Wychwood Players History
For many years, amateur dramatics have flourished locally in the form of Wychwood Players. This drama group owes its existence to the WI pantomimes staged for many years in the old Beaconsfield Hall, adjacent to The Wychwood Inn, or The Red Horse as it was then, in the village of Shipton-under-Wychwood.
In 1997, shortly before the original Hall closed, Wychwood Players evolved and, for the first time, branched out from the pantomime formula to stage “Confusions” by Alan Ayckbourn, a set of three One Act Plays which included the hilarious catalogue of disasters that is Gosforth’s Fete. The following year saw the New Beaconsfield Hall opened, and Wychwood Players ambitiously tackled their first full length play, The Devils Disciple, by George Bernard Shaw. This was directed by the late Tony Butterfield, and boasted a cast of 29 with many others helping behind the scenes.
Over the following years, Wychwood Players have gone from strength to strength, producing a varied programme of entertainment and have now staged many productions, comprising comedies, serious drama, and interactive murder mystery evenings. We have also had supper evenings, sometimes set around two One Act Plays or short sketches.
In recent years, the Group have tackled several hugely popular TV series, with productions of Allo Allo (2013), Vicar of Dibley (2017) and Blackadder Goes Forth (2018). It is always daunting to portray such well know characters as these contain, but judging by audience feedback they were well received.
Many productions have employed elaborate and visually appealing sets, which are a credit to both designers and builders alike. It is invidious to single out examples, but Humble Boy (2009), with its elaborate garden, and Wuthering Heights (2016), which portrayed both that property and Thrushcross Grange on stage simultaneously, come to mind.
In December 2025 we have installed a theatre projector into the hall and have brought the abilities of set and sound right up to date. The first use of the projector was for Steven Moffatt’s comedy The Unfriend in May 2026, it brought a whole new dimension to the set.
In total, the Players have now staged over 70 productions, and still counting, comprising comedies, serious drama and musicals.
