The highlight of the Nancy Blackett Trust’s AGM last Saturday was the first amateur performance from the newly-published playscript of Arthur Ransome’s "We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea."

The play, by dramatist Nick Wood, was created for the Ipswich-based Eastern Angles company and toured locally to general acclaim a couple of years ago. The company has plans to take it on a nationwide tour next year.

Meanwhile, publication of the script in paperback will enable amateur dramatic groups to put on their own productions.

The Nancy Blackett Trust’s presentation, within little over a week of the paperback becoming available, involved simply a reading of two extracts from the play by a hastily-assembled cast drawn from the members at the AGM. 

All  the members of the cast quickly got into their roles, reading fluently and bringing out  the drama and the latent humour in Ransome’s and Wood’s writing.

Production was by Bob Hull, who also played the part of John and Jim; Jill Goulston played Susan, Gill Gooderham was Titty, David Middleton was Roger, and Sue Milward was Mother.

The script, published by Aurora Metro, is available online via the Nancy Blackett Bookstore (from £9.99 plus P+P) 

Related posts:

1. Cast of "We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea" visits Nancy Blackett
2. New Ransome Radio Play to Premiere in February
3. Ransome Sails Onto the Stage