amdram.co.uk

Group Details

• Type: Plays
• Age Range: 16 upwards
• Rehearsals: Monday and Thursday

Location

• Town: Hethersett, Norwich
• County: Norfolk
• Region: Eastern

Contact

• Email: players2004 [at] hethersettplayers [dot] co [dot] uk
• Website: http://www.hethersettplayers.co.ukHethersett is a village in Norfolk, a sizable village with about 6,000 residents and the majority of the village are not aware of how lucky they are to have a great Players Group based within in it : )

The original players enjoyed nearly 30 years of success in the village but sadly were forced to disband in 1999 due to an ever dwindling membership but like the age old phoenix you can’t keep a good theatre group down and in 2004 the players were reformed / resurrected, however you would like to describe it, and now has 6 productions successfully under it’s belt.

Yet the new Players are not just a clone of the old. We embrace the true tradition of a players group and present a mix of productions from variety evenings, plays to the current production, our first musical. We want to encourage people to have the opportunity to experience all aspects of theatre and for members not to be afraid to ask to take on a new challenge such as directing, stage manager, costumes etc……

2004 saw the first ‘fish and chip’ supper evening, which has now become one of our annual productions, a great evening of variety, allowing the individual players to show their talents. This first evening also included the rarely performed Agatha Christie play ‘Afternoon at the Seaside’. In 2005 this was followed with the classic Norman Robbins play ‘Tomb with a View’ and the village then had the great opportunity to meet members of the Little Grimley Amateur dramatic society in the fabulous play ‘Last Tango in Little Grimley’. If your group has not come across these plays by David Tristram you are missing a treat – anyone who has done amateur dramatics will empathise and know these characters ! Later this year the quartet of Gordon, Bernard, Margaret and Joyce will once again take the stage in Hethersett in ‘Last Panto in Little Grimley’

2006 saw Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Season’s Greetings’ and a further variety evening called ‘theatreland’ , with the fish and chips as always this also included two short plays written by members of the group. Both were very well received and the writers are now keen to write some more for the group and encourage anyone else who would like to write something to have the confidence to do so.

Never a group to stop we are now moving into the musical genre for our current production, but not just any musical, one which is rarely performed at an amateur level ‘They’re Playing our Song’ by Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager and Neil Simon. It only has a cast of 8 and all the dialogue is for the two main characters, so a big learn for the actors involved. It is proving to be a very enjoyable rehearsal process and all the cast working very hard to this new challenge.

As with any group we are always looking for more members and the November variety evening, with the theme ‘The Seasons’ has plenty of room to people to take part. Experiences, newbie, singer, dancer, actor or backstage we would love to hear form anyone interested.