22 January 1938, Orpington Evening Institute James Parish’s Distinguished Gathering was presented on 22 January 1938 and was the second performance by the group that would become Chelsfield Players. The troupe was actually credited as “Students of the Dramatic Class” of the Orpington Evening Institute on Charterhouse Road.
We’re not sure, but the Institute might have been in the school, which was later demolished for new housing and a playground (see map). Another possible location is Christ Church hall, which was demolished in the early 2000s. However, the show has always been on the Society’s official list of performances and most of the cast seem to have come from what was then the Chelsfield Village Hall Dramatic Society, so it seems likely that members of the new society attended evening classes at the institute to hone their acting skills.