Rowntree Players memories

The show was entitled Centenary Follies – and it was the climax of more than a year of celebrations and performances that marked the 100th anniversary of what is thought to be the oldest theatre group in York.

It was actually on February 15, 1912, that an invited audience of senior Rowntree chocolate works staff and their friends settled down in the De Grey Rooms for a performance of Sir Arthur Wing Pinero’s comedy Sweet Lavender.

A reporter for the company’s Cocoa Works Magazine enjoyed the performance. “To the end of the last act, a period of nearly three hours, the actors succeeded in giving a large amount of pleasure to their audience, as was evidenced by the frequent and hearty applause,” he noted.

The play ran for two nights only. But two months later it was revived, this time for two performances in the Central Hall of the Exhibition Buildings – what is now York Art Gallery. They were the first public performances by the group that was to become the Rowntree Players.

The group was originally set up – as the Cocoa Works Dramatic Group – because Joseph and Seebohm Rowntree were worried about the lack of education for the 13-year-olds who started at the factory straight from school.

“Because of this they built a school and began the Cocoa Works Dramatic Group,” said Rowntree Players committee member and acting regular Julie Harrison. “Seebohm encouraged staff to join the group and it is thought many workers went on to become charge-hands and managers.”

Originally the group was only open to Cocoa Works staff, though that changed long ago. They performed in the chocolate factory’s dining block for many years until, in November 1935, the Joseph Rowntree Theatre opened.

On the opening night of the new theatre the society, which changed its name to the Rowntree Players, performed James Elroy Flecker’s Hassan.

They have continued to perform several shows a year ever since: everything from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Trial By Jury (in 1937) and Somerset Maugham’s The Bread Winner (1947) to Agatha Christie, Terence Rattigan, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and much, much more.

The Press has an extensive archive of production photographs taken from shows down the years. Here are just a few of them. We are sure there will be plenty of readers who recognise themselves – or a family member or friend – in some of the photos.

Here’s to many more years of great shows and great theatre.

Members of Rowntree Players in a 1972 presentation of Where’s Charlie

Pamela Wright gets the water shaken out of her in a scene from Sweet Charity, performed in 1970

A 1977 production of The Boyfriend with, from left, Roger Yorke, David Doggett, Rosie Hastings and Jeanette Peacock

Jim Hammond in a sketch in the Players’ intimate revue 11 Plus 7 in 1970

Update:
A number of readers have been in touch to point out that several of the photographs we chose from our archives actually showed performances by the Rowntree Youth Club/ Rowntree Youth Theatre.

“Half A Sixpence in 1969, Great Expectations, 1979, Camelot 1972, Sweet Charity 1970, Little Shop Of Horrors 1990, and The Boyfriend 1977 were all Rowntree Youth Theatre shows,” points out former youth theatre member Patrick Olsen.

“We were not connected (with the Rowntree Players) and were part of The Rowntree Youth Club. That was our original name as I for many years did the scenery for lots of musicals. I also performed with my puppets many times in the It’s A Musical World shows.”

Thanks Patrick – and thanks too to everyone else who wrote in, for putting us right.