written by David Harrower

directed by Amy Walker

15 years ago, Ray and Una had a relationship that ripped their lives and families apart. They haven’t set eyes on each other since.

Now she’s found him again

Una confronts Ray at his workplace , where the two engage in a long and difficult confrontation involving Una’s continuing struggles to understand and come to terms with the what happened and her intensely conflicting emotions, which pivot between anger, curiosity, confusion, and even a persistent attachment to

Ray, whom Una loved – and she believed that he loved her.

Ray, who is himself trying to forget the past and the potential feelings he had for Una, parries her demanding questions and descriptions of her feelings and experiences, all the while uncertain of her intentions…

The play follows a gruelling conversation between the two adults, examining how the choices made 15 years ago have shaped both of their lives.

They reflect on both the good and bad memories of their relationship and what their lives have been like since it ended.

Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2007, Blackbird is a play that grabs you from the first moment and won’t let go until the climax.

*This play explores challenging themes including sexual abuse.

The Junior Bancroft Players present an adapted version of Euripides classic tale of the fall of Troy and the fate of the women left behind.

Fallen Leaves (12)

In modern-day Helsinki, Ansa and Holappa, two lonely souls in search of their first love, meet by chance in a local karaoke bar. However, the pair’s path to happiness is beset by numerous obstacles—from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

Cast: Alma Pöysti, Alina Tomnikov, Jussi Vatanen

Running Time: 81 mins.

Language: Finnish with sub-titles.

REVIEW | TRAILER

Two estranged cousins reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

A comedy about two cousins (Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) travelling to Poland to visit the house of their grandmother. Great cast and plenty of laughs but underneath some serious themes about family, male friendship and growing older are delivered with a light touch, great dialogue and in wonderful locations.

The film effortlessly walks the tonal tightrope about cousins on a holocaust tour to create a masterpiece without really trying.

Cast: Olha Bosova, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg, Banner Eisenberg

Director(s): Jesse Eisenberg

Runtime: 90

REVIEW | TRAILER

by Tennessee Williams

directed by Benedict Andrews

Gillian Anderson (Sex Education), Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), and Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) lead the cast in Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece, returning to cinemas.

As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister

Stella for solace – but her downward spiral

brings her face to face with the brutal, unforgiving Stanley

Kowalski.

From visionary director Benedict Andrews, this acclaimed

production was filmed live during a sold-out run at the Young Vic Theatre in 2014.

Written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton we find the recurring characters of Blackadder, Baldrick and George placed in a trench during World War 1.  

We follow their various doomed attempts to escape from the trenches to avoid death under the misguided command of General Melchett.

 

The last Blackadder in the TV series and Winner of the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Series in 1989.

Blackadder Goes Forth is the Bancroft Player’s second visit into the life of Blackadder as we put on a very successful production of Blackadder The Tudor Years in 2019.

CONCLAVE follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.

Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front)

Written by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Solider Spy)

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

Cert 12A

Runtime 2 hours

REVIEW | TRAILER

Shipwrecks, Shenanigans, and Shakespearean Spark!

Join The Bancroft Players as part of the Hitchin Festival for Twelfth Night — a delightful comedy of mistaken identities, unrequited love, and unexpected twists.

When Viola is shipwrecked and assumes a new identity, she’s swept into a whirlwind of love triangles, mischief, and mayhem in the court of Illyria. Packed with wit, romance, and unforgettable characters, this is Shakespeare at his most joyful.

A charming and mischievous night out — not to be missed!

a new play by Suzie Miller

Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated next play from the team behind Prima Facie.

Jessica Parks is a smart Crown Court Judge at the top of her career. Behind the robe, she is a karaoke fiend, a loving wife and a supportive parent. When an event threatens to throw her life completely off balance, can she hold her family upright?

Writer Suzie Miller and director Justin Martin reunite following their global phenomenon Prima Facie, with this searing examination of modern motherhood and masculinity.