July 2007 News

GREAT NEWS: STARTING ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 9TH WE SHALL BE PUTTING ON MATINEE ( 2.30 P.M.) PERFORMANCES OF ‘THE JOYS’ ON THE 2ND AND 3RD TUESDAYS OF EACH MONTH, AT THE ARTS THEATRE, (GREAT NEWPORT STREET) TICKETS £12 FOR MEMBERS, PAYABLE AT THE DOOR.
Review of 2007 to date

• The now traditional Mid-summer party at the RAF club was, again, a sell-out
• The Players took part in the hugely successful West End Live entertainment in Leicester Square. Over 150,000 people visited the evening and two days it was presented and the Players were the only theatre group to be invited to appear on both days, rubbing shoulders with the casts of such glittering successes as Mama Mia, The Lion King, and Stomp. Our 25 minute Medley called ‘London Pride’ featured favourite landmarks in London presented by Jan Hunt, Royston Kean, Robert Meadwell, Maria St Clare, Richard Winch and Dominic Le Foe, with Peter McCarthy at the piano. Song sheets were distributed and it was a treat to hear such favourites as ‘Bull and Bush’, and ‘ Let’s all go down the Strand’ being sung with gusto by huge audiences. Cllr. Robert Davies, described the artistes as ‘Brilliant’, and we hope to perform again next year.
• The disposal of surplus costumes continued: the Carl Rosa opera company acquiring quite a large quantity of costumes and props Dominic has chosen a selection of garments sufficient to launch any future newcomers. as well as  securing such Victorian staples as militaria, police uniforms and other crucial Victoriana.. There still remains a vast quantity of other items which will probably go to auction
• We are in the process of putting together our Players’ Joys for St.Cuthbert’s festival in Wells, on September 8th

Important  dates for your diary:  - NOTE THEM NOW!!!!!
Compass theatre, Ickenham – opposite Ickenham Underground station – our fourth visit to this theatre
Friday & Saturday, August 17th – 18th; Matinée on Saturday (Call 01895 673 200to book)
Seats £9 evenings (£8 concessions), & £7 matinée – all seats.
Artistes: Jan Hunt, Maria St.Clare, Peter John, Royston Kean, Robert Meadwell, Richard Winch
CAN YOU USH AT THE COMPASS? – WE NEED 3 USHERS PER SHOW ON SATURDAY
Further Shows at The Venue at 4.00 p.m.
Sundays September 30th, October 28th, November 25th,
Admission prices: ‘Friends’, ‘Concessions’, £10, * Guests accompanying ‘Friends’, £12, (Concessions £10),
Passing trade: £15 (Concessions £13), Young persons £5. Party booking rates by arrangement 
Yuletide Party at the RAF club: Friday December 28th
10 Craven Street

Would you believe it?? If you recall, there was, in June, a week-end of torrential rain in London, after a long dry spell. During this dry spell, the gutters on the roof became full of leaves and pigeon guana. The rain swept all this away and into a down-spout that passed through the shower room, en route for a sump. In the latter is a pump activated if the level reaches a point beyond its natural draining level, so that the surplus water can be pumped straight into the street gulleys.
HOWEVER – so viscous was the roof product,  that it blocked the pipe between the shower room and the sump, and the pump failed to act. The sludge then backed up through a drain in the shower room, and proceeded to flood the main rooms. I happened to come in on the day following the flood, and was concerned to see a pool of water at the foot of the steps. I didn’t realise quite what had happened until I began to walk on the polythene sheet that we had laid to protect (!!) the wooden floor of the main room, and found myself walking on little sticking up peaks of floor. In fact the entire floor had lifted.
Fortunately, David Owen - .the Chairman of the residents, was quickly on hand, summoned his repair man who, by mid-afternoon, was on the job. Insurance can be a wonderful thing, and as I write, the floors have been re-laid, and we’re back on course to start letting the space for auditions and rehearsals..

Membership: is holding steady, perhaps slightly increasing at the new rate of £10 per address.

Help!

Volunteers always needed to help in promoting shows and other miscellaneous tasks - such as labelling, folding etc.

contact Bill.

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2006: New Year News

We are venturing out of central London on Friday and Saturday February 17th and 18th to the Compass theatre, Ickenham (01895 673200 - tickets already 60% sold) As we can't afford to take financial risks with show, Geoff Cooksey, another great supporter and stalwart has agreed to underwrite the show at the Compass, though I'll be surprised and disappointed if it fails to pay for itself.
We are also performing at the Plaza, Romsey on March 17th and 18th March, doing a supper + show at the Athenaeum club on Tuesday February 14th and discussing a booking at a Golf club We have been invited back to the Rye festival (probably on Sunday September 17th)
If you know of a local theatre, hall or club that might be prepared to put on a Victorian evening please give me a contact
Although we are no nearer getting planning permission I am delighted to say that our Honorary architect, Frank Vickery, has largely recovered from his accident and is back at work. We are, meanwhile, making headway with using Craven Street. Despite Tony Saunders' best endeavours, we failed to let it for storage, so we have cleared an area for our first tenant. This is a young, entrepreneurial American lady who has converted about 2/3 of the area into a Yoga and Pilates studio. We are retaining the other 1/3 and will move out of our expensive store in the Old Kent Road.
We are immensely grateful to Roy Davenport (our favourite magician) for taking a great deal of our curtains, tabs, lighting equipment, catering equipment and furniture into storage (albeit in Norfolk, where he is setting up his own theatre and theatre museum. This means we shall have enough space at Craven Street to accommodate costumes, props and other items such as pictures and music. Inevitably much of this will be surplus to our long-term needs, but having it in a free storage place, right in the centre of London will buy us breathing space to sort things out.

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October, 2005 News

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July, 2005 News

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May, 2005 News

The NPTC
We have had no contact with the NPTC, but we hear some of what goes on: we have no quarrel with them, and wish them well in their preferred approach of putting on occasional extravaganzas. We learn that they plan to hold Open Auditions for another such show to be staged in May, and hope it will be well supported. When, finally, we have recreated a real and permanent club for lovers of Victorian Music Hall I hope that we can find a way of merging our mutual interests. Members of the NPTC wishing to attend shows at The Venue, may do so for £12 on production of their membership cards.

Merchandise
We continue to increase our range of cards, all showing artistes performing at The Venue. Postcards, at 50 p each, or 40p each with orders for 12 or more are a very good way of sending thanks, greetings, acknowledgements and so on. (Order form attached)

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November, 2004 News

General Meeting
On DECEMBER 12th, we shall hold a short General Meeting, starting at 2.30, before the performance of the Players' Joys. The show will be followed by an informal party.
Party
On DECEMBER 28th we shall hold a Yuletide party at the RAF club, 118 Piccadilly.
Cost £38 per head to include Hot buffet, a glass of wine and a short 'burst' of the Players' Joys. Booking form below.
Membership
Membership has continued to rise, following another mail-out to former members. About 1/3 of our former members have now re-joined as Members or Friends. Christmas is coming - why not give a Players' membership? £20 for an Individual, £35 for a Joint membership, £1 for a Student.
Future shows
We intend to put on more shows in the Spring and Autumn. Firm dates will be in our New Year newsletter. As before, bring a guest and you pay £10 and your guest £12. Groups of 10 or more, unaccompanied by members are admitted for £12 each. Student members pay £5, and their guests £10. For groups of "Senior Citizens" the price will be only £8 per head for groups of 6 or more. If thinking of organising such a group, remember that a minibus can reach the front of the theatre, but don't forget there are 13 steps down with another 6 to the toilets.

I regret to say that our attempts to revive the Carol service this year fell through.
E-mail and news of shows
Again, may I request members who have access to e-mail, but who receive this in hard copy, please let me know, as you will get a better service - and save the club about £1 a time! Those of you receiving this by e-mail will be able to keep up to date by visiting our website www.playerstheatre.co.uk, in which I try to announce artistes and choruses for each show as it occurs.
The future
The reason that we are not holding our party in Craven Street is that we are temporarily letting the basement, pending finalisation of planning and fund-raising. We hope in the New Year to have the necessary consents, and will put on a major event to launch our appeal.
Merchandise

CD's of a Players' show at our old theatre are still available for £11.20
including p&p. We have designed a set of Greetings cards showing artistes
in action at The Venue. Artistes featured to date are:

(1) Anita Elias performing "Always look under the bed";

(2) Chris Holland as the "Artful Dodger";

(3)Harry Dickman in Nightmare attire;

(4)Jan Hunt encouraging us to have a little of what we fancy;

(5)Jim McManus; the clown whose love has been stolen by the daring young
man on the flying trapeze;

(6)Maria St.Clare being a good little girl;

(7)Peter John forlornly clutching the cage containing his pet Linnet,
having failed to follow the van; (8)Robert Meadwell unsympathetically
saying:"Serves you right";

(9)Carolyn Allen waving the flag as she urges us to "Keep the home
fires burning";

(10)Larry Barnes doing amazing things with a "little piece of string";

(11)Dominic Le Foe in Kitchener mode saying "Your club needs you!";


(12)Derek Taverner at the mighty pianoforte.

(13) Bill Halson hopefully offering Songsheets, raffle tickets, CD's Cards
- anything that might sell!

(14)Bruce Graham extolling the virtues of Beer;

(15) Judith Hibbert invoking the spirit of Lancashire;

(16) Bill Deamer doing the wibbly wobbly walk;

Individual cards cost £1 each: any 12 for £10. The cards are
printed on glossy photocard. On the back there is a brief quotation from
the chorus where appropriate, a short biography of the artiste and some
information about The Players'. Inside is the Queen Victoria motif and
the word "Greetings" More cards will be produced as the shows
go on.

We have also designed a set of Bookmarks, containing the first 8 artistes
referred to above. The size of each is 1/8 A4. A full set costs £4.
£1 p&p should be added to orders for cards and Bookmarks.

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September, 2003 News

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS:
It is with great happiness that we announce major developments in our campaign to re open The Players' Theatre Club as we all know it. To reach this stage has involved dedicated efforts on the part of devoted supporters, and much expenditure of time and money.

The mandate secured at the Conway Hall Meeting led to:

1. Launching a "fighting fund", to fund the above and secure the future.
2. The establishment of a Committee/working party to seek both new premises and temporary venues where we could present programmes of The Late Joys.
3. Launching actions in the High Court to achieve the proper winding up of the old Players' Theatre Club, and securing the assets of the Club.

Progress to date:
1 FIGHTING FUND
The initial surge of funds was sufficient to pursue the legal action and other relatively modest items of expenditure - but funds are still needed, as will be seen from the remainder of this Newsletter. Any contribution should be addressed to "The Players' Restoration Committee, 12 Bentinck Mansions, Bentinck Street, London W1U 2ER"
2 COMMITTEE
The Committee comprises:
Eric Flitcroft, who has been closely involved in the saving, refurbishing and re-opening of the Grand theatre, Blackpool,
Bill Halson, a Business Management consultant
Michael Kendra, Solicitor
Dominic LeFoe, hopefully future artistic director!
Hugh Ogus, a Lighting consultant and business man
Peter Olley,a Civil Engineer
Tony Saunders, a Chartered Surveyor
Frank Vickery, an Architect

All of us have put our professional skills and qualifications at the service of the Club without charge, for we believe that the revival of The Players' is a task well worth doing. Although we were invited to join a Committee for the specific purpose of finding and developing new premises, as matters progressed we have in effect become a Management Committee, until such time as the Club formally resumes its activities. Then, of course new Committees will be elected, and it will be up to the membership to decide whether they wish us to continue.

3 LEGAL ACTION
Once the Management Committee had met, and the initial financial response to the Appeal had been banked, the Committee took over the legal action (originally launched by Dominic Le Foe at his own expense). Bill Halson and he became the joint Applicants in the first High Court Action. This was necessary as the former Committee (which had taken control after the emergency meetings called by Dominic in February 2002) had taken no steps to wind up the Club, and finally refunded the donations and subscriptions paid by the Members, announcing that the Players' was gone. At the same time it also expressed its intention to negotiate an agreement with the new occupants of the premises, now renamed Villiers, with a view to occasional performances of Music Hall.

A year later, the Villiers has done nothing other than stage three "Farewell" (!)performances at the old Theatre, and the "New Players Ltd" have presented two programmes at outside venues. Mr Michael Kirk has now resigned as Artistic Director of Villiers Theatre Limited. Two of the three Players' former Executive Committee Members (who attempted to seize control at the AGM), are now shown as directors of Villiers Theatre Ltd, and one at least has some connections with New Players Ltd, although the last bulletin from that company stated they knew nothing of the future plans of Villiers Theatre Ltd.

Against that torrid background we went to Court. Apart from the confusion that arose from the old Executive Committee's failure to implement the resolutions to wind up the Club, (which attracted some criticism from the Bench), there was also the fact that the Players' Theatre Club's status was that of an unincorporated body. At the time we were seeking the winding-up order, the Sheriff of London had seized most of the contents of the Club to secure a debt owing to Young's Brewery. The Judge said he was minded to give us the winding up order, but first we had to satisfy the Sheriff. Mr Mark Johnston came forward and purchased all the assets seized by the Sheriff, on the understanding that the Committee would remove and store them, and at any time within the next two tears he would sell them all back to the club for the price for which he had purchased them. He reserved the right to dispose of the assets after two years to recoup his outlay. The amount paid by him closely matched two separate valuations- one obtained by Mr Fawkes-Underwood, (when Hon Secretary of the Club), and the other by Mr Kevin Sykes, an insolvency expert.

Following the sale by the Sheriff, the High Court duly made an Order to wind up the Club. The Sheriff's schedule of sale included: the Music Library and Archive, the wardrobe and ancillary equipment, the stage fittings, scenery, lighting, properties, switchboard, etc., the whole of the restaurant equipment, furnishings and kitchen ware, virtually all the pictures, photographs, mementos, and portable décor, all the theatre seating, and occasional furniture, and the famous Gemmel bar (originally at Gatti's, and the engraved glass screens at the rear, plus the plaque of Victoria above the proscenium, the ship's figurehead, the lion & the unicorn, and our much cherished Cherub candelabra.

To remove and transport all this has been a mammoth task, and almost unbelievably, the work has been undertaken almost wholly by volunteers - principally Geoff Cooksey, Jim McManus, Jamie Phillips, Frank Soper and Bernard Wickham, with additional welcome help from Norma Dunbar, Eric Flitcroft, who came from Blackpool to spend a day working, Mrs Wickham, and Bill Halson who also persuaded a friend, Roland Privett, to help!

Prior to this great move, Frank Vickery and his wife and their two stalwart sons, joined by Maria St Clare and Dominic Le Foe, devoted two full days to clearing out 10 years (and more) accretion of treasures and trash in the old warehouse.

In the interim, the Committee had been in informal consultations with the City Council, as the premises we have identified would need permission for change of use. Although not guaranteed, we believe we have a very strong prospect of gaining permission.

The premises are located just off Northumberland Avenue (which is parallel with Villiers Street) and are offered on an 85 years' lease. Because it is felt to be the best site we can find, we, (the Committee), have jointly agreed to purchase it with our own personal funds, and then to offer a lease to The Players' at a figure which should allow a debt-free organisation to flourish. The building will be significantly smaller than The Arches, with a commensurate saving in rent and overheads, but it will have seating for 100, a restaurant that will serve 50+, and a lounge area for 30. Dominic Le Foe will be reinstated as Artistic Director. He believes our new theatre which will be a direct descendant of the Club's birthplace, 36 King Street, where an audience would number no more than 60.

THE SHORT-TERM FUTURE:
We need your support again,now, both to participate in financing our new operation, and also to help us to take advantage of a debt free balance sheet to approach all available sources of funding. We will follow the same course as the old Club: free admission for Members, and a discount on their Guest tickets. Existing Life Memberships, relating to the old Club will be honoured, and the question of Players' Pounds and Bonds seriously studied., but we cannot at this stage make any formal statement or promise until such time as the Committee have studied the implications in depth.

THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE: JOY OF THE JOYS
Six sunday performances, with a COMPLETELY NEW PROGRAMME EACH WEEK, will be presented at The Venue, Leicester Place, off Leicester Square adjacent to Notre Dame Church. and close to The Prince Charles Theatre) Dates: November 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th, December 7th. Tickets for members £12, and £15 for non-members

CONTACTING US:
Our old Box Office phone number, (+44) 020 7839 1134, has been secured. Calls are rerouted to Dominic Le Foe.(His Fax number is (+44) 020 8398 4685)We have already received and registered more than 700 calls from patrons who were not Members of the Club, but visited a few times a year.
Our website has been updated, and will continue to give news to those who have access to the Internet. Bill Halson deals with e-mails,- he has already received over 200 - you can reach him on Bill@playerstheatre.co.uk

PRACTICAL HELP WANTED
We need:
A Quantity surveyor, an Accountant and/or Book-keeper
- and, in due course,
Plasterers, Plumbers, Electricians, Carpenters : tradesmen and technicians of all kinds. Give us your skills and we'll build you a club!
Of course no-one can give unlimited time, but a discount or special rate would greatly help our budgeting.
Jamie Jeffries is a good example of what we hope we will discover. Apart from being a theatre performer, Jamie is a skilled multi-craftsman and has offered to create a terrazzo pavement panel showing the name of the Club and the silhouette of Queen Victoria.

Other forms of help:
Can you help us secure some major prizes for a Giant raffle?
Are you an ace ticket-seller?
Do you have any experience in overseeing a licensed Raffle?
Do you have any fundraising ideas? Any other inspired suggestions?

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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