Ever since Graham and Sue Dowell started us off in 1976, The Hampstead Players have taken amateurism seriously. 'In love, as in sport', said Robert Graves, (he might also have said 'the theatre') '…amateur status must be strictly maintained'. We pursue high standards, and hope to do justice to the work of great dramatists and, in a broader sense, to the mission of the Church, but we also do it with enthusiasm, and a sense of fun - otherwise, for amateurs, what is the point?

Over thirty years or more, our dramatis personae, like those of The Mousetrap, have continually changed - new ideas and attitudes have made us more ambitious. We like plays of ideas which also make use of the spectacular possibilities of the church space, and our large-scale productions have included Murder in the Cathedral, Lewis Carroll's Alice, Oliver!, The Crucible, The Mystery Plays and A Tale of Two Cities.

On the other hand, our small church crypt offers a closer rapport with our audience. This is where our intimate production of Hamlet started off a regular summer Shakespeare season, which has included A Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar. It is also where the Hampstead Players Youth Theatre have done several inventive productions including Dreams of Anne Frank and Grimm Tales.

We have learned to enjoy acting in the open air, competing with the noise from traffic and café tables, and are also privileged to tour our plays, both in Britain and France. But we also belong to Hampstead, and our domestic programme, of themed poetry evenings - like Decadence and Dandyism, Place and Space, Vice and Virtue - of play-readings, technical workshops and theatre visits, is a communal, community activity.

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M E M B E R S H I P

Membership of The Hampstead Players is open to all who love creating good theatre. If you are interested in becoming a member, please click here

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