ABOUT US

We are based in the West Chiltington Village hall where all our Members Evenings and Productions are held. Most Rehearsals are also here, either in the main hall or, in the early stages, in the Windmill Room at the back of the hall. We also hold Play Readings for Fun which are often held in a local pub. When preparing for a production we usually rehearse on Mondays and Thursdays, 7.30pm to 10.00pm. Shows are held Thursday to Saturday. Members Events are usually on Saturdays.

CREDITS

Thanks to Margaret Watton for most of the photographs that appear on our website.

HISTORY

The Society was formed in 1949 by the son and two daughters of the Reverend Williams, who on finding that there was no entertainment in the village, decided to start a Dramatic Society. They went around the village approaching anyone they thought looked theatrical or interesting. They soon had an active group who performed in the old Comrades Hut (now demolished) at the bottom of the hill by the Elephant and Castle Pub.

They continued to grow in number and entered the County Drama Festivals in 1956 with Seagulls over Sorrento. This was then performed on the Glyndebourne stage to determine the all-Sussex winner, but East Sussex won it. The Society moved to the new Village Hall when it opened in 1957 and the play performed there was The Poltergeist - very dramatic, as the first night they fused all the lights as the curtain went up. In 1958 the Society performed a January Pantomime and two plays a year for four successive years. In 1977 the first musical Salad Days was produced and performed with enormous success. Due to popular demand it was followed in 1979 by My Fair Lady and in 1983 by Guys and Dolls.