We are opening our training zone! With lots of thanks to several contributors who helped us locate free online resources. 
While we lack the people-power and funds to run formal training sessions as activities, we do consider it very important to provide a resource where those newer to professional theatre (or anyone who wants to refresh on something) especially in an area where there is not immediate access to theatre training for adults. 
The new zone, consists of an online library at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/training-zone.html  as well as a discussion / learning group on Facebook at ​​https://www.southdevonplayers.com/training-zone.html   

We will of course continue to offer specialist training sessions for specific skills for actors in our shows, when we get back to physical rehearsals and shows, but this training zone covers a much wider range of skills than we have the the facility to run classes in. 

​We  hope that you find it useful. 

We are delighted, and excited, to announce our Friends scheme.
With times for the arts being tough, especially finding the funds to survive, we are hugely grateful to a number of Southwest people who have come together to form the South Devon Players Supporters Trust who will be assisting the Players with fundraising and help like "front of house" etc when needed, to help us keep running. Funds raised will support the costs of rehearsal space, materials for props/ costumes, critical techincal equipment, through grant applications as well as our traditional fundraising through table top sales & raffles, sponsored activities, etc. 

As we get the Players onto a safe steady finanical footing, we hope that this will also extend into being able to provide busfares for those performers on low incomes who cannot afford the bus to rehearsals, and the provision of formal performance and career training for local performers; something that is now completely lacking outside of youth theatre, in Torbay after the closure of the drama courses at the local college.

It is a huge change for us, and so incredibly welcomed to have the support of this amazing Supporters team. There are many things being ironed out still, and we will soon be announcing a membership scheme for people wishing to join the Supporters.

The trustees of the Supporters are people who are not formally connected to the South Devon Players, or the company directors, in any way, as cast, crew, or administration of The South Devon Players; but who simply wish to see the Players survive, continue our work, and grow, after themselves experiencing our shows, and work, as audience.
We also wish to make it clear right from the outset, that membership of the Supporters has no bearing on any selection for involvement in shows or projects; and that The South Devon Players Theatre & Film Company, and The South Devon Players Supporters Trust, are both strictly against "pay to play" situations.  Becoming a member of the Supporters Trust will not gain anyone preferential treatment in being cast. 

Read more about the show with links to photos and videos: HERE 

After being contacted by a school from Newton Abbott, for a special weekday matinee performance for thier students, and the education working group within the Brixham Theatre trustees, agreeing to provide the theatre venue for free for this event, we are able to provide cheap £3 tickets for school trips to see this production. This is a full performance of the unabridged original text followed by a Q&A.

We have 100 seats filled thus far, and have another 140 seats available. After discussions with both the existant school attending, and the theatre trustees, we would like to offer these other seats, at the same price to other schools - or homeschool groups - who would also like to attend and take advantage of this offer. These may be booked in total, or in part.

This event is not open to the public.

In order to book some, or all of the remaining seats, please contact our company directly on [email protected], for full information and to book.

We can also provide photos, scripts etc if required, as well as accessiblity information for the show and the venue.

 And so, with all but a couple of roles cast, we get underway with our new spring production! The first week is always an odd one. A new team of people getting used to one another, some still having to arrange their scheduling, but wow. In this first week, some of the cast are already coming off-script! Its a real race to the top with this show.
Lots is happening with 1307. With the full length theatre show and radio dramas both being performed, the former also for streaming to a New York theatre festival, and then a shortened version of the script being adapted for a short film, this cast have a lot of hard work ahead, but as competently shown, they can very much rise to the challenge!

Polmartin Riding Stables,near Bodmin in Cornwall,  often runs one-day intensive, affordable, courses for actors, in riding for film and TV. Our team attended yesterday, and had a great photoshoot as well as training. Check out Polmartin at http://www.polmartinfarm.com/

A look behind the scenes at our "just for fun" project "Dark & Light", a one-day-shoot Harry Potter fanfilm. Photos by Nicole Rosen, (and one is a still off footage by Emily Anne Ephraums) and featuring the lovely team: Megan Tarrant James Scott Jem Snow Kerrie Louise Maria Emily Anne Ephraums Hayley Tink Rushton Sam Burns, Rich Sandford Laura Jay/ Eluiana Jay. While fanfilms are obviously not a core part of what we do, they are great fun as small projects to practice skills, and create showreel material.

As those who follow our work will know, we are all about pushing our actors to achieve excellence in their performances, towards all creating professional performances, and breaking out of the stereotype that all local theatre and film projects must be "amdram" and that regional people may be "unskilled" - so we provide as much training as we can, and also let our team know about other training opportunities that come up, allowing our lovely people to expand skills so that there are a wide range of skills and abilites that they have both for projects with us, for later if registered with our casting agency, and for going out and finding performance work on other productions regionally or nationally. 

Yesterday those of our team who were able, attended a day course "Riding for Film and Television" at the fantastic Polmartin Riding Stables, in Cornwall (highly recommended if you wish to learn or practice your riding, run by people who do a lot of horse work for films).
Laura, Sharon, and Megan attended, and more of our team hope to attend similar courses in future. These are suitable for beginner and experienced riders, so absolutely brilliant.