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Silchester Players

May has been an unusually quite month for Silchester Players. Normally it is a very busy time when we put on a play with rehearsals commencing after the end of our January pantomime. Unfortunately, this year, because Covid delayed the panto, we have not had the time and space to mount the usual May production.

This has meant that the whole company has been able to take rest before we start work on Shakespeare’s The Tempest for which rehearsals begin in the first week of July. Prior to that we will be holding our AGM on 28 June. Once again this will be via Zoom, both because of Covid and also because this medium saves us the cost of room hire.

Although there has been a lapse in production preparation, our committee has still been meeting and actively discussing a number of challenges facing us. Perhaps it is not widely known, but when we have a surplus over production costs we make charitable donations. Thus, by supporting Silchester Players audience members are also supporting good causes. However, following the significant loss of income during the Covid pandemic, when we were not on stage for over 2 years, and in the face of steeply rising prices we need to review our approach to philanthropic activity. We very much hope it can continue, but like other organisations, we are likely to be facing some tough financial decisions over the coming year and need to adjust accordingly.

We remain grateful for the loyal following we have in Silchester and nearby communities and sincerely hope that this continues. We are eagerly looking forward to our autumn production of The Tempest when we aim to bring Shakespeare’s last play to life in a colourful, amusing and easily understandable way. Make a forward note of performance dates 23/24 September and 30 September /1 October and watch for further information in this magazine, on our website https://silchesterplayers.org or follow us on Facebook.