25 YEARS OF DRAMA By Pam Allinson
PROLOGUE President's Remarks In 1976 a small group of members of the Troy Art Club decided to revive the old dramatic society which had not operated since before the war. We chose the name of Troy Players. We each made a donation of ÂŁ2 and, by holding coffee mornings, wine and cheese evenings etc, we amassed a few funds. Our first production was of three One Act Plays presented at the old Junior School - after which we moved to the Town Hall, and have since produced two or three plays a year. Thanks to the support of a loyal audience we have raised enough money to buy lighting and sound equipment, superior velvet curtains and backdrop. This year we entered the National One Act Play Festival and won first prize in the Western Regional Final at Falmouth - a fitting triumph in our Silver Jubilee year. I thank Pam Allinson for compiling this history of Troy Players and its productions, which I am sure you will find very interesting. Jacqui Lowe
CURTAIN UP In the autumn of 1976 the idea of Troy Players was born when a series of play-readings was held at the Troy Art Club. This was so much enjoyed by some people that when the series finished Ursula Bond-Taylor suggested that it might be a good idea to form a Drama Group. Others thought so too, and a notice was displayed in a local shop (Dolphin Dairy) to advertise a meeting to explore local interest. Only a few people attended the meeting, but a core of five determined to go ahead. Ursula Bond-Taylor, who had suggested the formation of the group, was chairwoman. Ursula was a professionally trained ballet dancer, but had no straight acting experience. Bea Holt, who had retired to Fowey, had some previous experience in amateur dramatics. Jacqui Featherstone, who at that time ran the Riverside Hotel with her husband, had a lifelong interest in drama. Marian Moseley (ANEA) had only recently come to live in Fowey, and she was in the right place at the right time for the new group. She came from a combined acting/teaching career with Sussex County Council, and was promptly designated Producer. Tessa Williams, was the youngest of the five. Her father, Graham Gullick was in the 1930's a member of The Fowey Amateur Dramatic Society, which had produced a number of plays pre-war. He had acted in 'The Ghost Train' by Arnold Ridley, a production well remembered by some present locals.
Of these five Jacqui and Tessa are still active members, and Marion, one of only two Honorary Members, maintains a keen interest.
The old Primary School, now holiday apartments
THE FIRST ACT At that time the drama group was named The Troy Players, (in 1995 when the constitution was adopted it became TROY PLAYERS) and its dedicated members set about recruiting other locals to enable them to stage their first production. This was achieved in May the following year, when a double bill entitled 'An Entertainment' was presented at the Primary School, then sited in Daglands Road. The Town Hall, which was later to become the permanent home of the Players, was unavailable as it was in urgent need of repair.
However, the school had no stage, and one had to be improvised with borrowed plastic cubes. Peter Moseley and Andy O`Hara needed the whole of the kitty of ÂŁ21 to build a modest set with flats and a door, furnished respectively as two different living rooms, one set at the end of the 1800's, the other in the present day (1977). 'An Entertainment' consisted of two one act
Angels In Love
Lord Arthur Saville`s Crime 1979
plays: Dark Brown, a melodrama by Philip Johnson, and Home is the Hunted, a comedy by RF Delderfield, plus 'a couple of turns' by cast members, presented for two nights. All went well in the first play, then in the second things started to happen. Ron Bennett was playing a police sergeant in 'Home is the Hunted', and his entrance came at a crucial point in the plot. Imagine his consternation when on making his entrance, the handle (supplied from his own shop) came off in his hand and he couldn't get on stage. The audience, and the cast were in stitches. That wasn't the end of unforeseen incidents, for later in the play part of the scenery fell down, much to the audience's delight. Despite these hiccups the production was a success, and the group were encouraged to continue. After improvements to the Town Hall had been made, in January 1979 Troy Players presented their first three act play Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Constance Cox (admission 60p, children 35p). At the end of the performance a man in the audience stood up and said, "Tonight has been a wonderful occasion for Fowey. We hope this group will continue to give the town as much pleasure in the coming years." From then on production followed production, each one with its own story to tell. New members joined, some left. Many difficulties were overcome by determined and stalwart members, and Troy Players continued to grow.
From experience the Players found that what their audiences wanted was comedy, and this, together with some murder-mysteries is what they generally receive to this day present. Troy Players' fortunes have been inextricably intermingled with the fortunes of Fowey Town Hall. The 18th century Town Hall, situated in the heart of the town, had always been used for civic and community purposes - Maydays, dances, concerts, national events such as coronations had been celebrated over the years by countless Fowey folk. It was fitting then that it should become home to the fledgling Troy Players, although it could never belong to them. Costs of hiring have always been a large item in the budget, and in the early days the lighting had to be hired from a firm in Plymouth, fetched and taken back. Rehearsals were held largely in members homes, and only moved to the Town Hall just before production, in time to build the set and hold a dress rehearsal. Conditions were far from ideal, and at first cast members took their own heaters along to winter rehearsals, and piled on woolly jumpers. Things were slightly more comfortable for the public, but conditions were precise. In 1977 an Occasional Stage Play Licence for Fowey Town Hall was granted to Troy Players.
Our Venue - Fowey Town Hall IT STATES.
"1. Gas Heaters. The LPG gas heaters may be used to warm the premises up, but they must be switched off and put out of the way before any members of the public are permitted into the building. 2. Seating. Gangways measuring not less than 3'6" should be provided intersecting the seating. Seats
should be so arranged that the centre line of no seat is more than12' 0" from a gangway. 3. Capacity. The maximum number of persons admitted as a seated audience should not exceed 120 at any one time."
still only a weekend before opening night (sometimes work is going on during dress and technical rehearsals) and be taken down immediately afterwards. The Town Hall is a multi-purpose building, and if it is to be used by an other organisation for an event the following day, set striking starts as soon as the doors are closed on the last of the audience. Space has always been limited. In the early days scenery was stored under the stage, and for a while during the 80's a small room was available for other items. There has been much transporting of equipment to and from friendly barns and garages. As well as people with drama skills, strong men have always been needed by Troy
Once In a Blue Moon 1979
There was a stage and chairs, but no curtains, lighting, sound or facilities for scenery - nothing. Peter Moseley discovered some apparently beautiful curtains under the stage, only to find on unfolding them that they had been cut up into squares. One early production was performed without curtains, and an urgent priority was the purchase of a pair of cheap ones, which lasted for years. So Troy Players had to borrow equipment and fundraise. It cost money to put on a production - licence, royalties, costumes, rental, etc., (as it still does, and always will do) which it was hoped that
Ladies In Retirement 1983
Angels In Love 1981
ticket and refreshment sales would cover. Committed and energetic, production teams over the years have worked hard to build up facilities to provide what is today a creditable theatre, ploughing back the profits of each production. Things were made no easier by the fact that each set had to be built and dressed only just before the first night, and even today there is
Players. It wasn't until 1996 that a lease was signed with the Town Council for use of space in the roof of the Town Hall as a storage area. After boarding the floor, and enlarging the access hatch reached by a ladder in the back stage area, Troy Players could now store stage equipment safely on the premises. To this day it is a boon, even though everything has to be manhandled up a ladder into the roof. The stage itself is a wooden platform, bounded on two side by outside walls with high windows overlooking the street. On the third side steps lead down to a space which is little more than a passage between the backstage area and the auditorium. It is here that the stage manager works, and they have to be very well organised with so little room. It also accommodates the
7
The following June nothing further had been prompt, who works with a carefully arranged done to rectify the situation, so Troy Players sight line between a curtain and the edge of a wrote a letter asking that the stage be reinstated flat. Some times even that is not possible, and to its original size by adding an apron. Sounds they have to work with no sight of the stage at like a simple solution. Not so. It was suggested all. On stage a framework for flats and curtain track that Troy Players construct an apron themselves out of available materials, and has to be erected for each performance. The enquiries were made at Fowey School stage is not large, with very little room behind the flats. It has been even smaller. One autumn regarding cubes used in their productions, also enquiries at Lostwithiel Centre. evening in 1985, when the cast arrived for a By September matters had still not been rehearsal they found that the front part of the stage was missing, and the curtain track above resolved, and Troy Players were still asking what was to be done to improve things. projected about eight feet in front of the In October an estimate for ÂŁ650 to provide an remainder. Peter Moseley and Andy O'Hara apron for the stage was discussed by the searched the town and found broken parts of council. At the council meeting on November 19th a councillor said that the matter had been discussed and agreed on at the Finance Committee meeting. A proposition to go ahead and build the apron was defeated by one vote, and the proposing councillor walked out of the meeting declaring "It's a dreadful decision." Other councillors felt the cost was too much, and it was proposed that further estimates be acquired. By December no tenders had been received,
Night Must Fall 1984
the decking in Fore Street and most of the trestles were later retrieved from a disused church in Charlestown, the rest having been burnt. Then began a running battle with the town council. In March 1986 the mayor explained that the front of the stage had been built on at a later date than the original, and was partly supported by trestles and timber. It was proposed that the size of the stage be reduced by removing the additional frontage, it to be taken away and if possible, stored for further use if ever needed.
Panic Stations 1985
A Tomb With A View 1985
and there was a long discussion about storage of the proposed apron. When the new stage apron was eventually constructed, it was found to be too big to store under the rest of the stage, as envisaged. A suggestion that it be stored against a wall in the Town Hall kitchen was objected to as it might be
against fire regulations. The problem was then passed to Restormel Borough Council to resolve. The local papers had a field day with the story. Part of a cutting from the Cornish Guardian is quoted below. The Farce at Fowey Don't put you daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington - especially if it's the stage at Fowey Town Hall. Why? Because the council have cut it in half, that's why! They've removed the front bit.
back, holding the door slightly ajar throughout the whole performance! Unbelievable! Needless to say, one of the then Friends of Troy Players obliged and held his draughty position with great fortitude!" In recent years there has been an apalling smell in the Town Hall, making rehearsals unpleasant to say the least. It became apparent that the smell came from the Aquarium (then between owners) beneath the auditorium, where the tanks were lying empty. It was better for a while after drains had been flushed out, but the smell returned with a vengeance. It was so bad that the town's policewoman had to vacate her office there, and the Museum downstairs had to be closed. To date the smell has gone, and was possibly linked to the notorious 'Fowey Pong' on Town Quay, a legacy of South West Water's modernisation of the sewerage system. It is hoped this time that the smell has been vanquished for good. Now the Town Hall has regained its own ambience, redolent of its three hundred year old history. The honey coloured floorboards slope slightly, barely noticeable when the comfortable upholstered seats are in place. Roof supporting beams accommodate the lighting system, and
Pools Paradise 1988
I am not kidding you - it`s true. They did it to make more floor space in the hall. It could only happen in Cornwall, surely. And this must rate as the greatest farce ever written for the gallant Troy Players there - although they will never be able to perform it in the Town Hall." All was finally resolved, and the missing part of the stage reinstated. As a post script to the stage extension saga, during the 1990s Troy Players found that further, temporary, extensions were needed for some productions and a member (Roger Green) constructed a series of rostra which could be adapted to requirement - i.e. extend stage, full or part apron, steps, etc., and how useful they are! On another occasion in the mid-nineties Marian Mosely recalls: " The Council put in a new entrance door and altered the windows just before a production. Peter and I were in the middle of completing the set for the dress rehearsal when the Fire Brigade representative turned up to check things. Imagine our horror when he said that the door did not comply with Fire Regulations - neither did the windows! In order to enable the show to proceed, we made a deal with him to have someone sitting at the
The Importance Of Being Ernest 1990
high curtained windows afford an occasional view of a passing china clay ship, whose mournful hoots sometimes punctuate a performance. The seagull clamour is just background noise and can be ignored, but it is a different matter when the King of Prussia pub across the way has live music on Saturday nights in summer. But Friday night bell ringing practise at nearby St Fimbarrus can be postponed if requested when a play is being performed. A large portrait of the Queen and a First World War Roll of Honour preside on one wall, and a list of former mayors looks down on the refreshment tables where tea, coffee and
gents' toilet forms the men's dressing room. Mostly the arrangements are manageable, but when the pantomime was staged in 1998, for the augmented cast of thirty four, plus wardrobe, make-up and stage hands, it was a very tight squeeze. When the first Daphne du Maurier Festival was held in 1997 the organisers, Restormel Council, installed carpets and tiered seating which, with lovely blue drapes, transformed the Town hall into a proper theatre. Troy Players production was The Liars by Pam Douglas, an adaptation of two short stories by Daphne du Maurier, 'The Supreme Artist' and 'Leading Lady'. Many of the other Festival events were also held there. The following year the Festival Village was Murdered To Death 1995 inaugurated in the grounds of the Community College, and Troy Players reverted to their usual arrangements in the Town Hall for subsequent productions. In 1998, Restormel Council, after struggling for eight years to keep Fowey Town Hall going were considering closing the building unless a The Ghost Train 1990 viable alternative use could be found. Troy wine are on sale at performances. Before Troy Players made representation to the Town Players acquired an urn of their own an electric Council, vigorously resisting this idea. If a plan kettle had to be boiled in time for the interval, to change the hall to a heritage centre and but it made such a hissing noise that it museum had been implemented Troy Players distracted players and audience. It was decided would have gone out of business, as there was instead to boil the kettle backstage in the nowhere else to put on productions. The kitchen, which doubles as ladies' dressing room. company contributed considerably (and still This worked well for a while until one night towards the end of the first act, when the kettle was switched on a fuse blew plunging the stage into darkness. Light was restored within a few frantic minutes and the play continued. (See Tales from The Green Room) A good outcome of this was that the whole electric system at the Town Hall was renewed, including a loop system installed to help the hard of hearing. Two wooden pillars have always impeded the view of the stage from certain angles. Over the years representation has been made to the Town Council for their removal. To date the reply has had to be "No, the place would fall Mystery At Greenfingers 1994 down without them." With modern building construction and sufficient funds perhaps one does) to the upkeep of the building by its regular day it will happen. bookings, and has attracted audiences of up to Backstage the women's dressing room in the three hundred people over several days with kitchen (as mentioned earlier) is shared with each production. To date no changes have front-of-house crews. The cooker top and work been made, but the Town Hall is being surfaces form dressing tables, and a line increasingly used for more and more events of hanging across the corner where the cleaning all kinds, thus making the viability of the building materials live sufficed to hang costumes until more secure. A good relationship exists with the recently. Now a proper hanging rail is positioned Town council, particularly through the auspices on the landing. This L-shaped landing and the of past and present Town Clerks. As major
Murdered To Death 1995
Hotel Paradiso 1995
users of the building, Troy Players are proud to have helped to ensure that the Town Hall remains under local control.
meetings are held by invitation in the home of the president. Here planning and organisational decisions are made. A great deal of work, largely unnoticed by others, goes into the smooth and successful running of the drama group. For some time in earlier years 'Friends of Troy Players' received a newsletter written by the chairman, and their names were printed in the programme of each production. Nowadays local businesses pay to advertise in the programme, and increasingly, sponsorships are being sought. A regular newsletter goes out to all members, whose support is invaluable, whether active in the group or not. (Even talking about Troy Players stimulates interest - attracting audiences and sometimes new members.)
PLAYING MANY PARTS Troy Players from the start has inspired enthusiasm and dedication, particularly from a hard core of people in each decade who have been willing to "have a go" at anything. A look through past programmes show the same names doing different things, sometimes in the same production. For instance, most people who design and build sets also perform other functions, such as acting, stage manager, producer. Some one who acts in one production may do front-of -house, costumes or lighting in another. The permutation is endless. Prodigious efforts have been made - time spent in learning lines, rehearsing, scouting round to find special items for props, publicity, committee meetings, and the rest. Some members must eat, sleep and dream the productions, which also means that patient families play an important supporting role in each play presented. Committee meetings are held monthly, formerly in the Ship Inn and other venues, but currently
Move Over Mrs Markham 1996
Members, and any one else interested, are also invited to monthly social evenings where they may take part in play readings, quizzes and other entertainments arranged by the social secretary. There are visits to other drama
groups, usually local, but may be further afield, such as Plymouth Theatre Royal, and there is an annual trip to the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno. A river trip to Lerryn, Lostwithiel or Golant is popular, as are barbecues and parties held at members' homes. A highlight of the social year is the President's
The Liars 1997
Party held since her appointment to President in1998 at the beautiful home of Jaqui (formerly Featherstone) and Don Lowe, overlooking the harbour - a gracious occasion when members put on their glad rags to enjoy generous hospitality in a lovely setting. To mark their twenty-fifth anniversary and the Queen's golden jubilee members wore something gold or silver to the party.
Round And Round The Garden 1999
Troy Players is a member of Restormel Arts Association, and of the Cornwall Drama Association since 1995, through whom the group can arrange workshops, such as lighting, stage makeup. Some members have attended county day workshops on aspects of drama and stage work with professionals, always enjoyable and useful.
A former member, Alan Ogden, ran a five week course in 1995 in acting, entitled 'Nobody has to be a Tree', which proved helpful and interesting to those who attended. Although there is no spirit of individual competition within the group, the Maggie Jones Cup is awarded annually to the member whom the committee considers to have contributed most to the group during the year. The cup was presented by Marian Moseley in memory of an early member of the group. The event is very low key, and the recipient each year is usually totally surprised to have been singled out. Funding has always been a major consideration, and in the early years fundraising events such as coffee mornings were held in the Conservative Club, at the old Toll Bar and in the cafĂŠ which is now a popular bistro, Sam's. Supper dances have also been held in the Town Hall, one memorable one in the early 90's was when the rafters rang, and the floor shook (metaphorically) to the strains of the Clay City Stompers. Although great fun, the evening ran at a loss, and few fundraising efforts have made much money. In 1990 charges for the hire of the Town Hall were doubled, which for a while made things difficult. A generous gift from a local benefactor, the late Pam Sheridan, boosted the funds, and it is to this lady to whom the 2002 Daphne du Maurier production of Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime was affectionately dedicated in this Silver Jubilee year of the drama group. On the whole Troy Players has funded itself through revenue from its productions, some yielding more than others. Expenses for each production vary, according to whether it is a costume drama, how much the set cost to construct, royalties and how much rehearsal time in the Town Hall is needed - always by far the biggest item. To save cost, early and extra rehearsals have been held in members' homes, private rooms in pubs - the Ship, Safe Harbour, at the Fowey Hotel and in the Church Hall. All have been good friends to the group. Storage of costumes is accommodated at Wood's Pharmacy in exchange for a donation to Fowey River Lions. Profits are ploughed back into providing and improving stage facilities, lighting especially needing to be repeatedly updated. There has, however, always been something to spare to help other people, and occasionally local organisations have received donations from the Troy Players. Two young people, one a Troy Players member from Fowey and one from
Polruan Theatre Group, have been helped to further their studies in drama. A new departure for Troy Players in their twenty first year, 1998, was the pantomime Sinbad Written and directed by Freda Lightfoot, long time member and successful author, with musical direction by Rachael Tompkins, music teacher. In her Chairman's Report at the AGM Jenny Turner says:
Director of Sinbad for the Best Company Production and Direction Overall. The company were encouraged to plan further pantomimes, especially as the young people involved had been so enthusiastic. There was great debate as to whether Troy Players could do one every year, but it would not have been possible to do that and continue their programmes of plays. It was decided to present
Sinbad 1998
"The pantomime - what can one say - absolutely fabulous and what a learning curve. A bold venture involving a tremendous amount of work, thought and involvement from many people. Most Troy Players were involved, as were many new faces, particularly young faces - and weren't they superb!" As there was nothing to lose, the pantomime was lightheartedly entered in the Calor Gas Cornwall Village Pantomime awards, and to everyone's astonishment Sinbad was nominated in twenty seven award categories, and at the Oscar Awards came away with fourteen prizes. Three of these were firsts, namely the Gloria Jackson Harlequin presented to the Entire Company for Particular Achievement (First panto in Fowey), the Pirate FM Arlechio presented to Penny Vernall and Company for outstanding sound and sound effects and a Primary Award First Prize presented to Freda Lightfoot, Author and
another pantomime two years later in 2000, but it was not to be. Freda had written another script, 'Merlin and the Magic Juke box', but in the event, neither Freda nor Rachael could be available, and replacement directors could not be found. The idea was not forgotten. In 2001 John Vincent had written a script which he was eager to see staged, and he had a musical director lined up. The committee gave the go-ahead and began to plan. A morning workshop was held for children with a view to assessing interest in a pantomime. This was well attended and enjoyed. Several talented children were identified for parts, there were plenty of children to take part in the songs and dances, and parents were keen. So were members of the company, and auditions were held. However, there was a lot going on all at the same time. The autumn production Clerical Errors was in rehearsal, and there were requests from local organisations for Christmas entertainments, and it was decided
that the group concerned with running the pantomime should become independent of Troy Players to enable them to concentrate on pantomime alone. This group subsequently became the Fowey Funnybone Youth Theatre and successfully presented Aladdin in February 2002. Troy Players have taken drama into the wider community, performing Murder Mysteries at the invitation of restaurants, sailing and yacht clubs. For the past two years they have entertained at the Fowey River Lions Club Senior Citizen's Christmas party with a mini-panto and a one act play. In 2001 they combined with Polruan Players to present Gaslight and Garters, a music hall variety entertainment in aid of a local charity. In this Silver Jubilee year yet another new venture has won acclaim for Troy Players. After entering the All England Festival of One Act Plays for the first time with 'Theatrical Digs' by Jean McConnell, the Players were Area Final Winners at St Austell, and won the Western
revelation to others, there were photographs, programmes, posters, press cuttings, costumes, scripts and other mementoes, a colourful and evocative record of the drama group's history. The twenty fifth anniversary year culminated in a Grand Dinner at the Fowey Hotel in December - complete with home grown entertainment, of course. It is a fitting way for present members to celebrate the hard work and ingenuity, the successes and disasters, despair and sheer enjoyment that means being a Troy Player. For the last twenty five years Troy Players have been a fixture in Fowey. The company has not always got it right, but on the whole audiences have appreciated their efforts and dedication. Locals and visitors have supported and mostly enjoyed what was on offer, and have staunchly put 'bums on seats'. In the last few years the Daphne du Maurier Festival has given the Players a wider audience, and mostly full houses every night. Without audiences Troy Players would be meaningless, and audiences make the hard work, the trials and tribulations
My Friend Miss Flint 2000
Brief Encounter 1998
Division Final at Falmouth, with awards for Best and especially, the joy of performing, well Play, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Set. worthwhile. It would be satisfying to think that the man who In the Western area finals they were Highly stood up at the end of Lord Arthur Savile's Commended - "beaten but unbowed" to quote Crime all those years ago to hope that Troy the chairman, Terry Dooley. Players would continue to give the town as 'Theatrical Digs' was presented to Fowey audiences as part of the September production much pleasure as they had that night, felt that his wish had been fulfilled. 'Break a Leg', which included Last Tango in Here's to the next twenty five years. Fowey-by Sea by David Tristram and Mispronouncers Anonymous by Ronnie Barker. An exhibition entitled 'Troy Players - twenty TALES FROM THE GREEN ROOM five years of drama' was held in Fowey Library Every one connected with Troy Players has for three weeks in September. As well as the their own memories of various productions over awards for 'Theatrical Digs' displayed in the the years - hilarious, touching and some not fit foyer, a room in the library was bursting at the for publication. seams with memorabilia from each production Here is a selection of tales members have over the quarter century. A reminder to some, a shared:
In The Camel's Back (1980) Michael Penprase recalls that about halfway through he gave a cue for the maid, played by Kathy O'Rourke, to enter. She didn't, and he could see her in the wings looking horrified. He repeated the line. When her response was to wave her arms
Clerical Errors 2001
frantically, he realised that he had skipped about ten pages of the script. Quick as a flash Michael turned to the audience to exclaim "I think we'd better start that again." When the maid eventually appeared - at the right time every one cheered. Prior to one of Marian Moseley's presentations Donald Sinden, who had trained under the same drama teacher as Marian sent a card with his good wishes. Actor Peter Barkworth who had stayed at the Riverside Hotel when Jacqui was the owner, also sent good wishes for the same production. A programme for Fowey Smuggler's Week, May 26th to June 1st, describes a week long programme of events organised by the Fowey Festival Committee and promoted by the Fowey and District Chamber of Commerce, held in aid of the Save the Children Fund. It was run along similar lines to the present day Regatta Week. Although a Variety show by 'local amateur artists' was held on the Tuesday no mention is made of The Troy Players. However, in 1987's Smuggler's Week on the 27th May they presented a ten year's revival of Home is the Hunted by R.F. Delderfield, produced by Marian Mosely. David Lightfoot recounts, "We did it again at Churchtown Farm on the 29th as a charity do for the residents. Not sure how well it went down there because I don't think we were ever invited back!" He doesn't think Smugglers Week lasted more than another year, but it was good fun. In Brush with a Body (1982) Jacqui Featherstone, as she then was, played Mrs
D'Arcy, a housekeeper with a large nose. As hers is decidedly not large she had to wear a false one, causing great hilarity among cast and audience, to most of whom she was well known. Her line " It's me nose - I'm havin' it done." became a catch phrase. In Ladies in Retirement, (1983) at the end of Act 2, a tense crucial scene was being played centre stage. Marian (Leonora Fiske) was playing the clavichord, oblivious to Jacqui (Ellen Creed) standing behind about to strangle her with a cord, as the curtains began to close. They jammed, and a titter went round the audience. The actors held the pose, trying desperately not to 'corpse'. After vain attempts stage hands on either side held the curtain together and enabled the scene to be finished. Adam Luck recalls how he joined Troy Players in 1984, and got a part in Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams. "Marian Mosely used to park
Deckchairs 2001
Winter Warmers 2000
her car next to me in Berrill's Yard. One evening she attacked me as I was driving home from work, saying she was desperate for a man and I would do perfectly. (I believe her chosen performer had pulled out at the last minute.) Night Must Fall (1984) opens with the Lord Chief Justice pronouncing sentence - in this production from a dais below the stage. When it
was time to start, the judge, (Michael Johnson) was not in place. Eventually he was discovered just leaving the Town Hall in full regalia on his way to the Ship for a pint. In The Blue Goose (1986) a Lifeboat Coxwain (played be Beejay Rendell) comes in from the sea and speaks with a strong Cornish accent, which is crucial to the plot. On the last night this scene was delivered in a Welsh accent, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Clerical Errors 2001
and - got it wrong. And yes, there is a place called Stallone!". The Importance of Being Earnest was the choice for autumn play in 1990. Because of constraints on costs the play was presented without a set, just using curtains and furniture, but some of the Victorian costumes were hired. Jacqui Lowe (formerly Featherstone) and David Lightfoot both recall that Adam Luck, playing John (Jack) Worthing, had his flies open all through Act 1. As Jacqui says, "...wearing a Victorian suit with buttons, a quick remedy was impossible", while David's wry comment is, "It was mainly the ladies in the audience who noticed!" But that wasn't the only embarrassment for Adam. Barbara Green (formerly Philp) has a vivid memory of the dress rehearsal. She was playing Miss Prism to Adam's Algernon who was the baby found in the handbag. In the scene where Algernon mistakenly believes Miss Prism to be his long lost mother he was supposed to fall to his knees beside her chair, take her hands in his, and cry "Mother!". When he tried to grab Barbara's hands he inadvertently grasped a handful of left breast instead. She remembers, "His face was a picture of horror. We sat frozen for a couple of seconds then collapsed in hysterics, much to
Clerical Errors 2001
The programme for the Spring production in 1990, the 1930's thriller, The Ghost Train was a replica of the one for a previous production of the play performed in Fowey in the 1930s in which the father of Tessa Williams (a founder member) played. Another member of the cast was Cyrus Turner, who attended the 1990 production. His son, Rex Turner, is a present day member. The programme includes advertisements for businesses in the town, one of which describes The Valetorte, a Ladies' and Gentleman's Hairdressing Salon, and describes 'three systems of permanent waving - two new 1934 machines'. It also states that all their machines are shockproof. Jonathan Taylor played the detective Teddy Deakin in The Ghost Train. He tells us, "At a denouement Mike Humphrey's character had to say, 'Ah, Teddy Deakin - I remember that stunt from Cologne,' - a tricky little line. For three nights I watched him approach this line with extreme trepidation. On the final Saturday night to celebrate the end of the run we had a tot of whisky before we went on. Mike approached the line with less than his usual caution, hesitated
Deckchairs 2001
the bemusement of everyone else, who had seen nothing." Once in a Blue Moon (1979) was performed on the Town Hall Stage without curtains. Not all AGMs are riveting, and it is not unknown for notes to be passed between members, but one has to wonder what story lies behind the following cryptic comment written on the back of a balance sheet in 1994: "I'll bring your teeth later."
The set of Move Over Mrs Markham (1996) included a bedroom on stage. At one point, "Terry Dooley pulled the knob off the bedroom door" Roger Green remembers, "and the square shaft that turns the door mechanism shot off and disappeared somewhere on stage. I rushed up to the Gent's toilet (the dressing room) took off my blazer and pulled on my Troy Players' sweat shirt, grabbed a screwdriver, and went and opened the door. After the performance a member of the audience congratulated Jenny Turner (director) on the efficiency of the stage crew. To which she retorted "That was a member of the cast !". Also in that production a small sofa was needed. When one could not be found an eagle-eyed member spotted just the thing dumped in a local layby, whilst on his way to Polruan, to watch one of their productions. On the way back he hastily bundled the sofa into the back of his car whilst his wife kept a look out, as he was convinced that if confronted, no one would believe that he was, in fact, taking it away and not dumping it. The sofa was cleaned up and covered, a piece of hardboard placed under the cushions, propped up on bricks, and apart from being extremely uncomfortable, served well in more than one production. Again Roger Green remembers. "In one performance, during 'Gosforth's Fete, the power switch tripped, plunging the hall into darkness. No one on stage knew quite what had happened but we ad libbed away quite happily. John Vincent, who was playing the vicar, came on and told us he thought a fuse had blown, all
PRESIDENTS Marian Moseley Jacqui Lowe, formerly Featherstone. (currently in office) CHAIRMEN Ursula Bond-Taylor Jacqui Featherstone Mike Humphrey Dennis Turner Jenny Turner Roger Green Terry Dooley SECRETARIES Barbara O'Hara Peggy Turpin
in character of course. By which time Dennis Turner had rushed down the stairs, found the trip switch and had to hold it closed until the play had finished. I suppose the good thing was that the play was centred around a PA system that kept failing, so the audience were never sure whether it was part of the play or not." And so it could go on.
MAKING IT WORK Although a committee was elected to run the group and minutes were recorded, it was not until April 1995 at an Extraordinary Meeting at the AGM that a set of Club Rules was adopted, which are in use to the present day.
EPILOGUE Time passes, and for many reasons it was not possible to publish this history of Troy Players at the completion of its first Twenty Five Years. Two years into the next quarter of a century things have already changed. President Jaqcui Lowe has retired, and the last of three founding members is now President. Members move on, and new ones join to plunge into the melting pot of crises and triumphs, and the list of productions grows even longer. Troy Players continues to follow it's own colourful path in creating drama for the people of Fowey to enjoy, enjoying it themselves in the process. They are well on their way, with hope and purpose to the next Twenty Five Years. Break a leg!
Pamela Allinson (October 2002)
Barbara Austin Barry Edwards Jenny Wittamore Gay Waller
SOCIAL SECRETARIES Jenny Wittamore Jenny Bancroft Mike Humphrey
TREASURERS Peter Moseley Tessa Williams David Lightfoot Jacqui Lowe Penny Vernall Sue Shanley
DIRECTOR/PRODUCERS Marian Mosely, Tessa Williams Phyllis Fellingham Jacqui Featherstone/Lowe Dennis Turner, Freda Lightfoot Mike Humphrey Penny Vernall Pamela Dalley Jo Yelland Sue Shanley
PUBLICITY Zoe Oliver John Vincent Pam Allinson Terry Dooley