 Allerton Players
Next Event: Quiz at Weare Memorial Hall, 16 April at 7.30pm (see calendar for more details)
Allerton Players were revived from a pre-war village drama group in 1966. They have been entertaining the Isle of Wedmore with 3 act and 1 act plays, and sketches with music devised and written by members, ever since. They outgrew the Old Schoolroom after a couple of years when they made Weare Memorial Hall their ‘theatre’, still using the Schoolroom for rehearsal.
About 25 years ago the Players staged the first of what has become known as the ‘Barn Entertainment’ which spectacularly widened their audience appeal – and their revenue. The Barn Entertainment, which involves local children, is an annual evening garden party and supper concluding with a themed sketch show. Barn and garden belong to Peter and Margaret Tinney, founder members of the revived Players. Other founder members still active with the company are Joy Irving, Joy Morse and Alan Ham – Peter is the chairman.
In 2000 it was decided that the Players should have a bi-annual pantomime which has since become a tradition.
Joy Irving says:” We are a busy company always happy to welcome new recruits both actors and non-actors. Strong men are currently needed for building stage sets, men or women to perform such important back-stage actions as letting curtains up and down, ringing bells, sewing and occasionally dealing with stage-frightened actors!”
Back-stage work begins about 3 to 4 weeks before performance and usually consists of 2 or 3 Sunday mornings for stage builders and attendance at 3 or 4 rehearsals for other tasks. Maybe it doesn’t sound like much fun but it is – at least it is with the Players who do not take ‘dramatic art’ too seriously. Members come from a wide area: Cheddar, Wells, Mark and, of course, Allerton.
The Barn Entertainment will take place on the evening of Saturday 13th June 2009; there will be a 3 act play in the latter half of October and possibly a pre-Christmas entertainment.
(contributed by Joy Irving) |
