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Frequently Asked Questions
The Dulwich Players stage three main productions a year. Each production usually plays for three nights and the plays are usually performed at The Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College. A modern theatre venue, with a racked auditorium seating an audience of 150 persons.
This well equipped theatre has a large stage area with excellent sound and lighting facilities enabling the society to stage a wide range of classical and modern, comedy and drama.
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Our most recent productions include "The Winters Tale", "A Servant to Two Masters" and "A Murder is Announced". Past productions have included an Open-Air performance of "Alice" , adapted from Lewis Carroll's classic stories, "The Rivals" and "Daisy Pulls It Off" .
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In 1998 the society staged an Open-Air production of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" in the grounds of Dulwich Picture 6allery. Those performances attracted a very large audience and raised over £2000 for the Picture Gallery's Rebuilding Fund.
Since then we have staged a whole series of open air Shakespeare in the Gallery grounds including "Much Ado about Nothing", "Twelfth Night", "The Taming of The Shrew" and "The Winter's Tale" all In association with and supporting The Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery, One of our most recent productions was a celebratory performance of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" first produced in the Gallery Gardens 10 years previously.
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Over the years we have been regular competitors at various Play Festivals. The Dulwich Players were winners at NATHDA in 1999 with "Painting Mrs. Jones", an adaptation of a play for Radio and runners up in 2000 with "The Donaghue Sisters" . In 2002 our Youth Group won the award for "Best Youth Production" and gained third place overall. The society has also staged fringe productions for performance during the annual Dulwich Festival, a non competitive Arts Festival held during May each year. 2008's festival performance was "3 Plays in a Pub". This year we performed a number of sketchs written by members of the society.
A recent competitive festival entry was a performance of "Waiting for Bono", a one-act play written by one of our members, Mike Foster. "Bono" was performed at the Leatherhead Drama Festival in May 2000. Other productions have been staged at The "Crown and Greyhound", Dulwich Village, the "Hob" Pub/Theatre venue in Forest Hill and at "The Dulwich Tavern", East Dulwich.
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In 1998 a number of members got together to form "The Writers Group". The members all share a common interest in writing for the theatre and they now meet together at regular intervals to showcase their latest work to fellow members of the group, compare notes and invite constructive criticism from their peers. This year the Writers Group produced a number of sketches for public performance during the Dulwich Festival. Membership of the group is open to all members of the Dulwich Players.
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Most of our activity is centred around the Dulwich vicinity and the majority of our membership is drawn from that area of SE London. The focal point of our activities are our current Rehearsal Venues at The Constitutional Club in East Dulwich Grove, SE22. and The United Reformed Church Hall in Tell Grove, SE22.
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The society does not normally engage in formal audition procedures. All acting members are invited to attend a series of readings conducted by the Director and are encouraged to read various parts in turn. The director will finally cast the production based on his or her assessment of the actors understanding of the play and their ability to interpret the character. Consideration is also given to the actors experience and physical presence.
Casting Readings for our main productions usually attract around 20 actors seeking to take part. Much will depend on the level of the actors commitment, acting ability and experience.
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The society have recently developed a further opportunity for actors and directors to practice their skills.
Groups of members are encouraged to produce and perform rehearsed platform readings in informal surroundings and before invited audiences. These performances are popular with actors who temporally find themselves unable to commit to extended rehearsal schedules and who welcome the chance to perform with less taxing demands on their memory.
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These are a regular feature of our activity and enable members to gain experience and develop their technique in specific areas of theatre and performance. Past workshops have covered, Acting skills, Lighting for the Stage, Movement on Stage and Voice Projection.
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On Stage or Back Stage, whatever your talents, if you have an active interest in Theatre and Drama, membership provides an opportunity for everyone to participate. We have over 100 members, Actors, Technicians and Patron supporters.
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The Dulwich Players possess an extensive wardrobe containing excellent sets of period costume researched, designed and hand made by our members. These are frequently adapted and altered to suit a current production and augmented when necessary by hired items from The Royal National Hire Service, from The Royal Shakespeare at Stratford and various other sources. If a members interests lie in costume design the society provides many opportunities to practice the craft.
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'The Players' audience have come to expect and demand high standards of stage presentation and we have teams of lighting and sound technicians ready and willing to recruit new enthusiasts.
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The wide variety of our productions make considerable demands on the ingenuity of our design and construction crews. Painters, carpenters and set decorators are kept very busy throughout the season. Generally work is carried out during weekends and culminates on stage at the theatre venue.
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These readings are held each month at The Constitutional Club in East Dulwich Grove.
Hosted by various members, they serve a number of purposes in that they provide an opportunity for directors to re-assess plays for performance, enable actors to practice their timing, phrasing and delivery of lines and widen the participants knowledge of theatre and the craft of the playwright.
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Our Social Committee regularly arrange group Theatre Visits to the Royal National, The Globe and other well known theatre venues, enabling members to take advantage of reduced ticket prices.
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As a 'Dulwich Player' you will meet and work with a wide range of members in every age group, some with a wide variety of talents. Some members have years of experience and many others are still gaining that experience but they bring with them an immense enthusiasm and many different skills. All share one thing in common - A love of Drama and a yearning to take part in Theatre.
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