Founded in 1945, Adel Players is an amateur drama group with at present around 40 members. We put on three plays a year in our own theatre space at the Adel Memorial Hall in north Leeds as part of the Adel Sports and Social Club. Find out more at About Us. For our next production, please see below, or if not there just click here: Forthcoming Productions.

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Our January production is the comedy-drama A Fine Bright Day Today by Philip Goulding, directed by Alan Foale.  It is set in a former fishing village on the North Yorkshire coast and follows the lives of three people – a widow in her 50s, her grown-up daughter and a visiting American. They all carry baggage from their past but gradually find a way to break free from it and start new lives. 

As reviewed in The Guardian, this is an entirely beguiling play that “leaves you with an optimistic sense that everyone deserves a second chance at happiness, allied to a slight anxiety about whether you turned the gas off before you came out.”!

We feel sure that this will prove to be a tonic for our January audiences, and as always the advice is: “book early to avoid disappointment”. Enquire about resevations at Buying Tickets and see below for some rehearsal pictures to whet your appetite!

Our latest production closed on 19th October after a very successful run with more than 350 audience members coming to see us. Our thanks as always to all those who supported the production whether out in the audience, on the stage or in the background building sets and pulling everything else together that is required for a show. Particular thanks must go to our director, Dianne Newby, who was a constant presence and encouragement, not afraid to muck in when there was grafting to be done as well as offering all her artistic flair. We couldn't do it without you! And all those who saw the show must agree that we witnessed a magnificent performance from Will Andrews in a lead role that required huge stamina, great timing, and not a little work to remember all those lines! A real treat, as one audience member put it:

I so enjoyed the Adel play last Friday - I thought it was superb - a great play and a fab performance from Will Andrews - so quick in his retorts and responses - one of my stand-out performances over the years of coming to the Players.

As usual, there are some pictures below capturing the fun. Further audience reaction and reviews will follow soon.

Accidental  Death Of An Anarchist  by Dario Fo and Franca Rame was the first  play in our new season.  Based on a true story, this satirical comedy has been an audience pleaser since it was written in 1970.  Now in a bang-up-to-date version adapted by Tom Basden, it has recently enjoyed a successful run in the West End.  When a self-confessed maniac is taken into police custody all hell breaks loose in this riotous, irreverent, fast paced satirical comedy. We hope these pictures capture the spirit of the piece.

Our thanks to Adrian Hide for taking the time to provide this review of our production, which will be published in the magazine "Adel Bells":

As recent arrivals to Adel, and relatively new to theatre, my wife and I decided to give the Adel Players a try. This opening night was a delightfully welcome surprise, especially given the dreary weather outside. With a good size midweek audience, ample parking at AWMH, reasonably priced drinks, and choc ices during the interval, this evening was a real treat—and so much better than a night in front of the TV!

Adel Players staged Tom Basden’s modern adaptation of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, originally written by Dario Fo and Franca Rame. This classic satire, inspired by the tragic real-life death of Giuseppe Pinelli in 1969, has been updated to a British setting, where a suspect’s suspicious death in police custody raises questions and darkly humorous accusations against the officers involved. Basden’s version keeps the biting humour of the original, laced with pointed references to issues within the Metropolitan Police.

The central figure, known as The Maniac (portrayed by William Andrews), is a clever and unpredictable con artist with a penchant for impersonation. After being taken in for questioning, and with a wide repertoire of characters, props and wigs, he finally transforms himself into a “judge” investigating the suspect’s death. 

While Inspector Burton (David Lancaster) quickly suspects him of madness, the other officers (played by Robert Colbeck, Gavin Jones and Gary Jarvis) are thoroughly taken in by his performance, allowing him to turn the tables.

With wild energy and quick wit, The Maniac leads the police in chaotic circles, forcing them into a web of lies that grows increasingly absurd. As the Maniac manipulates their every move, the officers spiral into farce, confessing, floundering, and even contemplating suicide, before a journalist (Hazel Walshaw) arrives, adding yet another layer to the unfolding fiasco. The balance of dark humour with the very real topic of police misconduct kept us laughing yet reflective, throughout.

Dianne and David Newby’s direction elicited fine performances from the whole cast, with Will Andrews truly stand-out. His stamina, sharp delivery, and impressive memorization of a demanding script made him mesmerizing to watch. Also, much credit goes to the back-stage crew for preparing and presenting such a high-quality set. Adel is fortunate to have this talented troupe, and if you haven’t seen them yet, I highly recommend!

Upcoming Production: A Fine Bright Day Today by Philip Goulding, directed by Alan Foale, running 22-25 January 2025

Adrian Hide

Our April 2024 production of "Two" (see below for details) was our entry for this year's Wharfedale Festival of Theatre which celebrates achievement in amateur theatre throughout the region, and last night (20 July) was the formal awards evening. We are delighted to be able to say that in the category of "Best Stage Presentation" we were announced joint winners out of a very competitive field. In addition, we were awarded the Jack Pitts trophy as the third placed production in the overall category of Best Drama, adults. We also had nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Rob Colbeck) and Best Programme. A lot of work goes into getting such results, so thanks and hearty congratulations to all involved who contributed to this splendid production. Here's a picture of some members celebrating after the awards.

Written by our own Pat Riley, and directed by Mike Andrews, our 2024 Murder Mystery was another great success with full audiences and a whopping £2,900 raised in support of our parent charity, the Adel War Memorial Association. Much fun was had unravelling some fiendish cues, as well as tucking into the catering very kindly laid on by the Badminton Section. As one patron said: "Hugely entertaining and what a brilliant way to raise money." Many thanks to all concerned and as usual, please see below for more on the production along with some pictures kindly supplied by our member, Tony Zigmond.

Is there “trouble at ‘t mill”? No, but all is not well post-Covid at fitness training company TykeSport Ltd. Its gyms are losing money, its home fitness trainers are working in the community with no supervision, and the angry directors are quarelling among themselves about what should be done. When a management consultant brought in by TykeSport’s Company Secretary finds evidence that fitness trainer Zak Starling has been falsifying his pay and expenses claims, his famous detective novelist mother Susan fights to clear his name. When shortly afterwards Zak is accused of murder, West Yorkshire police have no interest in allowing Susan to help them investigate the crime. Should the police have listened to Susan, or is there a lot more to this situation than meets the eye? 

Our thanks to Jenny Jones for this review of the evening's entertainment:

Murder? In Adel?

Adel Players presented “Susan Starling Investigates” by Pat Riley

We went on the Saturday night, the big hall at AWMH was filled, the noise was incredible until Mike Andrews stepped onto the stage, a hush fell, as he announced the format of the evening. Mike played Sir Harold Mawson, retired Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, as he recounted the story of a murder on Stairfoot Lane, Adel.

The action takes place in the Boardroom of TykeSport Ltd, a fitness training company, where two warring factions, brothers Malcolm and Stephen, together with Malcolm’s wife Zoe are arguing about how to move the business forward. There is disagreement over how the company has never picked up since Covid, with only 20% usage, so Malcolm and Zoe have set up a subsidiary company supplying adulterated substances, bought cheaply from abroad, re-labelled and packaged, and sold at great profit. So, when it is suggested that a management consultant is brought in to look at the business they panic.  

Millie Redmond is a young consultant who comes in, Zoe and Malcolm try to belittle her because of her age and inexperience, but she has more insight than they realise.  The company Chairman Sir Clifford Starling also comes into this, as he shouts and blusters at Millie about the nonsense of investigating the company. 

There have been complaints about Stephen’s inappropriate remarks and that he hangs around the female changing rooms, and he’s been threatened with the police being involved.

Sir Clifford lives on King Lane with his daughter, Susan Starling, writer of crime fiction, and her son Zak; Zak hasn’t led an entirely blameless life, but is attempting to make a go of his job and to avoid him being involved in all the family disputes, his mother tells him to get a taxi to his girlfriend’s in Seacroft and keep out of the way. He was accused of falsifying some accounting, claiming non-existent clients, but being badly dyslexic, he said  it was beyond his capabilities. Zoe’s bank records are questioned; money going in and out of her account nightly, the original amount paid back. Is it money laundering, crypto currency or what?

Then tragedy strikes! Millie Redmond has been mown down on Stairfoot Lane by a car matching the description of Zak’s; the police declare it to be murder, a deliberate attempt to silence her. But, whodunnit?

The audience were left to act as judge and jury, working as tables whilst we ate our delicious supper. It was so cleverly written by Pat Riley, as ever using local place references, not least in Susan Starling’s books, the one which got the biggest laugh was “The Werewolves of Weetwood”! Pat wove such an intricate web that we had to untangle, little clues dropped through the play. We all thought it was Clifford, until we remembered he didn’t drive. It was superb, so much that no team got it right. Pat Riley, you are a genius, you fooled us all! All the acting was so professional, they did the script justice . Well done Adel Players!

Jenny Jones 

Our latest main production closed to much acclaim, having attracted a capacity audience for the Friday night of our run. Here was the reaction of just one audience member:"...a wonderful play with lots of depth...the cast did a brilliant job on the opening night – I laughed, enjoyed the music, and was on the verge of tears at the end...". With several cast members taking multiple roles, this was a great opportunity to show off the versatility of our acting talent. Many thanks to our director, Pat Riley, and her very able assistant, Anne Mark, and of course to all in the cast and backstage crew who worked so hard to make this happen. And most important of all, a very big thank you as always to our loyal patrons. We couldn't do it without you!

Our thanks to Tony Zigmond for these excellent pictures which really capture the spirit of the production.

Jim Cartwright's “Two”, first performed in 1989 at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, is a bitter-sweet and moving play which deals with an instantly recognisable range of working-class characters in 1980s Northern Britain.

For us it is April 1989. Since the 1920s the frosted glass windows of a traditional Armley pub have hidden those inside from passers-by, but now you can come in with us and get to know them. The Landlord and Landlady bicker as they serve their throng of pub regulars, but is there real bitterness underneath the jokes and the warmth of the welcome they give to us all? What has happened to this hard-working Yorkshire couple to create ice where previously there was love?

Our thanks to Donna Shoesmith-Evans for this review of "Two" which will feature shortly in "Adel Bells":

On a pleasant evening in April, a group of us enjoyed viewing ‘Two’ performed by the Adel Players – a bittersweet, comic drama.

The play’s key theme looked at marriage – people in a relationship – and how you fall in love and become part of Two.  The play was set in April 1989 in a traditional Armley pub. The landlord and landlady saw all the relationships play out and we, as the audience, watched theirs.

The play revealed that being part of Two, on the one hand can bring pure joy and simple happiness, as seen with Fred and Alice, but with others it can bring anger, despair and be very controlling as seen with Lesley and Roy. 

Young love was seen with Moth and Maudie – but he was more interested in her pay packet than her – and she was desperate for a marriage proposal and seemed to forgive him everything, despite what her friends at work were clearly saying to her. 

An old woman pondered on her husband who was ill at home and looked at how love can last a lifetime when bodies and minds change – she was in a caring role for him – and her words resonated as she tried to do all she could for him. She also enjoyed her nightly Guinness in the pub too! 

An old man drank quietly remembering fondly his wife who had passed away but who he could remember and bring back the memories of them together.

Mr and Mrs Iger were an unusual couple – as he was very nervous – and struggled to get to the bar to order a drink – and she clearly wanted someone stronger – both mentally and physically.

The landlord and landlady were very sharp with one another but as their story unravelled, they had clearly been through a tragedy which still resonated with them – and the young boy in the pub waiting for his dad (who had forgotten about him) made them remember what they had also lost.

The play was performed by 8 actors – who swapped and played 14 characters as pints were pulled and relationships dissected. It was a simple set, based in the pub itself. The play had the structure of a variety show – and sharp talking comedy made way for bleak urban poetry – a karaoke singalong one minute, a domestic abuse drama the next.  There were plenty of laughs but also much to reflect on with the joys and stresses of working lives. 

The range of emotion covered links to the age range of the cast – from 11 – 91 – and shows the wide ranging talent of the Players. Janet Porter played 4 different characters – all word perfect – and simple costume changes assisted with the changes. Rob Colbeck played 2 roles – and as  domestic abuser, Roy, was very convincing, with partner Lesley (played by Digna Sindin Rodriguez) literally quivering in his presence. Several jeers from the audience highlighted how convincing he was. Well done to all involved in this production.     Donna Shoesmith-Evans

All of us involved with Adel Players were delighted to hear that our long-standing member, Ron Darby, had received the Bray Award from the Adel War Memorial Association. Presented annually, this award serves to recognise an outstanding contribution to the life of the Association, from any member of any of the sections. Here is the man himself, with the very sparkly trophy!

And here is an excerpt from his citation, which sums up why Ronnie is such a worthy recipient:

Ronnie is a consummate team player, is loved by everyone, and embodies in every way the spirit that makes associations like AWMA work...Not only a key member of the set construction team, he now fulfils the role of Stage Manager for almost all our productions. He is reliable, dedicated, nothing is too much trouble, and he is always there to support whether physically or emotionally. He makes sure everything backstage runs like clockwork whilst never losing his temper, his gentlemanliness, or his good humour, and his quirky sense of comedy quickly turns backstage nerves to laughter.

Thanks, Ronnie, for everything!

It was with great affection and admiration that we were able recently to mark Vivienne Bate clocking up her 70th anniversary of membership of Adel Players. A great stalwart and supporter of the group, Viv has acted extensively over the years as well as supporting us with all the "background" jobs that are needed to put on a perfomance. Among diverse other roles, this has included many years of patiently taking responsibility for the job of numbering the seating rows when we are setting up for a show. As our Chairman, Dianne Newby, pointed out it is quite remarkable that Viv can bend down to do so without making any noise whatsoever!

To mark the occasion, she was presented with a photo album featuring many of the shows she has acted in. Hearty congratulations to Viv and see below for a couple of pictures.

Not to be beaten by this challenging disease, we are very proud to announce that our long-standing member, Bernard Riley undertook a sponsored walk recently and in doing so raised just shy of £1500 in support of Parkinson's UK. Pictured below with his wife, Pat, Bernard worked very hard to meet this challenge and deserves great credit for helping in aid of such a worthy cause. Well done Bernard, and Pat!

Following the Festival awards ceremony, our hearty congratulations to long-standing member, Mike Andrews, who was named Best Supporting Actor for his role as Solomon in our production of The Price. We also received the award for Best Programme, so congratulations and many thanks to Beth Duce and Jane Claire who led the work to pull that together. Here are Mike and Beth, proud award winners!

It was with great pleasure that we learnt that two of our members, Pat and Bernard Riley, were honoured in the 2021-22 Wharfedale Festival of Theatre with a special award for their contributions to amateur theatre. The Pat Dyson Spirit of Theatre Award is presented annually for individuals who have gone "above-and-beyond" to support amateur theatre and champion its development. Pat and Bernard certainly qualify for this, having worked tirelessly for many years promoting the Wharfedale Festival itself as assessors for festival entrants, ongoing committee members and (in Pat's case) Festival Secretary for 17 years. All this, as well as involving themselves in a number of local amateur companies, whether acting or directing. Well done to both of them for this richly deserved and well-earned recognition and here is a picture of them being presented with the Pat Dyson Trophy.

As many patrons are aware, Adel Players are frequent entrants in the Wharfedale Festival of Theatre. For the 2019-20 awards season we put forward our January 2020 play, How the Other Half Loves, and you may remember that we received nominations for awards in the following categories:

Best Supporting Actress: Pauline Ashworth

Best Programme: Shell Peart

At the Award Ceremony we are delighted to confirm that Pauline won in the Best Supporting Actress category. Our hearty congratulations to both Pauline and Shell, and for pictures and more on this great production, please see under Past Productions or by clicking here.

For more on the Festival itself, just visit their website here.

Watch highlights of our April 2014 production - click here for more clips and further information.

Read all about it in News and Notices!

For more pictures, reviews and notes of recent productions click here