Creative Streak
Original pieces written by Tom Adlam, Anna Cohen, Sue Haydon, Jacky Logan, Marcus Scroop, Isla Stewart, John White
Directed by Anna Cohen, Sue Haydon, Judie Hazeldine, Jacky Logan, Pam May, Susan Menge, Marcus Scroop. Original music composed Jacky Logan/ Brigitte Califano and by Marcus Scroop
Our members embraced the challenge of writing and directing brand new pieces of work. The result was 8 original, diverse pieces that were showcased each evening. The pieces covered a range of genres and dealt with a a fascinating mix of scenarios and human experiences.
​'Downswing' - An extract from a musical set in a golf club where a woman is torn between her loyalties to her husband and her sister
'Disposition' - Set inside a mind where the. 4 voices of personality argue for control
'Always About You' -Set in the corner of a cafe where we observe the ups and downs of a family over the period of 25 years
'Shaggy Dog Story' - An Edwardian detective story that descends into a farce, breaks the fourth wall and there’s a dog
The Times They Are A’Changing - Set in a 1960s family home where the generation gap between a daughter and her parents seems to be widening
'Remo at large: The Blind Date' - A blind date in a fish restaurant goes wrong
'It' - Explores two characters who get tied up in the confusions of language
'Cheek to Cheek' -A tale of romance and tap dancing
This ambitious project lead to a rich and varied evening for all involved
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Mornington Hall, 10th-13th May 2023
Photo gallery
NODA review highlights
It certainly was a wonderful opportunity that CADOS gave its members to write, design, devise, direct and act in new pieces and then stage them to a paying audience over five performances. As Judith Jackson writes in the programme, the idea arose as a solution to the problem of finding plays with big enough casts to meet the desires and ambitions of the large number of members CADOS currently has. So, why not write your own, but rather than giving someone the herculean task of completing a two-hour script, it was genius to split the evening into eight pieces, with seven writers, eight directors, two composers and a cast of thirty-one. CADOS was typically able to be demonstrative in the value of inclusivity, providing something for everyone that wanted to be involved.
The variety in the chosen pieces made for an evening /afternoon where your audience was not sure what was coming next. If one piece was less engaging then something different would be along soon. Inevitably some pieces worked better than others but this really would be down to an individual’s personal taste. Rather like a box of chocolates, there was something for everyone.
CADOS should be congratulated for providing this opportunity to showcase the writing of so many members. It made a refreshing change to see something new and different and I hope it becomes a regular aspect of CADOS’s repertoire.
Paul Daynes, NODA Regional Representative