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  • Main Productions
  • Recent Productions
  • Open Air Performances
  • Festival and Fringe Productions
  • Rehearsal & Performance Venues
  • Auditions and Casting
  • Rehearsed Readings
  • Theatre Workshops
  • Stage Management
  • Working Backstage
  • Costume Design
  • Lighting and Sound
  • Set Design & Construction
  • Social Readings
  • Theatre Visits
  • Social Events
  • Our Three Main Productions
    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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    Recent Productions.
    Our most recent productions include an Open- Air production of " A Midsummer Night's Dream", Accidental Death of An Anarchist", "Plays in The Pub", three shorts for The Dulwich Festival 2007 and "Top Girls". Past productions have included "Frankenstein" and "The Taming of The Shrew" .
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    Shakespeare in the Open Air
    In 1998 the society staged an Open-Air production of "A Mid-Summer Nights Dream" in the grounds of the Dulwich Picture 6allery. These performances attracted a very large audience and raised over £2000 for the Gallery's Rebuilding Fund.
    In July 2001, in association with The Friends of The Dulwich Picture Gallery, we staged an open air production of "Much Ado about Nothing". Further open air productions, "Twelfth Night" and "The Taming of The Shrew" were performed in the Gallery grounds in July 2003 and June 2006 respectively, again raising a substantial sums in support of The Friends.
    Our most recent Open-Air Shakespeare, was performed in the Gallery grounds during July this year..
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    Festival and Fringe Productions.
    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 gained the award for "Best Youth Production" and gained third place overall.
    The society has also staged fringe productions for performance during the Dulwich Festival, a non competitive Arts Festival held during May each year. This years festival performance was "3 Plays in a Pub" and last year we performed "Guadi's Pulpit", a new play by Mike Foster.
    Our most recent festival entry was a performance of "Holst Buchholz and Other Stories" at the Leatherhead Drama Festival in May.. 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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    Where do 'The Players' meet and when?
    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 is our current Rehearsal Venue at The Constitutional Club in East Dulwich Grove, SE22.
    Prospective members are most welcome to 'drop in on reheasal nights' and say hello!
    Please let the Membership Secretary know and we will ensure that there is someone there to meet you.
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    Auditions and Casting
    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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    Rehearsed Readings
    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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    Drama Workshops
    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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    Working Backstage
    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 close to 100 members, Actors, Technicians and Patron supporters.
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    Costume and Wardrobe
    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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    Lighting and Sound
    '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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    Set Design and Construction
    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 at our storage premises in West Dulwich and culminates on stage at the theatre venue.
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    Social Readings
    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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    Theatre Visits
    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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    The Social Side
    As a 'Dulwich Player' you will meet and work with a wide range of members in every age group, all 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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