Garden of Eden

January 21st at 7.30. We have a ninety minute stage play by P-P veteran, Peter McKelvey.

Says Peter, "The Garden of Eden is a comedy thriller with a moral, set in a Spanish resort. The owners of the rsort find their stability severely challenged when a mysterious stranger, a tycoon arrives to put the cat amongst the pigeons. To find out what happens come along to The Florence".

Sounds good to me.

History Repeats Itself

Monday, January 14th brings us a drama that is even more long-awaited than it was back in November, when it got postponed owing to a double booking. It's by one of our most illustrious allumni, Roger Mayhew.

History is a stageplay that was written in a frenzy of zeitgeist-grabbing topicality. We we can only hope that the intervening six or so weeks haven't made it look quaint and old-fashioned. As Roger then explained: "Abby has gone to the School Prizegiving to see her daughter win an award for History but is unaware that her own past is about to catch up with her".

Come along to the Florence at 7.30 and all will be revealed.

Poop Scoop

Monday 7th January begins our new residency at the Florence, and we will be joined and guided by our venerable Presidents, Lo and Mo who will introduce a sit-com entitled Poop Scoop by the hugely successful Jane Bussmann, most known perhaps for contributing to the legendary Paedophile special edition of Brass Eye. lo and Mo will then answer questions about their success in so many fields: TV, radio drama, sitcom, stage and musicals.

Remember: the Florence Tavern is at 50 Florence street off Upper street N1 2DU. The Almeida is on the other side of the road and the two nearest underground stations are Highbury & Islington to the north and Angel to the south, with many buses going to and from along Upper Street.

We aim to start at 7.30 with the presentation of the Best Writing award (the Cobb Cup). Our Treasurer, Jethro Dykes, will pass among you collecting money and giving out the good news that the annual subs are still only £8 and the decision to hike the attendance money to £2.50 has been suspended [hurray!] so £2 will do nicely.

Rising from the Ashes of the Phoenix

So after two thriling years in the heart of the West End we bid goodbye to the Phoenix. But goodbye is not farewell. Indeed, in this case it's hello. Hello Florence. The address is The Florence Tavern, 50 Florence Street, Islington, London, N1 2DU And the fun starts at 7.30 from now on, which means even more time to drink. Or eat Thai food if you prefer, which goes on offer from 5. Mondays have never been so much fun.

Christmas Party

Is is that time of year again? It does come around so quickly these days, doesn't it? As ever there is a packed evening of poetry whimsy and song, with contributions from Anthea Courtenay, Silas Hawkins, Julia Collier, Peter Thompson singing (?!), Colin Pinney, Phil Philmar, Janice Day, Jethro Dykes, Debbie Maya, and then the panto, Bondarama, written by Tim Gambrell. There is even some prize-giving. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Fun starts at 7.45.

Catwalk - the results

Peter Thompson writes:

"It was perhaps too much to expect all the entries for the CATWALK competition to be about models in the fashion industry. Some were, although written from a somewhat absurdist angle, but others took the word CATWALK as the name of a new restaurant, an old night club and a dark alley. Angela Higson’s CAT WALK unfortunately over-ran but it had some good jokes about a protective mother spoiling her son’s chances with a girl she deemed unsuitable. Was mother the cat in this piece? She was certainly manipulative. Cliff Chapman’s DEDICATED FOLLOWERS seemed to be a classic catwalk story of a young male model waiting to go on although seriously under the influence. Gradually we learn that this is not a fashion show: he is in a cell and is about to be executed, unless his girlfriend can save him, which she can. Goodness! 150 points .Next up with 205 points was Eamon McDowell’s aptly titled MODEL MADNESS, in which everything went wrong because of the personal assistant’s booking the stars for the wrong day. Above that in the final order was a charming little story of a cat and a mouse, abandoned by the house-owners, who realise that they need to work together to survive; happily they end up walking off into the sunset paw in paw: 224 points for THE MISFITS by Peter Vincent.

In fourth place with 242 points was SHORT CUTS by Roger Mayhew: the setting was an alley through which assorted members of society pass, young and old, couples in love, other couples arguing in Polish, a man committing a crime, a woman doing little acts of kindness, everyone contributing to a broader story of life in the city. Oh yes, the alley was called THE CATWALK and the Council decided to close it. Just above that was Carrie Eden’s CAKEWALK in which the beautiful but bulimic fashion model stereotype was challenged by a portly matron who knew her way round the Equality Act: 244 points. So where was Sherlock Homes? Surely not modelling a new line in deerstalkers! No, Mrs Hudson brought him news that Dr Watson’s bedtime reading included 50 SHADES OF DORIAN GRAY, which she came across when cleaning under the floorboards in his bedroom. The Great Detective put this revelation together with blonde hairs on the doctor’s clothing and other indelicate evidence of attendance at the notorious CATWALK nightclub and the game was up. But Watson’s honour could still be saved: you know my methods, Hudson: 273 well-deserved points for Bill Gordon. Finally, the winner was, yet again, Debbie Maya, this time with THE WAITER. The scene is a newly opened New York restaurant, called THE CATWALK (prop. Phil Philmar). He has reviewers in, although he doesn’t know it, and they are served abominably by Jethro Dykes, as the waiter who aspires to be a film star. Phil berates him for his incompetence; but casting directors at the next table like his style. So, in a lovely reversal of fortune, the proprietor sees his reviewers storm out, determined to destroy his business with withering reviews while the abominable waiter goes on to Hollywood. First place with 278 points and drinks all round and congratulations to Fiona McGee for putting on such a varied and enjoyable entertainment".

The Visionary

In recent years there has been a tradition for the last play of the year to be voted the best play of the year. Can it happen again? Come along on December 3rd to find out. It's another play originating from the Collaborative Group and is by its chief instigator, Mary Conway. As Mary explains:

"There is a space between childhood and the grown up world where hopes for the future are built or forever compromised.

Ben is in this space.

Though Ben and his friend, Art, have just completed university with flying colours and have made plans to take the world by storm, for Ben return to his family home is accompanied by a deep questioning of everything he has known. As he struggles with what is real and what is not and redefines the relationships that have defined him, we see him emerge into an adult world stronger, more purposeful but with a kind of humility that is essential to intelligence".

The play is influenced by these lines from T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland:

Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
Gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded
I do not know whether a man or a woman
- But who is that on the other side of you?

The cast, as we go to press, includes such luminaries as Lee Knight, Caroline Langston, Andrew Ward, and a welcome return for P-P's very own Greta Garbo, the much-missed Paula Gilbert.

7.45, at the Phoenix.