Frequently Asked Questions
How much do tickets for your shows cost?
Tickets cost £12. We offer a concessionary rate of £5 per ticket for pensioners and the under 18s.
I don't work for Barclays can I join the society?
Yes, please do! You don't have to be a Barclays member of staff to be a member of Barclays Dramatic Society (aka Spread Eagle Players).
Do I have to act?
Not if you don't want to. Whatever your skills there is a place for them in a theatre group. We always need help with stage management, lighting and set building in addition to wardrobe and prop management and make-up.
How do you cast your shows?
Casting is carried out after an audition and decisions are typically led by the Director and a Casting Committee.
How do I become a member?
Please come along to an audition. Auditions for our shows are notified via our website. If you do not want to act, please come along anyway as we will then be able to gauge how much help we have with other aspects of the show (we need help with everything from make-up and costumes to building sets and manning the lighting desk).
How much does it cost to become a member?
Membership fees are £20 a year taken as £10 every 6 months. Performers pay a £10 'script fee' for each show they are cast in. Any extra money goes towards costume hire, set building and props amongst other associated costs.
Where do you rehearse?
In premises kindly offerred to us by Barclays Bank. The location can vary on occasion as Bank business takes priority.
When do you rehearse?
Typically we rehearse Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm to about 9pm. Closer to show time we may require extra rehearsals and these extra rehearsals may take place on Sundays between 12 and 4pm.
Where do you stage your shows?
We perform at Bridewell Theatre, Blackfriars.
What types of plays do you usually put on?
Our selection of plays varies. Recent successful plays include, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, Alan Ayckbourn's caustic comedy A Chorus of Disapproval, Babes in the Wood, Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Ayckbourn's Confusions, Shelagh Stephenson's Memory of Water, the uproarious Art of Coarse Acting and Bill McIlwraith's darkly witty The Anniversary. We aim to produce plays that combine artistic merit with entertainment value. Because we only receive limited funding our productions have to add value as well as entertain.
Are you affiliated with any other non-professional theatre groups?
We are not. However, we share performance space at Bridewell Theatre, Blackfriars with The Tower Theatre Company.
