Comedy and chills in seaside summer season

Madcap musketeer mayhem will signal the start of summer fun at Sheringham Little Theatre.

A spoof version of The Three Musketeers provides a swashbuckling start to a four-show summer season at the seaside venue, which also includes two more comedies and a spooky chiller.

The opening show sees a four-strong cast playing more than 30 characters in a high energy production which sees D’Artagnan trying the reinstate the disbanded musketeers, who revisit their childhood to swap swords for baguettes and horses for scooters. It follows up last summer’s successful Hound of the Baskerville parody and runs from July 30 to August 7.

It is followed by Turn of the Screw (August 9-14), a chilling ghost story set in a 19th century country house, where strange things happen as mystery man and woman appear. The cast will see Little Theatre regular Kyle Fraser as Mr Crimmond, the guardian of two orphans Miles and Flora, who will be played by local youngsters.

The housekeeper (Loraine Metcalfe) watched by a ghostly figure in Turn of the Screw

Parliamentary philanderings feature in It’s Her Turn Now (August 16-24), an adaptation of Ray Cooney’s farce Out of Order, involving government Junior Minister Rebecca Willey’s affair with a special advisor to the opposition party. The new version by Michael Barfoot, swaps the sex of the lead role, much like he did with last year’s Run For Your Man farce. It has a cast of nine.

Ryan Starling as the detective in It’s Her Turn Now

The season ends with Relatively Speaking (August 27-31) Alan Ayckbourn’s first ever West End success in the 60s, whose spaghetti junction of plot twists and turns remains timeless. Two suburban couples, one young and one middle-aged get embroiled in romantic dalliances.

Loraine Metcalfe as Sheila in Relatively Speaking

There are warm-up shows in the summer vibe during July – with the Lee Vasey Big Band returning to Mannington Hall on July 12 with an outdoor picnic party after a successful comeback show at the venue last year, while the following day Opera Anywhere present the Gilbert and Sullivan classic HMS Pinafore in the hall’s walled garden.

On July 19 popular Norfolk duo Olly Day and Nigel “Boy” Syer bring their If It’s Laughter You’re After show to Sheringham for the first time.

There’s a special treat on August 4 when TV star and newly-appointed Little Theatre president Suranne Jones will talk about her career highlights and other aspects of her life, in a question-and-answer session hosted by local playwright and EastEnders script writer James McDermott.

And on August 18 well known actor Steve Spiers will be performing a one man show of anecdotes from his life in TV and film (Star Wars, The Upstart Crow, After Life, The Tuckers) with support from local entertainer Greg Powles.

Theatre director Debbie Thompson said: “Summer season is a special time for us and our audiences. We like to mix popular shows we know they enjoy with some new twists as well as bringing in some brand new events to keep things fresh.”

For tickets and more information go to the What’s On page of this website or call the box office on 01263 822347.