A Message from our Chairman

CELEBRITY NEWS FROM PLAYER-PLAYWRIGHTS

We are now comfortably settled in our new venue, the highly theatrical Phoenix Artists Club in Charing Cross Road. They have made us very much at home, installing soundproofing, a small stage and extra lighting. Our thanks to Maurice and his team for creating such a good atmosphere. Our Monday night entry charge has gone back down to £2 as a result of our change of venue, and we now have Player-Playwrights membership cards available (ask the Treasurer Tony Diggle) which will guarantee entry to the Phoenix at any time.

Our Christmas party, organised by Lynne O’Sullivan, went with a bang, thanks to Tim Gambrell’s melodrama, which warmed the cockles of all our hearts. We were lucky enough to hear songs from Janice Day and Katy Darby. Katy also brought along the highly talented Erica Guyatt to sing a number from Katy’s musical All I Want For Christmas. This was an extra treat for those who didn’t make it to the Jermyn Street Theatre in December to see the show.

Katy also took her share of our annual awards, winning the best writing trophy for Girlfriends, while Peter McKelvey won the best comedy cup for Tipperary. Chris Prior was best actor and Lynne O’Sullivan best actress.

Tim Gambrell’s melodrama The Goodly Dilemma included a chance for the audience to vote on the next twist and turn in the plot – a dangerous mix of democracy and drama. Happily for all of us, it was soon apparent that – just like on TV – the results had been rigged beforehand. Phew!

It was nice to see Napoleon Ryan back on this side of the Atlantic with lots of news of the well-paid dolce vita which is available to British actors in L.A. Sherrill Turner, our other sadly-missed Hollywood exile, tells us she is having a fab time and really loves it, writing, reading and filming.

Christmas saw many of our members out and about performing in London. There’s still time to catch Nicola Hollinshead at the Lion and Unicorn in Camden Town, where A Christmas Carol runs to Saturday 8th January. Fans of Olivia Hill can see her in the final two weeks of A Woman of No Importance at the Greenwich Playhouse.

I hope some of you will find time to visit the Courtyard theatre in Hoxton (Old Street tube) to see my play A Morning With Guy Burgess, directed by P-P member Dimitry Devdariani. It opens on Tuesday January 11th and runs until January 30th.

A very happy 2011 to all our members; we resume on January 17th and I look forward to seeing you all again.

John Morrison

New Year’s Day 2011