The COMPANY of PLAYERS

A History of The Company

"Witchcraft was treated to a comical vein by The Company Of Players in their performance of John Van Druten's 'Bell, Book and Candle'. The eccentric Miss Holroyd (left), played by Vi Wells, finds that even the telephone is bewitched in this scene with Philip Jackson (centre), Mary Wingate and Robert Ferguson"

The COMPANY of PLAYERS first full-length production was Bell, Book And Candle, by John Mortimer, presented at St.Nicholas Hall, St.Andrews Street, Hertford, 16th-18th May 1963. Three days later, the play was performed again during The Company's second visit to The Felixstowe Drama Festival of Full Length Plays, on Tuesday 21st May 1963.

Of the performances at Hertford, The Hertfordshire Mercury reported, "A feature of the mechanics of the production, from business angle, was the fact that no box office was employed, and yet all the tickets were sold for the three nights, ensuring three packed houses. This was acheived through the 40 members of the Company who acted as ticket sellers, and presents an interesting sidelight on attracting audiences".

It was shortly after this production that CoPs received its first award. Still Waters by Delsie Darke, was perfomed at the fourth Lea Valley Drama Festival and won the main prize, The Pollard Rose Bowl, which was presented to producer Jim Mitchell by newsreader Michael Aspel.

This was followed in October 1963 by The Company's second full-length play Intimate Relations by Jean Cocteau, which ran from 10th-12th October at St.Nicholas Hall.

A second award followed the same month when Jim Mitchell's production of "A Ladder For Lucy", another Delsie Darke play, won the Silver Trophy at the Felixstowe Drama Festival of One Act Plays. The play was later performed at The Corn Exchange on 18th December 1963.

The New Year proved no less successful, with a production of John Van Druten's "I Am A Camera" at St.Nicholas Hall and a victory for the second successive year at the Lea Valley Drama Festival.

In 1965 the Company presented its' first Premiere, "Invitation To A March" by Arthur Laurents. The Hertfordshire Mercury reported "The play, which was successfully produced in New York by the author, in 1960, with a cast which included Celeste Holm and Jane Fonda, has never reached the professional stage here". The story continued "It was 'dug up' by a member of The Company of Players, who was browsing in the American Embassy library, but negotiations for its production have taken 12 months".

Productions at St.Nicholas Hall continued through the 1960s. There were further victories at The Lea Valley Drama Festival ("Hearts And Humours"), The Southgate Drama Festival ("How's The World Treating You") and the Bishops Stortford Drama Festival.

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