My name is Di Mannion and I am Director/Co Producer of this play.
My Co Producer is Phil Lines.
This year’s play “A Bunch of Amateurs” is a comedy written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. Nick has written a really personal good luck message from them both which is included in our programme.
The play follows a group of am dram actors trying to raise money to keep their tiny village theatre open. They manage to get Jefferson Steel (a fading Hollywood actor) to come and add his name to the play King Lear for promotion purposes. However, his agent has stitched him up and he thinks he’s going to perform in Stratford on Avon alongside Judy Dench, Kenneth Branagh etc., whereas he will actually be performing in Lear at Stratford St John in Suffolk with A Bunch of Amateurs!! Obviously he is “NOT PLEASED”. It’s funny and cleverly written and I have a brilliant cast.
In fact there are parallels with our own society as I struggled to find a leading man because of holidays and other commitments but was fortunate to be rescued by Andrew Tomlinson, a seasoned actor who is certainly not fading in any sense of the word.
The play runs from Wednesday 28th September to Saturday 1st October at Streetly Community Centre, Foley Road East, B74 3HR. Tickets are £12. Online at www.trinityplayers.com. Box office 07843 928830. 73 Britwell Road, Sutton Coldfield B73 5SW.
