THE New Farnham Repertory Company (NFRC) has announced plans to stage a one-off production of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities in the Brightwell House gardens.

In what the NFRC claims would be the first staging of the French revolution-themed classic in Farnham, the play would be a statement of the rep company's wish to remain in the public eye and a plea to would-be developers to leave Brightwell House intact.

One of the five NFRC directors David Wylde told The Herald the NFRC would seek funding, in the main, likely to be from Waverley and Farnham Town Council and along the lines of that for the NFRC's 2000 summer season - £36,000 - though he said this was an early estimate.

"It's too early to know for sure. I've been trying for the past three days to get hold of Richard Gates (Waverley councillor responsible for leisure). He's expressed an interest but has been unavailable."

A bid for Waverley support for a five-play, 15-week winter season at the defunct Redgrave last year foundered, with officers refusing to even allow the bid for cash onto a council agenda for discussion.

Adapted by Ian Mullins, NFRC chairman and the last artistic director of the Redgrave Theatre's predecessor, the Castle Theatre, the NFRC hopes to stage the play to coincide with the Queen's Golden Jubilee and the Farnham Festival next summer.

As with the summer season of 2000, which, the NFRC says, turned in a small profit, the production would include a "large cast of local people involving schools, colleges and community groups."

Mr Wylde said the NFRC had names of young actors who took part in the summer 2000 shows on its books and would advertise and audition for parts.

Mr Wylde also said it was too early to predict logistics, such as the location of a box office or changing rooms, though Brightwell House seems the obvious option.

He said A Tale of Two Cities was chosen because it is set around the same time that Brightwell House was built in 1792.

In a statement sent to every Waverley and Farnham town councillor, the rep company said: "Mindful of the work now being done by the Waverley Borough Council to attract visionary and imaginative developers to the East Street site, the NFRC believes that many of the developers would find this project of great interest and value.

"They would see the gardens, when effectively used, are a commercial asset of huge potential.

"A detailed budget would be drawn up following acceptance of this proposal. It is intended that sponsorship and grant aid would be sought and costings

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