Chair report February 17th 2025 AGM 2023/2024
Again, we’ve had a very busy time since our last AGM, in February 2023. We began our 2023/24 season, in October with The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, adapted for stage by Mike Kenny. We all remember it with such great affection. We will never forget the magic of the moving platforms and the fantastic set that our very experienced director Howard Ball had asked for. This also included a bridge, and a steam engine built by our wonderful set builders lead by Graham Illing and David Whitewright, who joined us recently as a set designer and builder. We are very pleased to have him with us. We had a fantastic cast, all dressed in period costume researched by our superb seamstress Glynis Aldred.
The Railway Children was followed by Funny Money, a farce by Ray Cooney. This, despite the extremely difficult circumstances of the death of our director Jonathan Ferneyhough, was taken on by Dave McCaddon and Wendy McKie. We had not done a farce for so long, but this proved to be, after very much hard work by the directors and cast a most polished, perfectly timed and hugely funny play, full of nonsense! The audiences absolutely loved it! We decided there and then that we should try to do more comedy.
The June 2024 play, Frankenstein, adapted by Nick Dear from the novel by Mary Shelley, written when she was only 18 was a leap of faith! We heard some of the ideas that Robin Jackson, the director had. He was so enthusiastic and innovative, that we, although a little apprehensive, wanted to give both him and Congleton Players the chance to really present something challenging and different. That we did!
The set, creation of the characters, particularly the Creature, was so moving. The atmosphere created and the questions posed such as are we born with the capacity for evil or do we learn it? The extremely talented cast lead by Sam Hands as The Creature and Michael Shneck as Dr Frankenstein, together
with other cast members, too many to mention here, provided us all with a very special evening’s entertainment, not seen before at Daneside Theatre. There was such a supportive production team. The set builders this time were led by David Whitewright. He achieved, with his team everything that Robin asked for – quite a feat! Wonderful costumes again created and made by Glynis Aldred. We played to sell out audiences on some nights, something we would never have imagined to do with such a play. We had rave reviews from patrons, the press, NODA (National Organisation of Dramatic Arts) and ACT (Association of Community Theatre). Both of these organisations provided outstanding reviews of Frankenstein. We go to the awards evening for NODA in a couple of weeks. We have many nominations. We wish them all well!
Our 2024/25 season began in October with ‘Calendar Girls’ by Tim Firth. This was the 2[nd] time we have performed it. This time with the very experienced director Louise Colohan. We are always delighted to work with her. Her professionalism, knowledge, foresight and expectation create the perfect rehearsal arena for her plays. Again, we had a wonderful set, designed and created by Graham and his team, dressed (especially the ‘buns’ etc.) by Wendy McKie and Crystal Holford.
Our recent production of Macbeth -the Scottish Play was adapted and directed by William Vickers. It was a very brave choice for us and Will to undertake as an amateur group. It is full of ambition, tension and supernatural intrigue, and of course the Shakespearean language unfamiliar to us all. As happens occasionally we had some problems. Very late on in rehearsals Will took over the part of Macbeth as well as directing which was a huge task. It became very evident that we should have had a Producer, which in future we will always insist upon, giving the director the support he/she needs. The cast worked very hard to create their characters, and to support their director. The costumes were as usual excellent, as was the food at the banquets! The set, lighting and smoke, created
a dark atmosphere. Macbeth had excellent audience numbers, partly due to schools having it on their curriculum for GCSE.
Our next production of The Good Life will be directed by Rachel Wood, who has been a Players member for quiet some years. She has great ability and creativity – we can hardly wait till rehearsals begin in a couple of weeks’ time!
Over the past couple of years’, we have had very great interest from lots of new people, who are very keen to help us. Our membership has gone up. We are delighted that we are attracting people from all over the area with different skills, as was evident from the 55 people to came to the recent read through of “The Good Life”!
As mentioned last year, we really are going to invite a group of people to help with Publicity, give them all a job, let them report back to the Publicity Officer on the committee. This is a huge area of varied responsibility and a vital part of any production. Far, far, too much for one member. Glynis has already created a team of interested people to join her sewing group, which helps to share some of the load in that area. The backstage set builders’ team is growing too. We need more help with a team for properties, but in time this too will be achieved.
We have 2 plays chosen for our 2025/2026 season, One Man Two Governors in October and Bouncers (Remix) in June, but we do need a play and director for our February 2026 slot. We need to keep the momentum and standards which we have worked so hard to achieve in recent times. All ideas will be will be considered by our management team.
It finally remains for me to thank Claire our secretary, who works very hard and juggles other aspects of our group as well, together with all our other committee members who play their part in helping to strive to make Congleton Players, the great society it has now become.
cONGLON PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATRE CLUB BALANCE SHE AS AT 31ST JULY 2024 2,024 2.023 Surplus Account BIF Profit ILoss for Year Suplus Account CIF 56,803 255 56,586 237 57.058 56,803 Represented By FIXED ASss Equipment Additions duringyear 927 237 138 939 1.077 1,164 Less Depreciation forthe year 151.32 1,012 150 927 CURRENT ASSErs Debtors and prepayments N S I InvestmentAccount Natwest CLut)ISociety Re ACC CurrentAccount Cash in Hand 3,470 49,278 1,179 2.392 40.036 1,197 17,578 58,811 56,326 Less Current Liabilities 450 CURRENT ASSErs 58,811 55.876 TOTAL ASSEtS 59,823 56,803 In accordance with you instructions I have compiled, without carrying out and audit, the attached Iticome and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheetfrom accountingrecords and information supplied. There is a positive discrepancywhich I could not reconcile with the information supplied. butthe CurrentAssets figure is valid. Luciano Pinto, Independent Examiner
cONCLoN PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATRE CLUB INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31STJULY 2024 2024 Expenses 2023 Receipts Proftt/Loss Production Account (See Note l) Misc income Ma¢aretWilliamson Trust Costume hire byPoulton Drama Donations received Hire of props scenery Membership Misc items 33,436 32,914 3,672 522 150 573 257 40 1,440 2,460 2.982 TotaL Less Expenses Chaperone Licence Depreciation Floatfor G Aldred JAF Graphics Gifts and hospitality Insurance, NODA Postage, stationery. phone Programmesfor"And then there... Repairs and renewaLs Storage Subscriptions Sundryexpenses Web site 17 151 500 96 150 87 541 li 127 418 62 1,930 311 540 93 975 411 189 3,105 TotaLs 3,105 3,504 ProfiULoss -122 168 Interest Received:_ NS I InvestmentAccount Natwest Rese]ve ACC 360 17 24 69 377 Profit ILosss forthe year 255 237
cONGLON PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATrE CLUB NOTES TO Accou[s FOR YEAR ENDED 31STJULY 2024 Note I Production summary Income Expenditure 127 11,564 7,505 12,686 1.031 32.914 Profit ILoss Andthenthere were none The RailwayChiLdren Funny Money Frankenstein calendar Girls 1.556 -858 10,706 8,622 12,425 1,116 -261 -1,031 522 33.436
cONGLON PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATRE CLUB BALANCE SHE AS AT 31ST JULY 2024 2,024 2.023 Surplus Account BIF Profit ILoss for Year Suplus Account CIF 56,803 255 56,586 237 57.058 56,803 Represented By FIXED ASss Equipment Additions duringyear 927 237 138 939 1.077 1,164 Less Depreciation forthe year 151.32 1,012 150 927 CURRENT ASSErs Debtors and prepayments N S I InvestmentAccount Natwest CLut)ISociety Re ACC CurrentAccount Cash in Hand 3,470 49,278 1,179 2.392 40.036 1,197 17,578 58,811 56,326 Less Current Liabilities 450 CURRENT ASSErs 58,811 55.876 TOTAL ASSEtS 59,823 56,803 In accordance with you instructions I have compiled, without carrying out and audit, the attached Iticome and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheetfrom accountingrecords and information supplied. There is a positive discrepancywhich I could not reconcile with the information supplied. butthe CurrentAssets figure is valid. Luciano Pinto, Independent Examiner
cONCLoN PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATRE CLUB INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31STJULY 2024 2024 Expenses 2023 Receipts Proftt/Loss Production Account (See Note l) Misc income Ma¢aretWilliamson Trust Costume hire byPoulton Drama Donations received Hire of props scenery Membership Misc items 33,436 32,914 3,672 522 150 573 257 40 1,440 2,460 2.982 TotaL Less Expenses Chaperone Licence Depreciation Floatfor G Aldred JAF Graphics Gifts and hospitality Insurance, NODA Postage, stationery. phone Programmesfor"And then there... Repairs and renewaLs Storage Subscriptions Sundryexpenses Web site 17 151 500 96 150 87 541 li 127 418 62 1,930 311 540 93 975 411 189 3,105 TotaLs 3,105 3,504 ProfiULoss -122 168 Interest Received:_ NS I InvestmentAccount Natwest Rese]ve ACC 360 17 24 69 377 Profit ILosss forthe year 255 237
cONGLON PLAYERS AMATEUR THEATrE CLUB NOTES TO Accou[s FOR YEAR ENDED 31STJULY 2024 Note I Production summary Income Expenditure 127 11,564 7,505 12,686 1.031 32.914 Profit ILoss Andthenthere were none The RailwayChiLdren Funny Money Frankenstein calendar Girls 1.556 -858 10,706 8,622 12,425 1,116 -261 -1,031 522 33.436