Following last November’s successful presentation of The Crucible, members of Lichfield Players are now preparing for one of the biggest productions they have tackled in recent years – a dramatisation of Lords and Ladies, one of the famous Discworld fantasy novels by Terry Pratchett.

“Sarah Stanley and Lydia Clements rehearsing their fight scene in Lords and Ladies”.

David Titley, one of the Players’ most experienced directors and well known locally as actor, director and writer, is in charge of this production, and promises audiences a “phantasmagorial extravaganza” involving witches, elves, morris dancers, bees and an orangutan, among others.

The cast of 26 is one of the largest the Players have assembled recently, and includes a large number of newcomers as well as many long-standing members of the society. The company has also been augmented by members of local folk-dance troupe The Ryknild Rabble, and special instruction in stage fights has been given by Tom Fermor of Tingtang Theatre, a Burton-based professional actor and fight director.

Lords and Ladies is a sequel to Wyrd Sisters, which the Players produced in 1998, and a Players spokesman recalls that that production brought in new audiences of Pratchett fans who had not previously seen any of the Players’ shows – the society hopes that the same thing will happen this time!

The production runs from Wednesday 1st to Saturday 4th February in the main auditorium of the Lichfield Garrick, and tickets are now on sale at the theatre.

Telephone the box office on 01543 412121 or book online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com