Masham Players

Masham Players is an amateur dramatic society rooted in its home town of Masham, North Yorkshire, although our members come from all over the surrounding area of the Dales. It is free to join (well almost - only £5), although we do ask that you make a commitment to seeing a production through once started. Local historians have conflicting theories... as to Masham Players' history. There are those who say its legacy reaches back to Tudor times, and was the first theatre group to allow a hesitant Will Shakespeare to tread the boards. Unfortunately an uncompromising director - a local chap named Trynholme - summarily dismissed him for his lack of feeling for character. His friend Kit Marlowe was similarly drummed out of the Players for his poor portrayal of a spy. On a more successful note it was while staying in Masham that Oscar Wilde conceived the score for the CocoPops advert, and the great Olivier once left us notes on a script ("Rem. dentist 12.30"). There are of course more conservative historians who say the society stretches back to the 1940s and was indeed populated by men outstanding in their fields - farmers. The Masham Players calendar still revolves around the farming calendar with our two annual productions in autumn and spring. We are a not-for-profit organisation (just as well really). Joking aside, community theatre is important. It brings people together, it injects creativity and humour into our lives and it adds to the rich social calendar of our village. If you enjoy the thrill of live performance, rapier-like wit or edge-of-your-seat suspense, there are some great shows on in York. But if you want the best of community theatre see our next performance at Masham Town Hall in November 2014.Read More