Category Archives: About the Players

Since we began  in 1976 the Blewbury Players have:

… Produced under professional direction over 35 high quality summer productions in the idyllic setting of the Garden Theatre, Orchard Dene, Blewbury.  These include Shakesperian classics, Restoration Comedies, modern plays and adaptation of classics from literature and of foreign plays.  Recent productions have included Alice Through the Looking Glass, David Copperfield,  A Winter’s Tale, Twelfth Night and A Servant to Two Masters.

… Involved each year, in our summer productions, either on stage or in production roles over 100 local people, including children, drawn from the village of Blewbury itself  but also attracting people from the surrounding community; and attracted audiences of 1200 or more over 5 performances from the local community and further afield.

… Staged productions in the Village Hall or Church including Cabaret, Habeus Corpus, Death of a Salesman and Murder in the Cathedral, which have been more intimate and experimental than the summer productions and given  local people the opportunity to chance their arm for the first time at direction, on stage and in production roles.

… Produced or supported the commissioning of  5 Community Operas – Noyes Fludde (twice), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Adjudicator, The Wood and Joseph Justus.

… Produced revues to raise money for local causes (Blewbury Village Society, Blewbury Kids at Play – for a new Village playground) and to encourage people who have no experience in the performing arts to have a try, either on stage or in production roles.  The format has been much more flexible and the style much more informal and developmental than our plays and has attracted new people, particularly young people, who, with newfound confidence, can migrate to our main productions.

… Underwritten productions or lent equipment and other support to other local groups including Oxford Millennium Opera, the Blewbury Oscars, The Oxford Waits, Didcot Opera and the Blewbury Village Society.

… Subsidised a number of professional, semi professional or student companies to enable them to perform in Blewbury and to bring high quality productions to the village community.  Recent examples include North Sea Radio Orchestra (whose leader comes from Blewbury), The Chilingirian Quartet and Edge (London Contemporary Dance School’s Graduate company).

… Sponsored local young people following courses in the performing arts at College or University and given awards for drama at the village primary school.  These and other young people have cut their teeth in the performing arts with the Blewbury Players and some are now following careers in the professional theatre.