Play Reading

Group: Play Reading 1

Meets: Second Thursday of the month at 10.00am - 12.00pm

Venue: Tonbridge

Details: We read a variety of plays - comedy, tragedy etc.  No acting talent is required.  

Contact: Email the group leader(s) at playreading@tonbridgeu3a.uk 

Group Leader: Ann Blackmore

There is always room for drama in the Play Reading Group – just not many more people! We are, of necessity, a small group, as I simply don't have either the room or enough chairs to accommodate larger numbers. That has never stopped us tackling plays with plenty of characters, though. We are wonderfully adaptable and happily share the roles between us. Sometimes, to keep things fair, we even swap parts halfway through so that everyone has a chance to enjoy the leading roles. 

Half-time is an important part of every session. It's a chance to enjoy tea, coffee cake or biscuits while putting the world to rights. Sometimes our conversations are about the play we've just been reading; sometimes they are about our own lives. Whatever the topic, it's always enjoyable and often surprisingly therapeutic. 

Over the past year we've read eleven plays, ranging from drama and comedy to mystery and tragedy, by authors including Francis Durbridge, Alan Ayckbourn, Gustavo Pellon and, most recently, Alan Bennett, who has become a particular favourite with the group. At the moment we're reading The History Boys – and it's great fun being a boy for a couple of hours! 

We began as a group brought together by a shared interest in reading plays aloud. Along the way we've become something even more valuable: a group of caring friends.