From Meryl Balchin, Hampshire:
We booked four tickets for an open air production of The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare) by The Festival Players Theatre Company at Ventnor Botanic Garden on Saturday.
Imagine our amazement when we found an audience of 12 only including the play’s director.
It was an excellent production and we felt privileged to have had our own private performance.
But where were the Ventnor folk and other supporters from the IW?
I am saddened such a talented group of actors — six took on all the roles — did not have an audience.
They must have made a huge loss on this event with ferry and accommodation costs taken into account.
I suspect it was all down to a lack of publicity.
It was difficult to find the advert as it was not given priority on the home page of Ventnor Botanic Garden’s website and not easy to book. No ads/flyers seen anywhere in the locality.
I would have expected a banner outside the botanic garden highlighting the production.
We were over for a few days on the Island so searched for June 24 events on the web and that was how we found it and were joined by some IW friends.
The Festival Players tour for three and a half months during the summer, both in the UK and Europe, with several private invitations to perform.
It was too good a performance to be missed and I hope they will return.
Our thanks to the enterprising lady running the cafe who suggested we eat our picnic on the balcony, provided rugs and supplied everyone with hot drinks at the interval.
She was brilliant.