workshop

These are some of the members of my drama workshop

I first started going there in about 1977, then I had a big break because of work, family and where we were living.

When I moved back into the area I wanted to rejoin but I never got round to it for various reasons then I met the friend of some friends at their house and discovered she was going to the workshop and I suddenly kicked myself for not having got off my backside and rejoined ages ago.

I've been going for four years now

This year we're doing a version of Oedipus and taking it to Brno in the Czech republic where the group has very strong links going back to the seventies

The age range is from 22 to 66 and it is the most supportive group with no overweening egos!

It's based at the Redbridge Drama Centre, and in the recent round of Arts Council Grants they got an increased grant - increased by almost 30%

All this will be for nothing though, and the Centre will almost certainly close if the council don't change their minds as they are planning to withdraw almost all their funding over the next three years.

This is appallingiy philistine, many members of the council are supportive, but there are also people who have never bothered to find out what is involved, what the centre does or how it contributes to the community.

There's not much going on in Redbridge, culturally or otherwise, it seems criminal to close down the one thing that is internationally renowned and could be seen as the jewel in the crown of the borough