New Theatre Productions honour their founder with comedy double bill

The productions, as always, are in the The Pergola Open Air Theatre, West Dean Gardens.

Rob takes the helm for Habeas Corpus by Alan Bennett (contains adult humour) which will alternate with Outside Edge, the cricketing comedy by Richard Harris, with tickets allowing entry to West Dean Gardens from 5.30pm and picnics welcome. Habeas Corpus will be on June 30, July 6 and July 8; Outside Edge performances will be on June 29, July 1, 5, and 7.

Rob is delighted to honour his mentor: “John was a lovely, lovely man and a lovely mentor. He was a unique character and incredibly encouraging to me as an actor. He was one of the first people that I asked for advice and he didn't pull any punches about how hard it would be to get work but he just said go ahead. I remember a lovely letter he wrote to me after one of the shows that I did. He was one of those people that didn't always say in person what he felt but he put it down in writing and he sent me a lovely letter saying how much he had enjoyed my performance. He was a lovely human and a lovely friend.”

Until last year, Rob last appeared with New Theatre Productions in 2001. He then went to London in early 2003. He came back in 2014 but didn’t manage to find the time to return to New Theatre Productions until last year when he appeared in Rumours with the company: “That was the last time I saw John. John (who had retired from running the company some years before) came up to see the show. I had not seen him for 21 years and I just had a strange feeling that this would be the last time.”

When Rob was offered the chance to direct the show dedicated to John's memory he jumped at the chance: “I have done some directing but not as much as I've done acting or playwriting. I directed the show at Titchfield Festival Theatre in 2021 which was a play that I had written myself. That was just as we were trying to come out of the pandemic and was an interesting experience but I'm new to directing for New Theatre Productions. (Company chairman) Peter Breskal asked me to and told me that it would be the tribute show to John. I thought it would be a privilege to do and I tend to come into my own when I'm directing. I'm not a tin-pot dictator but I am halfway there! But the people at New Theatre Productions are people that I've known for years and they're just so good that they almost don't need a director. You just feel you need to say to them ‘learn your lines and don't bump into the furniture’ and then you think that and you realise that you are sounding like John!”

Go to the theatre entrance for seat allocation on arrival. Picnics welcome or you can order a summer picnic in advance from West Dean on 01243 818215.