30th April 2026
Ladies in Lavender, Thame Players’ next production, opening on Tuesday 5th May for six performances (including a Saturday matinee),is an evocative, heart-warming story of unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love, set in 1936.
Two spinster sisters, Ursula and Janet Widdington, who live in a close-knit fishing village in picturesque Cornwall discover a young man near death on the beach by their home. Taking him in, they discover that he is a violinist from Kraków, Poland, who had been swept off an ocean liner on which he was sailing to a fresh start in America. The sisters take the handsome and talented young Polish violinist under their wing and nurse him back to health. But the presence of the mysterious young man disrupts their peaceful lives and the community in which they live.
Ladies in Lavender is based on a 1908 short story by William J. Locke, which was subsequently adapted for the screen by Charles Dance for a 2004 hit film, starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Thame Players are performing the play written by Shaun McKenna and first performed in 2012. It won five Broadway World UK Awards that year.
The play’s director, Ceri Nicolson, has been involved in amdram all over the world, from Norway to Saudi Arabia, both performing and directing. She said, ‘I am delighted to be directing this brilliant play at The Players Theatre in Thame: it has been on my director’s radar for a few years now. I fell in love with the sensitively drawn characters, the gentle humour, the poignancy of life between the two World Wars, the endurance of the human spirit, and of love and loss. The biggest challenge was the set, involving the sisters’ cottage, a garden, and a beach, but our amazing set-building team brought it all to life. Do come and experience this enchanting play!’
The Thame Players’ production will be performed each evening from Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th May at 7.45 pm. As part of their 2026 planning, based on their success with shows selling out, Thame Players are also introducing a matinee performance of Ladies in Lavender on Saturday 9th May, to cater for the expected demand. So get your tickets now!
This amateur production of Ladies in Lavender is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
