Drama Club Remembers Much‑Loved President

Iver Heath Drama Club will dedicate its upcoming summer production to long‑standing member John Williams, who passed away in December 2025 at the age of 67 following his battle with Parkinson’s disease.

John, from Slough, was a committed member of the non‑profit community drama group for around 30 years, appearing in a wide range of plays and pantomimes. He also served as the club’s President for several years until his death.

“John was our club president for several years, so it feels perfectly fitting that we dedicate our summer show to him, in his memory,” said Carol Campling, Treasurer of Iver Heath Drama Club.

The club will perform Return to Hotel Doom, a standalone comedy sequel, on Saturday 13th June.

“John appeared as Major Horseradish in the original Hotel Doom play a decade ago. His kindness offstage and his impeccable comedy timing are fond memories we all treasure,” said Lee Hall, the play’s author and director.

The community is invited to purchase tickets for the two‑act show at www.ticketsource.co.uk/ihdc. During the performance, the club will also be encouraging donations to the Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead branch of Parkinson’s UK via the show’s programme and interval screen. The charity supports people living with Parkinson’s and funds vital research into new treatments.

John’s widow, Mrs Joanna Williams, met her husband at the drama club around 25 years ago when she appeared in the club's shows. Earlier this year, she was invited to take on the role of Club President in his honour.

https://www.ihdc.co.uk/

Art Alert! FRIENDLY BRUTES by Andy Siege

Filmmaker and Author Andy Siege Launches FRIENDLY BRUTES, A Color-Drenched Art Collection to Lighten the Image of Mental Illness

New oil-pastel series uses loud colour and open faces to challenge stigma and invite joy into mental health conversations

Andy Siege, the German-Kenyan director of the award-nominated debut Beti and Amare and author of eleven novels, releases his first fine art collection, FRIENDLY BRUTES now live on Fine Art America: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/andy-siege

The collection is not about darkness. It is about lightening the visual language we use for mental illness.

Made in oil pastel in 2026, FRIENDLY BRUTES works in a tight, joyful palette of yellow, green, red, pink and blue, outlined in thick, confident black. Faces pile on top of faces. Mouths are open in a yell, a laugh, a yawn. Eyes are squeezed shut not in pain, but in rest. Forms tip into each other like people on a crowded train.

Siege, who publicly identifies as POC, neurologically diverse, and queer, says the series grew directly from his own experience navigating clinical spaces where mental difference is rendered in grayscale.

"I was tired of the poster in the waiting room. Always a head in hands, always blue and gray," Siege says. "My brain is noisy and colourful. Sometimes it screams, sometimes it giggles, often both at once. I wanted pictures that look like that, so someone seeing them might feel less alone, and less pathologised."

FRIENDLY BRUTES deliberately borrows from Art Brut, the tradition of raw, immediate mark-making outside academic art, but reframes it. Instead of using "brut" to mean broken, Siege uses it to mean honest, and pairs it with "friendly" to remove fear.

The approach mirrors themes in his wider practice. Born Andreas Madjid Siege in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985, he is a director and author known for making work on a human scale. His debut feature Beti and Amare (2014), which he directed, wrote, shot, edited and acted in on a €14,000 budget, was nominated for the Golden St. George at the 36th Moscow International Film Festival. 

His second film, Barefoot Rasta (2017), and his books, including the magical-realism novella Don't Let Me Drown, the tragicomic Mohamed In The Stars, and the climate-fiction novel Biopunk: Aristotle released in January 2026, all center characters living with war trauma, grief, neurodivergence and identity pressure without turning them into cautionary tales.

With FRIENDLY BRUTES, Siege brings that same narrative compassion to a single image.

Horden's Story Returns To The Stage As Pits, People And Players Comes Back By Popular Demand

A powerful community production, created from the voices, memories, and experiences of local people, is returning to Horden this month.

Pits, People and Players, produced by Ensemble '84, returns to The Playhouse 11-13th June following a successful run during Horden's 125th anniversary celebrations last year.

Created from conversations with Horden residents, the show brings together stories shared in community halls, over cups of tea and through generations of local families. It tells the story of a village shaped by coal mining, community spirit and determination.

Blending theatre, storytelling, music and movement, the production explores Horden's past, present and future. It celebrates the humour, friendship, pride and resilience that continue to define the community.

Written by Ensemble '84 and directed by internationally acclaimed theatre-maker Mark Dornford-May, the show features original songs by Tees Valley singer-songwriter Jodie Nicholson and performances from the company's County Durham-based cast.

Mark Dornford-May, Director of Ensemble '84, told That's Books and More: "This show is about the heart of Horden. Every scene, every memory and every moment has its roots in conversations with local people. We've taken the stories, scars and dreams shared with us and created something that is rooted in this community and speaks to something much bigger. 

"At a time when places like Horden are too often defined by what they've lost, this production celebrates the people, pride and resilience that continue to shape its future."

Julia Handelman-Smith, Into the Light Director, told us: "We’re proud Ensemble ‘84 is bringing this remarkable production to life, once again, as part of Into the Light. ‘Pits, People and Players’ is a shining example of how local arts can reflect national conversations, about community, resilience, and the stories we choose to carry forward. It’s a testament to the talent and vision in County Durham, and a powerful reminder of the role the arts play in regeneration, connection, and belonging."

The return of Pits, People and Players follows a triumphant run of The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet at Ensemble '84's new home, The Playhouse.

The production received a string of four and five-star reviews and attracted audiences from across the region. Many people experienced Shakespeare for the first time after national attention focused on Horden when acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen officially opened The Playhouse last month.

Sir Ian's visit generated widespread media coverage for Horden and East Durham. During the opening, he declared that he wished he lived in Horden, helping to shine a spotlight on the area's growing cultural ambition.

Now, Ensemble '84 is once again turning its attention to the people and stories of East Durham, bringing Horden's story back to the stage where it belongs.

Pits, People and Players will be performed at The Playhouse, Horden, between 11-13th June. Tickets are available from ensemble84.com/pits-people-players

Listings Information:-

Pits, People and Players

Date: Thursday 11 June 2026 - 13th June 2026

The Playhouse, South Terrace,Horden, Peterlee, SR8 4NQ

Tickets: £16 for all other performances, with optional £10 concessions ‘no questions asked’ and £20 ‘show of additional support’.

Running Time: approx 90 minutes

Age restriction advised: 12+

Box office: ensemble84.com/pits-people-players/ 0191 300 4340

Website: ensemble84.com

Facebook: facebook.com/ensemble84theatre

Instagram: instagram.com/ensemble84

YouTube: youtube.com/ensemble84