The History of The Green Tye Players
The Green Tye Players were born in 1983 following a request to have some entertainment at the Green Tye and Perry Green community Christmas Party in the Mission Hall. Music and sketches featured from the very start and the entertainment proved an instant success. The Players and the Green Tye Show evolved from these humble beginnings, with the local community keen to be involved as it became more and more popular.
At its helm were 4 formidable ladies: Sandra McAdam, Caroline Jones, Rosemary Brace and Cherry Mardell, known collectively and affectionately as “The Coven”. Together they worked to produce an annual show. Key features were popular songs with rewritten lyrics to reflect the local life of the hamlets and at the piano was Michael McAdam. Sketches were often unearthed following visits to the county library. One of the best loved and most fondly remembered sketches was “The Lighthouse”, which resulted in cast members and the front row of the audience receiving a nightly soaking!
In 2007, after 24 years, the Coven folded away their broomsticks and produced their final show “Over the hill and out”! However, this was not to be the end of the Green Tye Players! A seasoned cast member, Pete Reed took up the reins and became director, producing his first show in 2008.
Pete led the Players for 6 years supported by key cast members and at the piano, a new accompanist, Bill O’Neil. Pete was ably assisted by his wife Joan who supervised the shows colourful costumes. Pete directed his last show in 2013.
The current Director, Jane Browne took up the baton in 2014, first jointly with Sheila English (for three years) and subsequently as sole director with the support of the GTP show committee.
The Players maintain strong links with the local pub, the Prince of Wales. Previous landlord Gary Whelan was a keen and talented member of the cast, a tradition that has been upheld by Rob Osborne, the current landlord who continues to deliver hilarious performances! The Prince of Wales is an important watering hole for the Players after rehearsals and it hosts a buzzing bar on show nights.
Over the years, there has been the (very) occasional “break in transmission” and the show has taken a rest. In 2019, in order to catch their breath, the Players put the traditional Green Tye Show to one side and instead presented a more gentle and informal production “An evening with the Green Tye Players”. However, as rehearsals kicked off for 2020, events on the other side of the world were about to change our lives and as we tried to comprehend the pandemic, it became clear that the show would not have an opening night. In the event, we held our final dress rehearsal and with heavy hearts, packed everything away, just days before lockdown hit the UK.
In 2021, still in the grip of the pandemic but with outdoor gatherings permitted, the Players decided to host some alfresco entertainment in the hamlets. We all badly needed to socialise and have some community fun, but hosting a Green Tye Show in the Mission Hall was still off limits. That August, the Players combined forces with local rock band “What’s That?” and produced a one-off event “Rabble Outdoors”. Situated on a field in Green Tye and hosted on a huge, scaffolded stage, the event kicked off with comedy songs and sketches from the Players followed by the What’s That band rocking the evening away. Oh how lucky we were to have such brilliant community support to make this event happen (we were also very lucky with the weather)! We welcomed a large audience (including dogs and children), with picnics, rugs, folding chair and pop-up gazebo’s surrounding the stage! At a time when the world felt a little dark, this was a truly joyful community evening in the sunshine.
In 2022, the Players took a well-earned rest. Since then, the world has slowly but surely begun to return to some sort of normality and now here we all are in 2023! This year the Green Tye Players celebrated the return of the Green Tye Show with “Back in the Saddle”, which took place in March.
The stormy seas we have all weathered in recent years provide a powerful reminder that community groups need to be nurtured and preserved. The current Players are indebted to the Coven for setting up such a wonderful asset. It has proved to be an enduring vehicle for local friendships, positive mental health (and a few bevvies in the Prince of Wales!). In its 40th year, the Players are excited to welcome more new faces to our cast and crew. We are feeling revitalised, enthusiastic and ready to entertain!
