Founded in 1945, Adel Players is an amateur drama group with at present around 30 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 last show closed having attracted very appreciative audiences, culminating with a sell-out for the last night. Gratifyingly, the twists and turns of this excellent thriller went down very well, with some audience members nearly jumping out of their seats at one unexpected moment near the end! Many thanks to our always hard-working and inspiring director, Dianne Newby, along with both actors and back-stage crew for all the work that went into achieving this excellent result. And let's not forget our loyal patrons: we certainly couldn't do it without you! Photos and reviews from the production feature below.

Best known as the writer of the BAFTA award winning 1970s situation comedy, Rising Damp, Eric Chappell also wrote several stage plays, including this gripping psychological thriller. It is set in a stylish London apartment, the home of Tony Reed, a noted painter, and his second wife, Megan. Although successful, Tony is haunted by the murder of his first wife and consumed with a sense that justice has not been done. 

Enter Todd, whose business card indicates that he is interested in prison reform. He has come to interview Tony, who freely and vociferously talks of vengeance for his wife’s murder. Talking is one thing, however, and when Todd imparts some information, Tony and Megan’s lives are turned upside down. Todd has also brought Slater to their home: just who is he, and why is he there? Plenty of twists and turns here to keep you guessing…

Our thanks to Donna Shoesmith-Evans for this review which will also appear in "Adel Bells"

Eric Chappell’s psychological thriller certainly had us on the edge of our seats on a wild and windy Autum night – like amateur detectives we were kept busy throughout trying to suss out the identity of the killer.The play centred around the artist Tony Reed, haunted by the past after his first wife, Alison, is murdered in the park directly outside their home. When the killer is released early from prison, a mysterious stranger named Mr. Todd approaches Tony with an offer to kill the murderer. Tempted by the chance for revenge, Tony agrees - pulling himself and his second wife (and former mistress), Megan, into a dangerous, claustrophobic nightmare. It’s a thought-provoking piece, challenging the audience to think about the way in which justice is meted out and how public behaviour has deteriorated. It certainly got us all thinking!

This was a suspense piece loaded with mind games, unexpected twists, and strong character dynamics. Chappell is better known for light comedy (BAFTA award winning situation comedy Rising Damp, as well as Only When I Laugh, Duty Free) and I felt that that his writing was perhaps better suited for comedy. The plot relied heavily on narrative exposition and abrupt twists via a wordy script, leading to an ending that was a little underwhelming. It was however extremely well delivered by the Adel Players.

The play featured a tight small-cast setup (3 men and 1 woman) with no scene change – all was based in the Artist’s lounge overlooking the park where the murder had occurred. The park scene was very realistic and convincing.  The skills of the Director, Dianne Newby and assisted by the talented back-stage team must not be overlooked as their contribution to the overall piece made the play so riveting.

None of the characters are quite what they seem. Gavin Jones, as Todd, was in every scene - a HUGE role. So many lines to deliver - an outstanding performance. Todd’s business card indicates that he is interested in prison reform - but there is far more to him than that! He appeared calm and collected at the start, becoming more menacing and manipulative as he built up the character and unveiled that he had a plan to bump off Alison’s killer in exchange for money.

Helen Law as Megan played an outstanding role – again, her character slowly unravelled and the depth of it became very clear. Whilst she appeared to be the ‘put upon wife’, living in the shadow of Alison, she clearly had much of her own personality too. I found her very beguiling and convincing. A strong female character indeed. Whilst Megan was the only female on stage, the presence of Alison, the dead wife also hung in the air throughout the entire performance.

Rob Colbeck played the role of Tony – and his performance was so convincing with his fears being realised and developing.  His shaking hands and voice added to the tension of his agitated anxiety, heightened by copious amounts of wine. Watching him like this and hearing him (when he was locked in another room) really added to the palpable tension of the whole piece.

David Lancaster was an imposing presence who swaggered around the stage like a fearless, cocky East End gangster in his role as the ex-con Slater. His accent was convincing and his menacing presence made everyone uneasy.

This was a thriller, but the writer did manage to inject some thoughtful and insightful aspects - “Art is long, life is short” being one of many memorable lines as well as ‘those who went to Eton and those who went to prison ended up much the same!’. The Adel players always introduce us to new text and performance and this was certainly a very enjoyable evening’s entertainment. The next production is a comedy Forget-Me-Knot by David Tristram which will no doubt showcase even more of their talents. Our tickets are already booked!

Here at Adel Players we have a thriving membership of around 30 people. Nevertheless, we are always looking to extend a welcome to anyone who wants to enjoy the fun and fulfillment of providing first rate theatre experiences for our audiences here in North Leeds. Those interested in acting are always welcome, but so too is anyone who prefers to get involved with any of the backstage roles. For anyone thinking of that, we have put together a brief account of all the jobs that go to making up a successful show. You can access this and how to contact us at Join Adel Players and if that piques your interest, do please get in touch!

Our April 2026 production was a bitter-sweet comedy and has attracted much praise for the acting and staging of the piece. It would be fair to say that the subject matter, dealing as it does with the effects of ageing, was challenging for some in the audience but as always we are tremendously grateful for the support our patrons always give us and for the many kind remarks we received. A huge amount of work went into this one, led by Gary Jarvis who not only directed but took one of the lead roles (as well as hanging wallpaper for the set build!). He was ably assited by Alan Foale and we are grateful to them and everyone else, onstage and backstage, who made this happen. Thank you, Team Adel!

As usual, you will find pictures below, along with reviews and audience reaction as they come in.

A Month of Sundays is a bitter-sweet comedy by Bob Larbey, famous for TV work such as The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles and As Time Goes By. Set in a comfortable retirement home in the 1980s, it deals with age, family and friendship, human frailty and resilience, dignity and self-respect, vacuum cleaners, whisky and wine gums, and the Middlesex County Cricket Championship winning team of 1947. In short, a bit of everything.

Cooper may be getting creaky now, but his mind is as sharp as ever, while his good friend Aylott is a picture of physical good health but starting to have trouble with his memory. Cooper’s world revolves around his favourite nurse Wilson, his forthright cleaner Mrs Baker, his dutiful but rather distant daughter Julia and her family, and daily exchanges with fellow-conspirator Aylott. They all contrive to entertain, delight and inspire us with their different takes on life which will strike a chord with everyone. 

Our thanks to Marjorie Cole for this thoughtful review which will appear in "Adel Bells":

I went expecting laughs, but I got smiles imbued with sadness instead. The latest play, A Month of Sundays, put on by our talented local amateur dramatics group dealt with some serious issues that many of us will have had experience with. Behind the jokes there was real fear, a fear of what the future might hold.

Music welcomed us to the first scene as we listened to the well-known song “You’ve got a friend in me” which just about sums up the way the characters supported each other. The setting for the play was in a retirement home where the only guests we met or heard about were men. Two men in particular had become friends and had worked out a way to deal with how, physically and mentally, they were changing; it was to see the funny side of their predicament. Cooper, in whose room the play was set, had a military background so it came as no surprise that he and his friend Aylott had formed an escape group to work on getting out of what they saw as a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi times. Seeing their world in those terms helped Cooper deal with his worsening physical health and Aylott come to terms with his memory problems. It was clear, however, that they both knew their problems would only get worse. As Aylott was about to go for a walk, Cooper, who was a well-read man, reminded him of Captain Lawrence Oates, whose walk did not end well and in fact it later turned out that Aylott did in fact get lost.

The staff at the home were women and we met Nurse Wilson, whom Cooper always addressed by her surname in true military fashion. She was beautifully played by débutante Rose McMahon, as she joked and flirted with Cooper, as he with her, whilst at the same time exhibiting real concern for his welfare. The cleaner Mrs Baker was skilfully played by Ann Bush, who gave as good as she got and was even prepared to sing and dance with Cooper. These two women were also proving that the men had friends in them.

The title of the play is intriguing and is perhaps connected to the fact that Cooper’s daughter is a reluctant, once a month visitor, but they eventually talk properly with each other and realise that family is still important.

It was brave of Adel Players to take this play on. David Pritchard gave a very convincing portrayal of Aylott who over the course of a month had clearly become more aware of his own forgetfulness. Gary Jarvis as Cooper was on stage throughout and never faltered in his delivery. He took on the role of this larger-than-life character, had a wide variety of facial expressions and his timing was impeccable as he addressed the audience directly with his witty comments. He had the ability to play a curmudgeonly fellow and yet make us warm to him. Together with Alan Foale he directed the play and succeeded in putting across the gentle comedy of a situation that also had a bitter-sweet element to it. He was supported as ever by an enthusiastic band of back-stage helpers who ensured that everything ran smoothly.

Marjorie Cole

“Well, that was a tough play to put on given the average age of the audience. Some of the subject matter a bit too close to home …. It was, however, very well acted. As expected from Adel Players”. 

“We loved A Month of Sundays” ? 

“My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed A Month of Sundays”.

Our thanks as always to everyone who has taken the trouble to get in touch and share their feedback.

The dark (and wet!) January nights were certainly lightened with this most recent production, a remarkably contemporary-feeling political satire from the pen of Alistair Beaton. Our thanks as always to our loyal audience members, without whom it would not be worth doing, and to all those of our members who played their part in various ways. Particular appreciation must go to our director, David Pritchard, who also took the role of "DL" (the Prime Minister), turning in what has been described as a "Tour-de-force" performance. Great fun all round, but with food for thought also; as usual please see below for pictures and audience reaction.

Our thanks to Anne Lightman for this appreciative rview of our latest show.

Did this play live up to its title? Definitely, it was an evening which kept my attention and left me thinking.

Action took place in a hotel room cum office where two men worked on the Conference speech to be given by the Prime Minister (DL) the next day. Outside was an anti-capitalist demonstration. I enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters. One, amoral, opportunist, a manipulative political fixer (it would have been Mandelson or Alastair Campbell then) played brilliantly by Gavin Jones. The other, the speech writer, (Will Andrews) younger, with some humanity and principles.

In contrast, the PM’s PA played by Jade Jeffreys was efficient and not thrown by the men’s antipathy. The chemistry between the three was interesting - the men forced together against an outsider! Equality hadn’t arrived! Two colourful friends of the PM arrived before the interval, the first literally - his tan shoes matched his tie, toning with a Rupert-Bear yellow checked waistcoat - the flamboyant, luxury-loving country squire. Gary Jarvis played his role with aplomb! The final person to arrive was a party supporter who wrote gags for a leading TV comedy show; Rob Colbeck was in his element!  His role was to inject humour to the speech, but he was disliked by both men.

A bombshell emerged before the interval. A genetically modified (GM) field of hops had been grown on the squire’s estate. This should have been destroyed but instead was sold to the local brewery. Some male customers had noticed physical changes - they now had breasts! No one apart from the squire had yet connected the two, but a female investigative journalist was asking questions. The squire, as minister, emphatically denied any GM crops were grown in Britain, and was worried about the end of his political career. This did not worry the others; he was seen as a liability, but they were dismayed what “compulsory gender realignment” may do to the party - forecasting it being “unelectable for 150 years.”

After the interval, we relocated to the journalist’s room, in the same hotel, where the heavy-drinking ex-wife of the fixer, was being persuaded not to publish. The PM’s speech was also being written with three approaches to GM food - against, neutral and pro. Eventually the journalist came into the room and handed the damaging floppy disc over - the deal was done. But after a distraction, she and the speech writer were alone and he handed the disc back to her, urging her to publish.

The final scene featured our first meeting with the PM. Always referred to as DL (Divine Light - Tony Blair then), he began by saying that he had a speech prepared but had torn it up and would speak from his heart! I had hardly formulated the thought that I was sorry for the two who had been up all night writing it, when he started word for word the speech we had witnessed being written. When it came to the GM section - it would eradicate world poverty - so the “pro” version was used, to mitigate any scandal that would ensue should the story of the hops come out. This was a tour-de-force by David Pritchard - a long speech delivered faultlessly and with conviction. I was rather reminded of Nigel Farage! As David was also the director I think he should feel very proud of his performance and this production.

We learn too that part of the hotel had been damaged by rioters and one person was killed - the ex-wife investigative journalist! The protesters were blamed. I wonder? My mind went to the 1984 Tory Party Conference in Brighton, when Mrs Thatcher was PM and Mrs Tebbit was badly injured. The IRA were responsible and it would not have crossed my mind then to doubt that. Politics must be much harder now we are all cynics! 

Anne Lightman

Our April 2024 production of "Two" (see here for details) was our entry for the 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.

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.

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!

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