• Piaf: Watermill Theatre Reviews (Fri 4 Apr to Sat 17 May).
• Death Comes to Pemberley: The Mill at Sonning (Thu 1 May to Wed 18 Jun).
• The Cripple of Inishmaan: Progress Theatre (Fri 2 May to Sat 10 May).
• A Day to Remember: New Era Players (Wed 7 May to Sat 10 May).
• Aphrodite: Compton Players (Thu 8 May to Sat 10 May).
• A Brief Period of Rejoicing: Purley Players (Fri 9 May to Sat 10 May).
• Bletchley: Beyond the Gates: Newbury Dramatic Society (Sat 10 May to Thu 15 May).
• Shrek The Musical: The Sainsbury Singers (Wed 14 May to Sat 17 May).
• Bleak Expectations: Overton Dramatic Society (Wed 14 May to Sat 17 May).
• Entertaining Angels: Faringdon Dramatic Society (Wed 14 May to Sat 17 May).
• Two Comedy Plays: Russell Players (Sat 17 May to Sun 18 May).

See What's on for a list of everything.

New Era Players are helping to celebrate VE Day with West Berkshire Museum on 7th and 8th May doing two shows: one at 13:00, the other at 19:00. Each performance is different, showcasing songs, stories, poems and anecdotes about this historic day. Tickets for these performances are available by visiting the West Berkshire Heritage website. If you are unable to attend the museum shows you can catch the whole performance at New Era Theatre on 9th and 10th May. Doors open at 19:00 for a 19:30 start.

Compton Players' next production from 8th to 10th May is Aphrodite. Following the lives of the four female employees in the busy call centre of Aphrodite, a sex toy manufacturer, and their gentle and innocent manager, Aphrodite is a very funny, poignant play about motherhood, friendship, love, and loss.

Newbury Dramatic Society's next production between 10th and 15th May is Bletchley: Beyond the Gates. “When Sarah Wilson approached me three years ago with some original scripts from Bletchley Park, where both her parents worked during the war, I knew we had a unique opportunity to put on a show in tribute to our codebreakers”, says NDS Chair Mike Brook. Now, in time for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Newbury Dramatic Society present performances of a show put together from material that was first written and performed by people working at Bletchley Park during the war. This will be NDS’s touring play for this May, scheduled for four venues: Royaal British Legion Hall, Newbury, Kingsclere Library, Yattendon Village Hall, and St Michael and All Angels Church, Enborne.

Faringdon Dramatic Society's next production from 14th to 17th May is Entertaining Angels. As a vicar’s wife, Grace has spent a lifetime on her best behaviour. Now, after the death of her husband Bardolph, she can enjoy the new-found freedom of being able to do and say exactly what she wants. But the return of her eccentric missionary sister, Ruth, together with some disturbing revelations forces Grace to confront the truth of her marriage. The play is set in a lush vicarage garden and filled with sharp-edged comedy.

Russell Players' next production on 17th and 18th May is Two comedy Plays:
You Can’t Take It With You by Cheryl Barrett. Expecting a windfall bequest after their beloved Uncle Fred’s death, avaricious sisters Carol and Pauline descend on his house to claim the spoils. Their hopes are dashed when they discover that someone has beaten them to it and the house is empty. The reading of the Will increases their frustration as their bequests fail to meet expectations.
Spy with a View by Robert Scott. David and Vicky are on a well-earned holiday but bad weather has trapped them in their hotel room. The monotony is broken by the delivery of a mysterious briefcase containing a Dictaphone with an alarming message, which later self-destructs.

Freckle Productions are bringing The Baddies to life at Newbury Corn Exchange from 27th to 29th May. It's a wickedly hilarious adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s smash-hit story. Meet the very worst Baddies in the world! Don’t you dare to come too close to a witch, a troll and an ancient ghost! The Baddies love being bad. They roar, spook and cast wicked spells to try and scare a girl out of her wits… who will succeed? Or perhaps the girl is braver than they think… A laugh-out-loud riot for all the family.

Between 12th and 21st June New Era Players present Only Connect: a Trio of Short Plays, a triple bill of amusing, entertaining and touching pieces. It’s a great opportunity to see some new and seasoned talent, as we introduce both actors and directors to our stage. And It Makes Me Wonder by Jenni Collins and Mandy Clark is based on a real-life encounter near Reading in the early 80s. Johnny is in the middle of his exams and torn between his dreams of rock stardom or settling for 'proper' job, until a chance meeting with an old lady at the bus stop makes him rethink his ambitions. The Cat Connection by Elyse Nass takes place on a park bench in New York City where two strangers meet. Their only connection is that they are feeding the same stray cat. Comedy and pathos unfold as they discover more about each other's lives. Bed Among the Lentils is a wry and witty monologue from Alan Bennett's Talking Heads series. A vicar's wife struggles with both her role and the demands of the parishioners but discovers a surprising new connection with Ramesh at the corner shop.

New Era Players (Newbury) want backstage helpers.