Copthorne players have been providing entertainment to the village of Copthorne and surrounding area for over 30 years. In 1970 a group of fresh faced villagers got together to discuss how best to harness the talent of the rapidly growing village of Copthorne and that was when Copthorne Players was born. The first ever production was a pantomime - 'Robin Hood'. Back in the early days the Director would choose a play to suit the cast, there wasn't enough members to require auditions! Rehearsals and shows took place in the Village Hall and that is still true today, although there have been a few changes. The first shows took place on a temporary stage, which by all accounts was just some trestle tables fastened together and was erected just a few days before each performance. Things improved in 1977 when, to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee, the Village Hall was enlarged and a permanent stage was built. The stage has since been enlarged a couple of times and is now twice the size of the original.
Early productions also included several Gilbert and Sullivan musicals and the group has performed just about every Pantomime you care to name. Old time music halls, plays and musical reviews have also proved very popular.
Over the last 34 years the group has grown, the productions and sets have got a little more sophisticated and professional. However one thing remains the same, they are a great group of people who get an enormous amount of enjoyment from entertaining others. In fact, it's true to say that they have built quite a reputation for themselves and have a great following in the village and the surrounding area. Many of the members live in Copthorne and the society is quite a part of village life. They have taken part in the local Carnival for many years, running a stall, being part of the procession or forming part of the entertainment. The group has also performed at many other local functions including WI evenings.
Copthorne Players has around 70 members with about half of them under 16. In fact, their most recent production was 'Bugsy Malone', performed by 28 of their junior members. Last year the junior section performed 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' and another junior show is planned for October 2005.
The last adult production was a play, 'Daisy Pulls It Off', which was staged in October 2003. It was the story of elementary schoolgirl Daisy Meredith, who against all the odds came good and ended up the heroine of the piece and with a predominately female cast, gave the ladies in the group a chance to shine.
Also, for the last seven years, around ten members have been regularly performing a Murder Mystery play, mainly in the local area, helping to raise money for various charities and organisations such as Amnesty International, Scouts, Guides, and local schools. Their next production will be a musical entitled 'Free as Air' in October 2004.
If you would like to know more about Copthorne Players previous productions or future productions please visit their newly launched website or email them.
