Hog the Limelight - 'Instant Wit' - Friday 26th October
A hilarious improvisation show with four performers - a kind of 'Whose line is it anyway'.
Instant Wit perform completely improvised, hilarious sketches, stories and songs.
7.15 for 8pm on Friday October 26th in Medstead Village Hall, GU34 5LG.
Booking essential - Tickets £7 each.
Enquiries and Bookings - Tel: (01420) 562 378, e-mail:
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Dates for your diary:
Friday October 26th, 2007 - 'Instant Wit' - comic improvisation, par excellence.
Saturday December 1st, 2007 - 'Judy and Me' - a musical tribute to Judy Garland.
Friday January 4th, 2008 - Rogue Theatre present 'Madame Lucinda's Wonder Show'.
Hog the Limelight is Hampshire County Council's programme enabling professional touring productions to visit rural communities. In Medstead's case we have so far had: Mervyn Stutter, Rebecca Carrington, a drama workshop, a swing and jive night, the 'London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra' and most recently 'Shoo Shoo Baby'. Not only do we get top notch productions coming to our village, but to date this has contributed nearly £2000 towards improvements to our village hall - a win win all round.
Shoo Shoo Baby (March 2007)
Yet again Medstead Village Hall was packed to capacity for the latest Hog the Limelight production on Saturday 24th March. This time we were to be entertained by 'Shoo Shoo Baby', billed as 'From Berlin to Broadway - a cabaret style performance'.
And entertained we certainly were! As we journeyed from Berlin to Broadway, via Brazil (and Medstead), we were in for a real treat. The glamorous Shoo Shoo duo, comprising Anna Braithwaite and Tanya Holt, are superb vocalists with a very personal interpretation of a variety of classic songs, beautifully sung, with tongue in cheek humour against a background of interplay between the girls and their dishy pianist Craig Shneider. The excellent singing was supported by fabulous costumes - many of us will never look at certain chocolates again without being reminded of Those Hats!
Audience participation was invited for the familiar New York, New York, only to be defeated by the girls who rendered it in a very funny multi-lingual version! However, any disappointment was soon redeemed, by the excellent hip movements of Tony Bedingfield who was plucked from the audience. He lead us all in the dance moves for the chorus of 'Rum and Coca Cola', as the girls swayed in superb dresses topped by the most outrageous fruit (and parrot) laden hats.
During the evening Craig had demonstrated his considerable singing and piano-playing jazz talents and even performed a tap dance. The audience, now ready for anything, were then invited to join in with a riotous tap-dancing chorus. What we lacked in talent, we certainly made up for with enthusiasm!
All in all, a fantastic evening in both senses of the word. Well done to Shoo Shoo, Hog the Limelight and everyone who helped with the event!
[Anthea Dore]
London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra (Jan 2007)
It's another Friday evening in a packed to capacity Medstead Village Hall. Even though there is still half an hour to curtain up, there is barely a spare seat in the room. Yes, it's that time again - a Hog The Limelight evening! Tonight we were all gathered to see and hear the London Philharmonic Skiffle Orchestra.
For those of you who have not heard of this illustrious group, perhaps I should explain what you can expect. Four, er, gentlemen? Just this side of insane. Four very talented musicians who play a variety of instruments from the more traditional violin, double bass, mandolin, etc, through the slightly quirky washboard and saw to a duck, rubber chicken and frog. Throw into the musical mix an eclectic dress code that changes seamingly randomly throughout the evening, music that moves so fast that you can barely catch your breath, stir in a large dose of wacky humour and you get the flavour of this group.
Dick Deciduous almost literally props up the manic behaviour of the group with his large bass, whilst Captain Cabbage allows his more eccentric take on life full rein. Somehow the two Martins (Mike Martin and Martyn Oram) steer a clever path through the craziness with superb musical talent. All round a very enjoyable evening - it just all seemed to be over too quickly!
Well done to the LPSO, and congratulations once again to Hog the Limelight for providing a show of excellent quality and value.
[Anthea Dore]
Swing and Jive (April 2006)
Medstead Village Hall recreated the excitement of 1940's and 50's music and dance for a really enjoyable and different type of evening. We sat back to listen, watch and also perform some of the dances from a bygone era, all led by the hugely successful 'Sugar Foot Stompers'.
Drama Workshop (February 2006)
What have an overbearing cockney with a sniff, a Gilbert and Sullivan tongue twister and a dodgy religious sect got in common? Answer - a drama workshop at Medstead village hall!
Under the aegis of the Hog the Limelight scheme, the Medstead Players invited Proteus Theatre Company to run a workshop day on Saturday 14th February. Debbie Wilding, Associate Director of Proteus, bravely took on the task and assorted wannabe thespians from the Medstead Players and other local groups limbered their vocal chords, breathed deeply and generally thoroughly enjoyed projecting voices and developing a diverse range of characters. For anyone who might have been a little apprehensive about the prospect of being under public scrutiny, the atmosphere was so relaxed and friendly that we soon forgot our fears - though many of us will have the passage from Gilbert & Sullivan engraved on our brains for a very long time! Analysis of a character from a very short passage of a play was extremely revealing and will certainly be put into use in future.
For those of us who had never seen the inside of a drama school, it was a small taste of Fame. We learnt a lot of useful tips, and as we left, there were mutterings of "I'll put that into practice next time."
A thoroughly enjoyable day and very good value, and the Medstead Players were able to contribute £105 from the proceeds towards Village Hall funds.
[Anthea Dore]
Rebecca Carrington (November 2005)
A production entitled 'Me, My Cello and I' and billed as a comedy, certainly sounded like a challenge. Just how could one woman and a cello keep an audience amused for a whole evening?
As part of Hampshire County Council's Hog the Limelight scheme, we were given the opportunity to see Rebecca Carrington and her cello 'Joe' at the Village Hall on Friday 18th November. The Hall was full to capacity - my first indication that this might be something special. There followed an evening of incredible virtuosity - both vocal and musical. Whilst keeping up an amusing patter, Rebecca performed musical spoofs from around the world, while Joe showed us that he was capable of supporting her as the appropriate instrument - from bagpipes to sitar, nothing seemed beyond his (or her?) ability. Such was the diverse range of styles and instruments demonstrated, we all found it difficult to pick a favourite. A straw poll in the Castle of Comfort afterwards gave it to the Bollywood spoof by a short head, with Mongolia a close second. So it is possible to be funny with a cello! Rebecca Carrington is certainly a very talented lady, with a singing voice to envy, extraordinary musical inventiveness, and able to present the package in a very entertaining way.
Once again we must thank Mike Overy, supported by the Medstead Players, for organising the evening. Not only did we all have a good evening out, but sizeable contributions were made towards Village Hall and Children in Need funds, a win - win all round.
[Anthea Dore]
Mervyn Stutter (February 2005)
From the very moment pink jacketed, guitar slung, radio star Mervyn Stutter stepped up onto the stage at Medstead Village Hall, we knew we were in for some great entertainment.
All the tickets were already sold out in advance and a packed hall certainly made the most of the occassion. Mervyn made an immediate impact, jibing members of the audience with political witticisms and topical anecdotes, assessing the reactions and pushing the limit.
He proved to be no mean guitar player, showing that he is indeed multi-talented and used very clever and hilarious lyrics, sometimes to well known tunes to keep the audience convulsed. If ever there was an advert for his Radio Four show 'Getting Nowhere Fast' it was there right in front of us. I have been a fan as long as the show has run and he did not disappoint. My jaw hurt with laughing and as I looked around at the faces of the audience, who were all wracked with laughter, I believe he will add to his already heady band of fans.
All be it very tight, the hall was set out informally around tables bedecked with nibbles and the bar buzzed all evening. A master stroke to help the evening along, not that it needed much help.
Looking forward to other high quality acts on the Medstead stage and hopefully before too long, Mervyn's return.
Thanks and well done to the Medstead Players who organised the event.
[Nita Simpson]
