By David Nicholas

Members of Lindfield Dramatic Club staged a riotous return to the stage of the Kind Edward Hall on the first weekend after Freedom Day, giving the reopening performance for the venue and one of the very first non-restricted productions of a brand new play, Lockdown in Little Grimley by David Tristram.

The first half of the show starred Nellie Carey and Sarah Baldock in Cupboard Love, a gentle comedy set on two deckchairs, where the characters slowly realise that they share the same gentleman friend.

Lockdown starred Martin Linaker, Chrystelle Tar, Sue Blair-Fish and James McKinnie who, with spectacular comic timing, followed the antics of a hapless amateur society, desperate for audiences. The chairman calls an emergency meeting to discuss his idea for their next production when restrictions ease - a touching love story, set in a hospital, with all profits destined for the NHS and called the Phantom of the Operating Theatre. The performance recalled the height of lockdown with the characters maintaining social distancing, hoarding toilet rolls and wearing a bee-keeping hood for protection from the virus. The play descended into farce when rehearsing the scene in the operating theatre, one of the cast members suffered what everyone thinks is a heart attack, but turns out to be a bad case of banana cake induced indigestion.

Lindfield resident Jenny Slack said: “It was a very welcome and entertaining evening and so good to hear spontaneous laughter sitting within a live audience again. It was very pleasing to see LDC back in the King Edward Hall again. After a long break the performers obviously enjoyed their craft too and received well deserved applause.” LDC will return in October with their autumn show and if you would like to audition or be involved behind the scenes follow LDC on Facebook or Instagram @lindfielddramaticclub and the website: www.lindfielddramaticclub.webs.com