The Esperance Theatre Guild has had a wonderful 2011 celebrating forty years in the Bijou Theatre. To mark this anniversary we have not only had the Bijou heritage listed with the State Heritage Council but also inducted two new Life Members to the Guild on the opening night of our end of year show. Nellie Siemer and Jayne Arnold are certainly worthwhile recipients of Life Membership having contributed tirelessly for many, many years on and off the stage and in all facets of the theatre. It was an honour to bestow Life Membership to these wonderful thespians and a fabulous start to the season of Agatha Christie’s ‘The Unexpected Guest’ directed by Andrew Dean.

The year started with Andrew Dean directing ‘No Sex Please We’re British’ and we also enjoyed the Seniors’ Concert and the One Act Plays during the year too. Andrew Dean and Andrew Bounds spent many an hour re-vamping and renovating the dressing room and the Green Room, both of which look fresh, bright and ready for use for the 2012 season.

We were hoping to engage the services of a Director in Residence next year, but despite sending out feelers for potential directors to work alongside a professional director there were no takers. Please contact the committee if you think you might like to be involved in this project. We have found a suitable grant and one possible assistant director but would like more members to become involved, particularly as we will be looking at set building, lighting and design during the project.

Our last fling for the year, organised by Flora Yetman, Carol McLeod and participating members is involvement in the community Christmas Pageant.

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your contributions this year, be it in a production, on the committee, as a member of the audience or in any aspect of helping the Esperance Theatre Guild run during 2011, and on behalf of the committee wish you all a very Merry Christmas and peace, health and happiness for the coming year.

Victoria Brown

President ETG