About the SDC

The following information describes how the Club is organised.

Objectives

The objectives of the Club are the production and performance of plays, and the encouragement of dramatic art.

Committees

The Club is governed by a Board of Trustees which meets when required and an Executive Committee which meets on the second Monday of each month.

The Executive Committee is assisted a great deal in its work by three main sub-committees:

  • the Social Committee which deals with Front-of-House matters (serving coffee and tea during intervals; last night suppers; selling programmes, confectionery and ice creams) and arranges Club social events;
  • the Play Selection and Casting Committee which meets every week during the year to choose and cast our plays; and
  • the Productions Committee which deals with backstage matters, such as stage management, properties, wardrobe, sound, lighting, set designing and building, scene-shifting etc.

Some members of the Executive belong to the committee because of the Office they have been elected to, that is they are ex-officio members, and others are elected from Members at the General Meeting held in June each year.

The Plays

The Club produces plays for presentation to the public, whose casts and stage crews are chosen from its Members, usually nine times a year. Eight plays are produced during our Main Season – September to May. These main plays normally run for eight nights each, from the Friday of one week until the Saturday of the following week. The exception to this is the Pantomime which has a run of approximately three weeks, before and after Christmas. The ninth play is presented in the Bar in May or June (usually ‘in-the-round’) when the bar area is converted into a studio theatre.

The Youth Theatre (for members aged 14-25 years) performs twice per year – the Easter production is usually a straight play whilst the September show is often a musical. 

As a Member, you will receive a monthly bulletin called News and Views, in which you will find information on the various events and ‘goings on’ within the Club. Included in the news is important information on each play as it is about to be cast (a director’s synopsis, when and where auditions are to be held; and, an ‘Interest Slip’ which you use to indicate your interest).

In addition to our nine main Plays we sometimes hold Play Readings in the Bar which are for members only. The principal idea of these evenings is to give both established and new members a chance to participate and ‘perform’ in a relaxed arena to show their acting abilities before being cast in one of the main season’s plays.

Members are entitled to attend rehearsals of all SDC plays, but it is courteous to ask the permission of the Director on entering the rehearsal.

The Theatre is closed to the public for 4 to 6 weeks during the summer months in most years, for the purpose of holidays (Staff and Members) and for general maintenance work, redecoration etc.  However, June and July can be just as busy as the main Winter Season, since the Theatre is regularly let to other societies and clubs, and there is a requirement for SDC Members to provide Front-of-House staffing and stage crews.

Any member accepting a part in a play or a position backstage or front of house is expected to give it priority (of their time and attention), and to make himself/herself acquainted with the responsibilities involved from the person in charge, i.e., the Director, Stage Manager or House Manager. It is usual for rehearsals to start six weeks prior to each production. 

Wardrobe

Members cast in MODERN plays are expected to provide their own clothes, as far as is reasonably possible, to minimise hiring or making by our own hardworking Wardrobe department.

Social Events

Friday night is a Club Night in the Bar, when you can enjoy a drink, a chat, and meet and get to know, and be known by, your fellow Members.

The last evening of each play (Saturday) is a special Club Night, and after the show a supper is arranged in the Bar. We hold a Bar Licence for Members, their guests and Patrons of the theatre. The Bar is situated below the Foyer. 

In addition, there are various other Club social events, organised from time to time in an effort to please all tastes, as far as possible. These may include a Carol Evening, New Year’s Eve Party, Dinner Dance, Garden Party, Treasure Hunt, Quiz Nights and other ad-hoc entertainments.

Accommodation

Besides the parts of the Little Theatre which are open to the public, and with which you are no doubt familiar, there are a number of ‘Members only’ areas:

  • a Clubroom and the Club Library. This is used mainly for rehearsals and meetings;
  • a Control Room used for stage lighting, sound effects and music;
  • six Dressing Rooms, a Green Room and toilets;
  • Properties and Lighting store rooms;
  • we also have more Rehearsal Rooms and storage available for our use;
  • a workshop used by our Scenic Artist;
  • we also have a comprehensive Wardrobe Department.

Subscriber Tickets

The Subscriber Ticket Scheme is available to both Members and Patrons. Tickets for the season can be purchased in advance in September each year at a reduced rate (based on eight shows for the price of six). Explanatory forms are sent out in good time each year.

Annual subscriptions are due for payment on 1st June each year, and if not paid by 31 July then your Membership will lapse.  New members who are admitted to the Club between June and February are due to pay both Entrance Fees and Annual Subscriptions in full immediately. New members admitted to the Club from February 1 are due to pay their Entrance Fees and Annual Subscriptions as soon as they are elected, however they will not have to pay their Subscriptions again until June in the following year.