The Vale Players
Amateur Drama Group
Vale Players History
The Vale Players came on the amateur drama scene in 1991 with their first production, the Noel Coward farce "Blithe Spirit". The club was formed by a group of parents of children at the local primary school who had discovered a love of performing whilst appearing in the then famous Snainton PTA pantomimes. When their offspring went on to secondary school they found themselves no longer eligible for the panto's and thus the Vale Players were born. Several of the original members are still at the centre of the club, including the present Chairman Sue Jackson.
As well as leading the group, Sue also does the lion's share of the directing, although the central ethos has always been that there are no "stars" and that every member has the right to choose plays and direct them if they wish and conversely, every member is expected to do their share of the more unexciting jobs that come with getting a successful production off the ground.
The group is based in Snainton, although membership is not restricted to the village and, over the years, enthusiastic members have travelled from Scarborough, Driffield and Malton to take part in productions. The players are lucky enough to have their own rehearsal space in the Reading Room, with a large loft area stuffed with costumes and props. Plays are usually put on in the normally modest village hall; which is transformed during play week, into a theatre complete with proscenium, velvet drapes and tiered seating. Everyone is expected to help in this transformation headed by a small and extremely talented backstage crew.
The present membership is around 25 with a wide variety of ages although the group suffers from a problem faced by many clubs in that its younger actors leave for university or work on a regular basis which makes new young members all the more welcome.
The Vale Players audiences, of course, love comedy and especially farce but the group has always striven to try new challenges, among them a musical production of "Wind in the Willows", an open-air performance of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and a specially written play to celebrate the millennium, tracing the history of Snainton and its neighbours. Among the most popular of the group's offerings are its regular Murder Mystery evenings, written by a member of the Players and performed alongside a themed dinner.
The Players have also been regular entrants in the Scarborough Amateur Drama Festival at which their successes have included trophies for best actor, best director and best play.