"Keep the Home fires burning"

Carolyn Allen works on stage and TV as well as The Players’. West End musicals and plays include Joe Papp's “Pirates of Penzance”, Ken Hill's “Mikado”, Ray “Les Miserables.” Television credits include “Only Fools and Horses”, “Slinger’s Day”, “Just His Luck”, and “The Upper Hand”. She played Carole in the film “Personal Services”. She has appeared in New Tricks“ for the BBC, and has performed her own cabaret “Opera fan Tottie” in the States.

"Just a little piece of string..."

Larry Barnes served in the Royal Artillery before embarking on his career as a man of many parts - from straight actor (Edmund in King Lear) to stunt man - he is a horseman, archer, swordsman and escapologist. A member of the inner Magic Circle, he is also a lightning cartoonist, balloon sculptor and paper-tearer. - often illuminating his act by appearing in his Pearly King uniform.

... A telegraph boy with his nose turned up

Maggie Beckit trained in dance at the Roesmar Academy and the Galliard School. Her dancing career includes West Side Story, The Sound of Music, and Showboat. She developed as a choreographer and actress, performing in rep all round the country. In Pantomime Maggie has played characters varying from principal boy (or girl), to fairygodmother or witch Maggie loves Music Hall, performing regularly with “The Players” and travelling widely overseas. She is married to singer John Larsen.

"The Wibbley Wobbley walk"

Bill Deamer studied at the Guildford School of Acting, and later in the USA. He performed in nine West End shows before concentrating on choreography. He choreographed the 50th anniversary of "The Boyfriend" (which, of course was launched at "the Players'" theatre).Bill Choreographed HMS PINAFORE also at The Regents Park Open air Theatre (OLIVIER AWARD NOMINATION 2006, OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION). Bill’s most recent work includes Co direction and Choreography for the critically acclaimed production of THE BOYFRIEND for The English Shakespeare Company at The Regents Park Open-air Theatre. The production will transfer to a West-end theatre in 2007.

" If I should lose my temper, then it's wot oh, Liza Johnson, wot oh!"

Sarah Deny-Jones trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. Her many theatrical roles include FRIAR LAWRENCE (as a woman!) in Romeo & Juliet, VARYA in The Cherry Orchard, and a large PUCK in A Midsummer Night's Dream. On T.V. she has played in The Bill and The Peter Principle. Her directing roles include Dangerous Corner and Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be. She is Company Manager of Kinetic Theatre, a theatre-in-education company geared to the National Curriculum for Science. She has performed with The Players since her new faces debut in 2001!

Harry Dickman’s stage career began as a stand-up comic in cabaret and on cruises. Moving into musicals, he sang in “42nd Street”, and many others. He loves Gilbert & Sullivan, touring in the “Pirates of Penzance”, and specialises in the “patter” songs. He also plays in pantomime, and has become a Players’ regular.

Anita Elias started her professional career touring Russia and Poland with the London Theatre Company. She has appeared in Television series roles in the theatre. Her film roles devised her own One-Woman Shows based on Victorian Music Hall, 1940s Music and Music through to the 1960s, and has appeared at many venues throughout the country including the famous Players Theatre in London and City Varieties Leeds. She also has her own music hall company 'The Good Companions'.

"Beer, beer, glorious beer - fill yourself right up to here!"

Bruce Graham was born and brought up in Edinburgh. His first professional experience was playing Gilbert & Sullivan with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Co. Thereafter Bruce's career has been a varied one, ranging from opera (ENO, Opera North, Carl Rosa Co) to film and television. He has featured in eight West End musicals, and retains a particular fondness for the Late Joys and pantomimes at the Players' Theatre.

"In the spirit that's made Lancashire what she is, they'd rather be drownded than done!"

Judith Hibbert has a wide range of talents; playing Madame Delilah in Dr Who with the late Jon Pertwee; the fairy to Su Pollard's Dick Whittington and principal boy to Stanley Baxter in pantomime. She joined the National Revue Company in How Was It For You, Dear? at the Edinburgh Festival and has been a regular solo artiste at the Players Theatre, London. Her role of Frankie in The Heart of Saturday Night won enormous acclaim at the London New Play Festival. Television credits include Stay Lucky and Rainbow for Thames TV and The New Statesman for YTV. She is married to actor and horse racing commentator Malcolm Tomlinson and they have two children.

"So fare ye vell, Vhitechapel Boys and farevell all my friends-
I'm going abroad for the good of me 'ealth - and not at my own expense."

Chris Holland as the "Artful Dodger"

Chris Holland began his acting career at the age of 14 playing the Artful Dodger in a revival of “Oliver“ - and several (!) years later he performed the same character in a song for The Players’. On TV he has played in several BBC programmes, including the hotel manager, Mr Posh, in "Brum" . He has been seen in numerous TV adverts, most recently for Nissan cars. Chris has appeared in many Music Hall shows, joining The Players’ after a successful appearance in the “New Faces” show several years ago.

" I always holds with 'avin' it if yer fancies it".

Jan Hunt may be best known as the blue eyed blonde "Crackerjack Girl"! However her forty year career in show business encompasses everything from cabaret, radio, films , pantomime, plays, music hall and musicals. In the theatre, she held leading roles in twenty five pantomimes, and even acted in “The Mousetrap”. On TV she has performed with Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd and other entertainers. Her long association with the Players’ Theatre led to many appearances on "The Good Old Days"
Jan has her own Music Hall Company and a theatre show for children.

"My old man said: "Follow the van"

RADA-trained Peter John has a broad experience as an actor ranging from twice-nightly, weekly repertory to the Royal National Theatre. He has a large repertoire of Music Hall numbers, many of which he has written himself He recenly received the British Music Hall Society's award for Lifetime achievement

"Where e’er I go, I fear no foe, On the good ship Yacki-hicki dooola."
Royston has been singing for his supper in Music Halls various up and down the country and indeed in Germany, Scandinavia, and even America for more years than he cares to remember, besides repertory seasons, tours, and the annual panto - all part of Life's Rich Pageant. as Arthur Marshall did indeed say.
His many years in Music Hall have seen him as jaunty tramp, saucy sailer, foppish Russian spy, rascally pirate, - and perhaps the world's worst Macbeth.
He is a regular, and popular performer at The Players, where the audience never quite knows what to expect when he is announced!

" I want to sing in op'ra, I've got that kind of voice..."

Katy Secombe trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school. She has worked at the National Theatre with Richard Eyre and Nicholas Hytner. In the West End she has been in Mamma Mia and Les Miserables. She has worked for Alan Ayckbourn and had the pleasure of performing alongside her father Sir Harry Secombe in the musical Pickwick at the Chichester Festival TheatreTelevision credits include Casualty and London`s Burning. She can also be caught playing the Jackie of Diamonds in Megamaths on children`s BBC!