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Dramas & Plays “In the beginning…” was our first production in 2011, in the Town Hall. In a one hour re-enactment, using the notes taken during the Parliamentary Enquiry in 1847, we presented the lighter aspects of the enquiry as evidence of the need for a new cemetery was presented to a parliamentary commissioner, G H Whalley. The venue has tight fire regulations resulting in some Friends not being allowed in. They were not happy! So we were asked to put the production on again during Heritage Weekend in September – two more performances were well attended. The success of the first production inevitably led to another play “The Tragedy on Enborne Road”in 2014, telling the story of a young man who shot his fiancée and then killed himself. At this stage we decided to call our thespians ‘The Resurrection Players ‘, moved the venue to the Phoenix Centre on Newtown Road and avoided the riots of the first production by using the Corn Exchange for ticketing. Despite there being 120 seats available we sold out on the May performance and had to do it all again later in the year. By now we had learned our lesson. The third production in 2015 “Residents Resurrected” was held in October using the sexton and the Grim Reaper as links between four monologues and one duologue, the Grim Reaper calling up spirits on Halloween. This time we put on three performances at the Phoenix Centre but later three of our characters, William Corden The Younger (Painter to Queen Victoria), Sarah Louisa Hopson (whose baby died in the Workhouse) and Herbert Finn (master at the Phoenix Brewery) reprised their roles in the cemetery in June. Our fourth production was ''Passive Resistance'', performed in April 2018 at the Phoenix Centre, Newtown Road. This is based on a mass protest where local citizens of good standing refused to pay their rates. Encouraged by Methodist and Congregational Minsters they appeared in court, politely allowed the magistrates to issue a distraint order and stood by while their goods were auctioned in the streets. This was a national protest against the 1902 Education Act and continued for many years. Their support gave the Liberals a landslide win at the 1906 General Election but the Act was never repealed blocked by the Bishops in the House of Lords. Forthcoming events There are no new events scheduled.
Past events Below are all the plays we have done in the past with pictures, audio files and videos where available.
.jpg) First performed: 26/05/2011 “In the beginning…” was our first production in 2011, in the Town Hall. In a one hour re-enactment, using the notes taken during the Parliamentary Enquiry in 1847, we presented the lighter aspects of the enquiry as evidence of the need for a new cemetery was presented to a parliamentary commissioner, G H Whalley. The venue has tight fire regulations resulting in some Friends not being allowed in. They were not happy! So we were asked to put the production on again during Heritage Weekend in September – two more performances were well attended. © FNRC  First performed: 16/05/2014 The success of the first production inevitably led to another play “The Tragedy on Enborne Road”in 2014, telling the story of a young man who shot his fiancée and then killed himself. At this stage we decided to call our thespians ‘The Resurrection Players ‘, moved the venue to the Phoenix Centre on Newtown Road and avoided the riots of the first production by using the Corn Exchange for ticketing. Despite there being 120 seats available we sold out on the May performance and had to do it all again later in the year. By now we had learned our lesson. © FNRC  First performed: 30/10/2015 The third production in 2015 “Residents Resurrected” was held in October using the sexton and the Grim Reaper as links between four monologues and one duologue, the Grim Reaper calling up spirits on Halloween. This time we put on three performances at the Phoenix Centre but later three of our characters, William Corden The Younger (Painter to Queen Victoria), Sarah Louisa Hopson (whose baby died in the Workhouse) and Herbert Finn (master at the Phoenix Brewery) reprised their roles in the cemetery in June. © FNRC  First performed: 14/04/2018 Act 1: Hungerford 1903. Outside the Town Hall, William Rosier is about to have his goods and chattels sold. He has refused to pay his rates. He is the first of many good citizens in Berkshire, and across England and Wales, to end up in court. Following the auction, William Stanley Knight on the gavel, local ministers led a prayer/political meeting exhorting citizens not to pay their rates. Act 2: Magistrates Joseph Napoleon Day, John Rankin and Joseph Elliott hear the case of 35 local residents who refuse to pay their rates. Speakers include Charles Midwinter, Samuel Seward and Rose Dolton. Edward Harper Titchmarsh makes his feelings known again and later in the Lecture Hall (of the Congregational Church on Northbrook Street) closes the play with warnings about how this protest might have national and even international repercussions.
Review of the Play by Newbury Theatre Group available by clicking this link Link to Thames Valley TV interview with Ros Clow. (External video link: may contain adverts. FNRC have no control over the content of any adverts shown) © FNRC  First performed: 10/11/2018 We commemorated the lives of the 15 men who died whilst in service during World War 1 with a programme of poetry and prose chosen by Jane Burrell. © FNRC .JPG) 'Residents Resurrected' 2021 - Major Edward Pellew Plenty First performed: 23/06/2021 COVID prevented our latest production of ‘Residents Resurrected’ from delighting our audience so in 2021 we decided to present a scaled down version outdoors. We chose the story of Major Plenty, who was expected to take over the family firm of Plenty Engineering, based where the Kennet Centre is now. Instead, he learned to fly and joined the Army, was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, which became the RAF. He was stationed in northern France at La Gorgue and with the help of Serge Comini, the historian of Abbaye et aérodromes de Beaupré sur la Lys - La Gorgue, we were able to tell his story. Andrew J. Smith performed the monologue, twice near the site of the Dissenter’s Chapel in the cemetery on Wednesday 23rd June 2021, and again later in the year (Saturday 13th November) in the Anglican Chapel. Major Plenty flew reconnaissance over the trenches and survived till the end of the Great War. He was a victim of Spanish Flu in November 1918. © FNRC  First performed: 14/09/2023 Three playlets performed three times at the Royal British Legion Club. Shocking told the story of Fred Gardner, employee of the Wessex Electricity Company, who was electrocuted at Pangbourne sub-station in 1938. Gardner was played by Andrew J. Smith, also featured Garry Poulson, Paul Shave, David Stubbs, Brian Sylvester. Speaking featured Charlie Jessett and his ventriloquist dummy Joe. Charlie was a mechanic in the RAF who committed suicide rather than return to work at Harwell Airfield after Christmas, 1940. He was convinced he was going to be shot but nobody knew why. He was, in fact, going to be promoted. Jessett was played by Steve Wallis, Joe by Graham Salter. Sinking dramatized letters home from sailor Jack Marshall Evans. Having seen the world, Jack volunteered for submarine duty for the extra pay. His submarine was sunk with all hands in 1940. Evans was played by Andrew J. Smith, his mother by Judith Bunting, friend Syd by Steve Schollar.
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