Carlton Dramatic Society

SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE	SOLD OUT
Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Saturday
7.45pm			7.45pm	3pm	7.45pm
£8.50			£10.50	£8.50	£10.50
(£6.50)			(£7.50)	(£6.50)	(£7.50)
SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	SOLD OUT	TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE	SOLD OUT

Stags And Hens, the Carlton's latest production, which opens tomorrow night, is SOLD OUT, apart from the Saturday matinee (which itself is half full, a record for the matinee)! This is great for us, but not so good for the hordes who have been denied a ticket to this fantastic show.

The only thing to do is get on over to the official ticket booking site, or call the Box Office on 0870 060 6646, and grab one of the last few tickets for the Matinee performance, starting at 3pm this Saturday. Don't miss out - get yours today! NOW!

This years Showcase runs from Thursday 23rd February to Friday 24th February 2006, and as usual is located in the Main Hall at the Community Centre. Formerly known as the Carlton Workshop Productions, the idea behind these evenings are to encourage new directors and actors, as well as the established ones of course, to either direct or perform a shortplay or sketch lasting usually not longer than 20 minutes. We perform these evening in front of family and friends and in a very informal atmosphere, with tables, candles and a bottle or two.

So, now there are two things that you need to do.

1. If you're interested in directing, please notify Jeff Graves as soon as possible
2. If you're interested in being involved in a short play or sketch, then turn up at the Community Centre on Monday 28th, where potential directors will be looking for people to cast in their play.

Good Luck! If you should have any questions regarding the ShowCase evenings, then please contact Jeff on his mobile.

Kristen ran an excellent workshop session last night which focussed on characterisation. Those who couldn't go missed a treat. Challenging, thought-provoking, well-crafted, stimulating and fun! Kristen also brings experience from accredited theatre professionals from recent musical theatre workshops.

We were lucky enough to have the benefit of an intimate group sesh. However, we're aware that there are a load more people who would have loved to be there and take part in the rehearsed reading at the end of the month - 30th September!

So if you would like to get involved, contact the committee and let them know, and most importantly pitch up next Thursday, 8th September, to get moving on what to perform. If you didn't get a part in Stags and Hens, or you fancy doing something quick and easy (scripts in hand, remember), come on down. You'll be amazed what can be done in a month!

Due to the fact that quite a few people have expressed and interest but aren't able to make 5th September initial meeting I have moved it to Thursday 1st September (room to be advised) and the second meeting will be 8th September.

Same deal, pitch up at 7.30 in rehearsal gear as there will be some physical stuff and exercises/workshops for the initial session. Directing the show will be Kristen McGorry.

For those who don't know, a Rehearsed Reading is a play performed with the script in hand, so it can be staged very quickly, with no pressure to learn lines.

No firm decisions have been made about the play we would like to do because we don't have an idea of potential cast yet. But rest assured it will be an interesting experience and best of all you don't have to learn any lines! If you would like anymore information before the meeting please contact Kristen via the committee (email link below left).

Otherwise, hope to see you there!

If you can remember that far back, please take a look and fill in the gaps. Get your name in neon.

If you can't remember that far back, take a look anyway - it may remind you of your glory days!

Click here to see the page. And don't forget to let the committee know if any info is wrong.

JUST FINISHED - Theatre Of The Mind: MARAT/SADE. Watch this space for photos!

Head on over to the Gala 2005 webpage to see what a magical evening the Gala was.

CLICK HERE IF YOU DARE

The Carlton's forthcoming production:

Theatre Of The Mind - Marat/Sade

written and directed by

Mehmet Izbudak

Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th May 2005

New Wimbledon Studio Theatre

Box Office: 0870 060 6646

Rehearsals are going really well, and the cast and crew are looking forward to showing you their own version of reality. Spread the word! Sell those tickets!

It was the night of a thousand stars. Congratulationss to all of you who took part in the 2005 Gala show - it was fantastic. Watch this space for more details, memories and photos!

A big round of applause to all of you who took part in The2005 Workshops. It was a resounding success, with many people forced to stand! Congratulations on a fantastic show! Watch this space for the web page.

Last August, the Colour House saw Carlton's production of the 60's classic 'Alfie'. We just got hold of a couple of rehearsal snaps, so they're up now. Take a look here.

As ever, if anyone has any more photos of this production, please email them to the committee. Thanks!

• Who are we?
• Contact details
• Committee Members
• What do we do?
• When do we meet?
• Where are we?
• How can you join?
• Any other questions?

We are a dramatic society based in Wimbledon, performing in the local theatres, and occasionally at other local venues. We are amateur in the sense that we mostly have jobs during the day, with members coming from many walks of life, but our performances run side-by-side with professional groups using the same theatres. We have been performing for nearly 80 dramatic years, and we plan to keep on going strong!

Acting

Of course, as a drama group, acting is the principle reason for our existence and the chief reason why most people want to join us. We normally perform between three and five plays at local theatres during the year. We also hold one 'Showcase' event each year, during which we perform a number of short plays or scenes, or even songs. The atmosphere for these is much less formal than our theatre productions, and is an ideal opportunity for new or less experienced members to try acting or directing, or to try something a little out of the ordinary. That's not to say that new members shouldn't audition for our theatre productions though! Many of our plays have roles for a range of acting skills - so you may not be the next Olivier (yet!), but there may still be a part for you.

Here's a description of a typical show week, after all the weeks of rehearsal

Sunday	Get in and set up in the theatre
Monday	Dress rehearsal
Tuesday	First night nerves!
Wednesday	Getting into it
Thursday	Nearly halfway
Friday	After Show Curry Meal
Saturday	Matinee / Final Show / 'Get out' of theatre / Party!
Sunday	That was fun! What's next?
...	...
Following Tuesday	POST SHOW BLUES

"One man in his time plays many parts..."

In addition to performing in plays, we also hold workshops where members may improve or learn new acting skills, play- readings where members may explore characters outside of those in our main productions, and rehearsed readings where you will get the opportunity to exercise your dramatic talents without needing to learn all your lines!

Backstage

The Carlton is not just about acting, of course. Plays would not be possible without the support of a backstage crew, and we are always open to people who would like experience of the various aspects of production. Our backstage crews consist both of actors who are not in the cast of a play, or members who have joined specifically to work on the production side of our plays.

As with our drama, we are open to new members with any level of experience - even if the various production tasks are new to you, we welcome people who are willing to learn.

Music

Even though the Carlton Dramatic Society has not so far gone in for musicals, music plays a valuable part in most of our productions. Whether it's incidental music to set the scene, or part of the script, we often need musicians to write or play music, and sometimes sing in our productions. So, if you've got a musical talent, we can put it to good use.

Sound

The Carlton is always on the lookout for someone who can operate a mixing desk! Sound in our productions varies from simply playing the right track at the right time and volume to creating complex soundscapes to recording sound effects, music and speech. If you like playing with sounds, and have got the imagination to put them to good use, you could be just the person for us!

Carlton members in dire need of
modernising their own wardrobes!

Costume

Without our wardrobe the cast would all be a bit cold! We'll always need people to stitch and sew, modify or make costumes and generally manage the wardrobe for a show.

Stage Management

If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs, and can make sure all the actors have their props and go through the right door - then you could be our next stage manager!

Rehearsals

We hold rehearsals on Monday and Thursday evenings from 7.30pm until 10.30pm at the community centre in St. George's Road, Wimbledon. Prospective members are welcome to drop into these rehearsals to meet us and find out what we get up to. For information on how to find our rehearsal rooms, please click here [FIX THIS LINK].

Social Events

Relaxing in the pub after a rehearsal

At the Carlton we provide a wide range of social activities in addition to our plays. While our rehearsals provide a weekly focus for our social life, we hold many other events throughout the year.

Receiving a 'Nettie'

No play would be complete without the after-show party, and Carlton parties are infamous for going on well into the night - and often into the next morning too! Not to be missed at after-show parties are The Netties, The Carlton's highly irreverent answer to The Oscars.

In addition to the after-show parties, we also hold various social events throughout the year. Fortunately, at our parties, we rarely use Shakespeare for recipe advice! Slightly more cerebrally (or at least slightly less drunken), we also organise visits to other theatrical events.

We have picnics in the summer, and the more energetic members of the Carlton are also known to kick a ball around in the park and have indulged in other activities such as paintballing. Our range of activities is, in fact, limited only by our members' imaginations. You can get involved as little or as much as you like!

You can find the Carlton Dramatic Society performing here:

• Wimbledon Community Centre
• New Wimbledon Studio Theatre
• Colour House Theatre

You can find the Carlton Dramatic Society rehearsing here:

• Wimbledon Community Centre

more

The Carlton Dramatic Society holds rehearsals each Monday and Thursday from 8pm until 10.30pm at Wimbledon Community Centre, St. George's Road, Wimbledon. Around productions and on bank holidays arrangements may change, so if you're planning on visiting then, please contact us first to check on arrangements.

Travelling by train/District line tube:

Leave the station by the main entrance. Cross over infront of the station and turn right. Walk to the cross-roads and cross over onto the right side of St. George's Road. Walk about half way up St. George's road - the Community Centre is the white building on the right hand side.

Travelling by bus:

Buses 156, 163 and 164 stop opposite Wimbledon Station. Alight from the bus and head for the cross-roads. Cross over St. George's Road and turn left, walking up it to the Community Centre as before. Bus no. 219 stops at the end of St. George's Road. Alight here and walk back around the corner and down St. George's Road to the Community Centre. Bus no. 57 stops outside Sainsbury's in Worple Road. Alight here and walk up Worple Road to the cross-roads with St. George's Road. Turn left along St. George's Road and left again - keep walking until you reach the Community Centre. Buses nos. 93 and 493 stop just before Wimbledon Station. Alight here, turn left and walk down towards the cross-roads, then turn left to walk up St. George's Road to the community centre.

Travelling by car:

The Community Centre is also easily accessible by car, and parking space is available in the car-park opposite.

For a more detailed map, click here.

The New Wimbledon Studio Theatre is easily accessible on Wimbledon Broadway, behind the New Wimbledon Theatre.

Travelling by train/District line tube:

Leave Wimbledon station by the Centre Court exit and carry straight on down Wimbledon Broadway until you reach Wimbledon Theatre. Walk on past the main theatre entrance and you will find the entrance to the Studio Theatre on the right. The walk should take about 5 minutes.

Travelling by Northern Line tube:

Leave South Wimbledon station and walk up Merton Road. At the top of Merton Road turn left and carry on down Wimbledon Broadway. Walk past the Odeon Cinema and carry on past the Car Park. The Studio theatre is on the left. The walk should take about 10 minutes. If you don't fancy the walk, you can pick up a No.57, 93 or 219 bus on Merton Road and get off directly outside the theatre.

Travelling by bus:

Buses nos. 57 (towards Kingston), 93 (towards Putney), 219 (towards Wimbledon) and 493 (towards Richmond) stop directly outside the theatre. The stop for these buses travelling in the opposite direction (towards Streatham, Morden and Tooting respectively) is just across the road from the theatre. Buses 156, 163, 164 and 200 stop outside or close to Wimbledon Station - follow the directions above to walk to the theatre from there.

Travelling by car:

Wimbledon Studio theatre is accessible by car with parking space available in an adjoining car park.

For a more detailed map, click here.

The Colourhouse Theatre is in Merton Abbey Mills off Merantun Way.

Travelling by Northern Line tube:

The closest station is Colliers Wood. Turn left out of Colliers Wood station into Christchurch Road. Walk up the hill to the roundabout. At the roundabout turn right onto Merantun Way. Walk down Merantun Way past the Car Park until you reach Merton Abbey Mills. Enter the Mills by crossing the bridge. The theatre is on the left, opposite the wheelhouse.

Travelling by bus:

Buses Nos. 57, 200, 219, 152 and 493 all stop nearby. For the 57, 219 and 493 alight at Merton Abbey Savacentre. A short path to the right of the Savacentre leads to Merantun way. Walk down this path, cross over Merantun way and enter Merton Abbey Mills as above. For bus no. 152 and 200 alight on Christchurch Road and turn onto Merantun Way at the roundabout as above.

Travelling by car:

Car parking facilites are available adjacent to Merton Abbey Mills. Coming from the roundabout and driving along Merantun Way, the entrance to the car-park is immediately before the pedestrian entrance to Merton Abbey Mills on the left - enter via Watermill Way.

For a more detailed map, click here.

Membership of the Carlton Dramatic Society gives you many benefits, whether you are interested in acting with us, working behind the scenes or simply enjoying the social life of the society. Here you can find out how to join our group, and choose the membership option that suits you best.

Joining The Carlton

You can join us at any time during the year, simply drop into one of our rehearsals, see what we get up to have a chat with us, or you may prefer to talk to us after one of our shows - there will always be Carlton members to talk to in the theatre bar after each production!

If you intend coming along to a rehearsal, it's always best to contact us first (link) before turning up, particularly around production weeks and in holiday periods. While we normally rehearse on Mondays and Thursdays at Wimbledon Community Centre, rehearsals will normally be cancelled during productions and over Christmas, and occasionally they may be moved to different days or to alternative venues.

The Carlton accepts new members with all levels of experience from complete novices to trained actors. New members are not required to audition, although we do hold auditions for most of our productions. If you audition for a production and get a part, you will be required to become a full member (see Rates below). Please remember that we are an amateur organisation and cannot take people for work experience.

Joining age

Membership of the Carlton Dramatic Society is open to all from the age of 16 and upwards. We do not have a junior section, however occasionally we may require children for one-off performances. Our productions are mostly adult oriented - for children's activites we would recommend a dedicated theatre such as Wimbledon Polka. In situations where we do invite children to participate in our performances, we require that they be escorted by a parent or guardian.

Membership rates

We have two classes of membership - full and associate, depending on how involved you would like to be with Carlton activities.

Membership Type	Description	Cost per year (Due every July 1st)
Full	Members may act in plays, propose and direct plays, work backstage, attend our social events, be nominated for committee posts and vote at our AGM.	£40
Associate	Members may work backstage, attend our social events and vote at our AGM	£20

Other fees:

Fee Type	Description	Cost per year
Performance Fee	All members of the cast of a full production must pay this	£10
Showcase Fee	All members of the cast of a production like the Showcase, must pay this	£5
Tea and Coffee	Available at rehearsals	only 40p!

Membership is renewable each July 1st, and members joining late in the Carlton year may pay a reduced rate. Associate members may upgrade at any time to become full members. Members also receive a regular newsletter keeping them informed of up-coming events, audition dates, and the current state of health of the newsletter editor.

If you are suffering from financial hardship, for example as a result of being unemployed, a student, or on a pension, you may be able to join the Carlton at a reduced rate, or pay in installments at the discretion of the committee.

Full details of the rules are available in the official Constitution of the Carlton Dramatic Society, which is available as a downloadable PDF file here.

Membership fees, acting fees, and associate membership activities may be altered by action of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Carlton members.

How do I find out about The Carlton?

The simplest way is to come along on an rehearsal night and meet us. And of course, read this website, especially the newsletters.

"Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships?"

When and where do you meet?

On Mondays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. at the Community Centre in St. George's Road, Wimbledon. Details on how to find us are here.

Do I have to audition to join?

No - The Carlton does not have auditions for membership, but does hold auditions for parts in each major production.

When's the best time to join?

Whenever you like! But bear in mind that if you arrive just when a big show has been cast, there may not be much else happening. But don't let that stop you getting stuck in whenever you like - come down and meet us!

What's happening at The Carlton next and at the moment?

Details of forthcoming productions and current activities are posted on the web-site. See the Home page for details. Check out the back catalogue of Newsletters for a feel of what kind of a group we are.
In addition, email is the main communication method, with regular 'round robins' telling everyone what's going on.

I've just seen your web-site for the first time, but have missed the auditions - is there anything for me to do?

There are often activities running in parallel with each main production to get involved with. Also, each production needs work behind the scenes to help it run smoothly. You may like to get involved with that.

I'm a theatre studies student and would like some work experience - could I come and work for The Carlton for a while?

"A hand-bag?"

The Carlton does not have a theatre of its own, only meets twice a week, and is unpaid, so as far as work experience goes, the answer would be no - you would be welcome to join us in the evenings though!

We're a radio/television production company making a programme about amateur drama - can we do something with The Carlton?

Your request will be considered by The Carlton's committee. Contact us here.

We're a company looking for actors for a play/film/television programme. Would any of your members be interested?

Requests will be circulated around the membership - when asking please include an address and telephone number so members can contact you individually. Contact us here.

We're a drama group with a web-site too. Would you be able to put a link to us on your site?

We'd be happy to if you put a link to ours in exchange. Go here for some nice buttons to use, along with link code.

I've been to see one of your shows, and I think is a real dish - can you introduce me?

What do you think we are - a dating agency? Email us and we'll pass it on. Promise.

I've seen The Carlton web-site and think it's really cool - can I give you lots of money to write one for our group?

Well, we can live in hope, can't we?

"To be, or not to be..."

To be, or not to be...

Not to be (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Last Action Hero) .

• Local Theatres
• Other Drama Groups
• General Theatre Links
• Carlton Dramatic Society Link Buttons and Graphics

Local theatres
	Wimbledon Theatre and Wimbledon Studio Theatre
	The Colour House and Chapter House Theatres, Merton Abbey
	The Polka Theatre, Wimbledon
	Putney Arts Theatre
	Epsom Playhouse
Other drama groups
	The Croydon Operatic and Dramatic Association
	The Swan Theatre Company, Bedford
	Mid Surrey Theatre Company
	Southside Players
General Theatre Links
	amdram - the site for free information about anything associated with amateur theatre. See here for Carlton's entry
	Bath Backstage Technical Services. By the backstage crew at Bath University, including The Techie Gospel, 101 uses for Gaffa tape, and other humourous stuff, along with more sensible resources.
	Yet more techie jokes and anecdotes

Link Buttons

If you would like to link to the Carlton Dramatic Society on your website, please use one of the following images. Please save the images to your own webspace, as we cannot afford bandwidth leeching.

83x31 button
190x100 logo

Just link to www.carltondrama.org.uk . We would really appreciate it, and if you let us know, we can put a link to you on this page!

Here you can find the archives of that bastion of reportage, The Carlton Chronicle. It's a great record of goings-on in the Carlton over the last few years. Check out the archive below - listed in reverse order.

* these are Adobe PDF documents. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer. Get it here.

2007 June, March

2006 November, August, February

2005 September, May, February

2004 December, September, July, April

2003 October*, August*, May*, February*, January*

2002 December*, November*, March*

2001 July

This web-site would not have been possible without the contributions of many people coding web-pages, taking photographs, generating graphics and writing the text. This page tries to acknowledge their valuable contributions.

• Web page creation credits
• Photography credits
• Graphics credits
• Writing credits
• Website Technical Details

Web page creation

Matthew Petty
Simon Harris

Photography

Kristen Bowditch
Simon Harris
Jane Lewis
Claire Marseille
Matthew Petty
Stephen Rock

Graphics

Kristen Bowditch
Philippa Cain
Michael Davis
Simon Harris
Mehmet C. Izbudak
Matthew Petty
Russell Thompson

Text

Kristen Bowditch
Richard C. Broughton
Philippa Cain
Michael Davis
James Derbyshire
Val Foskett
Adela Gonsalves
Simon Harris
Mehmet C. Izbudak
Louise Kerry
Carl Whiteside

Apologies to anyone I've left off - if you should be on the list, please let us know and we'll update it, and apologise in public. Probably on a stage somewhere.

Technical details

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• Firefox (recommended)
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The above is not intended to be an endorsement for any particular browser - other web browsers are available.