Our History
THE KINGSWOOD PLAYERS - A Potted History
Downend Dramatic Society and The Romsdal Players merged in 1980 to become The Kingswood-Downend Players, eventually dropping the "Downend" in order to become affiliated to the then Kingswood Borough Council.
Thus, The Kingswood Players were born!
Several of our members (June Donovan, Mike Davis, Margaret Mitchell, Sue & Simon Williams, Richard Bond and Kath Bond) have been with the group from the outset.
Disaster struck the group in 1981 when a fire at the Kingswood Community Association Hall resulted in the loss of virtually everything belonging to The Kingswood Players.
However, we bounced back and went on to become one of Bristol's well established and best known amateur drama groups. We are like one big happy family and the way we work together as a team shows through in our productions, of which there are three a year.
These have included many plays, some written by members of the group, and others by more well known authors, including Alan Bennett's "Habeas Corpus", Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" and Agatha Christie's "Verdict" for which we won a Rose Bowl Commendation in 1988.
We have a long tradition of pantomime and our audiences know they will see a traditional production, suitable for all the family, with our very own Dame, Richard Bond - a very worthy rival to Chris Harris and Ugly Sisters, Ian Goodridge & Paul Taylor - who rival everybody!
We very much enjoy visiting children in hospital each Christmas as pantomime & storybook characters, entertaining children, parents and staff alike. We have also performed a large selection of children's plays, such as "The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner", "The Snow Queen" and "Dandelion Time" for which one of our members, Pauline Goodridge, was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her role as The Phoenix.
A favourite with our audiences is our Music Hall, evoking the same attention to detail and atmosphere as "The Good Old Days" which you may well remember seeing on television. We often take this "on the road", having performed at the Landmark Pavilion in Ilfracombe, on board The SS Great Britain and at various nursing homes and other venues nearer home.
Every drama group has its folklore and one of our most recounted tales was the night that our dress rehearsal went on until 1.00 a.m. perfecting the transformation scene for Cinderella! Undaunted, Cinderella was our choice of pantomime again in January 2006. The transformation was different, technically and again the extra rehearsal time required proved worthwhile. The result - a magical moment for the audience along with their gasps of surprise and appreciative applause at every performance!
The Players have supported Bristol Children's Hospital and The Barbara Russell Unit, Frenchay Hospital, by visiting and cheering up children and staff alike, with songs and entertainment, throughout the year.
Our minimum age for membership is 16 and we always welcome new members of any age, either to act, or help backstage. Why not come along to a rehearsal and meet us?
For further information, please contact either:
- Sue Lewis ~ Tel: 0117 932 7270
- Richard Bond ~ Tel: 0117 951 7304