The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company News

Covid safety document updated

25/12/2021

We have updated our Covid-safety document in order to formalise and describe what we are doing to keep our actors, crew, and venue visitors/ staff safe.

This is of course a living document as regulations may change at any time

Venues will have specific safety policies in line with the venue needs and legislation in place at the time of the shows, which we will also share with our cast & crew, and on the box office page.

Our document updated for December can be downloaded here:

2022-covid_safety_august_onwards__2_.pdf
File Size:	82 kb
File Type:	pdf

Wishing everyone a very safe, and positive 2022

23/12/2021

We would like to wish everyone a very positive and safe festive season and the same for 2022 (and beyond of course!)
Its been a tough year again for the performing arts industry, and for everyone on a personal/ health/ mental level, but it cannot go on for ever. Keep the faith, look after one another, and we will all come through. <3

December 12th, 2021

12/12/2021

Some of the Roman swords and shields and helmets arrived today for our theatre production of Ben Hur- and will be prepared for the show over the next little while.
Many thanks to funding from Tesco community fund via Groundwork.
Getting reenactment gear wherever possible is brilliant for us with historical- set shows because it can add a brilliant dimension of realism to the show as well as an educational dimension for learning about historical aspects for both actors and audiences.
#theatre #acting #actors #Romans #brixham #tescocommunityfund #benhur #devon #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre #actorslife #stageproduction

Behind the scenes at Ben Hur rehearsals

27/11/2021

Another great evening at Chestnut Community Centre rehearsing for our touring production of Ben Hur- thank you to everyone for the hard work- much progress was made on scenes and characterisation.
#actors #acting #benhur #BenHur2022 #stage #brixham #rehearsing #arts #Britishtheatre #theatre #devon #torbay #brixhamtheatre

A new range of handmade items on our ebay

16/11/2021

A lovely local lady, Sally-Ann, whom we have worked with on and off for many years, is creating these beautiful one-of-a-kind hand crocheted throws for our fundraising. It helps with her health and she wants to help support our work too. Its enormously appreciated. We have the first four listed. More will be added as and when available.

Link to view the currently available ones:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Home-Furniture-DIY/11700/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&_ssn=southdevonplayers&_sac=1

#theatre #arts #handmade #brixham #torbay #devon #crochet #homewares #fundraising #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre #performingarts #ebay

More behind the scenes at Ben Hur

30/10/2021

Another look behind the scenes of rehearsals for Ben Hur. The cast and crew are doing fantastically. It is wonderful to see the characters and emotions coming through. We may not be costumed yet, and we may not have the set up, but the power of the acting is already so clear in the photos. Absolutely wonderful work. It is also beautiful how all the cast and crew are so friendly, kind & supportive to one another - it lets a production absolutely blossom.
Photos by Jenny Abrahall

Theatre Buddies inclusion project update

19/10/2021

We had a brilliant meeting with our volunteer Vikki, to discuss the launch of the test phase of our free inclusion project, Theatre Buddies, helping local people struggling with isolation and loneliness to access and enjoy theatre- and make friends.
The draft ideas are at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/buddies.html

Due to autumn availabilities for Vikki, and Laura (group founder) being seriously ill and currently unable to take on extra things, Vikki and Laura sadly agreed that Theatre Buddies will publicly launch in Spring 2022. This allows more time for preparing the project. This is later than we would have liked but with illness and life commitments eating time this autumn, there has been no choice but to push it to Spring 2022.

It will center around a befriender being available to meet with people who would like to attend our shows at the theatre but have nobody to go with and are anxious about going on their own. The befriender, Vikki, will provide that welcoming, friendly face at our shows. We are also considering having social meetups, maybe once every three months or so, where local people struggling with isolation, depression and loneliness, can meet up with others who have the shared interest of theatre.

Gladiator training

19/10/2021

The second half of our Ben Hur stage production opens at the arena.
The Romans were famous for their gladiatorial games, spectacular and brutal in equal measure.
On Sunday, those of our cast who volunteered, began the training for our staging of the gladiatorial games.
Where we thought, we would get through safety, backgrounds, and basic moves, the cast picked it all up like lightening, and we actually ended up beginning the choreography for the fights.
If Day 1 of this is anything to go by, this is going to be absolutely incredible.
Some gladiators will live, some won't.
A lot of our staging of the latter part of the Games remains a hidden spoiler (after all, it culminates in the epic showdown between Judah Ben Hur and Massala) until show-day
but you will get to see bits of the leadup, as we follow the production.
*Note, please don't try any of this at home - our actors are training in strictly choreographed sequences, working to their own strengths and abilities, under the supervision of fight trainers, with safety-checked weapons - currently mainly foam "larp-safe" weapons.
#theatre #acting #BenHur2022 #BenHur #rehearsal #Brixham #Gladiators #Roman #actors #actorslife #Torbay #theater #staging #Devon #regionaltheatre #britishtheatre

A wonderful play about autism is coming to Exeter, featuring two of the actors from Ben Hur

10/10/2021

Two of our lovely actors from our production of Ben Hur, are involved in this production by Ugly Duck Theatre Company, bringing to life the experiences of an autistic student at college, performing soon at Exeter Phoenix.
As a theatre company founded and adminned by an autistic creative, ourselves, and with several creatives working with us who have similar conditions, this is a theme we can fully appreciate.
Wishing the two gentlemen involved a fabulous performance!
Screenshots below have more information about the show
Blurb online about the show from the theatre Facebook page:

“We are incredibly excited to announce that we are involved in the Exeter Fringe Festival this year
We will be bringing a newly updated "Mental" to

STUDIO 1, EXETER PHOENIX
16th of October 2021.
8:30pm
Tickets are £12 full price/£10.50 concessions
"A behind-the-scenes look at Autism. We follow a day in the life of Jake, an autistic teenager trying to navigate the trials and tribulations of a day at college."
Follow the link below to book tickets
https://exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/mental/“

Great news! More external work offers coming in!

9/10/2021

Dear Casts of both Ben Hur and Henry V;
Some more external work offers have come in. especially for you lovelies, (this time for Halloween scare actors). Please check the respective production facebook groups for more information and how to apply.
This is fab stuff. Well done for being so awesome.
Laura

In addition to that, two of our team have also been asked to assist with the pirate fight choreography for a new short film being made in Brixham next week.

This is one of the outcomes that we love - as well as producing our inhouse shows, we love it when external acting work comes in and is offered to the people currently working with us. Getting into professional freelance acting is a huge and thick glass ceiling especially down here in Torbay (its why we were founded in the first place, lol!) without drama schools and local agencies etc.
Lots of productions come down, and lots of acting work looks further afield to bring people in, when in reality, there is a ton of fab talent right here.

Seeing talented people get additional opportunities is one of the most rewarding things you can imagine.
<3