AN astonishing £3,530 was raised for NHS Charities by the Jubilee Jamboree event in Studley.
The day long celebration attracted more than 1,500 people who were royally entertained by a full programme of attractions organised and curated by the village’s own home-grown Aunty Jen Productions.
These included circus performers, the ‘Jubilee Challenge Cup’, a dog show and much more.
In fact the day proved such a success the pizza man ran out of pizzas and and they also ran out of vegan burgers.
“We’re astonished by how much was raised,” said Jen Rigby, artistic director of Aunty Jen Productions.
“It was a long time in planning and were helped by funding from the Arts Council, this allowed us to charge just a £2 entry free with all the other attractions, bar the food and drink free.
“We just asked for donations to NHS Charities, and this was the result – we’re been blown away by it.
“We’re absolutely delighted with how the day went – it was a wonderful community celebration.”
Aunty Jen Productions is now turning its attention to their next production, Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish play’ Macbeth.
“We picked Macbeth not only because it is a schools set text – and we’ll be performing it in front of something like 500 pupils – but also because it’s one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays and has some absolutely fantastic characters,” said Jen.
“For instance I stripped down the speaking parts of Lady Macbeth and she only has 15 minutes of speech, but just look at the legacy she has left.”
This production will also feature a true Scot in the title role, with an actor joining the company from Edinburgh, to add that extra touch of authenticity.
Macbeth by Aunty Jen Productions will be performed in the grounds of Studley Sports and Social Club on July 1/2/3 and touring local schools either side of those dates.
Tickets for the SSSC shows are £6 available from: https://auntyjenproductions.co.uk/.
