The History of Bishop's Cleeve Players

Bishop’s Cleeve Players was formed in 1955, the majority of the membership then coming from the Anvil Players of Smiths Industries. The formation was prompted by the availability of an attractive hall and stage in the newly refurbished Tithe Barn. Many memorable productions were staged at there, which had a wonderful atmosphere of its own, though in the early days it could get a bit chilly, especially on windy nights. So the Players have been going strong for over 50 years and celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 2005.

The first production on the Tithe Barn stage was “The Hollow” by Agatha Christie. As the Players progressed, the number of performances per production increased, and it became increasingly difficult to fit in with other activities at the Tithe Barn, so we moved to Cleeve School where we performed from 1978 until moving on to the Playhouse Theatre in Cheltenham in 1984. The Players could then attract audiences to sustain a whole week’s run, which is the norm at the Playhouse. And of course, our shows and audiences benefited from the more extensive facilities available there. It is a delightful theatre of which Cheltenham can be very proud.

In the main, the Players have staged two major productions a year, but have also put on special productions in churches, participated in One Act Play Festivals and provided entertainments for various groups and societies. Major productions have ranged from serious drama like “All My Sons” (Arthur Miller) and “The Winslow Boy” (Terence Rattigan) to classics such as “The Miser” (Moliere), “The Rivals” (Sheridan) and “Mansfield Park” (Jane Austen) and of course modern drama like “Barefoot In The Park” (Neil Simon) and “Season’s Greetings” (Alan Ayckbourn).

The Players’ 21st Anniversary production was “The Devil’s Brew”, a Victorian melodrama, specially written for the occasion by Jim Taylor. This ran for eight performances in the Tithe Barn in 1976 and won the Best Play Award in the County Full Length Play Festival. Jim clearly had a knack with melodramas, having directed three others for the group over the years.

In addition to major productions, One Act Festivals, and entertainments for local groups, the Players have been involved in various other special events.

Several members played leading roles in the Cheltenham Bicentenary Celebrations in 1988, taking part in the Eagle Star Pageant and performing in a scene from “The Country Wife” by Wycherley.

In 2000 the Players were involved in three Millennium productions, firstly a joint societies gala evening at the Playhouse in January, then a special evening of entertainment in the Tithe Barn in June as part of the Bishop’s Cleeve celebrations, and finally performing a specially written historical pageant in July as part of Woodmancote’s celebrations.

In 1998 and again in 2003, The Players staged an evening of entertainment at the Playhouse, featuring Johnny Coppin, Sid Powell and Edward Gillespie. Johnny is well known for Glos folk music, and Sid and Edward (he of Prestbury Park Racecourse) as members of the Players. These were fund raising events for the theatre.

Although having its roots in the Bishop’s Cleeve area, members now come from all round Cheltenham. Strong local ties still exist however and the Players have benefited from the continued support of the village. Particular mention must be made of Lilian Calcutt, who has organised coachloads of people to attend the Monday performance of our plays at the Playhouse since 1985. This has amounted to almost 4000 bums on seats over the years and we are very grateful to Lilian and company for their support.

No-one has done more for the Players over the years than Jim Taylor who, since “retirement” in 1995, continues as our President. Jim joined at the start, in 1955, and was always in the thick of things as Director, actor and set designer. You may remember that he also wrote and directed the award winning melodrama “The Devil’s Brew” in 1976, and his performance as Arthur Winslow in “The Winslow Boy” in 1988 was very highly praised, winning him the Best Actor Award in the County Full Length Play Festival. Back in 1966 he directed the Players’ first One Act Festival Winner, “Two Gentlemen Of Soho” by AP Herbert. But there’s much more. Jim’s tireless enthusiasm has been a major factor in our success.

The Players have always set a high standard in their productions, and this has been reflected in the Awards collected over the years. Awards for Best Play, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Producer, Best Set Design, Best Under-18, Best Technical Production. Similar Awards have been accumulated in One Act Play Festivals, the first being a Festival Winner in 1966 with “Two Gentlemen of Soho” by AP Herbert, and a particular highlight was winning the HTV Drama Festival in Bristol in 1972 with “La Musica” by Marguerite Duras.

No company can rest on its laurels and the Players continue to develop quality entertainment. We are fortunate to have a core of seasoned members and a formula which enables and encourages new participants which are so important in keeping our shows fresh, innovative and above all, fun.

Away from the drama, there is also, of course, a social side. We tend to enjoy the rehearsals almost as much as our audiences enjoy the shows. We sometimes have the energy left over for the occasional social event such as a BBQ, theatre visit, quiz night or similar but mostly just any excuse to have fun. Given that not every member can make time for every performance these, together with a regular Newsletter and Email help to make sure we keep in touch with each other in our increasingly busy lives.

If you would like to find out more then please contact us and we will be very pleased to offer you the opportunity to explore where there might be something for you.