Our popular play reading evenings are a fun and enjoyable night out. 

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You are encouraged to participate and read parts but equally if you just want to come along and listen, you are more than welcome.

 

The dates do vary but we typically hold them each month. The dates and details of choices for  upcoming evenings will be posted below. 

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Held at the Warehouse Theatre in IIminster at 7:30pm. Free event and open to anyone over 16.

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There’s usually something for everyone. Come along, share your thoughts, and enjoy a lovely evening of reading, chatting, and connecting.

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List of dates for 2026 - further dates to be added nearer the time

Next one: 23rd July

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​Details about the next upcoming play reading will be added here when we have the information.

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This Month: 23rd July - The Warehouse Theatre starts at 7:30pm

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This month I thought we would read One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean which is a modern version of The Servant of Two Masters (a 1743 commedia dell'arte-style comedy play by the Italian playwright, Carlo Goldoni).  The version we will be reading is not set in Italy but in Brighton in 1963. It premiered at the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre in May 2011 and since then has been performed in the West End, done 3 UK tours, one international tour and it was even performed on Broadway. It has had numerous nominations and won many awards. Most notably James Corden won a Tony Award for Best Actor.

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It is essentially a comedy that is centred on the bumbling Francis Henshall, who has just been fired from his skiffle band and become a minder to both Roscoe Crabbe – a local gangster – and Stanley Stubbers – an upper-class criminal. But Roscoe is dead, killed by Stanley Stubbers and being impersonated by his sister Rachel, who is also Stanley’s girlfriend, and in Brighton to collect £6,000 from Roscoe’s fiancée’s dad.

 

Chaos unfolds as Francis tries to stop the two ‘guvnors’ from meeting as well as 'get the girl' and everyone else tries to hide their real identities. Simple? It is hilarious with laugh out loud satire, songs, slapstick humour and smattered with one-liners.

 

The play had me wondering whether it would be possible to stage at The Warehouse Theatre. It is very technical with an ‘interesting’ set and many props. The physical aspects of the staging need lots of care because someone could actually get hurt if not done properly! So, I thought it would be a big project - but would it be worth the effort? At the end of the night, we can decide!

 

Even if it isn’t, we can all have a fun evening reading this riotous comedy. There are lots of roles so please, come along and join in the chaos!

 

Hope to see you there,  

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Irene