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Willersey Footlights Society

We produce regular stage plays in the Village Hall.

Details of our Show on March 26^th, 27^th and 28^th 2026

Thoughts of a Footlights Old Timer

Well who would have thought that 40 years after being involved with Footlights I would still be involved and Footlights is still going strong? As to be expected there have been many changes to the Footlights cast and crew over the 40 years but there are five members of the cast and crew who appeared in that first show and four members who have been even present on stage tonight.
There have also been many changes to our village hall. More recently a new roof, extra storage space added and the old stage removed to be replaced by a self build model, giving extra space in the hall if and when needed. Footlights has seen many faces come and go over the years and sadly we have lost members who have passed away. During tonight's performance we will be paying tribute to those members we have lost.
Our technology has changed over the years, from those first shows with just the tape player and our coloured footlights, to computers, sound systems, projectors and our own lighting. Many of the later technology changes have come about under the influence of Tom Jejfs who has produced video clips shown in previous shows. Tom is our technology guru and uploaded videos of whole shows on to Youtube as well as producing Footlights Facebook page. This year for the first time the cast and crew have been able to keep in contact through a Whatsapp group, again set up by Tom. Our costume department has been even more busy than usual, with a lot of time being spent on adapting costumes and props. Our thanks go to our costume department of Kathy Twigger, Mal Jelfs and Sue Clark. The backstage crew consisting mainly of Neville Jelfs and Paul Clark have also been busy ensuring the stage wings fit correctly, making new props and scenery, and putting the stage together with the help of Malcolm Mccleann.
This year's cast sees five new members and one old timer returning to the fold for this fortieth anniversary show. Over the years I have been involved I have seen many sketches which make me laugh some for the wrong reasons. On stage and off stage cock ups which have added to the entertainment and the occasional performance which has made the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up.
I would not be telling the truth if I said the Footlights journey has been a bed of roses. There have been plenty of tantrums and tears over the years but at the end a show has been put together, with the whole cast and crew coming together. For me this is the 3rd phase of Footlights. The first running from 1986 to 2001 with the cast and crew remaining mostly the same. The second phase running from 2004 with the next generation, which saw an influx of younger members. The third phase has been since the end of the Covid pandemic with Footlights re-emerging after a four year break. New I could fill a whole page saying thank you but thankfully that has been done elsewhere. I would however like to thank our Treasurer Alan Gettings, who not only carries out his role as treasurer efficiently but he is also front of house at these performances, put together this programme and looks after ticket sales.
I would also like to thank you, the audience, who come back surprisingly after seeing a previous show. Without you Footlights couldn't continue and we would have been unable to donate over £18,000 to various charities. I hope you enjoyed this year's performance and thank you all once again.

and some final and some special thanks
Taylor's Garage for ticket sales
Acorn Creative for everything.
Willersey Snooker Club for the use of their room for the period of the show.
Final Thanks to you the audience for your support This year's charities are Prostate Cancer UK and Breast Cancer.
Now please support our raffle tonight. The proceeds of tonight's Raffle and any profit from the bar and ticket sales will go to these two worth while charities.

Details of our Show on October 11^th and 12^th 2024
Tickets were Adults £10, and were available online.
Children's tickets £6 (Under 16) were only available at the garage.

The show theme was Books and was the usual mix of humorous sketches and music.
There were only 90 tickets each night.

If you are not already involved but would like to be, then you are ever welcome, just email willerseyfootlights@gmail.com and we will get you aboard.
As ABBA and others have said:     “Here we Go Again”.     See you there!!

Here is a copy of the Books programme.

Download a copy of the programme.

Download a copy of a poster for Books.

The Story of Footlights......So Far!

In the summer of 1985 an appeal was put in the Parish Magazine inviting local organisations to “do a turn at the” forthcoming Harvest Supper. The school Parents and Teachers Association immediately took up the challenge and got busy organising a sketch, and after much ‘we could do better’ the Football Club committee decided to have a go too. The PTA's version of We plough the fields and scatter was very entertaining if somewhat risqué for a Harvest Supper, the Football Club's rather pathetic attempt at Barbershop Singing was, at best awful but nevertheless extremely funny. Both attempts at entertaining were to leave the audience in tears, thankfully from laughter.

In the audience were the new postmaster Philip Simpson and his wife Trish, who thought as newcomers to the village they should be seen to support the local event. Well, after going along to what they thought was going to be a rather typical grin and bear it evening, they left having had a jolly good time and still chuckling at what they has seen. A few weeks later Phil met the ‘would be’ Barbershop boys in the Bell Inn and expressed his enjoyment at their performance; he also expressed his desire to join in on any future performances. The truth was that no one would ever ask them to perform again, so it was decided to form Willersey Footlights to put on their own show. Three months later our society was officially formed.

Phil's influence was enormous. As a former professional musician he had been there and done that, but loved the easy go attitude of the local enthusiasts. His bizarre scouse humour was at the root of most of the early Footlights shows. As you can see by our list of shows, we have had a go at most topics all of which have one thing in common; all have been a mixed bag of humorous sketches sprinkled with the odd attempts at trying to be serious. Our audiences who have supported our shows over the years do not come to witness artistically great performances. If so, they would go away disappointed but they do however come to see the cock-ups, the ad-libbing and people totally prepared to be made fools of.

The 24 shows put on by the Footlights have sold well over 5000 tickets and donated more than £17,000 to various charities. (Nearly 100 cast members over the years have performed over 300 sketches and attempted to sing over 100 songs.

A well-attended and successful meeting on the 20^th August 2024 committed the Society to it's 24th production on the 11^th and 12^th of October. The show theme will be Books and will be the usual mix of humorous sketches and music. There will be only 90 tickets each night so don't delay when the tickets go on sale on the 9^th of September, for £10 at Willersey Garage.

If you are not already involved and couldn't make the meeting but would like to be, then you are ever welcome, just email willerseyfootlights@gmail.com and we will get you aboard.
As ABBA and others have said:
Here we Go Again     See you there!!

We presented      THE      TV      SHOW

This was an amusing take of some of our regular TV shows with plenty of music at
Willersey Village Hall on Friday March 31^st and Saturday 1^st April 2023 at 7:30 pm.

Here are some pictures from THE TV SHOW in March 2023.

Since our last show in 2019 it is with deep sadness that we have to report the passing of our dear Footlighters, Stefan White, Pam McAteer, Daphne Lamb and Mildred Powell. We all treasure those precious memories you have left us with, laughter, kindness and warmth.

Plans were now underfoot for new production to take place in November 2022. With a sideways glance at Covid and our take on it, mixed in with a little romance, the usual song and dance numbers, the show is now coming together. We have happily welcomed a lot of new faces that have joined Footlights. A lot of the old faces are still there, looking a bit older now, Cathy is back as producer, Cissy and Ada are back, making their inspired appearance and doing something interesting with miles of fabric and yards of strong elastic. Tom Jelfs's IT skills are bringing a new look to the show and putting a theatrical twist on things.

Yes you've guessed it, its all going to be its usual irreverent comic based nonsense!

The Company are now putting together ideas and thinking about planning rehearsals. As it stands, we plan to start fully committed rehearsals in September.
We shall keep you informed re our progress and in the autumn tickets for the new show will be available. Anyone out there with a yen to tread the boards we are still looking for help on stage or behind the scenes. So do get in touch you would be most welcome. Contact Mary. Secretary. marys.badger@btinternet.com     Tel: 07711936976     01386858601

Google youtube willersey footlights to view videos of some of our previous productions.

The Best of British
All those associated with Willersey Footlights would like to express our appreciation for the splendid support we received through tickets sales, raffle prizes and community support for putting on the show. As ever with Footlights performances, profits for the show always go towards supporting a worth cause. This year the village hall refurbishment is being supported, with the amount to be announced when the accounts are completed.
The illustrious Willersey Footlights took to the boards again with performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings 25^th to 27^th April 2019 in Willersey Village Hall. The show “The Best of British” was a miscellany of pure entertainment based on our National treasures. Tickets were available from February 1^st and could be obtained from Alan Gittings (tel. 01386 858601 mob. 07734363670) or from Willersey Stores.

Some photographs from Best of British. Click on the thumbnails for a larger vesrion.

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Poster for Best Of British Show by Willersey Footlights in April 2019.

The Shows... 1986 - 2024

    Date

    2026          40th Anniversary Show

    2024          Books

    2023          The TV Show

    2019          Best Of British

    2017          A Christmas Cracker

    2016          FootLights Through the Ages

    2014          FootLights at the Movies

    2013          Anything Goes

    2011          The Best of 25 Years

    2010          The Four Seasons

    2008          London

    2006          The Lost Secret

    2005          Footlight Follies

    2004          The Next Generation

    2001          The Best of Footlights

    1999          2000 A Real Oddity

    1997          The Wafta Awards

    1995          A Very Rough Guide to Britain

    1993          As Time Goes By 5000BC to 1993

    1992          End of the Pier Show

    1991          Around the World in 80 Minutes

    1990          Cinderalla 2

    1989          Hooray for Hollywood

    1987          39/45 War Show

    1986          Old Time Music Hall

A Christmas Cracker

Footlights Presented “A Christmas Cracker”.
Footlights performers were busy rehearsing for “A Christmas Cracker”, a pre-Christmas Spectacular performed on Saturday 25^th (7.30pm) and Sunday 26^th (3.00pm) November 2017 in Willersey Village Hall. Tickets were available from the Village Stores priced at £7 for adults and £5 for children. However tickets for children for Sunday's matinee performance, which were geared more towards a ‘family entertainment’, were priced at £3.00.

All those associated with Willersey Footlights would like to show our appreciation for the splendid support we received for our recent seasonal offering A Christmas Cracker'. We are delighted to be able to report that as a result we have been able to make a donation of £500 from our proceeds to Campden Home Nursing Trust.

Willersey Footlights Rehersal 2017