A LLANYMYNECH amateur drama group is celebrating their 30 years anniversary, after staging 125 plays, and winning 23 awards at an esteemed production festival.

In May 1992, a new drama group put on a murder-mystery in the village hall at Llanymynech, and since then Llanymynech Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS) has gone from strength to strength.

Alison Utting, Director of LADS, explains that the amateur group includes people who have never been on stage before to people that have been a part of the club since the beginning.

Border Counties Advertizer: The cast of ‘Dead On Time’ getting in the 1940s mood on a recent trip to Llangollen. The cast of ‘Dead On Time’ getting in the 1940s mood on a recent trip to Llangollen.

She said: "LADS has always welcomed people of all abilities and our primary aim has always been that people have fun – both in creating theatre and watching it too.

"We are proud that people think our plays are worth coming to and we always try our best to produce the best theatre that we can, but we try never to take ourselves too seriously."

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Over 30 years, LADS has staged 125 plays, and won no less than 23 awards in the Montgomeryshire One Act Play Festival, including a ‘Best Actress in Wales’ award last year for Rebecca Smith.

Rebecca originally joined the group as a child, acting alongside her parents who were both involved from the outset.

Her mum, Suzannah, is part of the team for the 30 anniversary production, alongside other founder members Marg Kynaston, Peter Coxhead and Barbara Harris.

As well as the awards, the group was one of the first amateur companies to be involved in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘Open Stages’ project which saw LADS take to the stage of Stratford’s Swan Theatre in 2015.

Border Counties Advertizer: Anna Lingard (L) and Alison Utting in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ (2015) Anna Lingard (L) and Alison Utting in ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ (2015)

The group has also been a fertile ground for original writing with more than half of their back-catalogue of plays written by members of the group.

LADS’ latest production, ‘Dead On Time’, is a gripping murder mystery set in a small village just after the Second World War.

Austerity has a firm hold, but the residents of Little Monkton do their best to remain cheerful.

But then a stranger is murdered in someone’s living room and everyone is under suspicion.

There are twists and red herrings aplenty – and an extra challenge for the audience, who will be invited to try to spot the titles of 30 previous LADS productions that have been hidden in the script.

Border Counties Advertizer: Pauline Rhodes and Francesca Fox in ‘Dead On Time’Pauline Rhodes and Francesca Fox in ‘Dead On Time’

‘Dead On Time’ opens in Montford Parish Hall on November 18 and 19, before returning to Llanymynech Village Hall for evening performances on December 2 and 3 and a matinee on Sunday.

Both venues have a licensed bar and plenty of parking. Tickets are £8 (£4 for under 18s) and are available at local outlets and from Rowanthorn in Oswestry.

Alternatively, you can book by phone on 01691 830558 or online at ticketsource.co.uk/ladstheatre