HISTORY

The Rustington Players Amateur Dramatic Society was founded in 1921 when three one-act plays were presented in the old temporary hall, which was in Church Road.

The first full-length three-act play was performed in 1924, but the policy of presenting a triple-bill of one-act plays continued until 1927, when the Players presented Noel Coward’s “I’ll Leave It To You”. All the major productions after 1930 were presented as three-act plays. 

Spring Show 1928, "I'll Leave it to You"

In 1929 the Players transferred to the Sports Hall in Bushby Avenue, where the stage was more spacious. The following year a production of “Rookery Nook” was presented at the Pavilion-on –the-Green in Littlehampton to raise funds for the Littlehampton lifeboat.

For several years local musicians provided interval music at the Players’ productions. Programme notes from 1925 record Miss Joan Last as giving “pianoforte renderings” and Miss Ethel Gordon as supplying “incidental and other music at the piano”.

There was a disastrous fire at the Sports Hall in 1934, which prevented any further productions for five years until the present village hall, The Woodlands Centre, became available

The Players’ first production at the new venue was “Winter Sunshine” in 1939, and we have been there ever since.

Productions were suspended during the War Years until “Ladies in Retirement” opened the new season in 1946 and was subsequently presented at Ford Naval Air Station. All went well until 1952, when there was a short break in productions owing to “a shortage of men”. The Players’ season has comprised three major productions, in November, February and May – roughly – since 1962.

Green Room evenings were introduced in 1959, which provided an evening of one-act plays, revues, old-time music hall and other forms of entertainment for members and friends. Green Room evenings were discontinued some years ago, mainly due to the perennial problem of finding directors and casts, but they have continued in the form of the Social Evenings that are held on the third Friday of each month.