CAST (Cold Ash Society of Theatregoers) was started in 2006 with a germ of an idea and a notice in the Parish newsletter. Soon we had 60 members and today we have over 200. We aim to visit different provincial theatres as well as London and have a varied programme to suit all tastes in drama, musical and opera.
We have seen some outstanding productions, including War Horse, Strictly Gershwin, The Massed Bands of The Royal Marines, West Side Story, The Christmas Truce, The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time, Jools Holland and Motown The Musical. We also try to book an annual visit to see The Welsh National Opera at Oxford.
As an example, our 2019 programme included:
- A Christmas Carol at Stratford
- Home I’m Darling at Bath
- Don Pasquale at Winchester
- Oklahoma at Chichester
- A Taste of Honey at Richmond
- HMS Pinafore
- Rumours of Fleetwood Mac
- Our Man in Havana at the Watermill
- Tina the Tina Turner Musical
There is a one-off joining fee of £5 family, £4 single. The coach picks up at Acland Hall and invariably can drop us as near as possible to the theatre. The cost of a ticket is nearly always around or under £50 which includes, ticket, coach and driver gratuity.
We will often factor in an extra hour or two for members to have lunch or a picnic depending on the venue.
The Committee:
- Treasurer – Keith Watson
- Secretary – Karen Neville
- Theatre Bookings – Kay Beeson and Penny Pattison
If you would like to join please contact Karen – 01635 202320 or email karenneville1750@gmail.com