The Phoenix Players started life in 1954 but under a different name, The Poetry Circle Players. The story behind this is that way back in the past, 1946 to be precise, the first Arts Centre opened in Swindon. At that time one of the Public Library Ancillary Societies was the Poetry Circle, a group which met at the Arts Centre to read and discuss poetry and verse plays.
The group flourished and reached a point where it was decided to present these verse plays to the public, which proved to be a popular decision and in 1954 a drama section was formed. In September of that year the Poetry Circle Players presented their first production, ‘The Firstborn’ by Christopher Fry. In the early 1960’s the Poetry Circle ceased to exist. This meant that the now flourishing drama section needed a new name and so became The Phoenix Players.
It is now one of the leading drama groups in the town with a string of successes to its name. To date it has presented well over 200 productions and in September 2014 The Phoenix Players celebrated their 60th anniversary.
There are some 40 members of the Players covering a wide age range. Some are keen actors and others prefer to be out of the spotlight covering the many back stage tasks that are so necessary to have a successful production. The Players all share the same love of the theatre and their aim is to provide quality entertainment for their loyal patrons whilst being involved in the activities they so much enjoy.
Being a members of the Players is like being part of an extended family and there have been a few occasions where members who have left the area have actually moved back simply because they missed being part of the company.
The Players present three productions each season ranging from comedy to classics and also enjoy a number of social activities during the year.
Would-be members can be assured of a warm welcome, so if you have an interest in the theatre, whether this be in front of or behind the footlights, we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to contact our general Secretary, Mike Sly, by email at info@phoenix-players.com
To find out the "Who's Who" of The Phoenix Players, please click here!
