2 Oxford Road, Manningtree,
Essex CO11 1BP
Tel: 01206 391309
info@manifesttheatre.co.uk
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COMING SOON
THE MINUTES
The Minutes, directed by Will Parrick, with performance dates being 25th February -1st March 2025, is a darkly comedic play by Tracy Letts, delving into the dynamics of small-town politics and the secrets that lie beneath the surface.
The story is set during a city council meeting in the fictional town of Big Cherry, where a new council member, Mr. Peel, begins to uncover the town's disturbing history and the morally questionable actions of his fellow council members. The play's action unfolds almost entirely within the council chamber, highlighting the banality and absurdity of bureaucratic processes while peeling back layers of deception.
Key Characters:
Mr. Peel: The newest member of the Big Cherry City Council, who is eager and idealistic. His curiosity drives much of the plot as he seeks to understand the town's hidden past.
Mayor Superba: The confident and authoritative mayor of Big Cherry, who harbours his own secrets and is adept at steering council meetings.
Ms. Innes: The long-serving and somewhat cynical council secretary, who provides a pragmatic perspective on the proceedings.
Mr. Assalone: A blunt council member, resistant to change and protective of the status quo.
Mr. Breeding: Another council member with a combative nature, who often clashes with others during the meetings.
Mr. Carp: The town's historian, whose absence and its reasons become a focal point of the unfolding drama.
The play brilliantly juxtaposes the mundane nature of local governance with themes of historical reckoning and moral accountability. As Mr. Peel digs deeper into the minutes of previous meetings, he unearths unsettling truths about the town's founding and the lengths to which its leaders will go to protect their legacy.
The tension and humour of The Minutes stem from Letts' sharp dialogue and the claustrophobic setting, making it a gripping examination of power, memory, and complicity.
to book tickets click here for Manifest Booking Office. You can find many ways of contacting us on this website.
PLAYHOUSE CREATURES
PLAYHOUSE CREATURES by April De Angelis
Directed by Kerry King.
PRODUCTION DATES
27th - 31st May 2025 (with Maitnee).
Bawdy, bloody and bold – this earthy account of the lives of some of the first English actresses is funny yet honest and gritty. Life was tough and the gutter never far away. The place: London. The time is 1669.
The monarchy has been restored and, on his return from France, Charles II has brought with him a love of theatre and of actresses!
He decrees that women are allowed on the English stage for the first time, much to the delight of their male admirers! Corsets are pulled tight, cleavage revealed and the extreme lengths as to what these ‘Creatures’ will go to for success.
CHARACTERS:-
Doll Common: 50s
Described as “timeless…a vagrant”
!
Nell Gwynn: late teens
The youngest of the characters in the play.
Mrs Elizabeth Farley: 20s
Is a little older than Nell.
Mrs Rebecca Marshall: 30s
(older than Mrs Farley).
Mrs Mary Betterton – 50s
(a little younger than Doll.
For more information please contact director Kerry King at kerrykingma@yahoo.co.uk See you there!
For a storyline synopsis and character discriptions please visit our FaceBook page🎭
THE FERRYMAN
"The Ferryman" by Jez Butterworth, directed by Ben Maytham. Production Dates Wednesday 30th July 2025 - Saturday 2nd August 2025
A play about a family in 1981 Northern Ireland during the Troubles:
The play is set in the farmhouse of the Carney family in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The play takes place during harvest time, and the farmhouse is decorated with children's paintings and an Irish nationalist flag.
The plot is centered around two mysteries, the fate of Seamus Carney, who was "disappeared" by the IRA in 1972. The unspoken love that has grown between Seamus's brother, Quinn, and Seamus's wife, Caitlin.
The play explores themes of,
The passage of Time,
The fickleness of ideals,
The catastrophe of living with loss and uncertainty,
The toll that divides can take on a family and country.
The role of the ferryman, is to carry the souls of the dead across the river Styx.
CHARACTERS
Uncle Pat Carney - Muldoon - Frank Magennis - Lawrence Malone - Father Horrigan -
JJ Carny - Shane Corcoran -Diarmaid Corcoran - Declan Corcoran.
Quinn Carney - Stephen Lawrence
Mary Carney - Emily May Woods
Caitlin Carney - Charlie Still
Aunt Pat Carney - Helen Bridge
Aunt Maggie Faraway - Jenni Horn
Tom Kettle - Will Parrick
If you would like any more information, please message us or email Ben on benmaytham@outlook.com. Hope to see you there!
MORE DATES FOR THE COMING YEAR |
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If you would like to get involved with the Manifest Theatre you could start by checking the calendar below. There are play readings held in an informal way, to which everyone is invited. Up and coming performances are listed so you can put them in your diary. Amateur Dramatics is enjoyed by thousands of people as their main hobby. There is something for everyone, from actors to wardrobe technicians to handymen, in fact, there is a plethora of skills required from volunteers. Come and join us. |
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| 27th May – 31st May 2025 | Playhouse Creatures, by April De Angelis. Production Dates, 27th - 31st May 2025 (with Maitnee).Bawdy, bloody and bold – this earthy account of the lives of some of the first English actresses is funny yet honest and gritty. Life was tough and the gutter never far away. The place: London. The time is 1669. |
| 30th July - 2nd August 2025 | "The Ferryman" by Jez Butterworth Production Dates:- Wednesday 30th July 2025 - Saturday 2nd August 2025 .A play about a family in 1981 Northern Ireland during the Troubles: The play is set in the farmhouse of the Carney family in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. |
| November 2025 | Sister Act:The Musical Sister Act is a musical based on the hit 1992 film of the same name with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner. Production Dates and Audition Dates to be announced (Watch this space). |
| Check our Calendar below | Keep upto date with all things Manifest related and plan for future productions that may appeal to you. You can also check useful dates for national events |
There's a wealth of history and info about The Manifest Theatre on this website including lots of ways to contact us |
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Recent Productions
Some of the great shows that have been presented at the Manifest Theatre over the years
News
Dear Members
Our annual membership year runs from January to December. We respectfully request that those wishing to renew their membership for the next year do so before the end of the current year to avoid the rush. Becoming a member is easily done, just follow instructions below.
How to Renew / Join Method 1. Download and complete a membership form from here, and send payment to the Membership Secretary. Method 2. When purchasing tickets for your next visit, use the Non-Member rate which includes the £2.00 annual membership fee, complete the membership form and your membership card will be emailed to you.
Members receive our newsletters and are welcome to purchase tickets for all our productions, attend our Wednesday Club Nights at the theatre for a friendly social evening.
Volunteers
To all you talented and community spirited friends out there. We would love to have you join our team of volunteers at the theatre. Let us know what you like to do and how you think you could help us, the roles are many and varied and we are a welcoming happy bunch who would love to have you on board.
Current vacancies Occasional Bar Staff. But if you can paint, build, sew, mend, create, organise, photocopy, or clean WE NEED YOU !!
Come and see us or fill out our contact form.
Your 2023 - 2024 Committee
At the 2023 Annual General Meeting your new committee was elected for 2023 - 2024. Committee members are as follows: |
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| Chairperson : | Alison Baker | Bar Manager : | Nigel Morton |
| Vice-Chair : | Jonathan Abbott | General Committee Members: | |
| Treasurer : | Sue Halsey | Ben Maytham | |
| Secretary : | Loraine Crook | Lea Friend | |
| Membership Secretary : | Nigel Morton | Alan Wheeler | |
| Box Office Manager : | Heather Thompson | Will Parrick | |
| Publicity Officers : | Jude Hussey | Sarah McCarthy | |
| Alison Baker | Nigel Morton | ||
| Safeguarding Officer | Chris Sadd | ||
| Trustees:- | |||
| Judith Hussey, Bruce Emeny, Kerry King, Terry Cousins | |||
Newsletters
Thank you to those who asked to receive their newsletter by email. If anyone else would like to benefit from this service, please email me at info@manifesttheatre.co.uk and we will add you to our email mailing list. Not only will you get your newsletter a little faster but also help save the environment!
Newsletter July 2024
Newsletter April 2024
| Our newsletters are in Adobe Acrobat format. |
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Older newsletters have moved to our Archived Newsletters page. |
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Nominations from North Essex Theatre Guild 2019/20
Santa Goes on Holiday - Directed by Kerry King
King Costume Award.
Award for Technical Achievement.
Award for Best Dame - Nigel Rowe as Flossy and Rob Sadler as Droopy Drawers. (Joint award)
Best Actress - Amanda Rowe as Wicklepedia.
The Debbie Millar School of Dance Award for Choreography - The Bollywood routine.
Sherlock Holmes and the Seven Wooden Figurines - Directed by Lea Friend
The Terry Sadler Memorial Trophy for Front of House.
The Millenium Writers Award for Best Original Script - Tom Hitchcock.
Full-Length Play Festival Costume Award.
Set Design/Construction/Dressing Award.
Best Supporting Actor - Paul Man as Sir Cuthbert Worthington-Jones.
Best Supporting Actress - Bethany Jones as Lady Arabella Thorn.
The David Knight Shield for Best Actor - Rob Sadler as Sherlock Holmes.
Best Actress - Amanda Rowe as Lady Veronica Worthington-Jones.
The Cliff Hudson Award for Comedy. (Production)
Of Mice and Men - Directed by Alison Baker
Award for best Director - Alison Baker (won award)
Award for Set Design/Construction/Dressing.
Lyndon Trophy for Technical Achievement.
Best Supporting Actor - Nigel Morton as Candy.
The David Knight Shield for Best Actor - Paul Reed as George and Brandon Lee as Lennie. (Joint nomination)
The Doris Griffith Memorial Cup for Best Dramatic Full Length Play.
View the full list of our awards & nominations -->
Gallery
Shows you may have missed. You can always join us, for a very modest fee, and have our newsletters sent to you. Contact our membership secretary and sign-up.
Featured:
Summer and Smoke, New Writers Showcase & Signing in the Reign
About Us
The Manifest has a long and distinguished history for producing and performing quality entertainment. The Manifest Theatre's ethos is to promote live theatre in all it's forms in our local area. This history can be read by accessing our achive section, which includes details of, not only productions, but also accreditation of actors and support staff including directors. Below is a synopsis of that history.The Manifest Theatre Group made an contribution to the 2005 Manningtree Festival by six of its members broadcasting a series of short comedy stories written by Walter Beaney on Festival Radio. You can listen to them here. There is also some archived recordings of the Sherlock Holmes and The Thrill of Love Plays, here.
The Manifest Theatre History
The Queen´s Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 1977, on the Welcome Home Field in Mistley, was the location where the company was conceived. It was the heady excitement of the day that spurred Dennis Murfitt to discuss the possibility of forming a theatre group of local enthusiasts in Manningtree. Following eager conversations between Dennis, Val Taylor, Viv Wheatley and Bruce Emeny they decided to pursue this idea. There was a need for a drama group in the area as many local people used their theatrical talents in various surrounding towns and villages: not in Manningtree. There was a gap that needed to be filled.
Dennis was the inspiration and driving force during the early stages of the group´s formation. So many people worked tirelessly to make the dream a reality.
The Inaugural Meeting took place at the Waggon and Horses public house on the 10th July 1978. The first Management Committee was elected, the business of running a theatre group discussed and an implementation plan agreed. The Committee was made up as follows - Chairman: Ernie Norfolk. Secretary: Irene Hacon. Treasurer: Jack Hacon. Producer: Dennis Murfitt. Other Committee Members: Val Taylor, Viv Wheatley and Bruce Emeny. Others present were: Adrian Bolton, Kevin Brown, Brenda and Bill Chapman, Yvonne Cobbold, Jane Cousins, Sally Mann and Jean Murfitt. Special mention must also be made to Geoff Taylor and Terry Cousins for their skills in realising a vision and turning a hall into a working theatre.
Pauline Emeny thought up the name of the group.
Man - Manningtree: Manifest - as to show or appear. Thus we arrive at The Manifest Theatre Group.
The first venue we appeared at was the Old British Legion Hall, affectionately known as Robin´s Shed, at the top corner of South Street, Manningtree. Due to the enthusiasm and dedication of the membership the hall was transformed into a theatre in time for our first production in May 1979. Genuine tip up theatre seats, sets and scaffolding for lighting positions were erected. The first production was the comedy “Breath of Spring” by Peter Coke. Nineteen productions were performed in our first venue.
In 1984 a former primary school in Oxford Road came up for sale. It was the only property that was ever likely to be on the market in the area that was suitable for conversion to a theatre. It was decided we should go for it and approach our bank for a loan to purchase it. After heroic fund raising efforts we purchased the building at a cost of £35,000, The group had already raised £14,000 towards the cost of a permanent home for the theatre. The members with the required specialist skills managed to completely refurbish the building without any outside help. In just a few months the group was ready to stage the first play in its new home. All this was achieved without any grants but through hard work, blood sweat and a few tears. The 10-year bank loan was paid of in just 5 years. An amazing effort by the loyal membership.
The sense of unity and working together was the reason for such a success for the group. To posses our own theatre is a remarkable achievement and is the envy of many amateur drama groups in North East Essex and beyond.
To show our appreciation to our loyal benefactors and owners of our previous home Hilary and Robin Wilshaw were made Honorary Presidents.
The first production in our own theatre was in October 1985. A comedy by Alan Ayckborn called “ Bedroom Farce”.
Thanks to our active membership and fundraisers we are now what can be termed a fully self-sufficient and self-supporting theatre. From the humble beginnings in 1978 of just 16 members the group has grown and now has a membership of over 1200.
In June 2013 it was decided to extend and improve our unique theatre. The new build included new ladies and gents toilets, plus new toilet facilities for the disabled. Improved backstage work added a kitchen, toilets and at the rear of the building a new stage management and scenery dock area, with access to stage right. We can now make an entrance stage left without having to go outside the building and face the elements. The building work team was headed by members of the group: The Architect was John Roberts and the Project Manager was Andy Terry who nursed the building work, so expertly, to its fruition. To keep the cost down a number of members volunteered the time and skills {View details and images of project here}. The valiant efforts displayed are a testament to their commitment to the Manifest Theatre.
A topping out ceremony was held on Friday 25th October 2013. The Mayor of Manningtree Kerry King, another valued member of the group, officiated. The building project and fund raising efforts were overseen by our hard working Committee led by Chairman Alan Wheeler and was completed in November 2013. Owing to financial donations and the hard work put in by the volunteers the total cost of the extensions and improvements was held at £40,600
A great big thank you to all involved is due for this lasting legacy.
We always strive to be extremely professional in all we do. With a varied mix of thought provoking plays, hilarious comedies and highly acclaimed musicals we endeavour to perform exciting drama for our membership.
Bruce Emeny: Founder Member, Lighting Designer and Trustee.
Come and join us you will be more than welcome
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We have a Junior Group for those aged eight up to the end of school Year 6 and an vibrant and enthusiasticYouth Group for School Years 7 to 11.
Contact
We are not hard to find, you are already on our website, see to the left, our email address, our street address, our telephone number (you can always leave a message). If you want more information kindly complete the form below and we will get back to you.
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