'Aesop's Fables' at the 2025 Barnstaple Theatre Fringefest
The Pilton Theatre Productions' cast and crew were back on Castle Green at the Barnstaple Theatre Fringefest at the end of June with performances of some of the several hundred fables attributed to the famous Greek storyteller Aesop. Below they are seen at the dress rehearsal on the new Pilton Community Farm Project where a Preview performance was given.
They then transferred to Castle Green for the weekend of 28th and 29th June for the three, 50 minute long, performances.
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Success on the 2024 Fringe
The Pilton Theatre Productions Team had a successful debut appearing on Castle Green in the Barnstaple Fringe Theatrefest on Saturday 29th and on Sunday 30th June.
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Below you will find the stories of Pilton Productions from previous years.
'Sleeping Beauty' Wakes Up Pilton in 2023
Pilton Theatre Productions successful presented 'Sleeping Beauty' by Lee Smith in Pilton Church Hall during the Half Term Holiday week in February 2023. The production was set in two brilliant scenes, The Palace (Human Kingdom) above, and The Enchanted Forest (Fairy Kingdom) below.
The villain, one Titus Wormcrawl, was condemned to the wilderness in the Enchanted Forest (scene above), only to come back to power 10 years later when he finally got his 'comeuppance' thanks to a snake called Caroline! It's too complicated to explain.
However, we are pleased to report that, despite a curse by Fairy Queen Magenta, they pretty much all lived happily ever after, except the villain, of course. We have no doubt that Lee Smith is dreaming up another one for 2024, so watch this space for news in the autumn.
'Red Riding Hood' Success
In 2022 'Red Riding Hood' was successfully presented in Pilton Church Hall during the half-term holiday in February. As far as we could tell, all the villains got their comeuppance and there was, of course, a double wedding at the end. Happy ending. Thanks to Pilton Theatre Productions, all the cast and crew and everyone who came to see it.
Pilton Theatre Productions 2020
Treasure Island
In 2020 Treasure Island was presented in Pilton Church Hall during the February Half-Term Holiday (20th - 22nd February). Introduced by Robert Louis Stevenson, it involved all the expected characters like Long John 
Silver, Polly the Parrot, Jim Hawkins and Ben Gunn, as well as lots of mystery characters. In addition it featured loads of dastardly pirates (left) dressed in stripey T-shirts and skull and crossbone bandanas wielding cutlasses and making the life of the Dame, Petunia Clark, Squire Trelawney and the other members of the crew a misery! It was written and directed by Lee Smith. The cast of twenty-three, who took the limelight, was very ably backed by a great back stage, front of house and support crew from around Pilton.
Enormous thanks are due to all the advertisers in the programme, those who gave prizes for the raffle and to The Reform Inn for hosting rehearsals.
'Jack & the Beanstalk'
In 2019 Pilton Theatre Productions successfully presented 'Jack & the Beanstalk' during the February Half Term holiday and raised £1,400 to help keep Pilton Church Hall open.
Selected Photos from Pilton Theatre Productions
Here are some images to warm you up after the 'big freeze' which almost missed Pilton altogether. Click on the picture below to see an album of over 100 of the 400 photographs taken by photographer Julie Wicks of Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood in February. Thanks Julie for some great shots.
And below you can also see photographs from Aladdin in 2016 and Dick Whittington in 2017, both of which were great successes and between them raised £2,200 towards the cost of the permanent bar being built in the Hall.
Selected photographs from Dick Whittington in 2017 by photographer Julie Wicks
click on image of The Final Curtain below
Many thanks to Julie for these great photographs too!
Selected photographs from the 2016 production of Aladdin
click on photograph below
More about Pilton Theatre Productions
The history of theatrical productions in Pilton Church Hall goes back to at least 1923-24 and the play Oliver Twist. The last play produced there was Noèl Coward’s Blithe Spirit by The Lord Basil's Reformers in 2014 and there have been a couple of very successful Murder Mystery plays in the meantime - Who Killed the Hotel Manager in 2016 and Who Killed the Pop Star in 2017. The last production in Pilton before Aladdin in 2016 and Dick Whittington in 2017 was Cinderella in 2013.
In 2016, Aladdin was adapted and directed by Lee Smith, and happened during the February Half-term. Dick Whittington was produced at the same time in February 2017. It was both written and directed by Lee Smith. In 2018 Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, again written and directed by Lee Smith, took place in the Spring Half-term holiday in February 2018 and was a great success. And in 2019, Jack and the Beanstalk, again put on in Pilton Church Hall in the February Half-term holiday, was written by Alan Smith and directed by Pip Cartmell.
Newcomers (& Oldcomers) Welcome!
We would love as many people from the wider Pilton community to get involved in Pilton Theatre Productions. If you would like to be involved in any way whatsoever, please Contact the Team. Apart from anything else, you could have a great time!
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