Hasland Theatre Company launches new season with The Caretaker

Harold Pinter’s much acclaimed The Caretaker will be presented by Hasland Theatre Company next week.

Long-term company member Audrey Redfearn, who is directing the production, said: “The Caretaker is the sixth of Harold Pinter’s major works for stage and television, but is generally considered to be his best.

“This award-winning play is a fascinating study of the human condition, depicting many facets of the disparate characters portrayed.

“The play is a considerable challenge for the actors and indeed the audience. I am confident that our efforts will produce a lively evening of laughter, certainly bewilderment and hopefully ultimately, understanding.”

The Caretaker runs at The Playhouse, Storforth Lane, Hasland, from September 15 to 20. Tickets £7.50. Call o1246 272271 or [email protected]

This will be followed in November by Joan Littlewood’s ‘Oh What a Lovely War’, a satirical musical which highlights the ironies and tragedies of the Great War, a timely production to present as we commemorate the centenary of the start of the First World War this year.

January’s play is ‘The Ladykillers’, written by Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd), a restaging of the 1955 Ealing comedy which starred Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers and ran in the West End starring Peter Capaldi and Ben Miller in 2011 and 2012 to much acclaim, leading to a successful UK tour.

March’s play is ‘Entertaining Angels’ by Richard Everett, a very English comedy with some real emotion, written in 2009 and finally, to end the season, the classic Victorian farce, ‘Hotel Paradiso’ by Georges Feydeau and Maurice Desvallieres.

Other changes are afoot, not least the introduction of an online booking system. Customers just need to visit the theatre website www.haslandtheatrecompany.co.uk. Tickets can be printed off at home and scanned at the theatre on performance nights.

Another change from the November 2014 production onwards will be the increase in the number of performances for each production, from six to eight. The additional performances will mean that the company’s productions will now start on a Friday instead of Mondays being opening night.

All in all, it is another varied season of plays, with something to please everyone. New members are always welcome and, although the September and November plays are cast and in rehearsal already, if anyone would like to try their hand at treading the boards or wants to get involved with the many backstage roles, there will be an audition workshop for the January play The Ladykillers on September 24 at the Playhouse on Storforth Lane. For further details, contact Nicky at [email protected]