A History of The Company
|
HERTFORD 'REBELS' FORM A NEW DRAMA GROUP
Hertfordshire Mercury, March 1962 The "rebellion" by last year's drama sub-committee of Hertford Dramatic and Operatic Society, which culminated in the sub-committee resigning just before the annual; meeting last June, has resulted in a new "breakaway" drama group. Mr.John Crozier told The Mercury, "We are calling ourselves 'The Company Of Players', but we have no plans for presenting a play at Hertford at the moment. The group resigned last year because they did not aggree with the drama policy of the society. A production of "St.Joan" for the Corn Exchange was vetoed by the general committee. The reason for the veto was that the finances of the society had suffered the previous season by losses on two productions. The rebellion went deeper than that, however. The incident over "St.Joan" brought to a head something that had been simmering for some time. The sub-committee members felt that a long-term policy was necessary. People would not come into the town to see plays unless they were of real theatrical merit. The new "Company Of Players" includes some of the society's leading actors, producers and stage management experts. Mr.Crozier said that for the time being the group hoped to read plays at hospitals, institutions and other organisations. "We also envisage going round the villages with plays, excerpts and curtain raisers. We hope to present plays in pubs and from farm carts. "We also hope to stage one-act and full-length plays in drama festivals. In the future, we hope to enter Hertford Theatre Week" said Mr.Crozier. The group's membership is 12 at the moment and Mr.Crozier did not think it would grow to more than two dozen. "Obviously it will be some time before we appear in Hertford" he said, a little wistfully. |
The COMPANY of PLAYERS was formed on 19th March 1962 by dissaffected members of Hertford Dramatic & Operatic Society's drama sub-committee.
Ten months prior to the formation of The Company, at a special meeting of the Society's Dramatic Sub-Committee on 31st May 1961, it was unanimously decided that the entire sub-committee would resign from HDOS following the refusal of The Society to stage a production of "St.Joan" at The Corn Exchange.
The minutes of the meeting record, "The meeting wholeheartedly deplored this rejection, and, after much consideration, it was agreed that this decision by The General Committee amounted to lack of confidence in the Sub-Committee".
The document continues, "In the circumstances, it was proposed by Mr.Crozier, seconded by Mrs.Wells and carried unanimously, that the entire subcommittee resigns, so as to express, officially, its strong disapproval of the way a challenging but practicable and reasonable proposal had been vetoed".
Three days later, on 2nd June 1961, a handwritten letter of resignation was sent to The Society's president.
Ambitious Programme
The new Company announced it's first programme in the Summer of 1962. The first production was to be Collect Your Hand Baggage by John Mortimer, directed by Joan Lee, and was entered for the 14th Felixstowe Drama Festival of One Act Plays, which took place between 29th September and 6th October 1962.
Other plans included "The Dumb Wife Of Cheapside", which together with "Collect You Hand Baggage", was to be offered to village organisations in East Hertfordshire.
A nativity play, "The Little Red Tree" by Glyn Griffiths, was also proposed, for presentation in local churches, including Christ Church, Port Vale, Bengeo. The Hertfordshire Mercury reported, "From January to June, the Company of Players, or the COPS, as they call themselves, will enter one, perhaps two, one-act plays in festivals through the period, culminating with The Welwyn Festival. The choice of plays will not be made until late Autumn". The report continues, "The COPS intend to give a public performance of a full-length play just as soon as is practical, Autumn 1963 is a possible time".
During the first year, The Company also performed "Collect Your Hand Baggage" and "The Form" at Datchworth Memorial Hall, to an audience of eighty.
Following these one-act plays, The Company was ready to embark on it's first full-length presentation.
Next Page