Production Notes for Parson Combs & The Ballad of Mad Dog Creek

Welcome again to our Christmas show at the Sir John Mills. Julian Harries’ scripts have always tended towards the wild and wacky, but this year we’ve let him loose on the Wild West and then handed him the reins too. Yes, he’s writing, starring and directing. He’s got so many badges on his chest he’d better not fall in that there ragin' river… Sorry, just withdrawal symptoms.  

I’m supposed to be taking a back seat, preparing some of next year’s activities and dreaming up some good ones for twelve months' time when we will be celebrating our twenty-first birthday. Any suggestions for the kind of shows you’d like to see us bring back?

In the meantime, The Walsingham Organ, our village hall show for next year, is coming up fast on the inside. If you thought western America was wild and lawless you should try Walsingham in Norfolk where the church band were replaced with a mighty great organ of the Vicar’s. So incensed were the locals that some person or persons blew it up with a charge of dynamite. Apparently this kind of rowdy behaviour was common on Bonfire nights in these lawless parts in 1866. Parson Combs' counterpart was the grandly named Septimus Lee-Warner, brother to the local squire and general all-round Reverend.

This past year has been a cracker, with our lottery seating and equipment arriving in the summer and every show it seems doing record business. (A big thank you to all those who assisted in the summer with the conversion of the theatre, and to those who help out at our venues.)  The Time Lords of Tacket Street, Crossroad Blues and Tithe War! all set new records in various parts of the region and drew enthusiastic responses from our audiences. The upshot of all this is further investment from East England Arts in their Theatre Plan for the region. So we should be flying high for some time yet. But we still need more volunteer help. If you have evenings spare during the run of this show and want to take part in the running of the theatre, why not give Jon Tavener our Front of House Manager a ring on 01473 218202. He’d love to find you a slot to help run our bar.

And a big thank you too to Ensors who once again have sponsored our Christmas show. We are delighted with their continuing support, especially since their staff so enjoyed themselves last year.

Finally, a plea for new buildings. Remember, The Wuffings? It all came about because Charles Notcutt saw our appeal in the Christmas programme that year for a place we could mix fire, water and spectacle. He asked us not to burn his buildings down but did lead us to Notcutts' magnificent potting shed at Pettistree.  Do you know of any decent-sized buildings that could take an extraordinary event and lend some atmosphere at the same time? They don’t have to boast every amenity - although water, electricity and a roof would give us a good start. Any building could become an exciting venue for a special type of Eastern Angles production. We’ve got 240 new seats and we want to put them all up! Give me a ring on 01473 218202 or email me at ivan@easternangles.co.uk

Looking forward to seeing you next time. Now back to those plans – where are they? John Barleycorn? Peculiar People?

Ivan Cutting - Artistic Director