The Hoddesdon Players were founded, as far as we can tell, in 1898 which makes us one of Hertfordshire's oldest societies. The 1898 rule-book states that the subscription shall be five shillings a year - now £14 - the performers must pay for their own books - they still do! - find their own costumes - they still do! - and "the manager has absolute control over all performances". Our producer still has the final say. So not much has changed over the last 100 years. But would present-day audiences still thrill to "Grumpy" from 1925 or "The Pickpocket" a comedy by J P Hawtrey from 1905? The Mercury reported that "Miss Slagg was lacking in emotional energy in the love scenes but the stage manager deserves special commendation for his mounting of the piece."
Since those days we have presented two plays per year to Hoddesdon audiences, with playwrights ranging from Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, and Aldous Huxley, to Harold Pinter, Agatha Christie, Ray Cooney and Alan Ayckbourn, not to mention J P Hawtrey!
In the early years we performed at the Baths in Burford Street, (the water was boarded over!) then at the Esdaile Hall, John Warner School and since 1975 at the Broxbourne Civic Hall, which of course has superb facilities both for the audience and backstage.
