The Thetford Players successfully put on their ‘Backstage at the Proms’ production on Saturday 21^st September at the Carnegie Room, raising funds for the Riversdale Centre in Thetford, the Players ‘Charity of the Year’ 2012-2013. The group donated 10% of its ticket sales and profit from the raffle to Riversdale who provide accommodation to a wide variety of groups such as Age Concern, West Suffolk Mind, Youth Offending Team, Red Cross and the Alzheimer’s Society for the benefit of those in Thetford and the surrounding area.

The show opened with the Players performing a range of favourite songs from past productions over the last three years, all specially re-worked and each imaginatively introduced by way of a reminisce by cast members as they delved through boxes of past costumes and props, reminding the audience which production each song featured in. Songs included ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’, ‘We Go Together’, ‘One Day More’, ‘Reach’, an Oliver Medley and of course the Players anthem – ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. After the interval the South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Band (SNYSB) performed a number of tunes including a Glenn Miller swing medley, music from the Harry Potter movies and ‘The Great Escape’ march. SNYSB were then joined by the Thetford Players as the Carnegie Room became awash with red, white and blue from a very responsive audience waving Union flags and singing along patriotically to traditional Proms songs, including ‘Land of Hope & Glory’, ‘Jerusalem’, ‘My Bonnie’ and the National Anthem.

The evening was every bit as spectacular as promised and was the first production in which the Thetford Players sang with a live band, showcasing the talent of the group as it continues to grow from strength-to-strength.

The next Players production is the Thetford Historical Character Walk on Sun 20^th October, the last of this year, followed by the group’s fourth panto ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, which takes place between the 16^th and 18^th January. See www.thetfordplayers.co.uk/new_productions.html for details of future productions.

 

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Photographs credited to Maria Cooke, Official Thetford Players’ Photographer.

 

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