“NOTHING will come of nothing, speak again,” says King Lear in Shakespeare’s famous play. And he’s right! Indeed nothing will come of nothing.

You need a lot of hard work by a lot of people to put together a play. There’s learning the lines, the moves, the costumes, lighting and sound, the set, the painting, the props, front of house, publicity, programmes and so on … in fact “much ado about quite a lot of things!”

The outcome of all this hard work will be here for all to see very soon. Actually this will be less than a week after the publication of this newspaper, from October 24 to 28.

A Bunch of Amateurs is about a dedicated group, who are lucky enough to have their own small theatre in the village of Stratford St John in Suffolk. As we reported last week they are thrilled to have engaged the services of Jefferson Steele, of Hollywood fame, to play the part of King Lear in their ambitious production of Shakespeare’s play.

Unfortunately for them Mr Steele has a very different Stratford in mind, and when the two forces collide the passage is not a smooth one!

As we said in last week’s article, we are very pleased to have Steve Moore joining us again, to play the part of Lear.

But not only has Steve added his considerable presence to the play, he has also brought along his partner Tracey. So, in retail therapy terminology, we have two for the price of one. A bargain!

Tracey has been treading the boards since she was six years-old and has performed in many theatres in different parts of the UK. She played many lead musical roles and we have discovered that her portrayal of Reno Sweeney in “Anything Goes” was awarded the David Beach award for “Best Actress in a Musical”.

Tracey is a new face for CODS audiences, although she has worked with Steve before in a number of Exeter Little Theatre Company productions.

In A Bunch of Amateurs Tracey is the director of King Lear. She has to plot her way through the amalgamation of Jefferson Steele’s ego and his other temperamental foibles, with the various eccentricities of her own company. Not an enviable task.

We are also delighted that two other new faces will appear in this play. Georgia Steer and Josh Sanders have been in our musicals, but this is their first play with the Society.

Josh plays a character called Dennis. He’s a local handyman and Mr Fixit. Cheerful, and likeable, though none too bright, he’s star struck by the appearance of our Hollywood has been.

Josh made an impressive debut for CODS in the April production of Witchfinder as the unforgettable camp and flirtatious King James I.

He enjoyed playing an effeminate Scottish monarch so much, he decided he was ready for another CODS production.

Georgia Steer has been a member of CODS for five years. She first appeared in Oliver! as one of the children in the children’s chorus. Since then she has been in a number of shows and has particularly added to the dance routines with her style and elegance.

Her first main part was last Christmas as Prince Charming in our Panto Snow White and the Six-and-a-Half Dwarfs.

This year, following her GCSE’s, Georgia decided to audition for the part of Jessica, Jefferson Steele’s teenage daughter. As Jefferson has put his career before his family for many years, Jessica determines it is time to get her own back on her self-centred father!

In addition to the new faces there are a couple of the cast that will need no introduction to regular CODs supporters, and we are particularly pleased to welcome back Cathie Poole as Lauren Bell, marketing executive and former physiotherapist, the Sponsor’s wife and passionate about the Arts.

Our audiences will certainly remember her last role as Felicia Gabriel the cantankerous nagging wife in The Witches of Eastwick who came to a sticky end. This time she’s much more timid!

So, will Jefferson Steele actually manage the role of Lear? What of his daughters? How will his ego fit into the little theatre at Stratford St John? Please come along and find out, we’d love to see you.

A Bunch of Amateurs will be performed at QE Upper School (Western Road) from Wednesday, October 24 to Saturday, October 27.

Tickets are available from the Box Office link on our website: www.codsonline.com and from Olivia James in the High Street. Telephone 01363 777968.

Mike Palmer