Sylvie Beckett

Sylvie was involved around the theatre from a very young age as her grandmother was a semi-professional singer (a talent Sylvie didn’t inherit sadly) and she has memories of going to productions of "The Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of Penzance" etc, at many local theatres and village halls.

Drama was always Sylvie’s favourite subject at school. She remembers playing a shepherd one year in the annual nativity play and the narrator on another occasion. (It was always her dream to play ‘Mary’ but the dream was never fulfilled!!)

At secondary school she was a member of the Drama Club and was lucky to play the roles of Eliza in "Pygmalion" and Portia in "The Merchant of Venice".

"Dressing up" and "doing" shows have always appealed to her and with this in mind she became a "Bluecoat" at one of Sir Fred Pontins holiday camps where she played all sorts of characters, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and a "Black Mama" to name but a few.

Sylvie moved from London to Dorking in 1991 where she then joined the Ockley Dramatic Society and has been an active member ever since.

She was social secretary for five years and chairman for two. The chairman's role is one she reluctently relinquished due to pressure of work and change in domestic circumstances. However, after a year's break, she is back again as social secretary.

Whilst a member of ODS she has undertaken various roles within the productions, props (which she hated), prompt (which made her a nervous wreck) and Front of House Manager (which is said was "okay"), but she is never happier than when she is on stage.

During her many years with the Society she has played numerous roles; Patsy in "Distracted Globe", Madam Mandrake in "The Witching Hour", Dorothy Bickerstaff in "After September" and Lady Megan Forster in "Anyone for Drama", being amongst them. Her favourite roles to date though are those of Connie in "Habeas Corpus" and Bernice Billet in Bob Larbey's play Sandcastles, which she enjoyed enormously. She most recently played the part of Queen Semolina of Entertainia in the societys production of Sleeping Beauty. Sylvie is branching out into the field of Directing and her first attempt at this will be in July 2003 where she is Director for the play "Say it With flowers" by Paul Union. This is a real challenge for her as her real love is performing but definitely one she is looking forward to!!!

After Taking 5 yrs out due to a change in circumstances Sylvie came back to ODS to take place in the 2008 pantomime. She took on a somewhat different role for her in the form of one half of a comdedy duo. She played Sam the other half of Sam and Ella in the panto Treasure Island.

This year in 2009 she reverted to type and played the Sultana of Istanbul in the pantomime Sinbad the sailor. She relished this role and felt it was one of the happiest productions she has ever been involved with during her time with ODS.

Last updated 29th May 2009.

Productions participated in

Pictures

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