The Society has been going for 50 years and was formed by the amalgamation of two groups local to Dulwich. Our membership numbers fluctuate but are usually around the 90 to 100 mark.

We have a committee of 9 people, including a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. This changes regularly to make sure that different people with different ideas are able to make decisions about our plays, social activities and other aspects of the group. Any member is welcome to run for the committee, and we are keen to make sure that the makeup of the committee reflects out broader membership.

For our main productions, we usually hire the Edward Alleyn Theatre at Dulwich College, a fully-equipped studio theatre with an audience capacity of around 130. We also stage open-air performances in the gardens of Bell House, an educational charity located in Dulwich Village. Other venues used in the past include St Barnabas Parish Hall in Dulwich Village, the Great Hall at Alleyn’s School or other smaller venues.

The Dulwich Players usually stage three main productions per year. This may include an outdoor production (often a Shakespeare play) or a Christmas pantomime, though some years have four main productions or additional smaller events. We are sometimes asked to stage more informal entertainments for other local groups. For information on our recent productions, click here.

We are a director-led group, where any member can propose and direct a play, provided the committee agree that it is feasible and appropriate. We aim for a varied programme of productions so the more interesting the proposals, the more interesting the productions! We suggest would-be directors spend some time with the group as an actor and/or as a member of the production team to get to know our membership and performance spaces. As a member, you will be able to find out when we are looking for proposals and put yours forward.

We don’t have our own premises, but members get together at social events (play readings, theatre outings, etc.), committee meetings, casting sessions and, of course, during rehearsals and productions . We produce regular newsletter and members are keptinformed of events and opportunities via email and WhatsApp.

We are a very friendly group and always welcome new members. You certainly don’t need to have any past or recent experience in theatre, but we hope you will bring enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to participate in all aspects of a production.

While the majority of our members want to act at some point, we are always short of people with practical, technical or organisational skills, who are just as much part of a production. Every play we put on requires set-builders, lighting and sound operators, production managers, backstage crew and front-of-house teams, in addition to the director and actors. You certainly don’t have to act.

You may be lucky enough to be cast as soon as you join and or even in several productions in a row. But we do expect our members to lend a hand in other roles, as and when they can. You may have a leading role in one production and then take on stage management or lighting in the next. We encourage members to try their hand at all aspects of production, and will provide mentoring or guidance where needed.

Auditions are open to all members and also to recent enquirers, though everyone involved in a production must be a fully paid-up member of the Society. You are not expected to have prepared audition pieces and will be able to try out for various parts as appropriate. The director will choose his/her cast based on suitability for the role, so new members have as much chance as established members. The most important thing for us when casting a play is that we tell a great story and that all our cast enjoy being part of it. We aim to be fully inclusive, casting on how we feel actors show the character, and not on appearance or accent. We encourage people of all backgrounds to audition for the parts they would most enjoy, and not just those they feel they are 'right' for. We ensure our directors support the same approach when casting. Our equal opportunities policy can be found here: https://www.dulwichplayers.org/equal-opportunities-policy

We have several rehearsal venues around Dulwich. At present we use two halls in East Dulwich Grove. The rehearsal period is usually around 12 weeks leading up to production week and involves two nights a week plus a couple of Saturdays. The cast are expected to be available for all or most of the rehearsal period, but may not be required for every rehearsal. Everyone involved must be free for the whole of production week, from get-in to the theatre on the Sunday to get-out the following Sunday.

We do our best to meet access needs as far as possible, however one of our rehearsal spaces is not currently wheelchair accessible. We are looking into how we can improve this. We appreciate the diverse range of access needs that people may have and support the social model of disability.

This is at the director’s discretion but productions in the theatre usually have four performances (Wednesday to Saturday) and some have a Saturday matinee as well. Open-air productions may have more performances, including Saturday and Sunday matinees.

We use the theatre’s resources when we can, but have our own lighting and sound equipment for staging plays in other venues. We also have a store of stage scenery and props. Most of our productions are costumed in full or in part from our own extensive wardrobe.

Yes, we do run workshops from time to time, delivered either by our own members or an outside tutor. Through our involvement in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Open Stages” initiative, a number of our members have participated in RSC workshops and weekends covering acting, directing, designing, etc. and the knowledge they’ve gained is passed on in the rehearsal process.

We keep your name and contact details and these will be used to send you information about the Players activities. Additionally, you may opt-in to receive occasional emails that are drama-related but not specific to the Dulwich Players. We do not pass any of this information outside the Dulwich Players.