A Bunch of Amateurs are the real stars of the show

Thame Players’ next production, A Bunch of Amateurs, is a ‘terrific comedy packed with killer comic dialogue’ (What’s on stage), being performed at the Players Theatre between  7 – 11 March at 7.45pm. Tickets are £8.00 on Tuesday and Wednesday and £10.00 (concessions £8.00) on Thursday to Saturday. Book online at www.thameplayers.co.uk  or from the Information Centre at Thame Town Hall. The plot involves a washed-up Hollywood star who is flown to England to play King Lear at Stratford. He believes he’ll be appearing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Instead, he finds he has signed on with the Stratford Players in the Suffolk village of Stratford St John. The fading actor considers himself too big for this lowly setting. The transition to humble actor, happy to play with the British amateurs takes some time, with a lot of laughs along the way, but eventually he realises he’s no better than them.

A Bunch of Amateurs was adapted as a play from the 2008 film of the same name, both written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, and first performed in 2014. Their earlier work includes Spitting Image and Harry Enfield and Chums. Their film The Wipers Times won the Broadcast Press Guild Award for best single drama in 2014, and was nominated for a BAFTA, before its stage adaptation and sell-out tour. He and Nick also wrote the acclaimed 2016 BBC Radio 4 comedy drama Trial By Laughter and their latest play, Spike went on tour last autumn.

Fittingly, this production of A Bunch of Amateurs is performed by Thame Players, a popular amateur group which has been active over many years. Come and see their production and see if you agree that they are the real stars of the show. Whatever the verdict, you’ll enjoy a hilarious evening performed by a great bunch of amateurs!  

Pictured: Becky Powell and Victor Gaultney