Production Notes for The Day the Earth Wobbled a Bit!

Welcome to The Day the Earth Wobbled a Bit

Last year I wrote here about our problems with the capacity of the Sir John Mills Theatre and how we might have to look elsewhere for another venue to solve our problem. Many of you responded with helpful suggestions and good ideas, which we endeavoured to research and follow up on. But as fast as we followed up the ideas, the shutters came down. The fact that we found no easy solution is hardly your fault, but one instance highlights the problem: the old McNamara garage in Spring Road looked interesting although would have cost a bomb to convert. However, driving past the other day I noticed it was already gone, demolished, and the developers were on site. And this is the trend. Every time we followed up someone else was already there and usually with greater resources than we could hope to challenge.

So we are still here, not unhappily, since any theatre that is bursting at the seams like this one has a good buzz and generates even more interest! And this year is no exception. Despite adding on a further week of performances, (and  also allowing the actors an extra week of rehearsal), we have still sold quicker than last year – and this in a town with more professional pantos than Norwich has cathedrals.

So what’s to be done? Well, our search hasn't  been completely fruitless. Next year sees the opening of a brand new theatre in Woodbridge, as part of Woodbridge School, and they have invited us to take our Christmas show there after the run has finished here. This will give our Woodbridge area audience a chance to see the show more locally, find us new audiences in the area, offer an opportunity for those who are too late to squeeze in here, and still retain the special magic which is this place. Watch this space!

And if you are in or near Woodbridge in March you have another treat in store. Eastern Angles is hosting "UpStix", the Pride of Place Theatre Festival for the very first time, bringing a dozen shows from our brother and sister companies, from Britain and abroad, who specialise in touring into rural areas., Five venues, ten companies, over twenty performances - get ready to make a day of it on Friday 31March and Saturday 1 April 2006.

Once again, our thanks  go to Ensors for sponsoring our annual Christmas creative recounting extravaganza, to our Angels who turn up night after night to help make your visit as comfortable and pleasant as possible, and to everyone else who has helped and supported us through this year. In January we enter into our 25^th year and have some special productions in the pipeline. Watch this space too!

Ivan Cutting - Artistic Director

Artistic Director