Carlton Dramatic Society

"An amateur dramatics group who were saved with the help of actress June Whitfield after the closure of Wimbledon Theatre are making a bold comeback with a new production.

Carlton Dramatic Society, who were left without a performance venue for their plays since Wimbledon's closure in June, are set to stage a special version of Shakespeare's Two Gentleman of Verona. The humorous and surprising play, adapted by husband and wife directing team Adam and Pippa Cain, is to be staged at Carshalton's Charles Cryer Studio Theatre from Monday to Friday, October 17.

A hilarious story of love and mishaps the show will combine Gilbert and Sullivan songs, Bollywood dancing, cross-dressing, bad hairdos, and even see a pitch invasion from Romeo and Juliet!

The show will be particularly poignant for the directors who met through the society five years ago, as they are shortly moving to Gloucestershire. Mr Cain said: "It has been great fun doing this play from writing it to performing it with our 20-strong cast. It will be very sad to leave all our friends in the society when we move but this show will be a great note to leave on. Everyone in the group have been determined not to let the closure of Wimbledon Theatre stop us from performing and we were thrilled to find a new venue in time."

The society hit a crisis in the summer after the theatre suddenly closed. It meant the profits from their May production of Dr and Mrs Faustus at the theatre could not be paid until the new owners, the Ambassador Theatre Group, took control of the finances. In August the society's president, June Whitfield, opened a fete in a member's Wimbledon Village garden which raised nearly £500. The result meant Carlton could still stage its autumn production. The society hope to return to the Wimbledon Studio theatre once the venue reopens next year.

Performances of Two Gentlemen of Verona are at 8pm. Tickets are £7 (concessions £5). Box Office: 0208 770 4950."