Welcome to the website of...

Our purpose is to build a link to those beyond the church family and invite them into our premises to see that Christian people are "normal" (some hope!).

We do not preach at you or make you "come to Church" or make demands of you. (Well, you have to rehearse and learn your part!)

We just invite you to bring friends for a few months of fun and hard work performing a pantomime each year, which is staged at Tadley Common Methodist Church.

And in the process, we hope you will get a whiff of what the Church is about.

Hidden talents are revealed and personalities are enlarged by the experience. Of course, there are those who think some of the talents should remain hidden and some of the personalities could do with shrinking rather than enlarging.

Please browse your way around our website - some parts are still under construction, so we recommend that you wear a hardhat.

If you would like to get involved, whether on stage or behind the scenes, then please view "Scene 4 - Join Us" for more information.

This year's production is...

.... well, quite frankly, it's anybody's guess.

We await the vagaries and whims of the Producer and his Henchpersons, who (hopefully) will let us know as soon as their collective brain-cell gets into gear (some hope!).

You may want to see the How a panto is made slideshow for a sneak peek behind the scenes at how this process works.

Christchurch Players - in the beginning...

'Twas in the year of seventy-seven -
Some eons back in time -
That Tadley Common Players produced
Their very first pantomime

But the idea started earlier
From socials in the Church hall
When everybody would "do a turn"
And fun was had by all (well some, anyway).

Then someone had the bright idea,
Which they thought would be a laugh,
To have jokes, songs, sketches to start with
And a panto in the second half

And so in nineteen seventy-five
The first potted panto was born
"Alluva Din and his Magical Gamp".
So began the long saga of corn.

This was followed by "Cinderalf"
Which went down well at the time
And so the idea came about
For a full-scale pantomime.

...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Since those far-off beginnings, there have only been three directors:

The first, who really started the whole thing, was Jim Little, a member at Tadley Common. Jim directed the first five pantos, but in 1982 he moved down to Bournemouth.

Ray Chalk then took up the reins, and held them for the next twenty years.

Since 2001, Charles Burge has been in charge (or so we let him think).

The panto has developed from its tentative early days to the polished productions we have now come to expect. In the late 1990s, the company name was changed to reflect the fact that this had became a joint Tadley Common / St Mary's venture, and we now involve folk from many of the local churches and some who have no formal church links.

But two things have remained throughout:

First, right from the start, we made it a rule that everyone who wants to be in it will be found a part. If necessary, this might mean having Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves every year, but we've only needed to resort to that once.

The second thing is the great enjoyment and fun which everybody has in being involved, whether on stage or behind the scenes, and with ages ranging from early years to those in their eighties.

I think we'd carry on even if there was no audience, but they seem to enjoy it too!

The FoH team leader's word is law!

Qualifications:
Must be able to grin and bear it.

Costumes

If you can sew on a button then we want to hear from you to help our wardrobe team!

Qualifications:
Must be able to use needle and thread.

Refreshments

At each performance, we serve teas, coffees and snacks to the audience and always need willing volunteers to help us!

Qualifications:
Must be able to make a nice cup of tea.

Backstage

The performance would not happen without a strong team of people to move scenery, make props, call actors, prompt lines and generally be responsible for everything happening behind the scenes.

Qualifications:
Must look good in black.

Lighting

Not just operating a control desk, but also designing lighting rigs to satisfy the Director's capricious whims.

Qualifications:
Must be able to see in the dark

How the Gallery works...

We have arranged selections of images into slideshows, which are listed on the right.

When you click on a slideshow a set of "thumbnail" images should appear.

If you click on one of these, the full-size image will pop up in front of the thumbnails, and the slideshow should start automatically from that point
- if it doesn't, try clicking on the button.

You can control the slideshow using the following controls:

= start the show
= pause the show
= go forward to the next image
= go back to the previous image

To close the slideshow, click on .

Last year's production was...

Our performances take place at...

• Tadley Common Methodist Church,
• Newchurch Road,
• Tadley,
• Hants
• RG26 4HN

Car parking:

Although there is no car-park specifically for Tadley Common Methodist Church, parking is available at:
St Mary's Church
and (after 18:30) at:
Tadley Dental Care.

These are the premises on each side of Newchurch Road nearest to the junction with Bishopswood Road, marked on the map.

Parking along Newchurch Road itself is restricted, and may be unavailable - particularly on performance nights.

(Please note that the Tadley Community Centre car parks, both at the Centre itself and directly opposite, are for Community Centre use only)

This page is under construction!

You are welcome to explore the rest of the site, where we're sure you will find something interesting, useful, or possibly even funny (well, corny anyway).

We invite you to return to this page from time to time, to check if construction has been completed - you never know what you might find!

Thank you!

Rehearsal Schedule...

Don't worry! The Producer will let you know as soon as he knows what's going on.

(er.....does he ever know what's going on?)

This page is under construction!

You are welcome to explore the rest of the site, where we're sure you will find something interesting, useful, or possibly even funny (well, corny anyway).

We invite you to return to this page from time to time, to check if construction has been completed - you never know what you might find!

Thank you!

This page is under construction!

You are welcome to explore the rest of the site, where we're sure you will find something interesting, useful, or possibly even funny (well, corny anyway).

We invite you to return to this page from time to time, to check if construction has been completed - you never know what you might find!

Thank you!