Comedies galore at Chesterfield Pomegranate in Rumpus Theatre Company and Tabs Productions spring season of plays

Rumpus Theatre Company and Tabs Productions launch their spring play season on January 18, 2022.

The founders of both companies Karen Henson and John Goodrum team up to direct the opening show, Funny Money. The following week John will direct The Titfield Thunderbolt and in the first week of February Karen will direct Rattle Of A Simple Man.

This year John and Karen, who are married, decided that comedy would be the sole focus of their annual spring season at the Pomegranate. They said: “Generally we would try to choose a comedy, a drama and maybe a thriller. Particularly this year, we, alongside the theatre, thought we could all do with something on the lighter side of life, to cheer up the winter days.”

Actors living in Hasland, Newbold, Walton, Leicester and London will perform in the plays.

Funny Money, which will by presented by Rumpus Theatre Company until January 22, features a full cast of Chesterfield favourites including Susie Hawthorne, Susan Earnshaw, David Gilbrook, John Goodrum, David Martin, Christopher Brookes and Jeremy Lloyd Thomas. There will be a guest appearance by Conal Walsh, who joined Rumpus several years ago for work experience before becoming a fully-fledged stage manager.

Ray Cooney’s sparkling farce Funny Money revolves around a cash-stuffed briefcase discovered on a train and the finder’s bid to escape to Barcelona with the haul. A long-suffering wife on the verge of a nervous breakdown, two friends who are helplessly involved, a couple of policemen, a taxi driver and a stranger who ended up with the wrong briefcase help to steer the story to an hilarious conclusion.

The Titfield Thunderbolt is a comedy by Philip Goulding based on the classic Ealing screenplay. A branch line is threatened with closure, so plucky villagers decide to take matters into their own hands and run it themselves. Will they beat the rival bus service run by shyster Vernon Crump?

Actor Christopher Brookes, who is a fully qualified steam train driver, will be joined by Chloe Thorpe, David Gilbrook and David Martin in Tabs Productions’ presentation of The Titfield Thunderbolt which runs at the Pomegranate Theatre from January 25 to 29.

Charles Dyer’s comedy Rattle Of A Simple Man is set in the Sixties and focuses on Percy, a supporter of Chesterfield FC who follows the Spireites down to London for the cup final where he finds himself with a lady of the night. Will Percy make it to the final whistle?

The cast comprises David Martin, a keen supporter of Spurs who won the cup final in 1961 when the team defeated Sheffield Wednesday, and Chloe Thorpe.

Rattle of a Simple Man was Tabs Productions third show in 1991. Thirty years later, the company is still on the pitch and this Rattle will be at number 166 in the Tabs’ history league. Catch the show at the Pomegranate from February 1 to 5.

Tickets £22 each or see all three plays for the price of two when booking by January 17. Go to www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk