Christleton Players Archive It has been fascinating to read about the formation of the Christleton Players Drama Group in 1928, in a letter found in their archives donated to me by the late Phil Hodges. At a meeting at the Scout Hut chaired by Major Synge, Col Shaw proposed that a Dramatic Society be set up. The first performance was to be “Babes in the Wood” and put on at the Boys School. Later the players moved to the new W.I. Hall in Village Road, behind the Institute. There are a considerable number of photographs of productions at the W I Hall, as props and costumes seemed to have been shared.

Producers included; Col. Shaw, Mrs F Taylor, Stella Wilkinson, Mr Taberner, Mr Crawford and Peter Dornford May. It was through Peter that the Christleton Players became the foremost theatrical group in the area, and they were involved in almost every major production in the City and surrounding area. They were responsible for putting on huge theatrical events at Eaton Hall with the support of Anne Duchess of Westminster. Almost all of these large events, were fund raising for the NSPCC charity, and regularly attended by Royalty. Princess Margaret and the Duke of Gloucester were just two Royals to attend Gala Performances at Eaton Hall. In 1962, the Players formed a very fruitful relationship with Christleton Secondary School, under the leadership of the great Les George. The facilities in the new school hall were ideal for the Players. Les & Helen George, Phil Hodges, Frank Walker, Mary Cleaves, Winston Barraclough are all prominent figures in the early productions, almost all at this stage produced by Peter Dornford May, Cheshire County Drama Advisor, and later Hilary Egan. Author Roger Lancelyn Green was also heavily involved in some productions. I list below some of their most memorable productions, and we are fortunate to have in their archive, programmes, scripts and a quantity of historic photographs, many displayed with this article.

1. Chester Mystery Plays. Chester Cathedral.
2. A Midsummer Nights Dream. Eaton Hall Gardens.
3. Wakefield Cycle of Mystery Plays. Eaton Hall Gardens
4. As You Like It. Eaton Hall Gardens
5. Twelfth Night at Eaton Hall Gardens.
6. The Chester Saga. The Castle Chester
7. The Chester Tales. Chester Cathedral
8. Chester Cycle of Mystery Plays. The Dean’s Field. Chester Cathedral

In the 1970’s the Nativity section of the Chester Cycle of Mystery Plays was performed on the Village Green at Christleton, and in 1977 the Players led by Mark Dornford May & group performed A Christleton Mummers Play as part of the Festival of British Villages that the village was taking part in.