Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Player’s - SIEGRIED SINGS GILBERT AND SULLIVAN!

SIEGRIED SINGS GILBERT AND SULLIVAN!

Rehearsals are well underway for Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Player’s exciting Centenary show of RUDDIGORE which will be performed at the beautiful Stamford Cord Exchange from 10th to 12th October this year.

Ruddigore was first performed in Stamford in 1924 when the late, great Sir Malcom Sargent was the society’s musical director, before he went on to make his name as a renowned conductor and composer worldwide. There is a room dedicated to him in the Town Hall, which houses his baton and other significant artefacts gifted to the town by his family.

We have some great guest appearances on stage also this year…. the talented harmonica player David Turner from the popular 80’s Ska band Bad Manners, is playing for us during the hornpipe and the Chairman of the Plantagenet Medieval Archery and Combat Society Dai Rees is our Knight in his authentic suit of shining armour! 

To top it all off, we are totally thrilled and honoured that multi award winning, Olivier and BAFTA nominee, actor, theatre director and narrator Samuel West recently agreed to become our Honorary Patron. Son of legendary actors Prunella Scales and Timothy West and most recently starring as the enigmatic vet Siegfried Farnon in the Channel 5 remake of All Creatures Great and Small, many of the cast had noticed that in almost every episode of the drama series, his character Siegfried whistles, hums or sings a line from Gilbert & Sullivan.

 I reached out to him and he wrote back saying he was “happy and delighted” to be approached by the Players and that “the tradition of non-professional performance in this country is one I have a lot of time for”. He feels that “singing and playing together is one of the great pleasures of life and that the thrill of being part of something bigger than ourselves can be life changing for some people”. He adds that” the joy Gilbert and Sullivan operas still bring, to audiences and performers alike must be treasured and renewed”.

The Players are proud to boast a large contingent of lively and enthusiastic youngsters (many of whom are playing lead roles in Ruddigore), who I know will absolutely agree with Sam, that performing as part of a group such as ours has indeed been life changing for them. Their passion for all things Gilbert and Sullivan and the friendships they have made will keep the works of these great men alive for future generations.  We are all so very proud of them and their commitment to our shows.

We are really looking forward to welcoming Sam into our G&S family and treasuring and growing our relationship with him. His presence in the audience of RUDDIGORE would be the icing on the cake!

Ruth Palme - Director

Tickets for RUDDIGORE are available on 01780 766455

www.stamfordcornexchange.co.uk

stamfordgandsplayers.com