We're a small group of amateur enthusiasts who dabble in amdram - but have acquired somewhat of a repution for the pantomimes we have staged annually since the turn of the century. We are open to all ages from 9 to 90, and although our membership is based predominantly on the villages of Shiplake and the surrounding area we have many members from further afield.
Our local area embraces the villages of Lower Shiplake, Shiplake Cross, Binfield Heath and Dunsden.
Our base is the Shiplake Memorial Hall, in Shiplake Cross. It was "erected and presented for the use of their fellow parishioners" by Reginald and Lydia Mardon in 1926 in memory of their elder son. The Hall now hosts many events, including regular fitness classes, private hires and, of course, the occasional pantomime!
In 1999, a local group entitled MAD (Millenium Amateur Dramatics) got together for the first time to produce Aladdin in Shiplake College's Tithe Barn in aid of the Shiplake and Dunsden Parish appeal. Following the success of the venture, the group reinvented itself as SHADDO (Shiplake and Dunsden Dramatic Organisation) and decided to produce a further pantomime, the proceeds this time to be ploughed back into the local village venue, Shiplake Memorial Hall, with the aim of restoring the vestiges of a local theatre to the village, following the demise of the Shiplake Players in the 1980s.