Nick Ashman What started at school with stage lighting school productions has become a life-long affair; trying to create the magic that is theatre. Being asked by his headteacher to help with the set-up for a visiting theatre company led to helping, while still at school, with the staging for the Romford Shakespeare Theatre and thence to working professionally at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch before moving into the West End where he earned the nickname ‘Spider’ for his climbing abilities while rigging. Nick, a founder member and current President of the ETC, has controlled everything technical for all productions as well as overseeing the acquisition of much of the technical equipment.

Ian Warwick.The ETC’s quizmaster. Ian has been a member of the ETC from its very beginning in 2016 and has acted in many productions including Owen in The Vicar of Dibley and the Colonel in ‘Allo ‘Allo. He also produced the club’s first Revue. He is a tireless supporter behind the scenes and is the ETC Vice-President. He was a DJ for 25 years, with two years professionally in Scandinavia where he met his wife. He has always been an avid American Soul Music collector as well as being an accomplished athlete. He played in and managed his local league football team for 12 years. He also ran for his regional cycling and athletic team and competed in the first London Marathon in 1981, completing it in the most creditable time of 3hrs and 15mins. Ian recently directed the ETC’s play The Farndale Murder Mystery and energetically played the role of a boisterous puppy called Ginger in A Dog’s Life.

Tim Caudery Treasurer of the ETC. Now retired from professional life, Tim had a career in teaching English as a Foreign Language that took him to various parts of Europe. He discovered the amateur theatre while working in Nicosia, and appeared in a number of productions there. A move to Aarhis in Denmark cut short his acting career, though he did find he was in demand for English voiceovers for Danish TV documentaries. He is delighted to have found a route back into acting with the ETC, and has appeared in several of the group’s productions as well as trying his hand at directing (The Long Christmas Dinner) and being stage manager for The 39 Steps. His latest appearance was as Sir Humphrey Mountcliff in the radio play The Perfect Murder..

Jenny Wood: As an ETC committee member Jenny has continued her love of the theatre and drama. As a former police officer she loved the thrill of adopting various personas whilst conducting surveillance duties. Now, with the help of the ETC she has rediscovered her love of playing a role and particularly enjoyed participating in The Farndale Murder Mystery as – of course – a police inspector and most recently as Joy in Alternative Accommodation.

Maggie Crane As a founder member of the ETC Maggie is the Company’s non-stop Secretary. Her love affair with acting began at school. She was the tall one with the short hair at an all-girls school so always got the boys’ parts (titter ye not). Later she acted in various plays for the Royal Navy Drama Festivals and also in a local town group before moving to France where she was a member of two “am-dram” groups. But then the ETC was formed and Maggie hasn’t looked back. She has participated in most of its productions, either on-stage or behind the scenes. Often both. Maggie’s latest on-stage performances were in The Farndale Murder Mystery and as Gemma in Alternative Accommodation.

Phil Faiers From The Beggar’s Opera to The Browning Version for the BBC staff training college, Phil’s involvement in theatre spans 60 years. With leading roles in Pardon Me Prime Minister, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Noises Off, Donkey’s Years and many other classic comedies he eventually turned to directing. Since helping to found the English Theatre Company he has had roles in Absurd Person Singular, A King’s Speech, The Dark Side of the Moore, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, The Vicar of Dibley, ‘Allo, ‘Allo and The 39 Steps. He directed Absurd Person Singular, Under Milk Wood, Comedy Theatre Lunches, The Importance of Being Earnest and Calendar Girls. Phil was the English Theatre Company’s President between 2016 and 2024.

Maurice Shorter Once upon a time, in the UK, Maurice was the Managing Director of a company manufacturing analytical instrumentation. He didn’t expect, on moving to France over 20 years ago, to contract a serious, progressive infection of the arts. The first symptoms appeared with a request from the ETC to help with the Tech desk, then the Set, the Sound and finally, as an actor “so the Production can go ahead.” It’s incurable, to the extent that Maurice has played a leading part in many of the ETCs productions, the most recent being as a multi-faceted, multi-charactered clown in The 39 Steps – a most demanding role. Simultaneously, behind the scenes, Maurice has taken on every possible and impossible task from transport driver to ETC Treasurer.

Nancy Shorter Back in the UK Nancy was a workaholic family law solicitor, but over 20 years ago she moved permanently to France and freedom. Time, at last, to enjoy lifelong interests and develop new ones. The ETC is one of those interests and it has become a huge part of her life. Along with her husband, Maurice, they were founder members of the ETC in 2016. She has been vice-president of the Company and has enjoyed playing main roles in many of its productions, the latest being a leading character in The 39 Steps.

Shelly Frape: Director of the ETC productions of Plaza Suite and The 39 Steps. A couple of years ago Shelly returned to the Hautes-Pyrénées after spending several years living in Southern Spain. Whilst music may be her raison d’être, her other passions include horses, galgos (Spanish greyhounds), dance and, of course, the theatre. She loves living surrounded by nature in the countryside but is also delighted to be involved, once again, with the theatre. Shelly’s latest appearance was a multi-role in The Farndale Murder Mystery.

Anne Dickens: As Sports and Social Secretary, in a workplace of about 500 staff, comprising some 40 different sport and leisure activity clubs, Anne discovered amateur dramatics with the ‘Deansbank Players’. Supporting the company through productions such as Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya and Pinter’s The Birthday Party, she took on acting in Ayckbourn’s Table Manners and then in Priestley’s Dangerous Corner. Theatre is something she misses here in Gascony and is happy that the ETC has enabled her to add a little drama to her life. She has played several roles for the ETC, her latest as DI Simmons in The Perfect Murder.

Annie Dawes After a long break from theatricalities, Annie rekindled her passion for drama by joining the English Theatre Company and, with a lifetime of acting, directing and theatrical admin behind her, is now wondering what took her so long. Her love of the theatre was inspired by her school drama teacher and led to her playing Titania at age 18, at the old Plymouth Barbican Theatre. She has been a member of theatre groups from Norwich to Newcastle, Leeds and Leicester. In Athens she played her namesake “Annie” in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, in Hong Kong she was in Oh, What a Lovely War!, and during her 15 years in Geneva she embraced both high comedy and deep drama, from Lady Bracknell to evil panto queens. For the English Theatre Company she directed the Victorian melodrama ‘Raulos the Rotter’ in Mad Moments, arranged our outdoor play readings during 2020 and 2021, adapted and directed A Christmas Carol and played a leading role in Calendar Girls. She has also recently directed the ETC’s play readings A Dog’s Life and Alternative Accommodation

Chris Sutton: After an early career as a civil engineer in the nuclear power industry and then 25 years running his family caravan park in the West Highlands of Scotland Chris and his wife Danielle retired to the Hautes-Pyrénées in 2019. He enjoys combining two of his passions by riding his motorbike to Scotland for some Hebridean sailing. Cursing his lawn, garden and weeds is a daily routine as they continually disobey him – forever trying to grow, die or multiply in the wrong places. Chris joined the ETC in 2018 and has played roles in several of its productions; as a singer in Ben’s War, a grumpy old Scottish crofter in The 39 Steps, a casting which, according to others, suited him perfectly. His border collie, Suzie, a well loved visitor to the ETC, still refuses to pay her membership fees despite Chris’s latest role as a dog warden in A Dog’s Life. He now also designs the posters for ETC productions and tries to keep the website roughly up to date.

Sue Seth: Having lived on four continents Sue has been Gersoise for over twenty years. Her first experiences of the theatre were back in the dark ages with school Nativity plays and scout ‘Gang Shows’. Then school and university plays, where she worked both backstage and onstage. A good few years and several country moves later, Sue was in The Mikado in Caracas before moving to Brussels and working with their various theatre groups. Among other productions the whole family, dog included, performed in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Then on to Germany where she worked for seven years with the Bonn Players, her greatest role being Lettice in Lettice and Lovage. Sue now enjoys being with the ETC with whom she has directed and played various roles, including Jessie in Calendar Girls – such a fun part – and, most recently, Audrey in The Farndale Mystery Murder. Sue enjoys monthly afternoons with the ETC reading Shakespeare’s plays, often managing, probably sacreligiously, to turn his tragedies into comedies.

Pru Stojadnovic:
Played a nursemaid in The Long Christmas Dinner and enjoyed playing a double role in The 39 Steps. She played Judge Mrs Justice Buchanan in the radio play The Perfect Murder. Pru is kept busy taming her jungle, formerly a garden, making props for the ETC and weaving baskets to keep her amused during the winter months.

Richard Hardy: He started his career in the Technical Support arm of the British Diplomatic Service and completed a five year apprenticeship, during which time Richard joined up with a Northampton based AmDram group. His whole working life was spent overseas providing regional technical support based in Barbados, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Paris and Singapore … well someone had to do it! With Ali he moved on his retirement to the Hautes-Pyrénées and built a house on the Lannemezan plateau overlooking the phenomenal Pyrénées mountain range. They enjoy French culture, the landscape and mountain walks with their dogs. He is a novice beekeeper trying to keep his bee colonies alive against all the odds from predators, although he does manage to enjoy a taste of their fantastic honey. Richard joined ETC in 2023 and played Capitano Alberto Bertorelli in ‘Allo ‘Allo and The Milkman in The 39 Steps. His latest appearance was on all fours as Fritz, a German Shepherd dog in A Dog’s Life.

Ruth Faiers For many years Ruth was the Reservations Manager for VFB Holidays based in Cheltenham – the pioneers of gîte holidays in France. Her experiences managing a staff of 25 and handling thousands of holiday bookings each year made her the obvious choice to be the ETC’s Box Office Manager, although she has been heard to say “I thought I had retired from all this!” After eight years that baton has now been passed over and Ruth is, at present, one of the unsung heroes of the ETC without whom the Company could not function.

Bill Kimber: 60 years man and boy working in the UK/International music industry. Bill started in his teens as a singer/guitarist, became a record producer, A&R man for a major label, and then ran various record labels and music publishing companies. His specialism was primarily pop music with many chart records under his belt, but says that he is also proud to have produced several classical albums with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Although officially retired and living in France, he can’t change the habit of a lifetime and he still gets huge satisfaction and joy from being responsible for a great piece of music coming out of the studio with the result that he still dabbles. e.g. He currently manages and mentors a young Australian artist who has recently had her first top ten chart record in the UK, and is, according to the BBC, going to go “Global”. Bill joined the ETC to have fun with some lovely people and says he is prepared to make a complete fool of himself onstage as long as he gets a good laugh. He played Paul Menzies in The Perfect Murder and his most recent role was as an old mongrel, Ben, in A Dog’s Life – a role some say suited him perfectly.

Caroline Lenaghan: Caroline says that “having played the fool on many occasions in life I thought I’d have a go on stage and played the whacky make-up artist in Calendar Girls. What a joy it has been to be involved with such a great bunch of people.” After being introduced to acting in such a positive way she subsequently played one of the English pilots and a German soldier in ‘Allo ‘Allo and then a nursemaid in The Long Christmas Dinner.

Melodie Minty: Melodie likes to be kept busy. An avid traveler, she also pursues various hobbies which include gardening, bridge, golf, swimming and of course – wining and dining! She also belongs to a community choir and a writing group. Before retiring, Melodie taught for many years in Abu Dhabi at The British School Al Khubairat where she was regularly involved in all aspects of school plays and concerts. She was delighted to join the ETC and the opportunity to get back on the stage. Melodie has appeared in numerous ETC productions from Ben’s War, Calendar Girls, The Long Christmas Dinner through to her latest role in A Dog’s Life.

Rebecca Shields:
Rebecca was new to the theatre when she joined the ETC, though her grandmother was very active in AmDram and so it probably runs in her blood! She has played Ruth in Calendar Girls, Lucia in The Long Christmas Dinner , Cecily in Quartet and multi-roles in The Farndale Murder Mystery. Rebecca is a gardener, writer, cook and Moomintroll fanatic. She loves cold-water swimming, watching for shooting stars and enjoying the company of her cats.

Nevine Boccara: Nevine is a relative newcomer to the ETC. After roaming about the globe from Canada to Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, French Guyana, Switzerland and Egypt she has finally unpacked to retire in Sarrecave with her two donkeys, two dogs, and a horse. How she managed to get all that in a suitcase and through customs is a mystery.

Susan Yeats: Originally from Winchester Susan moved to Simorre from Brussels in 2021. She has a Belgian husband – well, nobody’s perfect! – three children and a cat. Susan trained to be a dancer but joined with her husband to create a puppet theatre d’objets, presenting shows for young audiences with their company, La Cie Sac-à-Dos. Now retired, she is delighted to have joined the ETC and played her first role as Fifi, an overweight poodle, in A Dog’s Life.