Upper-Kingsbottom Players
Providing a source of entertainment in Upper-Kingsbottom since 1967
Welcome to our little homepage! The committee and I hope you find the information you are looking for on this site. Before we begin I must extend my gratitude to the lovely young man in Upper-Kingsbottom PC Universe who, despite having the most unfortunate case of acne, explained the rudiments of how to get information from my word-processing machine onto the World Wide Web (and it only cost the society £1000 for a 'computer'!). Thank-you Jason.
A brief history of the Upper-Kingsbottom Players
The Upper-Kingsbottom Players (U-K P) were started in 1967 by Sir Reginald Spaldsworthy who had moved to the village the year before. He quickly built up the membership, and the first ever U-K P production (Cinderella) was performed in the December of that year to critical indifference. This began a trend which has continued ever since, as a pantomime of some sort has been performed on an annual basis. However audience numbers have never again reached the magical 60 who saw that first play.
In the early years we rehearsed in Sir Reginald's front hall, with performances taking place in the Church Rooms on Vicar Street. However, due to the unfortunate events surrounding Lady Priscilla Spaldsworthy's death during a rehearsal for Westside Story he felt unable to continue to offer us the use of his premises. Luckily, the last member of the short mat bowling society had died, and we were able to take over the use of the Village hall for rehearsals on Tuesdays, which is where we have been ever since.
Past plays
The Upper-Kingsbottom Players have a tired and tested formula for the three productions we stage each year: a springtime 'classic' play (normally Shakespeare), a 'light' comedic play (e.g. Alan Aykbourne) in the summer and the pantomime in December. The 'panto' enables local village children to experience the delights of the theatre, as they are allowed to watch the matinee performance. Budding playwrights within the society are also able to submit pantomime scripts for consideration, although we usually find it easier to buy one from an agency (especially after the disastrous rendition of Mother Goose and the Dwarves in December 1982. Thankfully the member responsible for that was hounded from the village the next month for unrelated reasons).
The next play to be embarked upon is decided by the committee, and a director selected. This need not be as daunting as it sounds, as long-standing members of the society are always on hand at rehearsals to offer tips and advice.
The plays staged by the U-K P over the last two years include: A Midsummer Night's Dream; What the Butler Saw; Jack and the genetically modified beanstalk; Annie; Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella II.
Next play
Details of the committee's decision will be announced here soon.
Joining the society
A prospective member has to fill in a form available from the secretary. They are then invited to appear before the committee for an audition. They will then be told if their application has been accepted. The committee can turn down an application for any reason they wish. (Proficiency at acting is not necessarily an advantage - a visit to one of our rehearsal will confirm this statement.)
A new member must be involved with behind the scenes work for at least one play before they can audition for an acting role. This is to discourage undesirable attention-seekers from applying for membership.
Membership fees are currently £15 per year (payable in January) with a deduction of £1 for concessions. NO UNDER 21s ALLOWED.
Useful pages on the web
The Upper-Kingsbottom Homepage
Find out all about our fascinating little village
We met this group whilst touring A Tale of Golgafranchan. They are a keen bunch, although obviously their acting standards in no way match ours. They also drink far too much. I tried to mention this to them, but would they listen to the advice of an older, more experienced actress?
No.
Contact us
For further details of the society, please contact Ms. L. Horn, Secretary, 12 High Street UPPER-KINGSBOTTOM.
All tickets for productions may be purchased from General Stores on Lakes Road, from the door-to-door seller or at the village hall on the night of the performance.
This site is maintained by Ms. Leticia Horn.
© Upper-Kingsbottom Players.