A Note from the Director
Having joined Huntingdon Drama Club just over a year ago I’ve tried my hand at props, stage
management, and acting, before directing Shakers . This is the first full length play I have
directed and it has been brilliant fun. Written by John Godber and Jane Thornton as a
companion piece to Godber’s Bouncers and first presented by the Hull Truck Theatre Company
in 1984, Shakers has been adapted and presented thousands of times all over the world.
The joy of choosing to set it in the 1980s (as its writers intended) is that we are able to enjoy
the nostalgia of the music, laugh at the ridiculous changes in prices and technology, whilst also
remembering that fundamentally, very little has changed…
I discovered the play when I had to study and perform it at secondary school; it continues to be
a popular set text for GCSE and A Level. For those performing it there are many challenges as
it requires the actresses to multi-role, instantaneously transitioning from young to old, female
to male, ‘posh’ and ‘trendy’ to the ‘not so au courant’. Much of the amusement is generated
from the juxtapositions between these customers and the more naturalistic, relatable and fed
up waitresses. Its comic simplicity and recognisable character types make it easy to see why
this play resonates with audiences across the globe - go to any bar or even public space and
you will immediately recognise some of these stereotypical clientele – look closely at the
smiles of the service staff and you might see a flicker of that exasperation! There is
entertainment in watching these interactions, but the play also offers brief moments of
catharsis and reflection – revelations of the waitresses’ loves, hopes, dreams and
disappointments.
So welcome to Shakers – we are at your service. Sit back and relax with a cocktail and enjoy
the show!