It's a summer's morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place.

She’s a liberal, married to a man passing laws that will tear into the fabric of British society. As she attacks his voting record, it’s clear there is more to be said.

Hansard is an intimate domestic drama about a long and troubled marriage. It is also a comedy about politics and identity and the failings of the ruling class. Set around the passing of the Section 28 legislation in 1988, which banned the “promotion” of homosexuality. It is funny, tender, brutal, and ultimately devastating.

Robin Hesketh MP - Matt Wells
Diana Hesketh - Emma Smart
Tom Hesketh - Freddie Andrews

Director - Steve Woolley
Props - Anne Monks
Lighting & Sound - Sam Stacey & Andi Ford
Set Design - Steve Woolley
Set Construction - Geoff Rennie & Iain Hepburn

ProAct Produced by Andi Ford

Steve Woolley returned to the Alma Tavern once again with A Christmas Carol in December 2023

This festive masterpiece adapted from the original text and inspired by Dickens’ public readings has one actor re-enact every notable character from this haunting, moving, timeless story. As relevant and thought provoking today as it was when published in 1843.

This production will remind us all of the true Spirit of Christmas.....

Charles Dickens - Steve Woolley
Scrooge - Steve Woolley
Bob Cratchit - Steve Woolley
Fred - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Past - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Present - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come - Steve Woolley
Isabel - Steve Woolley
Tiny Tim - Steve Woolley
Fezziwig - Steve Woolley
Supplemental Characters - Steve Woolley

Director - Steve Woolley & Andi Ford

Production Assistant - Anne Holloway

Set Construction - Geoff Rennie

Lighting & Sound Designer - Darren Williams

Set Design & Scenic Painter - Steve Woolley

Script adapted from Dickens text by - Steve Woolley

Steve Woolley returned to the Alma Tavern with A Christmas Carol in December 2019

This festive masterpiece adapted from the original text and inspired by Dickens’ public readings has one actor re-enact every notable character from this haunting, moving, timeless story. As relevant and thought provoking today as it was when published in 1843.

This production will remind us all of the true Spirit of Christmas.....

Charles Dickens - Steve Woolley
Scrooge - Steve Woolley
Bob Cratchit - Steve Woolley
Fred - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Past - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Present - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come - Steve Woolley
Isabel - Steve Woolley
Tiny Tim - Steve Woolley
Fezziwig - Steve Woolley
Supplemental Characters - Steve Woolley

Director - Steve Woolley & Andi Ford

Production Assistant - Anne Holloway

Set Construction - Geoff Rennie

Lighting & Sound Designer - Darren Williams

Set Design & Scenic Painter - Steve Woolley

Script adapted from Dickens text by - Steve Woolley

ProAct Theatre Company returned to our theatrical home at The Alma Theatre to celebrate our 20^th Anniversary.

Our first production of 2019 was Eventide.

A love song, an elegy, a celebration – Eventide tells the story of three people whose worlds are disappearing.

John is a landlord forced to sell up; Liz is a church organist who can’t get a gig; Mark takes what work he can just to pay the rent. Their tales unfold round the back of a pub hidden deep in the heart of the Hampshire countryside. But is that heart still beating?

John - Matt Wells

Mark - Dan Masters

Liz - Emma Smart

Directed by Steve Woolley

This unique one-man staging of the Charles Dickens classic, was held in the intimate setting of the Alma Tavern Theatre.

This festive masterpiece adapted from the original text and inspired by Dickens’ public readings has one actor re-enact every notable character from this haunting, moving, timeless story. As relevant
and thought provoking today as it was when published in 1843.

This production will remind us all of the true Spirit of Christmas.....

Charles Dickens - Steve Woolley
Scrooge - Steve Woolley
Bob Cratchit - Steve Woolley
Fred - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Past - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Present - Steve Woolley
Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come - Steve Woolley
Isabel - Steve Woolley
Tiny Tim - Steve Woolley
Fezziwig - Steve Woolley
Supplemental Characters - Steve Woolley

Director - Steve Woolley & Andi Ford
Production Assistant - Anne Holloway

Set Construction - Geoff Rennie
Lighting & Sound Designer - Darren Williams
Set Design & Scenic Painter - Steve Woolley

Script adapted from Dickens text by - Steve Woolley

ProAct Produced by - Andi Ford

In Brooklyn, longshoreman Eddie Carbone welcomes his Sicilian cousins to the land of freedom. But when one of them falls for his beautiful niece, they discover that freedom comes at a price. Eddie’s jealous mistrust exposes a deep, unspeakable secret – one that drives him to commit the ultimate betrayal.

ProAct return to the Alma Tavern for the second time this year, following Extremities in March we are looking forward to presenting A View From The Bridge, by Arthur Miller.

This classic play, is still as relevant and poignant today as it was when first performed.

Cast

Eddie - Matt Wells
Beatrice - Emma Smart
Catherine - Ruth Harries
Marco - Dan Masters
Rodolpho - Dan Blackwell
Alfieri - Steve Blackmore
Louis - Steve Woolley

On the night of his 35th birthday, Robert struggles to think of a wish to make as he blows out his birthday candles.

The lone bachelor, surrounded by “those good and crazy people” -- his married friends -- Robert is uncertain whether he should simply be happy with his lot or whether he should wish for his own romantic partner.

Over a series of dinner parties, first dates, and thoughtful conversations, Robert attempts to understand the pros and cons of marriage from his diverse and frequently hilarious friends, and begins to make sense of his own persistent bachelorhood.

Company, Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking modern musical, is a mature, intelligent, and wildly funny look at relationships, vulnerability, and “being alive.”

Images are all courtesy of Stewart McPherson (McPherson Photography)

www.mcphersonphotography.co.uk

Cast

Robert - Mike Griffiths

Harry - Lynden O'Neill
Sarah - Emma Griffiths
David - Grant McCotter
Jenny - Joanna Findlay
Peter - Pete Cottell
Susan - Susie Luckman
Paul - Will Ferris
Amy - Jane Williams
Larry - Chris Parslow
Joanne - Nicky Shipton

April - Lydia Marsh
Kathy - Holly McEleny
Marta - Grace MacDonald

What she did to survive is nothing compared to what she'll do to get even

A young woman is attacked in her home by a would-be rapist but manages to turn the tables on him, tying him up in the fireplace.

When her two housemates return what will they make of the scene that greets them?

Do they release him and possibly risk another attack? Do they go to the police and risk being called a liar? Or do they kill him - and become as low as him?

This play pulls no punches and examines an extremely emotive subject. From the initial attack through the moral debate that ensues and to the climatic finale you will have your own views challenged and questioned over and over.

Cast

Maddie - Ruth Harries
Raul - Simon Vardakis
Patricia - Emma Smart
Terri - Nicola Williams

Ben Stock performed his Cabaret "and there was music....." at the Rondo Theatre in Bath.

Following sell out performances in London, West End and UK theatre actor Ben Stock brought his acclaimed cabaret "...AND THERE WAS MUSIC" to his home territory.

With a career that encompasses everything from Panto to Pinter and from Wolverhampton to the West End, Ben's show includes music and tales that have influenced his life and work.....so far!

Songs by composers including Jerry Herman, Noel Coward, Tom Lehrer, and Cole Porter. Ben Stock's own career has included roles in productions such as Beauty & The Beast, Grease, Joseph and Hello Dolly as well as annual jaunts in major pantomimes.

As ex-lovers Amanda Prynne and Elyot Chase find themselves both honeymooning with their new spouses at the same hotel in France, old resentments quickly fan the fires of an old flame.

Always lively, Coward’s script is filled to the brim with clever barbs and witty retorts as Amanda and Elyot bounce back and forth between a state of passionate infatuation and ferocious hostility.

Caught in their path are their current spouses, a bubbly young bride named Sibyl and an aging old louse named Victor, who do their best to hold their own against Amanda and Elyot’s inescapable squabbles.

Cast

Amanda Prynne - Emma Smart
Elyot Chase - Matt Wells
Sibyl Chase - Ruth Rainton
Victor Prynne - Steve Blackmore
Louise - Michaela Sydney
 

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE is a modern twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set in New York City.

A young, uptight greeting card writer’s life is changed when he meets a flighty photographer. Along with their eccentric friends and siblings, they learn to love each other not in spite of their faults, but because of them.

Cast

Austin Bennet - Michael Griffiths
Marcy FitzWilliams - Jane Williams
Jeff Bennet - Harry Burt
Diana Bingley - Emma Watkins
New York Man - Matt Wells
New York Woman - Rachel Mosley
 

Benjamin Braddock, recent college graduate and prodigal son, returns home and promptly becomes embroiled in an affair with the wife of his father's business partner,one Mrs. Robinson. 
However Ben soon finds himself falling in love with her daughter, Elaine, transforming Mrs Robinson into a vindictive and dangerous adversary.

Cast

Benjamin - Dan Blackwell
Mrs Robinson - Emma Smart
Mr Robinson - Matthew Wells
Elaine Robinson - Rachel Mosley
Mr Braddock - Steve Blackmore
Mrs Braddock - Nicola Williams
Club Dancer - Mary Peaple
Desk Clerk/Bar Man/Psychiatrist/Priest - Andrew Stocker
 

Absurd Person Singular is set over three Christmases in the kitchens of three couples: Sidney Hopcroft, an ambitious tradesman, and his submissive wife Jane; architect and adulterer Geoffrey Jackson and his depressed wife, Eva; Ronald Brewster-Wright, a banker, and his alcoholic wife Marion.

Running like a darker thread through the wild comedy of behind-the-scenes disasters at Christmas parties is the story of the advance of the Hopcrofts to material prosperity and independence - and the decline of the others.

In the final stages the little man is well and truly on top, with the others, literally and unnervingly, dancing to his tune.

Cast

Sidney Hopcroft - Matt Wells
Jane Hopcroft - Jane Priddes
Geoffrey Jackson - Steve Blackmore
Eva Jackson - Emma Smart
Ronald Brewster-Wright - Andrew Stocker
Marion Brewster-Wright - Michaela Sydney
 

Alan Strang has a passion for horses, yet one night in a Hampshire stable he inexplicably blinds five of them with a metal spike.

Convicted of this appalling crime, he is placed under the care of psychiatrist Martin Dysart. Alan is an unresponsive but enigmatic patient who challenges the brilliant psychiatrist to the extreme.

Initially the boy is silent and uncooperative, but as Dysart digs deeper he gradually gains Alan’s trust and the truth begins to emerge as Alan struggles to be free of his demons, he must first relive the events of that terrible night.

Inspired by a true story, Peter Shaffer’s unique psychological thriller creates an atmosphere and situation that explores the complex relationships between worship, myth and sexuality.

Equus culminates in one of the most exciting, shocking yet thrilling endings ever witnessed on stage.

Cast

Martin Dysart - Steve Woolley
Alan Strang - John Webber
Dora Strang - Emma Smart
Frank Strang - Matthew Wells
Hesther Saloman - Nicola Williams
Jill Mason - Rachel Mosley
Nurse - Leanda Pooler
Harry Dalton - Paul Woolley
Nugget/Horseman - Dan Masters
Horse - Dan Blackwell
Horse - George Tanner
Horse - Tom Tanner
Horse - Ben Winter
 

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth, ProAct TheatreCompany presented a dramatic new adaptation of "Oliver Twist”.

The story of the orphaned boy from the workhouse asking for more, considered by some to be one of Dickens' greatest works, has been immortalised on film, TV and stage for over a century.

In ProAct's new and dramatic stage production, an ensemble company of fourteen actors, all playing multiple roles, will bring all the well know figures from the novel vividly to life.

This play stays close to the original book, which makes it slightly darker than other well-known stage adaptations and a more affecting piece as a result, and in many ways as relevant today as it was when it was written 170 years ago.

Cast

Oliver Twist - George Tanner
Fagin - Steve Woolley
Jack Dawkins - John Webber
Mrs Sowerberry/Nancy - Nicola Williams
Mr Sowerberry/Bill Sykes - Matt Wells
Noah Claypole/Monks - Daniel Masters
Mr Bumble - Paul Woolley
Widow Corney - Jane Priddes
Charlotte/Olivers Mother - Jacqui Woolley
Mr Brownlow - Andrew Stocker
Old Sally/Mrs Bedwin - Leanda Pooler
Mr Fang - Robin Tyacke
Dr Grimwig - Stephen Coles
Charlie Bates - Elizabeth Cummins
 

Buddy Ackerman, one of Hollywood's most powerful producers and mastermind behind Keystone Studios’ high-grossing ultra violent movie franchise, is the boss from hell.

His eager and idealistic new assistant and would-be screenwriter, Guy, finds himself serving as Buddy's personal slave. Guy endures Buddy's tantrums and relentless verbal abuse in the hope that he will be given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to move up the Hollywood ladder.

When a unique opportunity arises, Guy attempts to play the system and preserve his integrity by drawing his high-powered producer girlfriend Dawn Lockard into a key deal with Buddy.

Soon however, he loses himself in Buddy's amoral world, irrevocably shattering his idealism, which leads to a bitter confrontation between mentor, protégé and lover that has devastating consequences for them all…….

Cast

Buddy Ackerman - Matt Wells
Guy - John Webber
Dawn Lockard - Nicola Williams
Rex/Daniel Faruk - Daniel Masters
Mitzy - Natalie Meese-Kennedy
Cyrus - Paul Woolley
Jack - James Williams
 

Frank is a tutor of English in his fifties whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to drink and bury himself in his books. Enter Rita, a forthright 26 year-old hairdresser who is eager to learn. After weeks of cajoling, Rita slowly wins over the very hesitant Frank with her innate insight and refusal to accept no for an answer. Their relationship as teacher and student blossoms, ultimately giving Frank a new sense of self and Rita the knowledge she so craves. 

Cast

Frank - Steve Woolley
Rita - Janine Cowell

When notorious killers Wayne and Scout interrupt Bruce's passionate introduction to Brooke Daniels, a nude model and actress, they want more than an autograph from their cinematic idol. Wayne intends to use Bruce's "art" as justification for murder. Events are disrupted by the arrival of Bruce's soon to be ex wife and spoiled teenage daughter and his producer. However, Wayne means to succeed whatever the cost.

Cast

Bruce Delamitri - Craig Broadbear
Velvet Delamitri - Josie Aggio
Farrah Delamitri - Nicola Williams
Wayne Hudson - Samuel Board
Scout - Jane Priddes
Brooke Daniels - Katherine Herve-Brazier
Karl Brezner - Andi Ford
Kirsten - Natalie Meese-Kennedy
Bill - John Webber