Who we are and what we do.
Background.
Hartley Players staged their first performance in 1928 and have put on two or three shows each year ever since. We try to do ‘something for everyone’ including comedies, farces, straight plays, dramas, musicals, variety shows and pantomimes.
Most of our performances take place in the WI Hall, Ash Road, Hartley, where the floor is usually raised in tiers to create a real theatre. At other times we hire tiered seating to create an intimate acting area surrounding a thrust stage or simply have seating round tables for variety performances, where the audience can enjoy a drink and be entertained in an informal setting.
We rarely enter drama festivals as these rarely coincide with our performance dates. However, back in 1992 we decided that our production of Agnes of God was so good that we should have entered it in the Kent Full Length Play Festival, so we saved all the scenery and rebuilt it in Spring 1993 for a special one-off performance and adjudication, subsequently going on to win first prize in the finals at he Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone and the National Operatic and Dramatic Society (NODA) Ron Kench Shield for Drama. We have also been nominated for various awards by NODA London Region, who send representatives to see as many of our productions as possible, the last of these being for best production and best scenery for Absurd Person Singular in 2004.
Aims.
Hartley Players exists because we enjoy performing and because our audiences like to be entertained. In addition to gaining valuable on-stage experience, members also have the opportunity to learn new skills such as lighting design and operation, set design and set construction and painting.
Events.
Rehearsals.
Main rehearsal nights are Monday and Thursday at 8pm in the hall above the Hartley & District Social Club. These take place for about six to eight weeks before a show (longer for a musical or pantomime). Occasionally we have a few rehearsals on a night other than Thursday, if this night is a problem for some members of the cast. We also rehearse on the Sunday afternoon and evening immediately before a production.
Performances.
Shows are generally staged in March, June and November in the week in which the third Wednesday in the month falls and usually run for four performances (longer for a pantomime).
Other activities.
In addition to enjoying rehearsals and performances we also get together to socialise during the year. There’s always a summer barbecue and a January party; often a murder mystery evening or quiz night or other entertainment in the early autumn and, if there’s sufficient interest, occasional theatre outings or play-reading evenings.
Membership.
At the time of writing (2006) we have about 50 members (including 20 junior members) with ages ranging from 11 to 75.
We always welcome new members. See our page on getting involved for more details on what you can do as a member. Anyone interested in joining or in finding out more about what each of the back-stage jobs entails should contact the Secretary via email.