Wombourne Players
Wombourne Players

MAY 2023 - CONGRATULATIONS to Joe Dudley on his directorial debut here at the players with a fantastic production of "The Final Test". The cast and crew had a wonderful time rehearsing and performing a play that has been on our radar for a while.

 

NOVEMBER 2022 - WE ARE SAD to annouce the loss of member Jez Cartwright who passed away suddenly last month. Jez originally helped the group as a "man with a van" and generously gave up his time to help us with transport during our set builds before being persuaded to join us on stage. Once he did, he immediately discovered his joy in performing and never looked back. We haven't just lost a member, we have lost a dear friend. Our thoughts go to his beloved Wendy and all his family and friends. 

 

October 2022 - CONGRATULATIONS to director Sarah Aldridge and the entire case and crew of "Blithe Spirit" who have enjoyed a fantastic week presenting this class play. Special mention has to go to Phil Ward and David Hendry who rigged up some amazing special effects. The company has recently invested in new lighting equipment and it is great to see it put to good use so quickly!

 

JULY 2022 - THE PLAYERS ARE are sad to announce the passing of Life Member Barbara Morris and former member Dawn Starmer. Barbara had a long association with the group and for many productions formed a formidable props team with her sister, Thelma. Her cheery smile calmed many a nervous actor backstage and she will be sadly missed. Dawn had a lifelong passion for music and with hard work and endless patience she was able to help us with our initial pantomime efforts. She was often to be found helping front of house as she supported her husband David when he took to the stage. Our thoughts go out to their families.

 

MAY 2022 - CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR Director Sarah Aldridge and the entire cast and crew of "Much Ado About Nothing" for a triumphant production that has been over two years in the making. We are overwhelmed by the positive response we have received to our bold choice of show and the outstanding NODA show report reflects the hard work that went into presenting our very own interpretation of this classic story. Everyone involved has been lucky enough to experience something very special and this will live long in our hearts.

 

MAY 2022 -  THE GROUP ARE sad to announce the passing of Joan Potts, one of our founding members and for many years a leading lady on the stage. It was always fascinating to hear her stories of the early years of the group; from using an old coal heap as a dressing room to saving up ration coupons to serve interval teas. Her final years with us were spent serving as our prompt, a role now taken by her daughter, Caroline. Our condolences go out to her family.

 

APRIL 2022 - THE PLAYERS WERE heartbroken to hear that former member and long time friend and supporter of the group, Melanie Broadbent passed away recently after a long and courageous battle against cancer. Mel was a lady of tremendous spirit and energy who joined the group for our production of Calendar Girls back in 2012  as treading the boards had always been on her bucket list. But Mel's contribution didn't end on the stage. She used her fantastic organisational skills as our Chairman for two years, helped to publicise the group at the carnivals, was a ringleader of mischief at many social events and demonstrated her outstanding sewing skills by making several wonderful costumes and working as our wardrobe mistress for several productions.

Mel was a wonderful friend and we will forever cherish the precious memories we have of her ❤

 

MARCH 2022 - WE ARE DELIGHTED to announce that after an extensive recruitment campagin we have now fully cast our May 2022 production of Much Ado About Nothing. We welcome Dawn Vigurs, Karen Evans, Adrian Peakman, Glenn Morris and Owen Watton to the group and Ben Savage and Joe Dudley who have returned to the group having performed with us previously 

 

OCTOBER 2021 - THE PLAYERS ARE sad to announce the loss of one our longest serving members, Marion Newton, who passed away recently. Marion was one of our Life Members, an honour bestowed for her long service behind the scenes and front of house. She was known for her unflappable manner in the tea room and for many years was in charge of our interval refreshments. Prefectly timing over a hundred cups of tea and coffee for the moment the interval curtain drops is no mean feat, and Marion was the best! Though never really tempted to tread the boards herself, she will be remembered by many of us for her friendship and support over the years, her words of encouragement which lifted us when things didn't go to plan and her warm congratulation when they did. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband, Eric, and family.

 

SEPTEMBER  2021 - WE ARE DELIGHTED to annouce that we are now in position to safely relaunch our production of "Much Ado About Nothing". We are meeting again on 4th October 2021 and are looking to recruit a number of actors to join the cast. Please contact us on info@wombourneplayers.org.uk for further info or just pop along

 

AUGUST 2021 - HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to everyone involved in our "Players In The Park" tour which played to approximately 200 people over the 9 performances. It was a unique experience during a unique time and we were delighted to get back out and be performing again. 

 

MAY 2021 - WE ARE DELIGHTED to announce that we are finally rehearsing for a live performance again and can now reveal that we are planning a series of outdoor events in the summer. These will be in the form of summer revue, a short programme of scenes and monologues. The events will be free and are our way of giving back to the community. We can't wait to see you all again!

 

JANUARY 2021 -  THE PLAYERS ARE incredibly sad to announce that we have lost a well loved member of our family, Mark Jones, who passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve. Mark's association with Players may have been relatively short but he packed so much in to his time with us. He was a humble man who knew he had a lot to learn but he was always prepared to put the effort in which was such an endearing quality of his. He showed up, rolled his sleeves up and got stuck in; his enthusiasm and cheeriness showing how much joy he got from the experience. The Players have lost a hard working, dedicated and enthusiastic member but far more than that, we have lost a dear friend. Mark was the warmest person who made time for everyone and who always seemed to have a smile on his face. For many of us that is exactly how we will remember him. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

 

AUGUST 2020 - THE PLAYERS WOULD like to wish director Sarah Aldridge a speedy recovery after her recent shock brain tumour diagnosis. She is now at home recovering from surgery and we are sure our patrons will join us in wishing her all the best and we hope to see her back on stage in the future.

 

JULY 2020 - IT MAY COME as no surprise to hear that due to the ongoing health situation we are unable to present a production to you in October. The entire theatre industry, both professional and amateur continue to suffer greatly through these extraordinary times. As soon as we can safely do so, we hope to present to you our production of "Much Ado About Nothing" and in the meantime continue to send you all our best wishes. THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

 

APRIL 2020 - WE ARE VERY sad to announce that due to the ongoing Covid-19 health emergency we have no alternative but to postpone our May production of "Much Ado About Nothing". Director Sarah and her cast and crew are absolutely devastated after the months of hard work that has gone into rehearsals. The show was just coming together and had started to generate such excitement. In these unprecedented times we cannot be sure when we will be able to return to the stage. We send our best wishes to all our supporters at this worrying time. STAY SAFE

 

January 2020 - WE ARE DELIGHTED to welcome the following new members Mike Brownhill, Jan Cole, and Caroline Marks who have joined us for our epic production of "Much Ado About Nothing". We also welcome back Joe Dudley who last trod the boards with us in 2014 when he saved our bacon in "Third Week In August". We can't wait for you to meet our new members and see the fruits of their labour.

 

December 2019 - IT IS WITH great sadness that we have learnt of the passing of one of our life members Janet Winn. Janet was a commanding figure over many decades and took part in countless plays as both a director and actor. She will be remembered as someone who worked us hard but was never afraid of hard work herself and who was always very generous with her time. She opened her house to us for extra rehearsal nights and through her love of amateur dramatics helped bring many wonderful productions to the Wombourne stage perhaps most memorably with the ambitious "Stepping Out" which featured a tap dancing cast! We pass on our condolences to her family and friends.

 

November 2019 - WE ARE LOOKING for people to join us for our May 2020 production of "Much Ado About Nothing". This looks set to be one of our most ambitious projects yet and there are plenty of roles up for grabs. Don't miss this rare opportunity to take part in a classic Shakespearean production. Contact us for further details.

 

October 2019 - CONGRATULATIONS to Richard and the cast and crew of "Night Must Fall". We survived a week of illness, bad backs, broken curtains and a vintage wheelchair with a mind of its own! We sold out on one night, with excellent audiences on the others. A great week after months of hard work. And in addition, congratulations to Graeme and Melanie Lockey who became Grandparents over the week! We'll make sure we sign young Olive up for membership asap.

 

May 2019 - CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Wood and the cast and crew of "Situation Comedy" for a week filled with laughter and good fun. The comedy proved a hit with audiences and it was wonderful to see six months of hard work pay off. We hope this was a fitting tribute to Beryl in whose memory this play was dedicated.

 

January 2019 - IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS that we have to announce the death of our dear friend Beryl Ireland who passed away after a short illness. Beryl was a society stalwart and audience favourite for many, many years. Her talent on stage was unrivaled, her comic timing second to none! It was this that earned her Best Actress at the All England Drama Festival. Her set design was detailed and always highly effective. She used to love to paint the backdrops. She worked so unselfishly for the society she loved and was for so long the backbone of our group, acting as our treasurer and ticket secretary and indeed undertaking any job that needed doing. The group are devastated at this loss and pay tribute to a true lady who will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Beryl. Wonderful actress, kind heart and beloved friend.

 

December 2018 -THANK YOU to everyone who shared our appeal for a new cast member. We are delighted to say Lynda Dunn answered the call and will be joining us on stage in the role of Doris. Lynda has a wealth of experience in musical theatre and performs with Cradley Heath Operatic Society. This is something of a departure for her and we wish her the very best in the role.

 

November 2018 - CONGRATULATIONS to director Sarah Aldridge and the cast and crew of "Bedroom Farce" for bringing such a challenging production to the stage. Our audience numbers continue to rise and we've received some fantastic feedback. The crew built an amazing set featuring three bedrooms and the actors bought Aycbourn's complicated dialogue and complex characters to life. We now wish new director Andrew Wood all the very best with his production of "Situation Comedy".

 

JULY 2018 - IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS that we must announce the passing of one of our Life Members Eileen Hardwick. Eileen was an active member during the 1980's and 90's. She served as our Chairman and also took many roles on stage, in particular comic character roles. Many will remember her enthusiastic tap dancing turn in "Stepping Out". In later years she often took on the role of wardrobe mistress until she moved to Scotland to be with her family. Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time.

 

JULY 2018 - A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who supported our recent barn dance which raised an incredible £561 which we will put towards the rising costs of future productions. A fun night was had by all!

 

MAY 2018 - CONGRATULATIONS to Richard Corser and his team for a hudgely popular production of "Hobson's Choice". It's been wonderful to welcome so many new members to the group and we hope they will stay for our October production of "Bedroom Farce" directed by Sarah Patricia Aldridge. Fun times ahead.

 

APRIL 2018 - CONGRATULATIONS to organiser Sarah Aldridge and all members and friends who supported our Murder Mystery Night which raised £300 for Macmillan Cancer Support. A fantastic and fun evening that raised money for a great cause.

 

DECEMBER 2017 - A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE from our Chairman Graeme Lockey. "Having recently taken over the role of Chairman of The Players, can I wish all our members, volunteers, friends and loyal supports a very Happy Christmas and a successful 2018. I'm looking forward to two great shows next year and welcoming some new members into our group. Come and join us, we're really quite friendly!"

 

OCTOBER 2017 - CONGRATULATIONS to director Sarah Patricia Aldridge and the cast and crew of "Table Manners" who have just enjoyed a fabulous week presenting "Table Manners". We are so thankful to our loyal audience who have stuck with us during this difficult year and are pleased to announce audience numbers are actually up from last year. As we continue to rebuild as a group, Sarah is taking a well needed rest from directing duties for the next show and we are delighted to annouce Richard Corser will be making his directorial debut for us with "Hobson's Choice". He is no stranger to the amateur stage and we welcome him to the group.

 

JUL7 2017 - WELCOME to new member Megan Jones who has kindly agreed to take over the role of Ruth in our October production of "Table Manners". Megan is also a member of Wordsley Amateur Dramatics Society and is looking forward to the challenge of this interesting character.

 

MAY 2017 - IT IS WITH great sadness that we have to announce the passing of two former members, Graham Herbert, who many of you will remember for his wonderful comic performances, as well as the dashing Colonel FItzwillian in "Pride And Prejudice", and much loved life member Ann Dowling who for many years was a stalwart of the group both on and off the stage. We will cherish the happy memories of our time shared with these wonderful, talented friends and our thoughts are with their families.

 

FEBRUARY 2017 - WE ARE SORRY to annouce that we are taking a break to recharge our batteries and therefore there will be no May production this year. As a small group it can be exhausting to undertake the huge task of putting on performances to the standard you have all come to expect. But do not fear, we will come back stronger later on in the year.

 

NOVEMBER 2016 - A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported "Murder On The Nile" and to all our cast and crew for a hugely enjoyable show week. A special welcome back to returning members Graeme Lockey and Eric Newton who joined us once more on stage and new members Lucy Barford and Anthony Lloyd who joined us for the first time.

 

JUNE 2016 - IT IS WITH great sadness that we must announce that our member David Stamer has passed away. David appeared on stage with us (most memorably as one of the airmen in 'Allo 'Allo), and also worked most recently as our House Manager. Our thoughts are with his wife Dawn and family at this sad time.

MAY 2016 - CONGRATULATIONS to the cast and crew of "Visiting Hour" for a successful play week. In particular many thanks for all the kind words regarding the authenticity of our hospital set which was the result of a real team effort. The beds are for sale, contact us for further details! Thanks to Vi Hurdley for stepping in and joining the cast with just a few weeks to go before opening night. 

OCTOBER 2015 - CONGRATULATIONS to Andy Wood, Sarah Aldridge and the fantastic crew who worked so hard on "The Secret Lives of Henry and Alice". Their "two-hander" was a phenomenal success which raised the bar yet again. This extraordinary production pushed our two actors to the max and was made possible by the fantastic support offered by the crew. Opportunities like this do not often come along in amateur theatre and both our actors would like to thank the society for this wonderful experience.

JULY 2015 - THANK YOU to all who popped by to see us at the Wombourne Carnival. We hope to see many new members at rehearsal soon.

May 2015 - CONGRATULATIONS to director Sarah Aldridge and everyone involved in "The 39 Steps" which played to sell out audiences all week. A challenging and ambitious production that many have remarked was our most professional production to date. From the moment the curtains opened on an empty stage, the imagination of our director combined with the hard work of her cast and crew to bring that vision to life entertained our audiences in  magnificent fashion. 

October 2014 - CONGRATULATIONS to everyone involved in our production of "Third Week In August" and to everyone who helped us put a full size caravan on the Community Centre stage. Special mention to Phil Ward who helped make our kite fly and in doing so provided such a special moment on the stage. A huge thanks to Joe Dudley and Caroline Rabone for joining the cast at the last minute.

April 2014 - A HUGE THANK YOU to Andy Woods from WADS for stepping into the role of Sidney  in "London Suite" at short notice.

March 2014 - IT IS WITH deep sadness that we must announce life member Graham Rickwood has recently passed away. Graham was a firm favourite with Wombourne audiences and will be greatly missed.

October 2012 - A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to director Sarah Aldridge and the cast and crew of "Calendar Girls" which played to sell out audiences all week. This was such a brave undertaking and we feel priviledged to have been trusted to bring this beautiful story to our stage. Thank you for your generous donations which helped us all to raise  £1000.00 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. This was a an experience we will never forget! 

January 2012 - A REMINDER to all our loyal friends and patrons that from this year onwards we will only be producing two plays a year, in May and October. Unfortunately we have had to drop the February play as we were finding the burden a little too much. However we will now be focusing all our attention on our remaining two productions and hope to bring you some very special productions over the next few years!

October 2011 - CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah Aldridge and all involved with 'Allo 'Allo which played to a sell out audiences every night. The production was a huge undertaking for the group but we are all very proud to have brought such a special play to the Wombourne stage.

September 2010 - THANKS to Barbara Barlow and everyone who supported the Autumn Fayre which raised an amazing £370.00. The event was so successful we hope to hold a similar event in the spring!
 

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