The Blewbury Players

The Blewbury Players were founded in 1976 as a non-profit making trust, initially to perform Shakespeare for a week once each summer in an open-air theatre in the grounds of Orchard Dene, a private house in Blewbury. They have come a long way since then. The group still puts on a run of 5 performances each summer at Orchard Dene, and also puts on productions in the village hall several times a year, including Cabaret, Ayckbourn, the Blewbury Oscars, and improvisation workshops.

In 1976 they managed with 10 second hand pattern 223 1 kW Fresnel lanterns, controlled by wire wound rheostats (with a master rheostat). Power then came from a cable connected to the fuse box in the larder of Orchard Dene!

They have used Zero 88 equipment for many years but needed a more sophisticated memory system as their lighting plots became more and more complex. Additionally, having involved a series of teenage 'apprentices' over the years and they were keen to involve young people in the Blewbury Players, and wanted state of the art equipment to help attract them.

The Financial Award they received from Zero 88 has helped them to purchase a Frog Control Desk and a Demux 48, enabling them to upgrade from their manual analogue system. This new equipment has revolutionised the quality and complexity of their lighting plots, helping them to continually improve the standard of their performances.

The new equipment not only benefits the Blewbury Players, as all performances help to raise money for local community initiatives. To date their fundraising has helped provide a new piano for the village hall, paid for youth drama workshops and enables grants for local youngsters to help them attend drama or dance school. Their lighting equipment is also loaned to local schools, and they regularly provide lighting for the Village Bonfire, Father Christmas, Dances, Quizzes, Festivals and productions in neighbouring villages


Photographs show Blewbury Players performing 'As you Like It' at Orchard Dene during the summer of 2003.