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History
Of The Players' Theatre Club
The
history of the Players' is a microcosm of British theatrical history,
and many famous names have appeared on its stage. At its conception
in 1936, the Players' was intended as a club, covering many aspects
of theatrical entertainment. The founders, Leonard Sachs and
Peter Ridgeway, acquired premises on the top floor of 43 Kings Street,
Covent Garden, in premises which from the 1870s onwards had been one
of the first Music Halls managed by the well known W G Evans.
Messrs. Ridgeway and Sachs rapidly established the Players' as a notable
'little theatre'. In 1937, seeking a Christmas show, they were
persuaded to present an evening of Music Hall entertainment recreating
as far as possible night at 'Evans'. This was the very first
programme of early Victorian delights, offered under the title 'Ridgeway's
Late Joys'. The show was an instant success, the original cast
including Patricia Hayes, Meg Jenkins, Richard Hayden and Harold Scott.
Within a few months, subsequent editions had persuaded Ridgeway and Sachs
that Music Hall was the club's future. Peter Ridgeway died shortly
afterwards of TB, at the age of 34. Leonard Sachs continued on his own,
his gift for discovering new talent being a major factor in his success.
Among the new recruits came Robert Eddison, Bernard Miles, Alec Clunes,
and Frith Banbury and Peter Ustinov (auditioning at 11 am, onstage by
11 pm) in his professional debut. Apart from attracting gifted artists
and musicians as performers, two artists destined to become famous in
their own right added their talents to the mix. Rex Whistler designed
sets and scenery, whilst Felix Topolski did much to decorate the theatre
with his wonderful draughtsmanship. Rex Whistler designed a backcloth
for the play "Luck of the Devil" - finishing it off backstage,
while activity nwas still taking place on stage. For many years, it had
prde of place on the wall at the side of the stairs leading to the auditorium
in the theatre, b ut when the club lost the ease to the theatre, it was
sold to the national Trust, who have it on display in Plas Newydd in Anglesey.
The Players' was recognised by public and critics as 'The most original
entertainment in London'. It was even endorsed as one of the
clubs to which the subalterns of the Household Brigade were permitted
to belong. The Churchill family were great supporters - Sarah
Churchill helping as a programme seller. Sir Maurice and Lady
Violet Bonham-Carter, together with their son, Mark, are to be found
amongst the early membership, which included many leading members
of London society. The club flourished, offering performances
every night at 11.00 pm and at 2.00 am on at least two evenings per
week!
Leonard Sachs continued to recruit clever artistes. The scions
of well-known Edwardian theatrical families (including Huntley Wright,
Sterndale Bennett, and later J. N. Maskelyne), added an inherited
touch of authenticity to the proceedings. Later still, some
of the performers from that earlier age returned to the music-hall
stage via The Players' - including Ada Reeve, Ruby Millar, Albert
Whelan and Billy Merson, (who acted as Chairman).
The outbreak of the second World War in 1939 inevitably caused serious
problems. The Players' premises, on the top floor of an old building
with a glass roof and a hydraulic lift, were not an ideal venue during
an air-raid. Eventually, after two short-term arrangements (including
a number of performances in a member's drawing-room in St. John's Wood),
the Players' found a refuge in Albemarle Street in the former El Morocco
Night Club. This was in a basement in one of the few concrete buildings
in London. Thanks to this good fortune, the Players' (along with
The Windmill) 'never closed' throughout the War.
Leonard Sachs was called up for military service and (riding in a
taxi to Waterloo to join his troop train) he made over the Players'
Theatre Club to Jean Anderson, already an established actress and
Players' artiste. Jean contrived to keep the Club open and solvent
for the next five years, before going on to a very distinguished career
both on stage and on television in series such as 'Tenko' and 'The
Brothers'. Under her management, the Players' became a haven
for Londoners suffering the Blitz, as well as a home from home for
many of the allied forces also living in London.
Americans,
Australians, Canadians, Czechs, Danes, Dutch, the Free French, Indians,
New Zealanders, Norwegians, Poles, Rhodesians, South Africans - all
were to be found among the Players' audience. Indeed, to this day,
every Players' audience usually contains a number of 'visitors from
abroad' who are duly greeted and teased. In addition, nearly
every Sunday saw a contingent of Players' artistes entertain in hospitals,
at gun-sites and searchlight emplacements. James Robertson Justice
made his debut as Chairman and launched his film career at this time.
With the end of the War, Leonard Sachs returned to take up the reins
again and was immediately obliged to seek yet another location.
Having rented a small flat in Craven Street, he was looking out of
a rear window one day at the brick face of the Hungerford Arches under
Charing Cross Station, when he faintly discerned the legend "Forum Cinema". Sending Bill Draper, the Stage Carpenter, round to
investigate, they found that this 'arch and a half' had indeed been
a theatre from 1910 onwards.
During
the War, it had been turned into storage for the Army Corps of Cinematography.
Of greater importance, was the discovery that this arch had originally
been in the music hall created by the Gatti Brothers. The Gattis
had owned two music-halls, Gattis' 'Underneath the Arches' in Villiers
Street and Gattis' 'The Road' in Westminster Bridge Road. The
building in Villiers Street had been known as the Hungerford Music
Hall, dating back to 1865. Although this provenance was very
exciting, the building had been very neglected and lacked any theatre
fittings or equipment.
Enquiries at the War Office put Leonard in touch with a sympathetic
Senior Officer who remembered the Players' company's visits to the
sites and camps. Orders were given, and the building was released
within a matter of days. Players' members and artistes rallied
round and, incredibly, the building was open for business within three
weeks. For a time, the Membership lists over-subscribed, as
the Club went from strength to strength. New talent was discovered
or returned to theatrical life.
Hattie Jacques, Bill Owen, Ian Carmichael, Clive Dunn, Ian Wallace
and John Hewer appeared regularly on the bill. They provided
a strong lead to the brilliant newcomers joining the company - Daphne
Anderson, Patsy Rowlands, Maggie Smith, Marian Studholme, Marion Grimaldi,
and Margaret Burton being but a few.
Leonard was asked to present a similar show at the Festival Gardens,
for the Festival of Britain. So favourable was the response,
that the great theatre chain of the time, Moss Empires, invited Sachs
to undertake a long tour of all the major variety theatres in the
United Kingdom. This triggered the interest of BBC Leeds, and
in due course "The Good Old Days" reached BBC television. Originally
only a few programmes went out, and Don Gemmel (Leonard's successor
as Director of the Players') was Chairman. Such was public acclaim,
that the show was scheduled for first four, then thirteen, then twenty-six
weekly editions. It remained a part of the BBC light entertainment
for 32 years and was frequently to be found in the 'top ten' in terms
of ratings.
In 1954, The Players' commissioned a short 'end-piece' designed to
fill the third part of the usual Players' evening. The author
and composer was Sandy Wilson - the work he provided was 'The Boy
Friend'. From its first appearance, barely forty-five minutes
long, the merit and charm of the piece was self-evident. After
a triumphant four-week run, Sandy was asked to expand the piece.
The full-length version again earned immense acclamation, but West
End Management would not offer the play a transfer.
Courageously, Don Gemmel, Gervase Farjeon and Reginald Woolley arranged
a short Christmas season at Swiss Cottage's Embassy Theatre. Once
again, audience and critics were in total accord, and on the morning the
reviews appeared, 'The Boy Friend' was offered five or six West End theatres.
It eventually transferred to the Wyndhams Theatre, where it played to
more than 95% capacity for five years, and made a star of Julie Andrews
in New York.
On the occasion of the Players' Diamond Jubilee in
1996, Sir Peter Ustinov was installed as Honorary President in front
of a capacity audience. Many members of the Royal Family to
have passed through our doors including Prince Charles, Prince Phillip
and Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
The
Members of the Players Theatre Club, almost as well rehearsed as the
cast, would join in with the performances, answering the Chairman
and singing along with some of the most famous songs in Music Hall.
These could be be supplemented by any one of the some 30,000 lesser-known
songs from our vast archive.
The
Players' was unique, however, in more ways than one. Although,
essentially a members' theatre, the restrictive licensing laws of
yesteryear were relaxed and any casual visitor was able to buy a ticket
for £15.00.
The
evenings' entertainment continued to be billed as 'Ridgeways Late
Joys': an evening of revival Victorian Music Hall and that is exactly
what it was - a selection of professional artistes, past masters
at putting over a minor musical masterpiece in costume. The
simple accompaniment remained that of a grand Steinway pianoforte
and the company combined at the end of the show for a rousing ensemble
finale, concluding with 'Dear Old Pals' - sung at every performance
for 64 years.
The
whole evening was compered from the stage by a distinguished master
of ceremonies "in the chair". This would often be
the former Director of The Players', Dominic Le Foe, who dubs himself
"as British as the Flag". The sartorial elegance of
the chairman was matched by the performers. The humour was strictly
Victorian, but with astute observations on life, as relevant now as
they ever were in Queen Victoria's day. There were two short
intervals during which the audience would be invited to visit the
bars and help swell the coffers of this merry throng by indulging
in a few libations, toasting the health of Her Majesty awhile.
Every
year the Players' presented an original Victorian Pantomime, by J
R Planche.
The
Players' Theatre Club was unique and had survived unfunded and unsponsored
since it was founded in 1936, until its misfortunes in 2002.
Since
then, much has happened - a Restoration
Committee has been formed and after a phenomenal amount of work
by many people, The Players' is now once more delighting audiences
all around the country: mainly in the West End, but also, by invitation, at special events and festivals around the U.K.
(IF YOU, THE READER, KNOW OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO STAGE A SHOW FOR ANY OCCASION, PLEASE CONTACT BILL HALSON)
A long lease of a building in Craven Street (the other side of the
Charing Cross station tracks) has been purchased with the aim of
constructing facilities to provide a venue for rehearsals, auditions, training new talent. We hope to put on modest events to enable newcomers to show off their talents, and also provide entertainment and social opportunities for senior citizens.
The
Players' Theatre club is an important part of British Music Hall
tradition. Long may it continue!
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