Meet the director for our next show, Bleak Expectations

Our latest production is a riotous comedy by Mark Evans. Tickets are on sale now.

The Downsview Players in Upper Norwood, SE19, is excited to present Bleak Expectations this May 15, 16 and 17 - a comedy by Mark Evans.

There’s just over a week until opening night of Bleak Expectations, a Dickensian parody telling the hilarious story of Pip Bin and his attempts to save his family from a villainous plot. Tickets are on sale now. As the Players prepare for their last dress rehearsal, director Michele Charles shares her experiences of bringing this show to life. 

Director Michele Charles

Michele has been with the Downsview Players for almost 30 years. She’s directed two murder mystery plays, and she wrote and directed The Big Audition for the Players’ 75th anniversary. You might have seen her as the hapless wizard in last year’s pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. This time she’s turning her wizardry to leading our cast of 13, plus the crew behind the scenes.

Michele first thought about directing Bleak Expectations when she saw it two years ago in London. “I joked after that it would be a great play that we could do. We have the talent in the players to cast it, and I loved the idea of creating and making the set and props.” It was a good thing she was excited about the props - there was a list four pages long, and a surprising number of them are edible! “From the moment scripts were put down and the many, many props were introduced, that is the moment it really became a reality for me,” Michele says. “But in truth, I’ve laughed throughout the whole thing."

Our three siblings are played by Georgina Williams (left), Ceri Williams (centre) and Michael Powell-Davies (right).

Lead Michael Powell-Davies as our hero Pip Bin with school friend Harry Biscuit (Kate Lee).

“Bits that made me laugh at the first read through still make me laugh as they have come to life. Each actor has added their own unique bits to their characters.” 

Our narrator played by Steve Atkins.

So what has been her biggest challenge with this show? “That we don’t have a bigger stage!” she laughs. “Don’t get me wrong - everything that I had designed, planned and wanted for this production has been created. But if our stage was a bit bigger, there are so many other things I would have loved to have done. And it also would have meant choreographing some scenes would have been easier!”

This is Michele’s fourth time directing, and she says this is her favourite show that she’s done so far. “We have so much talent both backstage and on the stage that it meant we have been able to create a set that can become more than one room, use technology that I think will develop with our plays more and more in the future, and to date it’s the most modern play we have ever done.” 

L-R: Players Steve Canning, Michael Powell-Davies, Sam McCartney, Emma Payne, Anne Bassi, Kate Lee and Simon Charles in a scene from the Dickensian school, cheekily named St Bastards.

And the most important question ... assuming he was brought up to speed with current events, what would Dickens himself think of our production?

“I would like to think we made him laugh. He was known for using comedy in his writing; he used humour and satire not only for entertainment but to expose social issues in his time. I think we would get a thumbs-up from him.”  Director Michele Charles

“Having a vision for a play is only part of what is needed. Having a cast and crew that can understand and improve on that, plus help make the set, props and effects I wanted ... that is my favourite part. This play is exactly what I envisioned and I am proud of that.”

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketsource.co.uk/thedownsviewplayers and you can see the latest from rehearsal on Facebook.

• Bleak Expectations is an amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.