St Hilda’s Entertainers is an award-winning drama group which has been producing traditional pantomimes, plays and musical evenings since 1960. With an age range from 7 to 70, we are dedicated to providing top class entertainment for the local community.
In 1960, St Hilda’s Church found that among its congregation there were several people with an interest in drama. Bunny Bernard-Smith, who had been an entertainer on the professional stage, was “volunteered” by the vicar at the time to set up an amateur dramatic group.
Starting with a revue “A May Miscellany” in May 1960, there have been over 100 productions staged by the Entertainers. After the pantomime “Robinson Crusoe” in 1962, it became established for the Entertainers to produce two shows each year – a pantomime before Christmas and a play (or one-act plays) in May, leaving the summer free for social events such as the regular ten-pin bowling championship, the barbecue and an annual trip to Torquay, home of one of our former chairmen.
Proceeds from the productions in the early years were donated to the new church hall fund – to replace the old corrugated iron hall that stood on the site of the hall we rehearse and perform in today. Eventually the fates took a hand and the old hall actually burnt down in the mid 1960s, when the present hall was built. In 1994, the stage again suffered extensive damage in another fire – just three weeks before the May production of one-act plays, but in the true spirit of show business, the show went on – on a temporary apron stage.
Donations from profits sice the 1970s have been largely made to charities associated with children – the Pestalozzi Children’s Village Trust in Sussex, and more latterly the White Lodge Centre, Shooting Star and many others.
In 2010 we celebrated our 50th anniversary by putting together a show called ‘Entertaining Life’. The production was made up of various songs, poems and short plays, with a theme of growing up from early childhood through to old age. Both our younger newer members and more established members shared the stage for this special production and as well as our usual public shows we put on a special performance for invited guests, made up primarily of our past members including the founder of the group, Bunny Bernard-Smith.
We are proud members of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). For each production we welcome a representative from NODA to see our show and give us a review. Reviews from our recent productions can be found on our webpage on NODA’s website.