About the Players
The Players have been around a long
time (over 80 years) but we try not to act our age! Every year, between October and April we stage five full length plays.
Some years we have also taken part in One-Act competions and other shows. We currently have a membership of over 40
and although the ages range from 13 to 80, most members are aged between 25 and 40 and unusually for a theatre group
there are nearly as many men as women.
The group is organised by two committees. The General Committee which looks after the general day to day running of the group and The Casting and Plays Committee which oversees the choosing of plays proposed by directors and endeavours to ensure fairness in casting them.
Tuesday evening is our club night in the YMCA, The Walk Cardiff at 7.30pm If you are involved with a play then we also meet on a Thursday evening for rehersals.
History
In 1927 a small dramatic company
called The Richmond Players found themselves made homeless, until the Y.M.C.A in its true tradition offered them the (then)
somewhat sparse amenities of the Y.M.C.A in Cardiff. Already in residence was another small band of drama lovers, the two
companies amalgamated and the Y.M.C.A players were born. A few full length plays were staged until in the early 1930s the
dramatic society became a Concert Party, which was more to the taste of the public in those days. Known as the Red Triangle
Concert Party the group soon established themselves as experts in this field and toured all over South Wales until the Advent
of the Second World War when they had to disband due to lack of men. In 1945 a few people from the then Junior Section of the
Y.M.C.A started to stage one-act plays, these proved successful and a full length play was scheduled for 1946.
It was then the young players sought the help of Waldo Matthews himself a member of the original company since 1931, he took over the
production side and in May 1947 the first post war play was, " The Man Who Changed His Name". The Players spent many years
at Station Terrace and in 1978 we moved to our new home in the Walk. We were fortunate to be offered some space for a theatre
and had a great deal of pleasure and pain building this. While we were building this, our productions were staged at Pearce
Hall, Monthermer Road, although the players had to cease performing to build the theatre as it is today. The first
production in the new Theatre in The Walk Cardiff was "Bedroom Farce" By Alan Ayckbourn perfomed in October 1981.
News
Our annual excursion to the Llandrindod Wells Drama Festival brought silverware to the Players when Peter Griffiths was the recipient of the "Best Actor" cup for playing the title role in John Godber's "Happy Jack". A well deserved accolade for Peter who along with Liz Franks portrayed the lives of a working class couple in this bitter-sweet story.
The 2010 Glammies Awards are given by the Glamorgan Drama League, the regional community theatre organisation. This year, in a very strong competition, The Players were short-listed in nearly all categories (Peter Griffiths & Felix Mclaughlin for Best Actor, Bella Kemble for Best Actress in "Don't Dress for Dinner". Best Production and Best Presentation for "Don't Dress for Dinner" and Jonathon Wheeler for Best Actor and Deborah Meredith for Best Actress in "Theft". Bella Kemble was awarded the Moderator's Award for her splendid comic performance as Suzette in "Don't Dress for Dinner". Well done to all of them.