Act Write Direct
*Are you a keen drama writer, who would love to see your work performed?
*Are you a committed actor, ‘resting’ between main productions and wanting to exercise your skills?
*Maybe you’ve thought about directing, but it’s all a bit daunting?
* Perhaps you enjoyed acting at school, and would like to try it again without too much commitment?
Whatever your reasons
Then Act Write Direct could be for YOU.
It’s Creative and Inclusive. It’s by the members for members and those interested in trying out Studio drama.with the possibility of joining the Players.It's FUN.. AWD is for practising and developing skills, and for trying new ones. A key principle is including everyone who wants to be involved and supporting each other. We write, we act, we direct, we rehearse and finally we perform in a studio-type production before our families and members. We are fortunate to be supported by Players’ experts in stage management and design. AWD1 was first trialled in 2018 by a small group of pioneers and in 2019 it was decided to offer the idea to the full membership.
All photography for ACT WRITE DIRECT is
by courtesy of Steve Pearce
HISTORY
At the 2019 AGM all members were encouraged to get involved in the AWD project by this video presentation. From this presentation to the final production was eight months.
As a consequence by March 2020, just before the lockdown, we were able to perform AWD2 Studio 9 in front of an audience of family and friends.
During the next year there were many opportunities for the writers in the group to practise their art by writing short plays for Zoom Cafe evenings, Christmas Zoom and Burns Night. Writing was also encouraged by a Relay Play Writing event involving 13 writers. See
In June 2021, it was decided to embark on another AWD(3) on the theme of Blind Date.
The time scale was short but by the end of August eleven plays had been written, nine selected by anonymous assessment, and directors and actors had started rehearsing.
AWD3 BLIND DATE STUDIO
16th October 2021
In April 2022 we embarked on AWD4 and by July had Directors and Actors for 7 new plays selected by anonymous assessment. This time the theme was CATCH. Again we are fortunate to have Rona Musker as Stage Manager with her Production team to see us through to the production on October 8th at West Ashling Village Hall for family and friends.
AWD4
The Ensemble
Carrie Allen: Aaron Baker:Nigel Brown: Clare Burt: Jason Burt: Jenny Dean: David Hayes: Ellen Hayes: Tiffin Jones: Scilla Jutton-Holland: Gill Lambourn: Lisa Page-Berelian: Paul Pridmore: Richard Sanderson: Louisa Stodd: Yvette Walters: Sue Wilkins
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or move them around by touch
The Village Hall
West Ashling
PO18 8DL
2023 ACT WRITE DIRECT (AWD5)
13th and 14th October
A STUDIO PRODUCTION
THE PITCH
Click on photo for enlargement
The 2023 Ensemble
Deborah Addicott: Aaron Baker: Nigel Brown: Jenny Dean: Tiffin Jones: Scilla Jutton-Holland: Gill Lambourn: Lisa Page-Berelian: Paul Pridmore: Richard Sanderson: Louisa Stodd: Andy Marshall: Sue Wilkins: Joe Hepworth: Trish Dack: Solomon Brown
Clare Burt: Barbara MacWhirter
DIRECTORS: Barbara MacWhirter: Margaret Edwards: Andy Marshall: Grace McClure: Louisa Tait: Jenny Dean: Scilla Jutton-Holland: Joan Horton
STAGE MANAGER : RONA MUSKER
SM TEAM: David & Ellen Hayes
The Right Pitch
our first venture into MASK
In 2024 AWD6 was postponed as our writers were invoved in the 75th Anniversary production of the Funtington Fringe.
AWD6 - 10 Minutes
on 17th & 18th October 2025.
Click on the photos to see an enlarged view
AWD6
The Ensemble
Deborah Addicott: Jason Burt: Clare Burt : Tony Clark: Helga Crowley: Jenny Dean: Ellen Hayes: Steve Jupp: Scilla Jutton-Holland: Gill Lambourn: Barbara MacWhirter: Andy Marshall: Abigail Ockwell: Clare Ockwell: Lisa Page-Berelian: Paul Pridmore: Yvette Walters: Kia Wilson: Sue Wilkins
Writers and Directors
Andy Marshall: Margaret Edwards: Jason Burt: Kia Wilson: Jenny Dean: Joan Horton: Paul Pridmore: Pat Grindey: Rebecca Porter: Barbara MacWhirter: Steve Jupp
STAGE MANAGER : RONA MUSKER/SUE WILKINS/ ELLEN HAYES
WELCOME TO
ACT WRITE DIRECT
(AWD7) 2026 Key Dates
Run Through Weds 23rd September
Performance dates are Fri 25th
& Sat 26th September 2026
at St Nicholas Church Hall, Brooks Lane
Bosham PO18 8LA
After a successful meeting on April 22nd, the most popular theme for writers to produce a 10 minute play script was BREAKDOWN. There are 12 writers. We aim to produce up to 8 new 10 minute plays, selected from anonymous submission by our Assessors. Plays not chosen for the AWD Autumn Production will be read at a rehearsed reading and supper in January 2026. We are pleased to announce
the 8 Plays in alphabetical order
AGONY by Kia Wilson
EXHIBIT 42 by Margaret Edwards
GIVE US A PUSH by Andy Marshall
NO SIGNAL by Barbara MacWhirter
SNIPS by Pat Grindey
THE RAID by Chris Smith
WITCHES, WITCHES, WITCHES by Rebecca Porter
WRONG CONNECTION by Jenny Dean
The Actors playread of the accepted scripts will be on Friday 26th June 2026 at 7.30pm at the address below. The normal procedure will be followed.
Each playread will be run by the writer/director of that play, the cast filled by the next appropriate gender person(s) in the seated circle. Each actor will have a list of all the parts for the evening and be able to tick those they would be most interested in, based on what they have heard. At the end of the meeting the lists are collected and parts allocated by members of the production team based on all the information given by the actors on their lists. Actors and writer/directors will be informed of the casting in a week beginning 30th June.
For more information contact Margaret at mandnedwards@btinternet.com or Pat at patsgrindey@yahoo.co.uk
Funtington Church Rooms, Church Lane,
Funtington PO18 9LH