This article was in the Newbury Weekly News on 29th October 2020

There has been much publicity in the media regarding support for the professional theatre during the Covid pandemic — quite rightly as people’s livelihoods are at risk.  However, spare a thought for those of us who belong to the amateur theatre.

We do not have salaries to pay, but for most of us there is little prospect of us being able to perform anytime soon.  Not only do the current restrictions mean that performing live is almost impossible, unless the cast and crew of any production are in the same ‘bubble’, but many of our venues are not able to open at the present time because they cannot guarantee a Covid secure environment.

Even if they were able to open, the limitations placed on the number of audience members means the production is likely to be financially non-viable. 

The Compton Players were established in 1947, and over the years have built up a loyal and steady following.  Since 2015, we have received a NODA award every year – two for Best New Show, and 3 Accolades of Excellence, the most recent being for our 2019 production of The Ladykillers.

 We hate to think that there will be no more productions, so are trying to keep the interest and support alive, but it is not easy. However, there are ideas in the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled!

LIZ SAXTON
Compton Players

Photos clockwise from top: The Ladykillers, The Entertainer, Richard III, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Compton Players were delighted to win the NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) South East Region Accolade of Play Excellence Award 2019 for their production of Graham Linehan’s The Ladykillers, a classic black comedy in which a sweet little old lady, alone in her house, is pitted against a gang of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing. Director Pete Watt and designer Helen Saxton faced a tough challenge fitting the complicated three-level set onto Compton’s small stage.