IT’S BEHIND YOU!
We have a reputation for putting on high quality, family friendly shows with a cast that blends adults, teenagers and older children.
St Nicholas Players is Derby’s longest running local pantomime group, and we’re still going strong after 55 years!
The highlight of our year is undoubtedly our annual pantomime, held on the last weeks of January and the first week of February at St Nicholas Church Hall, Allestree. Over the last 55 years, it has become a tradition in Allestree, watched and enjoyed by hundreds of people from the local area.
Each year is a brand new show with original ideas and routines – we always try and so something to surprise people! The players produces the entire show itself, not only on stage but also script writing, directing, choreography, set building and costume design.
We are a very mixed group of individuals from many walks of life with our ages ranging, at the moment, from 7 years to… shall we say well into retirement! Our aim is to produce shows with the accent very much on fun… for everyone!
As well as raising money for our next production, each year a portion of the ticket sales for our pantomime supports different local children’s charities.
Over the years we have helped raise thousands of pounds for good causes in the local area and beyond thanks to the generous donations of ours audiences.
Over 50 Years of Panto!
A flashback through the ages!
We staged our first pantomime in January 1964, and since then we have completed an unbroken run of 55 shows!
In 2013 we celebrated our our golden anniversary with a special production of Aladdin.
Take a look at a flashback of our shows!
Down the ages – 55 Year’s of Pantomime in Allestree
Here is an account from our early beginnings written by the late Phil Mason, a dedicated and supportive patron of the players until his sad passing.
Little did Stan Griffiths realise how popular pantomime would be in Allestree when, his suggestion the Vicar and parochial church council of St Nicholas Church agreed to the newly completed church hall to be used to stage an annual pantomime.
Since its inaugural meeting in October 1963 when the group adopted the name “St Nicholas Players” as the performers and helpers were almost exclusively recruited from the church choir and congregation, some 50,000 tickets have been sold!
“Cinderella” our first pantomime staged in January 1965 had the Vicar Brian Coleman and Don Henderson, the organist and choirmaster starring as The Watchman and Buttons respectively and church wardens Lamack McConnelly and Jeff Willey were “front of house managers”. Gordon Bewley, well known in Derby drama circles and Jean Goodwin, acclaimed choreographer, gave valuable assistance to Stan and Phil Mason thus ensuring the productions resounding success.
As the group had no funds the Church Council agreed to underwrite any losses arising from the production of “Cinderella” In the end we managed to return a surplus of £122 after the payment of all costs and expenses! We retained £25 towards the 1966 production of ‘Dick Whittington’ and the balance was donated to the Church. The price of our tickets in 1965 were 3s and 6d for adults and 2 s for children (In today’s ‘currency’ 17 pence and 10 pence respectively)
When the Scout HQ building at the back of the hall was completed in 1981 we were able to use it for back stage changing facilities thus overcoming previous problems of overcrowding and inconveniences of changing in caravans. In the formative years we shared our surpluses with the Church, the 151 Scout Group and St Johns Ambulance (who provided first aid cover for our performances). For some time now the Church, 151 Scout Group and St Johns Ambulance levy charges for the use of the premises and their services. The focus of our surpluses has changed over the last decade and we now make quite significant donations to local children charities. We made donations totalling £1300 from our 2011 production of Beauty and the Beast.
Productions in the 21st century bear little resemblance to those in the sixties and seventies with one important exception – our success still relies on the enjoyment derived from our audiences and the hard work and commitment from our talented members and committee. Whilst retaining popular titles such as “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Robinson Crusoe”, “Sleeping Beauty” “Snow White” etc dialogue, music and dances are right up-to –date and our scripts are written ‘in-house” which avoids the necessity to purchase scripts and pay expensive royalties. We have also invested heavily in high specification computer controlled lighting and sound equipment which has enhanced the quality of our productions immensely.