Dulwich OnView

Local amateur dramatic society, The Dulwich Players, are gearing up for their first production of the year, “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” by Dario Fo. Angie Macdonald spoke to two of The Players, Severine Powell, the current Chair, and stage director, Jan Rae.

Severine Powell first joined The Dulwich Players as a shy sixteen-year old schoolgirl. Sixteen years later she is the current Chair of The Players and busy working on building the set for the upcoming production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist. “We do everything ourselves, and that includes set building, sourcing costumes, poster design and lighting.”

Accidental Death of an Anarchist is a satire on police corruption and is one of Fo’s most popular and controversial plays. “It has a young cast, all of whom are new members and it is Kevin Leech’s directorial debut,” says Severine. “The backstage crew are all old members. Each production has a mix of old and new members so that the older members can pass on their knowledge. We learn so much from each other – it’s a wonderful education.”

Next year The Dulwich Players will be celebrating their 40th anniversary. The group was founded in 1969 when The Dulwich Dramatic Society and The Village Players amalgamated. “We still have a handful of founder members. The people in The Players are an incredibly diverse group and cover all generations, from people in their early 20s to people in their 80s,” says Severine.

The Dulwich Players members are drawn not only from Dulwich but from surrounding areas like Nunhead, Camberwell and Gipsy Hill. “We have about 100 members and unlike most drama groups we don’t have a shortage of men. Members include teachers, civil servants, City workers and lawyers,” says Jan Rae, herself a lecturer in Management at South Bank University. Jan has been a member of The Dulwich Players for 26 years, during which time she has directed numerous productions, stage managed, been a committee member and held the position of Chair for two years.

People join The Dulwich Players for various reasons. Some may be new to the area and want to get to know people locally and feel part of the community. “A couple of people have gone on to act professionally,” says Jan, “while others want practise before going to drama school. Then there are other people who would have liked to have been professional actors but got day jobs instead. People start off not knowing each other, but after eight weeks of rehearsals they’re a coherent team.”

“Most people share a love of theatre,” says Severine, who met her fiancé, Paul Sykes, at the group seven years ago. “You have a sense of team spirit without it being a team sport. It’s so rewarding.”

This year is the 10th anniversary of the first Shakespeare open-air production staged in the grounds of the Dulwich Picture Gallery in association with the Friends. Jan directed the first production in 1998 and will be returning to A Midsummer Night’s Dream this year from 3rd to 6th July to mark the anniversary.

This time round Jan is setting the play in the Edwardian period. “The Edwardian era is a great social age – quite passionate. It’ll be nice to have another go at it with a new cast,” she says.

One of the things The Dulwich Players pride themselves on is their high production values. “People are paying to see us, so we owe them a decent production,” says Jan.

The main concern of The Dulwich Players at present is that the lease on their storage facility is about to expire. “We’re looking for a safe, watertight place to store sets and costumes in the local area,” says Severine. “If anyone knows of affordable, local premises please get in touch via the website.”

The Players host numerous social evenings, with play readings once a month and regular theatre trips. “The monthly social readings are a really good way to get to meet new members,” says Severine. “There’s a wonderful sense of community – we’re like a second family!”

The Dulwich Players are always on the lookout for new members. If you would like to find out more, get in touch via their website .

“Accidental Death of an Anarchist” by Dario Fo will be performed on 3rd,4th and 5th April at the Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College. Tickets are available from the Arts Stationers in Dulwich Village or by calling the Box Office on 020 8693 4830.