Apr 23, 2024
Can you think on your feet while an audience is LAUGHING? Do you have a good sense of COMIC TIMING? Are you full of ideas for things that are FUNNY? RMDS is recruiting for the 2024 Soiree cast and that could be YOU!
Date: Tuesday 14th May 2024
Time: from 7.30 pm
Venue: to be confirmed
A workshop evening is planned to consist of the following:
* Introduction to the Creative Team (Charlotte Hockey, Charlie Squires and Julian Peckham)
* History of the Soirée
* Outline of changes to recruitment process inclusive of all RMDS members
* Warm up game
* Improvisation games
* Informal sing and movement to ‘We Go Together’ from Grease
Please come prepared to tell us a joke you think will make us laugh PLUS an idea for a joke or situation you believe might make a good front-of-curtain sketch for two or three people. The Soirée is a collaborative effort, so everyone’s ideas are valuable. Don’t panic, though – it’s intended to be an informal event. Some drinks and nibbles will be supplied. Soirée rehearsals start in earnest in August after the Summer Show (Mondays and Wednesdays) but in the lead-up to that we have planning meetings on Tuesdays a couple of times a month where we create the framework for the show in preparation to get started – as already stated, it’s a collaborative effort so you’ll be expected to contribute to these meetings too.
Show week commences Monday 28 October 2024.
If you’d like to come along to the workshop please message Charlotte on 0797 419 50288 or email charlotte@brooklynblue.co.uk by Friday 3rd May 2024.
The Creative Team, overseen by RMDS chairman Mark Bodger, will reserve the right to recruit a cast it believes will produce a funny, balanced show for the autumn.
Feb 1, 2023
RMDS is pleased to once again being performing at The Barn in Ringwood at Easter with a brand new format show incorporating songs from well known musicals, some performed by RMDS and some which we aspire to perform one day. Incorporating singing, dancing and some links to past shows of RMDS this show will have you leaving The Barn humming all those well known songs. We look forward to seeing you at Easter.
Tickets are now on sale in our online box office
Sep 19, 2022
RMDS is proud to announce our first productions in the exciting new Ringwood Venue, The Barn which we are pleased to be. major supporter of in continuation of our long association with Ringwood School. First, at the end of October will be our production of “How the Other Half Loves” by Alan Ayckbourn from 26th-28th October. Following this we are very pleased to bring The Soiree back to Ringwood from 15th-19th November. tickets for both of these productions are on sale so book now to avoid disappointment.
Apr 5, 2022
We know you’ve missed us, we’ve missed you too ……. The RMDS Summer Show is back for 2022!
We’re hoping that this year’s summer show will be the BIGGEST and BEST yet, so we’re really pleased to be inviting you to sign up for it now. Our three creative teams have already started planning their sections and unlike previous years, we’re inviting you to express a preference (if any) on which section you’d like to be in.
Dave & Cindy Wischusen will be setting the action on an aeroplane, which will be full of interesting characters and their differing approaches to life. The plane goes missing and the whole plot will centre around this
Yvonne Zaremski will be setting sail on a cruise ship, so climb aboard and come on a journey that is as much a part of the experience as the various destinations on the way…… but be careful not to “Rock the Boat”
Jemma Wright will be presenting a mash up of Phantom of the Opera, with Frankenstein and a bit of science Fiction thrown in for good measure!
Please get in touch with us via the contact form on the website or directly to Andy Steeds asteeds@aol.com who is coordinating the show this year. There will be an initial get together on Wed 13th April at St. John the Baptist Church Hall in Poulner at 8pm where new members can be auditioned and the final groups decided upon.
We’re particularly keen to attract new members and would remind you that anyone joining the Society for this year’s summer show will have their membership extended to September 2023 – meaning they could get 2 summer shows, an Autumn play and an Easter Musical for one year’s membership (which is only £40 for adults or £10 for under 25’s)
May 16, 2021
COVID-19 put a stop to local entertainment as well as virtually everything else, but Ringwood Musical & Dramatic Society has still been doing its bit for the community during the pandemic. Despite having had to cancel its main Easter musical for two seasons running – along with plays, summer shows, choir concerts and the Ringwood Soiree – the society has still been able to give away £5,000 to a local charity.
With so many people losing livelihoods or with vulnerable people being unable to leave their homes during the COVID-19 crisis, RMDS decided to donate the £5,000 to the Trussell Trust’s hard working Ringwood Foodbank. Ringwood is a prosperous area, but there are still many local people who need support.
In the year from April 2020 to April 2021 the Ringwood Foodbank provided food for 3,238 people, according to its chair of trustees, Chris Lee. He was grateful for the RMDS donation – and the gifts of cash and food from other organisations and individuals – “We’ve been overwhelmed with people’s generosity,” he said. “Our community has been hugely supportive throughout this past year.”
As well as providing food for hungry families, the Foodbank had also recently adopted a fuel vouchers scheme for pre-payment meters to help those struggling to power their homes during the long, cold winter.
RMDS hopes to be able to re-start its calendar of musicals, plays and concerts later this year as the nation follows it road map out of lockdown and social distancing regulations are eased. The hit musical ‘Barnum’, which was cancelled just three weeks before it was due to run at Easter last year, was postponed again this year but the society hopes audiences will be able to return to the Ringwood School Theatre to see the show at Easter 2022.
Jan 12, 2021
With the current and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association has published a letter highlighting the importance of Amateur Theatre to the UK and a copy of this can be downloaded here. RMDS is fully committed to the support of our local community through amateur theatre and musical performances and wholeheartedly supports the aims of this letter and looks forward to getting back to performing as soon as we are able and it is safe to do.
NODA-Amatuer Theatre 2020
