Reading ……………………..24 to

The Dic onary of Lost Words In 1901, the word 'Bondmaid' was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dic onary. This is the story of the girl who stole it. Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the 'Scriptorium', a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collec ng words for the very first Oxford English Dic onary. Esme's place is beneath the sor ng table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word 'bondmaid' flu ers to the floor. Esme rescues the slip and stashes it in an old wooden case that belongs to her friend, Lizzie, a young servant in the big house. Esme begins to collect other words from the Scriptorium that are misplaced, discarded or have been neglected by the dic onary men. They help her make sense of the world. Over me, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings rela ng to women's experiences o en go unrecorded. While she dedicates her life to the Oxford English Dic onary, secretly, she begins to collect words for another dic onary: The Dic onary of Lost Words. Set when the women's suffrage movement was at its height and the Great War loomed, The Dic onary of Lost Words reveals a lost narra ve, hidden between the lines of a history wri en by men. It's a deligh ul, lyrical and deeply thought-provoking celebra on of words, and the power of language to shape the world and our experience of it.

Tickets are on sale for The Bay Theatre Players next major produc on, Compass by Jessica Bellamy, set to hit the stage at the end of June 2022. Early bird ckets are on sale to Bay Theatre Players members this week, before opening to the general public on Friday 29 April 2022. Compass, an exci ng Australian play, centres around a group of young people who are lost in the Australian rainforest when the school camp teacher goes missing. Emo ons run high and friendships are tested, especially when the food starts to run out and a mysterious stranger appears. Director Lyn Sterling has been delighted how the cast have stepped up in this produc on, and she is equally happy that the families of cast members have volunteered to help in the produc on, including backstage crew, set pain ng and front of house. Audience members will see one family connec on on the stage in June, with first- me player, Chris Blewi joining the produc on as head teacher, Mr Finchley. Chris joins his son, Harper Blewi , on stage, and says he is cherishing the process and spending this me together. Chris said of the upcoming produc on “I have thoroughly enjoyed the process and challenge of this role as Mr Finchley. I have loved learning the cra of jumping out of my own skin into another character. It has always been a real test for me to let go of my inhibi ons and just be in the moment and being part of this group of kids and the team has really helped me to overcome this. It's such a suppor ve and posi ve environment and the Director’s unwavering posi vity on all of our abili es is just magical. Especially for us newcomers to the scene.” Harper has been part of the Bay Theatre Players for several years, as well as being involved with Stella Performing Arts workshops. His first role was in the Addams Family Musical last year playing a cowboy ancestor. A er being in the ensemble with no lines in The Addams Family, Harper says he is really looking forward to the challenge of the role of Jason, being a main character with many lines to learn. Harper said of his character “Jason is a leader and this is something I am looking forward to playing as I don’t currently have a leadership role in is regular life and I’m learning a lot from it.” Bay Theatre Players present Compass by Jessica Bellamy, on stage from 24 June to 3 July 2022. Ma nee and evening performances available. Tickets are on sale from 29 April at www.trybooking.com. Calendar Girls Audi ons Bay Theatre Players will end the 2022 season with Calendar Girls by Tim Firth, and audi ons will be held on Saturday 18 June 2022. Don’t forget to get your audi on forms returned to Director, Candy Burgess, by 2 May 2022 – so audi on mes can be organised and audi on pieces can be sent out. Produc on audi on packs are available on the website www.baytheatreplayers.com . Come join the fun, there are several adult roles available, both speaking and nonspeaking, male and female.