help with trying to build up their society. It takes you back to the basics where you're almost doing everything from finding wallpaper to building the set."

Performances will be at the Memorial Hall, Chorleywood on Friday and Saturday evening at 8pm with an additional matinee performance on Saturday at 2.30pm.

Tickets are available from the Chorleywood Bookshop or dramacads@hotmail.co.uk (£8-£6.50)

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