Status: Amateur
Address: 51 Sussex Way, Islington, London, NW3 4SQ
Region: Tower Hamlets, Greater London
Contact Name: Gill Taylor
History: Following the end of the Second World War a number of men and women in London decided to perform a religious play as a thanksgiving for a return to peace and as a celebration of Christmas. In 1946 the Players drama group was formed in the church of St Peter-uponCornhill in the City of London to present a specially written play. Since 1952 the plays have been taken from the medieval mystery cycles, beginning in that year with the Chester Cycle, and we believe that this group is unique in presenting a selection from the main English mystery plays every year since then. Over the years there have of course been many changes of actors, around an ongoing ‘core’ of members who maintain the continuity and pass their knowledge onto those who form the nucleus for the following generation. The Players have had the benefit of the talents of many people from many walks of life – including professionals from the theatrical, musical and creative worlds – and this expertise has helped to strengthen the group as a whole. Always the aim has been to give the best possible production; to make it as accessible as possible to a modern audience; and to keep faith with the original works as they were devised over six-hundred years ago. There have been few changes of directors and group’s second director, ‘Jock’ Longstaff, was responsible for most of the productions in our first twenty-five years. Up to his death in 1995 he attended performances as often as his health allowed and was happy to see that the Players were continuing to keep the original tradition alive, in new ways. This is our current director’s thirtieth production, after a number of years as a performer. After forty years at St Peter-upon-Cornhill the group were based for some time at a west London church but ten years later were back in the City. This year is the fourth in Shadwell, East London. Members of the group come to rehearse and perform from all over the London area and across the country (and beyond). We take pride in continuing to offer an entertainment that existed before Shakespeare but largely died out following the Reformation and has only come back into performance since the middle of the 20th century. We enjoy the experience of playing a part in continuing the tradition of performing these plays much as our ancestors did. The play texts which exist lead us to wonder about the many texts that have been lost – for instance, of the London plays nothing survives!
Website: theplayersofstpeter.org.uk
Phone: 07982 224934
Email: gilltaylor@usa.net
Number of members: 55
Productions per year: 1
Performances per run: 5
Regular Venues: Church of St George in the East, Cannon St Road, Shadwell, London E1 0BH
Does the society run a youth group?: No
Associated Admins
Name | Username | Photo |
---|---|---|
Paul Johnson | MrSardines2 | ![]() |
Admins can request Sardines reviews, upload shows and add auditions
Players of St Peter, The
Report Society- : Amateur
- : Greater London
- : Tower Hamlets
- : Gill Taylor
- : 51 Sussex Way
- : Islington
- : London
- : N7 6RT
- :
Following the end of the Second World War a number of men and women in London decided to perform a religious play as a thanksgiving for a return to peace and as a celebration of Christmas. In 1946 the Players drama group was formed in the church of St Peter-uponCornhill in the City of London to present a specially written play. Since 1952 the plays have been taken from the medieval mystery cycles, beginning in that year with the Chester Cycle, and we believe that this group is unique in presenting a selection from the main English mystery plays every year since then.
Over the years there have of course been many changes of actors, around an ongoing ‘core’ of members who maintain the continuity and pass their knowledge onto those who form the nucleus for the following generation. The Players have had the benefit of the talents of many people from many walks of life – including professionals from the theatrical, musical and creative worlds – and this expertise has helped to strengthen the group as a whole. Always the aim has been to give the best possible production; to make it as accessible as possible to a modern audience; and to keep faith with the original works as they were devised over six-hundred years ago.
There have been few changes of directors and group’s second director, ‘Jock’ Longstaff, was responsible for most of the productions in our first twenty-five years. Up to his death in 1995 he attended performances as often as his health allowed and was happy to see that the Players were continuing to keep the original tradition alive, in new ways. This is our current director’s thirtieth production, after a number of years as a performer.
After forty years at St Peter-upon-Cornhill the group were based for some time at a west London church but ten years later were back in the City. This year is the fourth in Shadwell, East London. Members of the group come to rehearse and perform from all over the London area and across the country (and beyond). We take pride in continuing to offer an entertainment that existed before Shakespeare but largely died out following the Reformation and has only come back into performance since the middle of the 20th century. We enjoy the experience of playing a part in continuing the tradition of performing these plays much as our ancestors did. The play texts which exist lead us to wonder about the many texts that have been lost – for instance, of the London plays nothing survives!
- : theplayersofstpeter.org.uk
- : https://www.facebook.com/pospmysteryplays
- : https://twitter.com/PlayersStPeter
- : 07982 224934
- : gilltaylor@usa.net
- : 55
- : 1
- : 5
- : Church of St George in the East, Cannon St Road, Shadwell, London E1 0BH
- : No
Past Productions
Production name | Author Credit | Main Image | Venue | Date of production |
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