THE Tavonians Theatre Company will be holding a play reading of Alan Ayckbourn's great comedy Absent Friends in Tavistock next Thursday, May 8, and anyone is welcome to come along. The play is being considered as a production for the autumn, but the reading is not an audition, it is just for fun. The play centres around innocent destructiveness. The agent of chaos is the bereaved Colin, whose fiancée has lately drowned and for whom his not-so-close friends throw a consolatory tea party. The reading will be in the Guide Hall in Bedford car park at 7.30pm. Further information on The Tavonians is available on the website at http://www.tavonians.org.uk">www.tavonians.org.uk, or call 0845 519 6592.