1947 - Inception

The Wokingham Players came into being in the Autumn of 1947, in response to popular demand, voiced by people of the town in conversation and through the medium of the press. The movement was sponsored by the Times and Weekly News, which organised the first public meeting in the Town Hall on the 10^th October that year.

Right from the start, there was a desire to create a theatre to the highest possible standards. To this end, Margaret Lockwood, a famous international film star, who was visiting the Cinematograph Trades Benevolent Fund Home at Glebelands at the time, accepted an invitation to become the Society’s first President.

From its inception, the Society has received the greatest encouragement and practical assistance from the leading personalities of the district, who felt, with its Officers, that an amateur group was a long-awaited need.

1948 - Finding Premises

Enthusiasm and ability existed in abundance, but immediate difficulties were encountered in finding premises in which to work either for administrative, rehearsal or staging purposes. The first public performance of a play took place on the 26^th February 1948, when Blythe Spirit was staged for three evenings in the local Masonic Hall.

Productions continued before the public at the rate of two per year, rehearsals being held in almost every conceivable place but chiefly in the homes of members themselves. Set production faced the same kind of problem. Somehow, the shows managed to appear and the support was good. For the first 14 years of our existence, we staged productions at The Masonic Hall, All Saints Church House, and Wokingham Town Hall.

Membership had gradually declined because of the problems encountered, until it seemed that the Society’s high hopes would succumb to insoluble problems. There were a few determined members, who had tenacity of purpose and love of ‘theatre’, prevented the collapse and installed a new enthusiasm. More plays began to run for longer periods and with more success, despite the lack of places in which to work.

1959 - Norreys Avenue

Membership improved steadily and the desire for a ‘place of our own’ began to take articulate form. A venue, preferably central, but a home anywhere, of any kind, became a fierce demand, backed up with offers from members of financial help. News was brought of a ‘hut’ for sale, redundant to Canadian Forces on a site about forty miles from Wokingham, in Hindhead. The cost was about £100 and the dimensions were 96ft long by 24ft wide. Here was a possibility for creating somewhere in which Society members could meet regularly and use for rehearsal purposes.

In 1959, prolonged negotiations with local authorities resulted in the leasing of a site on the Norreys Barn Estate on which to erect the hut. The building was made up of wooden sections that could be dismantled and transported without too much damage, but was obviously too large for the purpose and too awkward in shape. It was decided to cut the thing in half, place each piece side-by side and convert into a square 48ft x 48ft. This was visualized as the basis for a small intimate theatre. Thus was the Wokingham Theatre born.

The construction and fitting out took 3 years to reach a point when all was ready for productions to begin in January 1963. We now had our own premises, enabling us to indulge in a much wider selection of dramatic enterprise than was ever possible before.

1963 - Birth of the Young Players Youth Theatre

In January 1963 our first production in Norreys Avenue, the pantomime, Dick Whittington, gave us another push forward. A couple of dance routines were needed and we succeeded in persuading a local school to rehearse a class of young girls in the twelve to fourteen age group. They were very successful. Afterwards, four of these youngsters remained with us. For about a year they washed up crockery, cleaned floors and did everything except drama. Then, under pressure from a Committee member, it was decided to form a Junior group, using these four as a nucleus. Saturday afternoons were allotted for their activities.

On the first occasion they met as a group, the four had swelled to 35. So was born the Young Players. Now they operate as an affiliated body controlling their own administration and planning their programmes to very good effect. There was no doubt that the parent Society would get much experienced new blood from within their ranks.

1985 - Twyford Road, Cantley

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Norreys Avenue had been our home for over 20 years.  Although it had served us well, it was no longer fit for purpose. In the back end of the 1970s, the need to build a new theatre became apparent. Eventually, Wokingham Council provided us with the momentum we needed by offering us a site at Cantley Fields in return for the land in Norreys Avenue.

In the early 1980s a huge fund raising campaign got underway to build a brand new theatre on the Cantley Fields site. Our target was £250,000. At the time, that was the cost of 10 houses. Once again, our membership and executive committee stepped up to the plate to make this happen. Many well-known celebrities of the day were persuaded to give us their time to help raise funds…

Comic actor Jack Douglas of “Carry On” films fame; Bobby Crush, popular pianist; Lorraine Chase, the Luton Airport ad girl; John Lill, international concert pianist; Anita Harris, actress, singer and entertainer; Peggy Mount, popular stage, film and TV actress;  Hughie Green, radio and television presenter, game show host and actor.

This all culminated with Beryl Reid OBE, renowned TV and film actress, officially opening the new theatre at Twyford Road, Cantley for us on the 5th October 1986.

The theatre has gone from strength to strength every year since.