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Still alive in… 2005

	YiPPies set up for a dramatic future! 2005 started with an exploratory meeting to gauge interest in starting a youth group. Such was the enthusiastic response - more than twenty youngsters of all ages - that plans to launch the group - dubbed the YiPPies - were brought forward and YiPPie-in-Chief, Lesley Wolowiec, decided to kick things off before the planned September start date and involved them in rehearsals for The Odd Couple to meet the cast, director and technical crew, see how the set building is coming along and also lend a hand with painting etc.
	It's a Small World for ChildLine In February, Pauline Foreman presented another of her perennially successful afternoons of wit and wisdom, this time entitled It’s A Small World. The performance was polished as ever with the talented team of PP readers before a packed (and rapt) audience. From the proceeds, we were able to make a donation of £100 to ChildLine.
	PP goes historical In March, we presented our illustrious past to a meeting of the Painswick Local History Society. In front of a large audience, Andrew Leach, supported by Jack Burgess, Pauline Foreman and Avril Dorey yarned our way through the first 80 years of the Painswick Players story, drawing on Andrew’s written account and supported by archive material released for the evening from the County Records Office. The audience included a number of PP veterans from the Lucy Hyett era and many contributions and anecdotes from the floor contributed to an enjoyable evening.
	Odd Couple brings Manhattan to Painswick In April we staged The Odd Couple by Neil Simon, directed by Kevin Parker, which was very warmly received by excellent audiences on all three nights. The cast rose to the challenge of capturing both the Noo York accents and the rhythm of Simon’s sharply witty Manhattan dialogue. What made this Odd Couple a smidgeon odder was that Kevin had chosen the female version of the play which meant that he faced the daunting challenge of trying to control no fewer than six feisty females. Mind you, given that in A Man for All Seasons, he played King Henry VIII, he did have a head start (so to speak) in dealing with half a dozen unruly women! Not only did he succeed dramatically, he also succeeded in turning a useful profit.
	From a Summer Barbecue to A Tail of Two Kitties! In August - unable to agree what to do after The Odd Couple - we eventually decided …to have a party. Once again, the Herberts opened up their gardens on a gloriously sunny afternoon and we all sizzled alongside the barbecue. Somehow, from the resulting fuzzy, happy, wine fuelled party blur, a decision about the December production emerged… A Tail of Two Kitties was a double bill featuring Last Panto in Painswick by David Tritram (a wryly amusing account of a certain dramatic society's farcical attempt to stage their version of Dick Whittington & His Cat) plus Puss in Slippers by Richard Tydeman, performed by The Yippies, our amazingly enthusiastic band of young PPs. So, you see, the title - A Tail of Two Kitties - covered the whole fun-filled festive evening and refers to both productions. It's a sort of play on words, you see... Tail...Tale... Kitties...Cats...Puss... Get it? Commenting on Last Panto, Jackie Herbert, whose directorial debut this was, said ‘It was a hilarious evening, although also a bit painfully close to home, at times! Any resemblance to any real Painswick Player, living or dead, is entirely coincidental (but quite likely)!’ Puss in Slippers was described by Lesley Wolowiec, who directed the YiPPies in this, their opening production, as ‘a lively dramatic romp for youngsters of all ages and a lot of fun both for the YiPPies involved and those watching.’ Anyway, to make the evening even more fun-filled and festive, the ticket price included merry mince pies and even merrier mulled wine! Better still, each succulently mouthwatering mince pie had been expertly home-baked by those lovely ladies from Painswick Country Market. And, no, the children didn’t get the mulled wine (Boo!) but they did get in for half-price and did get a glass of something. (Hooray!).
	Last Panto in Painswick Puss in Slippers
	Painswick Players AGM The ever popular Painswick Players AGM took place on Thursday 22nd September at the Painswick Centre. True to form, we zipped through the business (plus a couple of bottles of the legendary cheap red) in double quick time and led to the following committee: · Chairman - Jack Burgess · Secretary - Jackie Herbert · Treasurer - Andrew Leach · Gill Mohin · Avril Dorey · Valerie Dugan · Mike Breeze · Kevin Parker
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	Gloscars success for A Man For All Seasons Finally for 2005, we learned that A Man For All Seasons, our entry for the 2004 GDA Awards (the ‘Gloscars’), won Best Supporting Actor for Tony Pegg as The Common Man. ‘Man4’ was also runner up for Best Production and was nominated for Best Actor (Mike Breeze - Sir Thomas More), Best Actress (Susie Almond – Lady Margaret) and Best Costumes (Ann Dorman and Pat Francis).
	Painswick Players list of productions 2000 -