WE are an Amateur Dramatics Society based in Chelsfield Village, Kent and have been since 1936!

PRODUCTIONS are put on every Spring, Summer and Winter each year.

RECENT productions include: Over My Dead Body by Murdernightpublications,  

Proscenophobia by Bettine Manktelow, and A Chorus of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn. We have also recently started branching out into one night and two night entertainment evenings, such as Mars and Venus and New Directions.

OUR latest show will be taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009! We can be found at Venue 53 The Space @ The Royal College of Surgeons from Monday 24th - Saturday 29th August at 6.50 p.m. Lasts 90 minutes

WE are pleased to announce that PAT WALLS has agreed to Direct LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN by Oscar Wilde.

The Show dates: Dates 22 – 25 July 2009 Village Hall Chelsfield at 8.00 p.m.

Rehearsals have now started. For details of cast and crew, please click on "current production".

BUILDERS commenced the building of Chelsfield Park Estate in the early 1930’s and many young couples bought the houses.  They wanted to do something to bring the couples together so play readings took place in each others houses.

EARLY members included Ellen (later Ellen Blatcher) and Colin George, the Fredericks, Eric Hart and Bill Lorraine. Mabel Fredericks had a play room built to seat about 50 people with the audience on raised benches, the cast had the audience right at their feet.

THE Chelsfield Player’s first Producer was Eric Hart and Ellen was the first Secretary. The first play the Players put on was 20^th Century Lullaby. 

THE Players put on plays during the war even when bombs dropped, and productions have taken place in many different venues (Joan and Ivan Taylor’s Church Society Hall, St Mary’s Church Hall, Civic Hall).  

IT soon became clear that the Village needed a hall. Local squire Mr Waring was against the building of a hall but the Players started a fund for a hall and asked other groups to join them – Women’s Institute etc.

AT this time the Players were known as the Chelsfield Village Hall Dramatic Society. It was not until 1949 that the Players were referred to as The Chelsfield Players. Brian Mathew joined and brought professional actors in such as Arthur and David White. Arthur went on to be a professional and can be seen in Frost as the man who deals with all the files in the basement. His brother also became a professional and changed his name from David White to David Jason. 

FOLLOWING this, the Players almost broke up. Norman Nash took on the role as Producer/Director and after him Harold Hart took over this role.  When Harold decided to stop directing there was no one to do it and there was a risk that the Players would have to cancel the spring production of 1980. At the social at the West Kent Golf Club, Ann Blatcher told the chairman that she would ‘have a go’ and so produced Full Treatment (play chosen with the assistance of Ken Richardson). 

THE rest, as they say, is history…..

TBC