2019

S1.E1 ∙ The Spirit of Christmas

Sun, Dec 22, 2019

A joyful Christmas tale as the Cornley Drama Society present the story of Santa and his elves trying to bring festive happiness to a sad little girl and her constantly-fighting parents. Can the magical toy machine restore her Christmas cheer? Or perhaps Mr Snowman and his enchanting dance will raise her spirits? We'll never know, as an already surly Santa indulges in too much Christmas sherry and contrives to ruin everything. Crackers explode, an elf is trapped in a confined space for the duration of the show and the toy machine attempts to eat the snowman alive. Also, there are songs, and these don't go well.

8.1 /10

S1.E2 ∙ The Pilot (Not the Pilot)

Thu, Jan 02, 2020

This week the Cornley Drama Society have chosen to put on a Second World War drama, rarely performed because of its historical inaccuracy and poor research. Director Chris plays Rufus Heal, a dashing pilot reduced to a desk job solving German codes in a top secret Allied facility after losing his leg, assisted by uptight Englishwoman Valerie Sky and French codebreaker Camille, under the watchful eye of Wing Commander Wickham. They also find a part suitable for Dennis' dubious skills - a telegraph machine. Will they crack the code and unmask the spy in their midst in time to win the Vietnam war? Sadly for our gang, many disasters await - Rufus' 'lost' leg won't behave itself, Camille's grasp of French is sub-par, Hitler spends more time on set than planned and Annie is forced to play the dastardly Wing Commander after Chris' father fails to show. And the telegraph machine takes on a life of its own.

8 /10

S1.E3 ∙ A Trial to Watch

Thu, Jan 09, 2020

A legal drama is performed this week, but a design error has rendered one of the main sets 'a little snug' and the team's plan to move the remaining sets in and out baffles the stage crew. Add in a nervous first-time actor and the result is disaster.

9 /10

S1.E4 ∙ The Lodge

Thu, Jan 16, 2020

Our gang present a sixties-set horror this week, as the mysterious Albert Fortenoy welcomes a young family to his crumbling old house. What is the secret behind the death of Albert's late wife Vera? Who is the creepy vicar's daughter playing outside? A number of clever theatrical horror devices are used to create a creepy atmosphere and plenty of jump scares, and every single one manages to go horribly wrong. Worse, the designers have taken 'crumbling' to heart and the cast contrive to fall off, out of and through everything. A stairlift develops a life-threatening mind of its own, a talking deer-head fails to understand its cues and entire rooms seem to go missing. Worse the play has been running short in rehearsals, and the only solution they can find involves adjectives...

8 /10

S1.E5 ∙ Harper's Locket

Thu, Jan 23, 2020

A period romance this week, a classic tale of family, duty and love across the class divide, hindered by a ceiling fan that threatens decapitation and a rain effect that threatens to flood the entire set. There's also a horse. And a cat.

8.2 /10

S1.E6 ∙ Ninety Degrees

Thu, Jan 30, 2020

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society takes on Tennessee Williams. A tale of southern passion, greed and 90 degrees heat. Just a shame about the wrongly built set and some crude language.

8.6 /10