Titchfield Festival Theatre is delighted to announce its upcoming production this coming January of A Bunch of Amateurs, a hilarious and heartwarming comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman about a struggling amateur dramatic society as they fight the closure of their beloved theatre.

Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village. And instead of Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, the cast are a bunch of amateurs trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear!

Sarah Miatt, director of A Bunch of Amateurs was interviewed by Simon Frost about the forthcoming show:

Simon: Sarah, why did you choose to direct this play - and why is it a good choice for TFT?

Sarah: This is a play with a relatively small cast about an Amateur Dramatic Society, desperately trying to save their theatre, which is the centre of the small community. The themes of struggling financially, battling councils and developers and trying to perform against all the odds resonated with me, especially with the trials TFT have been up against recently.

Simon: Will you adapt this play - or is it based on the original production?

Sarah: This is a play written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, the writing is perfect the way it is so no adapting required.

Simon: A Bunch of Amateurs is regarded as capturing the essence of amateur dramatics very well. Do you have any specific personal experiences that you can build on whilst directing the play?

Sarah: After over 30 years of Am Dram, more than a few, but things like making costumes out of curtains, people missing from rehearsals, doubling up in roles, especially for the men as well as doing everything yourselves and the passion that Am Drammers have for what they do are all experiences many people will recognise.

Simon: The play has at times a delicate balance to strike between humour and drama. Tell me more about your approach to this.

Sarah: I like this play because there are some really swift changes from funny to heartbreaking. We are definitely playing on the comedy, but that makes the heartbreaking parts even more impactful. There are some wonderful speeches that resonate with us as an amateur company so much.

Simon: Why should people come along and watch the play?

Sarah: In the gloomy month of January when everyone feels blue, this is the perfect antidote! People will leave with a lighter heart having laughed a lot.

Thank you Sarah.

A Bunch of Amateurs performs in the Oak Theatre, Titchfield Festival Theatre between 8 to 18 January 2025. For more information including booking tickets please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/  or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.

This amateur production of A Bunch of Amateurs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd.