A pair of prestigious premieres feature in the newly-announced summer season drama line-up at Sheringham Little Theatre.
Shanty is a brand new comedy, with live music, based on a Cromer sea shanty singing fishermen and his family. Running from August 8-12 it charts daughter Shanty’s creation of a band to tackle the family’s fishing business woes. It is penned by North Norfolk based playwright, poet and EastEnders scriptwriter James McDermott.
Run For Your Man (August 22-26), by farce master Ray Cooney, is a modern twist on his classic Run For Your Wife – putting cabbie Jackie into the main role, juggling two husbands in two different towns, before her life unravels.
Run For Your Man (August 22-26), by farce master Ray Cooney, is a modern twist on his classic Run For Your Wife – putting cabbie Jackie into the main role, juggling two husbands in two different towns, before her life unravels.
Shanty will see its first ever performances, and Run for Your Man its UK debut, during the Sheringham summer season which comprises five plays, delivered by nine professional actors and four community cast members over six weeks.
James McDermott who wrote Shanty
The other summer shows are:
Theatre director Debbie Thompson said: “We always try to balance staging new work with traditional favourites, so we are thrilled to be able to host two premieres as well as some new slants on well-known dramas and some evergreen wit from Noel Coward. It fits our aim to provide something for everyone.”
A concert by the Sheringham Shantymen on July 30 sets the scene for Shanty a few days later, and there are two summer concerts raising funds for the theatre being held at Mannington Hall, the home of theatre president Lady Walpole – a party night with the Lee Vasey Big Band on Friday July 21 and a classical picnic concert by the Flutes and Frets Duo the following day.
Other spring and summer shows in the new season include:
Details of the shows which can be seen at, and the brochure downloaded from, its website www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com
Songs signalled the reopening of Sheringham Little Theatre’s Hub café after a month-long closure for a facelift.
The new-look Hub held its “premiere” with an opening ceremony on Saturday morning (Feb 11) that mixed music, mingling, poetry and performance.
BBC Look East presenter and reporter Jenny Kirk cut the ceremonial ribbon, praising the project and encouraging people to support the venue’s investment in its future.
She said it was the first time she had been back in town since another reopening – a street party in 2019 to mark the end of works to repair a high street sink hole, when she was also impressed by the town’s community spirit.
The volunteer crew at Sheringham have received a cheque for £1000 from the managers & owner of The Two Lifeboats.
On Sunday 29th January the managers of the Two Lifeboats public house Sheringham, Stephan & Anna Marriott, presented Sheringham lifeboat crew with a cheque for £1000.
Owner of the Two Lifeboats, Tim Joudrey said “We decided to choose the local RLNI as our main local charity as I and my recently deceased Uncle were regularly sailing together originally, on the solent and in the last 20 years on the Norfolk coast. It is a cause close to my heart and I wish to show our appreciation for the great work they do.”
A new-look Hub café is taking shape behind the blacked-out windows of Sheringham Little Theatre. The venue has been closed all January for a major revamp of its foyer and the café which is a vital income generator to support its arts programming.
When the curtain goes up on the £85,000 project visitors will see a freshened up café with new flooring, ceilings, lights, heating and revived tables and chairs.
The toilets are getting new lighting and hand driers – and the whole building is getting LED lighting, a front door porch and window film to make it more energy efficient and help make its rising power bills more manageable.
People walking past after dark will have already noticed colourful new lighting on the fascia boards.
