Garden Suburb Theatre
(Charity Number 1009309)
Annual Report for the year ended 31" August 2025
l. Charitable Purposes
Amateur theatre group promoting education and training in the theatre through producing at least five
staged productions a year, including one outdoor show, as well as rehearsed and unrehearsed play
readings. High involvement of local community and fund raising for local charities.
2. Review of Activities
Main Productions during the year
October 2024: of Whose ￿fe is itAnywayP by Brian Clark directed by Tim Solomons, fulfilling our
brief to educate this was a play that deals with the complex moral and legal questions around an
individual's rights to decide on the manner and time of their death. The production dealt with these
themes in a sensitive way, not shying away from the humour within the text and was brought to life
by an exceptional cast, with a bravura performance by Vicki Browning. A tough subject that was
well served by all those involved.
November 2024: Holding the Man by Tommy Murphy directed by Kayne Mccutcheon. The play
tells the love story between Tim Conigrave and John Caleo which started when they were at school
in Australia and travels through decades with a multitude of characters. It was expertly staged with
a minimal set and about a thousand costume changes and the resulting show was a heart-felt-
sometimes sad, sometimes very funny, piece of important theatre, again fulfilling our brief to
educate
The play was also our entry in the Isle of Man Festival over Easter 2025 where it won, in the Full
Length Play category:
Best Play.
Best Director
Best Set Conception, Design and Construction
o Best Drama
And was also nominated for:
Best Male Performance (Daryl Hurst playing Tim)
o Besl Use of Sound and Lighting
o Best Costume and Make-up.
The play was the only full length play invited to perform at the National Drama Festival in August
2025where it won:
Best Artor- Jointly for James Clarke and Daryl Hurst
And the Adjudicator Award for the Slumber Party award.
Kayne Mccutcheon was also nominated for Best Director.
February 2025: The scheduled production, Blithe Spirit, had to be cancelled because of the illness
of the director, Stephen Lannigan-O'Keefe. Instead we put on Wrltlngfmm Within 2. A professional

writer, Simon Block, ran a series of workshops with members of GST to develop monologues they had
written which were then directed and performed by the company. All the monologues were of an incredibly
high standard and showcased the amazing talent we have within GST. The breadth of subjects that were
covered was extraordinary, from very funny to searing and all done to the highest standard.
May 2025: An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde and directed by Mary Groom and Omer Warman. The
play was transported to the 1980's and Thatcher's Britain which proved to be a refreshing take on
this classic. An ingenious piece of set design by Andy Farrer allowed the play to move seamlessly
through the scenes and the play was incredibly well supported and enjoyed by sell out audiences. It
also introduced us to new cast members which is lovely to see.
July 2025: The Tempest by William Shakespeare directed by Teresa Poland. A fantastic cast brought
this perennial favourite to life and, although the weather worked against us somewhat (too hot, not
rain this time), audiences really enjoyed this magical offering. Being able to perform in the newly
revamped wood setting was a joy.
All of our productions rely on the time and dedication of all those people who volunteer to work
backstage, set designers, stage managers, lighting and sound designers and operators, costume designers,
stage hands and publicists and we are all incredibly grateful for the time. dedication and support they have
given us throughout this season.
Other productions
We had three Studio Productions this year:
Aristotle's Wife, directed by Nina Meinzer, a fabulous and thought-provoking show.
Party by Tom Basden, directed by Freya Carrol, a very funny look at a group of young students
attempts to set up a political party.
A Snippets Evening, Fmm Screen to Stage which allowed several director5 to have an opportunity
to direct scenes from some well-loved and well-known f*J shows and Films.
All the Studio Productions were extremely well done and enjoyed by enthusiastic and appreciative
audiences.
Social events
The Wednesday Socials have been running frequently this year and continue to provide a lovely way for
members to meet and enjoy a whole host of themed evenings, so well done to everyone involved with them,
especially Colin Gregory for all the hard work he has put into organising them.
Other social events we have had this year include Pub visits, a quiz and an Improv night and the Summer
Picnic. These are another great way for members to meet up and celebrate the fact that, although we are an
Amateur Dramatics Co., we are also a community of people and friends. Special thanks to Jo Moore and
Gabi Maddox for all the work they have put into these events this year.
3. Organisation
Day to day administration of the group is through an annually elected General Committee. In addition
there is an annually elected Casting and Selection Committee which selects plays and directors and assists
with casting.
4. Financial Review
Last year was a really bad year financially.
If we start looking at the Production Accounts, Blithe Spirit was cancelled, and Whose ￿fe Is It
anyway? and Holding the Man, while critical successes, were expensive shows that didn't garner big
audiences and even The Tempest, another good show, didn't sell well- possibly in a first for the wood,

it was said to be too hot! Writingfmm Wlthln 2 made a profit, but it was a much smaller scale show
than Blithe Spirit would have been. An Ideol Husband mad a good profit.
Show costs this year were £16,000 as against last year's £21,000- half of that bein8 the difference
between Writingfrom Within 2 and Blithe Spirit. So last year's shows were more expensive to put on.
However, we sold over 500 fewer tickets which equates to £8,000 in ticket sales; and 80 fewer
members saw shows than last year. So as against a profit on shows last year of £4,181, this year shows
only made £200 profit.
Looking at the Income and Expenditure Account, membership revenues were down by £500, although
the fewer members who saw shows means slightly more of the membership fees carry into the Income
and Expenditure Account than last year; many of the costs were slightly higher than last year but the
big increase was in the unallocated Free Church Hall rental which was £1,300 higher- the lack of Blithe
Spirit rehearsals helps account for this increase as most of that amount would have been allocated to
them.
I have been asked why we are now charging each show £950 for rehearsals, and will do so whether or
not they use the FCH. It's because we have an annual agreement for the FCH, and since we began that,
the rent has only risen by inflation, but we are now paying £643 a month. Six weeks rehearsals is
roughly one and a half times this- hence £950.
All of this means we made aloss of £5,834 this year- which is largely the £4,000 lower profit on the
shows. But it is worth remembering that GST accounts are always swings and roundabouts. Last year
we only lost £321, but the year before we made a £7,000 profit; over the last three years, we have
made about £1,000 profit.
The danger is if low audiences continue, especially as the Gatehouse have told us that they will be
charging VAT on the theatre hire soon. Maybe we should be more flexible and look for cheaper
locations and shorter runs for plays that are relatively unknown and will not garner large audiences
TrEA£(Aoe

JÈ
THE GARDEN SUP•URB
• THEATRE •
Charity NO 1009309
ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED
ST
31 AUGUST 2025
Index -
Balance Sheet - Page 1
Incomo and Expendlture Account - Page 2
Productlon Accounts - Page 3

THE GARDEN SUBURB THEATRE
BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 AUGUST 2025
2024-25
202&24
Flx•d A8sets
2,955
3.195
Cufrent Assets
Cash al B8nk
Cash On Deposit
Debtors
Front of House & Merchandising Stock
Prepaymenls & accxued income
3,402
32.710
3,222
38,870
25
1.725
37.862
85
1,279
43,456
Current Llabllltle•
Creditors
A¢crua18
Net Cltrrent Assets
37,862
43,456
40,817
46.651
Accumulated Fund
1st September 2024
Costume Fund
ProfftllLo881 for the year
31,301
15.350
15 834 j
31.622
15,350
(3211
40,817
46.651
I have carried out an Indepenijent exami¢ialion of Ihese Accounts and In my opinion they give a Irue and fair view ol the
financial posib.on of The Garden Suburb Theat￿ as 8131 st August 2025.
R. Ashman
Indepenil•nt Examlner
Vve dedare that these Accounts are correct and have been apwoved by the members of
The Garden Suburb Theatre.
Polan
/6rfd-
Chalr
Lynn Fldler
]aLu
Se¢felary
Da¥ld Lano
Tr¢asurer

THE GARDEN SUBURB THEATRE
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
ST
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
202&25
202>24
Incom•
Subscriptions
Less Member3 Ticket Sabs
4.635
(2,3841
5,161
(3. 0321
2,251
2.129
980
99
Bank Interest
Easy Fundraising
Donatrons
Grant from HGS Trust
Third Party Coswm8 Hire
PfofiVIIoss1 on Act>viu8s
Production5
Studio Productions
social￿Xmas Party
Festsvals
108
379
40
4.181
23
18821
468
{6791
11911
2.938
6,746
Total In¢¢)m•
3,434
Over￿ad expondltur•
Fees, Subs¢riptit)n$ and Donations
Insurance
AGM
Mis￿11ane0u8
Bank Charges
Little Wood Hul Rent & Maintenanc
Free Church Hall rental after allocation
Garage Costs
Dep￿cIatIon & write olls
Costum• Sloiage
872
1.437
36
j97
60
230
3,953
1,055
1.406
A8
103
61
36
2.676
780
533
370
707
596
9.268
7A167
Total Exwndltur•
(321)
ProtlUllos81 fof th¢ year
Outward Glvlng
Money coll￿ted in buckets at shows
Less Donations to North London Hospice
Balance
469
469
86
86

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