Join Adel Players

"So you'd like to join Adel Players but you don't want to be in any comedies, is that right?"

 

Interested in joining? You've come to the right place.

 

For a brief potted history of the drama group, see About Us. And if you would like to hear about the group from some of our members just go to Member Profiles on the main menu or click here.

 

Below, we'll explain what membership entails, and how you can come along to see for yourself and meet members before potentially joining.

New members are always very welcome, whether or not you have any previous experience of amateur theatre and regardless of whether you wish to act or join the backstage team. See further down the page for Membership Requirements.

 

For those not interested in acting, there are also many opportunities to help backstage or front-of-house.

 

If you're thinking of joining, why not arrange to come along to see Adel Players in rehearsal, or have a chat with our Secretary about membership?


Contact David Newby by email at:

 

webadmin@adel-players.org.uk

 

Many of our newer members choose to help out backstage or with front-of-house for their first taste of an Adel Players production, before reading for an acting part. This is a great way to get to know other members of the group, as well as a good confidence builder.

 

Our membership is wide and varied, with our current youngest member aged 18 and our oldest member in his 80s with many ages in between! Some people come to us having acted before, and some come to us with a brand new curiosity about amateur dramatics.

 

Casting Evenings

If you decide to try for a part in any of our plays, you will find it a fun and unthreatening experience.

 

We have two casting evenings for each play. On a casting evening, we read the whole play right through, changing the parts from person to person, so that everyone who wants a part can have a go at reading for it.

 

There are no 'auditions', no standing alone in front of the director and no criticism. The director and casting committee then decide who they want for each part.

 

With three productions each year, in October, January and April, everyone gets a chance to appear on the stage, should they wish to do so.

 

On Stage or Backstage?

There is always plenty to do in an Adel Players production, and we pride ourselves on a down-to-earth attitude; every role within Adel Players, whether onstage, backstage or front-of-house, is considered of equal importance to the production.

 

There are no restrictions - anyone can have a go at any role, and there is always someone on hand to help teach you new skills. Of the many different roles to try out, here are a few:

 

  • Onstage - whether a small walk-on part or a larger role (rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday nights in the eight-week run-up to the performances, with an extra Sunday and Tuesday in the week approaching the performances)
  • Backstage - building sets, directing, lights, sound, preparing the hall for the audience, props, costumes, special effects, dressing the set, helping the actors backstage, prompting
  • Front-of-house - selling tickets, ushering, selling refreshments in the intervals, selling programmes

 

If you would like to watch a rehearsal or try out one of our just-for-fun readings, you are very welcome to come along and see us.

Don't forget, we were all new to the group at some stage and so we know it can feel a bit bewildering!

 

Membership Requirements:

 

All members of Adel Players must join the Adel War Memorial Association, in order to use the facilities that the AWMA provides. Anyone interested in joining is advised to contact David first (details as above) so that he can explain more about the group and arrange introductions.

 

The subscription rates for this year (October 2024 to September 25) are £51 for Under 65s, and £35 for those over 65. Of this, £10 is for membership of Adel Players, and the remainder is the required fee which is paid for membership of the AWMA.

 

AWMA Members are entitled to use all the facilities of the Sports and Social Club, including the lounge bar, and to join any of the many other groups that form part of the Adel Association (squash, tennis, cricket, hockey, bowls, badminton, football, archery, snooker, lacrosse, running, and bridge). All of these groups have their own membership fees. 

As we are a section of the AWMA, we get our rehearsal and performance facilities free of hire charges, in lieu of which we donate profits from our productions to the Association. 
This makes our position as a drama group much more secure than that of independent drama groups faced with constantly rising hire charges.

 

For more information on Adel Sports and Social Club, please visit their website at www.adelclub.co.uk.