The 2005/2006 season got off to a fantastic start with the pantomime “Mother Goose”  directed by Gillian Porter and performed in the Canon Lindsay Hall on 13-16 December 2005.

A few photographs from this production can be seen here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This triumph was followed by the world amateur première of “The Lady in the Van” by Alan Bennett, directed by Gillian Porter.  This feather in our cap was achieved when Gillian,who had been trying to get the rights to produce the play for a number of years, appealed directly to the author himself.  Against all odds, she received a response from the author’s agent and Samuel French to say that special permission had been granted to allow the Bart Players to perform the play and to enter it into local festivals.

The show was produced in the Canon Lindsay Hall between 9th -11th March and thereafter was entered into Larne, Portadown and Newtownabbey festivals.

The cast list for this play were:

Miss Shepherd – Barbara Jeffers
Alan Bennett – Norman Turkington
Alan Bennett 2 – James Burns
Ma – Tess
Rufus – Terry McDermott
Pauline – Lynne Taylor
Social Worker – Louise McWilliams
Underwood – Alan Martin
Mam’s Doctor – Barney Gadd
Miss Shepherd’s Doctor – Michael Fee

The awards won by The Lady In the Van team were:

Larne Festival
Overall 2nd place for the production.
Best Actress Award to Barbara Jeffers (Miss Shepherd)
Best Set Design – Alan Marshall
Best Costumes – Caroline Mercer

Portadown Festival
The Gateway Theatre Award for Stage Management

Newtownabbey Festival
Overall 3rd place
Best Actress Award for Barbara Jeffers (Miss Shepherd)
Best Supporting Actor for Alan Martin (Underwood)
Nomination for Best Actor for Norman Turkington (Alan Bennett)
Technical Award for Ian Hastings for his creation of the Van
Adjudicator’s Special Award to Gillian Porter for bringing the play to Ulster audiences

The season was brought to an end with our summer show which this year was “Sailor Beware” by Philip King & Falkland Cary and directed by Barney Gadd.  A typical summer comedy, it was produced in the Canon Lindsay Hall in June 2006.  It was later performed in the Courtyard Theatre, Ballyearl and the newly refurbished Portrush Town Hall in August 2006.  To round off the run, the show was performed at the newly opened St. Bride’s Hall in Malone in October 2006.

The cast for Sailor Beware were:

Edie Hornett –  Louise McWilliams
Emma Hornett  Anne Maitland
Mrs Lack – Carmen O’Hagan
Henry Hornett – Norman Turkington
Albert Tufnell AB – Michael Fee
Carnoustie Bligh AB – Brendan Fegan
Daphne Pink – Aibhle McCombe
Shirley Hornett – Emma Townsend
Photographs from this production can be viewed here.