Project Purley

The Local History Society for Purley on Thames

T1501 3/12/2018 BH

Rain or Shine Theatre Company

The Rain or Shine Theatre Conmpany is based in Gloucester and puts on performances of plays using minimal, but very effective backdrops. They have been invited to Purley for many years now by Project Purley to put on performances in The Barn. Initially they came only in June but in recent years they have come in December as well.

Most of the June perforamnces have been ingenious adaptations of Shakespeare plays and the December ones have usually had a Christmas or winter theme. Generally performances have been almost sell outs and raise considerable sums for charity.

The Rain or Shine Theatre Company made their first appearance at the Barn on Friday June 24th 2005, when they performed Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor to an audience of 120. With the copmpany taking 70% of ticket sales and Project Purley retaining 30% we were able to donate a total of £425 to our chosen charity, the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Although the committee were slightly sceptical at first, Rain or Shine have been coming back to the Barn each year since, always once and more recently twice a year in June and December. The summer performance is always one of Shakespeares comedies, whilst the Christmas production has included such varied works as A Christmas Carol, Wind in the Willows, The Canterville Ghost and, on one occasion, an Old Tyme Music Hall.

I am delighted to report that in the ten years since that first performance, Project Purley has raised more than £10,000 for local and national charities. Those to benefit include Macmillan Cancer Care, Hospital Radio Reading, Dogs for the Disabled, Salvation Army Christmas appeal, Alzheimer's Society and many others. Of course it doesn't happen without a great deal of preparation and we should all be grateful, not just to the actors; but to those dedicated members of Project Purley who hel to make each visit such a success. We also acknowledge the support of those regulars who make up the majority of the audience at each performance.

Everybody wins when Rain or Shine come to Purley on Thames. The play provides an entertaining, sociable evening for the village, the actors are employed at what they do best, the Barn is being put to good use and money is raised for good causes. Long may it continue!
David Downs

In the list below we name the dates and plays performed (in chronological order) and the charity benefitting. If the title is in bold you can click to see the report published in the Project Purley Journal.

2005 June The Merry Wives of Windsor (£425 to Thames Valley Air Ambulance)

2006 June A Midsummer Night's Dream

2007 June Twelfth Night (£750 to Macmillan Cancer Relief)

2008 June A Winters Tale (£700 to Alzheimers Society)

2009 June The Taming of the Shrew (£700 to Reading Hospitals Radio)

2009 December The Importance of being Earnest (£700 to The Avenue and Brookfield Schools)R919

2010 December Much Ado about Nothing (£600 to Purley Diamond Jubilee Fund)

2011 December Top Hats and Tinsel (£500 to Red Cross)

2012 July As You Like It (£475 to the Duchess of Kent Hospice)

2012 December The Wind in the Willows (£470 to Purley Park Trust)

2013 June A Comedy of Errors (£550 to RNLI)

2013 December The Snow Queen (£500 to Crossroads)

2014 June The Merchant of Venice (£550 to Alexander Devine Children's Hospice)

2015 January Great Expectations (£300 to MacMillan Cancer Care)

2015 June The Tempest (£450 to Purley Park Trust Sensory Garden)

2015 December A Christmas Carol (£260 to Salvation Army Christmas Appeal)

2016 June A Midsummer Night's Dream (£600 to Intensive Care Unit at R Berks Hospital)

2016 December The Hound of the Baskervilles (£600 to Blind Children UK)

2017 June Twelfth Night (£400 for 5-a-day Market)

2017 December Dracula (£400 to Reading Street Pastors)

2018 June Much Ado about Nothing (£500 to Launchpad)

2018 December Dr Jeckell and Miss Hyde

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