REPERTORY RETURNS AT LAST TO LEATHERHEAD THEATRE

Seasonal repertory returns to the Leatherhead Theatre shortly after almost 30 years, with a series of three professional plays presented by Hordern Ciani, the team behind the hugely successful Swanage Rep season launched at the Mowlem Theatre, Swanage in August last year. 

Leatherhead Rep will run from 17 April to 5 May 2018, featuring Yes, Prime Minister  by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn; The Secret Garden,  a new musical adaptation by Dave Simpson based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett; and Communicating Doors  by Alan Ayckbourn. The company of nine actors will be resident at the theatre for a month, rehearsing one play during the day and performing another at night. 

Hordern Ciani hope to bring Leatherhead Theatre back to its former glory. Katherine Mount, producer and co-founder of Leatherhead Rep said: 'The successful season last summer showed how important this style of theatre still is for both audiences and the theatres themselves. Many people came to see all three shows and we have been overwhelmed by the number of positive responses and requests to return this year.

'We are thrilled to extend our programme to the beautiful Leatherhead Theatre. It has such a rich history of repertory and deserves to be a thriving creative resource again in the centre of its community. In 1969 people came out in huge numbers to fund-raise for this theatrical centrepiece to the town. We want the artistic programme to do those efforts justice once again.'

Sir Alan Ayckbourn who, early in his career, worked as an assistant stage manager on weekly rep in Leatherhead, has said that he is 'delighted to hear that Leatherhead is having new life breathed into it…'

Further support has come from actor Timothy West who plans to see the shows along with his wife Prunella Scales. He said: 'Prunella and I are much excited by the new plans for Leatherhead's theatre. The former Thorndike was responsible for some fine shows, and I'm sure there's a great future for this new production team.'

Tickets for all three shows can be purchased from the theatre box office and the company websites. Leatherhead Rep Tel: 01372 365141

http://www.leatherheadrep.com

AGM FOLLOWED BY LICHEN REVELATIONS

After last Friday's Annual General Meeting of the Society, Professor David Hawksworth, Editor of the L&DLHS Proceedings, gave an illustrated talk on the study of lichens for dating archaeological surface features and artefacts. 

With over 50 years experience in the classification and identification of fungi, Professor Hawksworth is a recognised world authority on the diversity, systematics, and ecology of fungi, especially microfungi and lichens. He is particularly known for studies and surveys of fungal diversity, and the bio-indication of air pollution. His other interests include the biodiversity and conservation and naming systems of all groups of organisms.

He demonstrated how lichens of various species react to environmental conditions over periods of time, some growing faster than others but providing experts with the means to estimate the ages of stones, rocks and even trees. He showed how changes in sulphur dioxide emissions as a form of air pollution had clearly changed the rate of growth of trees within Greater London over the period between 1970 and 2004. 

Professor Hawksworth undertakes field surveys, training courses, environmental impact assessments, the preparation of specialist reports, and consultancies involving litigation, on a wide range of issues involving lichens and other fungi including mould growths in buildings. He has also given evidence in public enquiries.

SUFFRAGETTES LEAD 2018 EXHIBITIONS

This season's exhibition at Leatherhead Museum will focus on the story of the Suffragettes and suffragists in Leatherhead to mark the granting of votes for women a century ago this year. The garden of Hampton Cottage, shown above, will become a "suffrage garden".

Also featured this year at the Museum will be the story of Ashtead Pottery which existed from 1923 to 1935, providing work for men disabled during the First World War, and a historic photograph album presented to the Museum on behalf of the late Pearl Kew. 

The Museum reopens on 5 April with a formal opening ceremony at 10.30am on Saturday, 7 April. The guest of honour will be Jim Fuller whose uncle was an Ashtead Potter.

RUTH ELLIS DOCUMENTARY SERIES COMING UP ON BBC4

Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain who also had links with Leatherhead, will feature in a new three-part TV investigative documentary starting at 9pm on Tuesday, 13 March on BBC4. The series is entitled The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime Story.

Writer Monica Weller unveiled fresh evidence about the case in her book Ruth Ellis, My Sister's Secret Life, published in 2005. In 2015 she gave a talk to the L&DLHS on how she had come to ghost write the book. Now she is a consultant for the new documentary in which filmmaker Gillian Pachter re-examines the case.

There are several Leatherhead connections in Monica's book. Ruth Ellis's father was taken to the new Leatherhead Hospital in Poplar Road during the Second World War and Desmond Cussen, a friend of Ellis and a key character in the story, lived in Garlands Road. His house is shown above.

  

Signed copies of Ruth Ellis, My Sister's Secret Life are available from Barton's Bookshop in Leatherhead.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2018/11/ruth-ellis-1

BBC - The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime Story ...