What’s on Next

OUR NEXT PRODUCTION IS…..

The Day of the Triffids…….. adapted from the classic 1960s science fiction story, and directed by Helena Gomm

Below Helena gives us full details of characters and style of production

Information evening: 7.30 on Sunday June 2nd in West Meon village hall.

Auditions: 7.30 on Friday June 7th at 7.30.

Production dates: October 23rd to 26th.

Rehearsals: Tuesday and Thursday evenings, starting in July, if possible.

The story

The human race faces disaster when the coincidence of two apparently unrelated events – a spectacular meteor shower that causes blindness, and the arrival of deadly carnivorous plants possessing both the ability to walk and some form of intelligence – produce all the conditions necessary for the flesh-eating triffids to take over the world.

The first half of our show establishes the setting and details the arrival on Earth of the triffids. The second half follows Bill Masen and Josella Playton as they fight for survival against both the triffids and the lawlessness of a society in chaos.

The characters

The main characters Bill Masen and Josella Playton, both of whom escape blindness because for various reasons they didn’t watch the meteor shower. Bill is probably around 30; Josella slightly younger.

There are over 50 other characters, including Bill’s mum and dad, a curious South American seed smuggler, the CEO of a fish oil company, various newspaper vendors, a young David Attenborough, a couple of Russian soldiers, a paramilitary gang, a triffid farmer, a doctor, a secretary, a nurse, a professor, blind people, looters, hellfire preachers, thugs, sighted survivors, assorted dead bodies … No one will be required to play a triffid.

The cast

Six or seven energetic actors.

Each will have to play multiple roles, both male and female.

There will be quick costume changes and lots of action. Age is not very important, though Bill and Josella need to be played reasonably young.

There is one teenage girl to play Bill Masen as a child and the part of Susan, one of the survivors, together with several other younger roles.

The style of the production

I envisage the show as essentially a comedy but one that also involves a credible degree of threat. I am hoping to include some short video sequences and some recordings. Glynn Williams is already working on an exciting range of sounds to form a soundscape for the triffids.