The Bartholomew Players broke the audience record previously held by Calendar Girls in 2013 with their recent sell-out production of “Silver Lining” by Sandi Toksvig, welcoming a staggering 444 people over four nights. The witty story of five old women trapped in a retirement home by rising flood waters and their ingenious, if not a little wacky, solution to build a raft using tables and water bottles to sail to safety raised huge peals of laughter from the audience. The witty one-liners from these octogenarians certainly resonated with the crowd who recognised many of the tribulations of dealing with old age!
The entire proceeds from the raffle at this production went to the Motor Neurone Disease Oxfordshire Branch in memory of our own very talented actor Gillian Somerscales who died this year from this awful disease at the age of just 64.
Encouraged by the very generous raffle prizes on offer, including a family day-pass to Blenheim Palace worth £93, and a silent auction of an original oil painting by local artist (and Gillian’s husband) John Somerscales, our generous audience were able to help us beat yet another record; we are delighted to be able to donate £1000 to the MNDA Oxfordshire branch and hope that this money will help local families affected by this debilitating disease.
A BIG thank you to our audience and sponsors for supporting the Bartholomew Players – without you, we would not be able to contribute so much to our local community. We look forward to seeing you at future productions.