John Allen has just confirmed that the Society will be singing carols at Tesco (Fire Station) from 2.30pm on Saturday 21 December. More details later – for security reasons you’ll probably need to book your place with John in advance of the gig – but meanwhile, please keep the date!

HMS Pinafore will be weighing anchor before we know it, and our production rehearsals start(ed) this week – the principals yesterday; the chorus tomorrow.

Note that it still isn’t too late to join the crew! If you’re new to the Society chorus, there’s the extra bonus that your first year will be at half-price (£60, instead of £120), so there’s every incentive to be a Jolly Jack or one of Sir Joseph’s many female relations.

The schedules can be downloaded at these links – principals; chorus – though expect some adjustments to be announced as things progress. The usual arrangements: Monday rehearsals for principals; Wednesday rehearsals for chorus and most principals; Sunday afternoon rehearsals for all start on 12 January; Monday rehearsals for chorus start 3 February.

Principals will be starting with a read/sing through on 14 October; Chorus will be starting their floor work on 16 October. Fiona hopes that everybody will have perfected the notes before then, and suggests “trying to get as much music off book as possible before we do start”.

Note that this gives you just two weeks to recruit any new crew members – after production has started it gets progressively more difficult to integrate extra people. Last chance saloon!

Mike Pendlowski is happy to announce that offers were made, and have now been confirmed, for the cast list shown at this link.

Congratulations to those who were successful; commiserations to those who weren’t; and best wishes to the whole company for a great launch next February.

Thanks to Joy Campbell, retiring Chair, for all her work on behalf of ĎGASS. We are delighted to announce that Morag Riley was elected as our new Chair at the EGM on 4 September.