The St Mary Magdalene Drama Group

The Drama Group

Interested in live theatre and the spoken word? Come along and take part in the activities and fellowship of the St. Mary Magdalene Drama Group. In addition to theatrical presentations in the Church and in the Hall we also participate in dramatised readings and presentations at the Easter and Christmas services. In our rich heritage of over 50 years we have staged everything from Alan Ayckbourn to Oscar Wilde to ‘Who Dunnits’. When not preparing for productions we meet to read plays. There are opportunities for anyone to get involved whether it is just to read, help backstage and front of house or indeed perform - no previous experience is necessary.

We meet in the Vestry on Wednesdays at 8:30pm.

My eldest daughter’s wedding was held at St Mary Magdalene in 2001 and preparing for this was my first regular contact with the church. My late wife, Hazel, and I were encouraged by the warm welcome we received and became regular worshippers and were confirmed in 2002. I was invited to join St Mary’s Drama Group at about this time having admitted that I had some experience of amateur dramatics in my youth. It was after my wife’s death in 2004 I found the drama group and subsequently the Walkabout rambling group a great help in lifting my spirits through this period.

Vic Harrington

My eldest daughter’s wedding was held at St Mary Magdalene in 2001 and preparing for this was my first regular contact with the church. My late wife, Hazel, and I were encouraged by the warm welcome we received and became regular worshippers and were confirmed in 2002. I was invited to join St Mary’s Drama Group at about this time having admitted that I had some experience of amateur dramatics in my youth. It was after my wife’s death in 2004 I found the drama group and subsequently the Walkabout rambling group a great help in lifting my spirits through this period.

Vic Harrington
The Revue with Southgate Opera

The Drama Group in The Revue with members of Southgate Opera

Chairman - Janet Reed
Secretary - Chris Moon, please use the Contact Page to get in touch with Chris

Previous productions by the Drama Group include Pygmalion, Murder in the Cathedral, Macbeth and The Importance of being Earnest. A list of the Drama Groups various productions since 1963 is available here - it’s very impressive!

We have an archive of a variety of Drama Group productions here.

The Historical Drama Production The New Church on the Hill was written by Joy Heywood and forms part of our Chancel Restoration celebrations. A DVD is for sale of this dramatisation, more details are here.

The Screwtape Letters, Mike Appleby’s ‘One Man Show’ was performed in 2005. It has an introduction written by Mike Appleby. Photos are by Gordon Giles and can be found here.

Macbeth, performed in 2015, has a write up by Gordon Giles along with a selection of photos taken during dress rehearsals.

For Palm Sunday 2017 the Drama Group produced a dramatised Passion Play reading in church as part of the morning Eucharist service. The audio file is available here.

In September 2017 the Drama group and friends went on tour with Murder in the Cathedral by TS Eliot to St Thomas a Becket, Northaw; St John's, Clay Hill and returned to St Mary Magdalene for the final performance. It was a roaring success!