HAVE you ever wondered how CODS get its production from the rehearsal stages in the Old Town Hall to the extremely professional and visual display when performing its annual production in Queen Elizabeth's School.

The answer is a lot of hard work and dedication by a great crew of people.

From the moment the set design team meet with the Director to hear the vision of what might be created there are countless hours put in by many volunteers, some of whom have no desire whatsoever to actually be on stage but are only too happy and willing to put their skills towards the final project. 

CODS is delighted to have been nominated by NODA South West in the Wilfred Roe Trophy for Set Decor for its production last Easter of "The Children of Eden".

This truly is a great achievement for our backstage members who have the unenviable task of transforming what is a School Hall into all that is needed for a show to be performed.

Seating, staging, lighting, painting and costumes all combine to produce the overall effect.

What is also very pleasing is that in being nominated for such an award, it is all CODS work, whereas many other societies have the luxury of being able to just walk in to a ready made theatre, and some with larger budgets even buy in ready made sets!

So with just over three weeks to go until opening night of "The Wedding Singer", the crew is busy at our store in Down St Mary putting the finishing touches under the watchful eye of our Production Manager, Nicky Gould.

How will it look this year? We hope you come along and see for yourselves.

Tickets for the production, which runs from Monday, April 8 to Saturday, April 13, in Queen Elizabeth's Barnfield campus hall, are on sale at £16 for adults and £14 for concessions.

These can be booked via the Box Office link at: www.codsonline.com .

Mike Canning