John made his BAWDS debut in TREASURE ISLAND (pictured right as Job Anderson). 

Following a period of 'resting' for about 15 years after the obligatory school plays, John had his first encounter with amateur dramatics in a Haddenham village pantomime in 1982.  More village outings followed – back stage and performing in several more pantomimes and parts in MURDER IN THE RED BARN, BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE, as Captain Cat in UNDER MILK WOOD and as W. S. Gilbert in TARANTARA, TARANTARA.  

At this point he decided that he was getting a bit parochial and needed to get about a bit more so he took part in a number of Shakespeare at the George (Huntingdon) productions:  THE TEMPEST (Bosun), KING LEAR (Cornwall), ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (1^st Lord Dumaine), THE TAMING OF THE SHREW (Hortensio) and THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (Ford).  He also toured locally with Stagestruck (a company born out of the Shakespeare at the George production of The Taming of the Shrew) in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Don Pedro) and TWELFTH NIGHT (Orsino).  Sticking with Shakespeare he played Flute in the 2001 Cambridge Arts Theatre Summer production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and Abhorson in MEASURE FOR MEASURE for the same company in 2002.  And 2002 saw further departures:  he took part in plays that were neither performed in Haddenham nor written by Shakespeare,  playing Lord Darlington in the Combined Actors of Cambridge production of LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN and TREASURE ISLAND. He said recently, “I tried directing once……”