A Short History of Hartpury Drama Group - Where and How it all Started


Hartpury Drama Group's first production was a pantomime, Mother Goose, which was staged in 1973.  Rehearsals started in 1972
at the old, black and white, Village Hall, Hartpury.  Some of our senior members remember that the panto was held in the spring to
avoid competing with other productions in the Christmas panto season.  Catherine Smith directed the show and Victor Smith was
prepared to fund the show in its entirety if it ran at a loss.  Happily, it was a rip-roaring success and ran for three nights
to a full house making a healthy profit. The driving force for the origins of The Village Hall Players (as Hartpury Drama Group
was then known), were Victor and Catherine Smith.
The group was able to call on an expert team to support the production. Richard Keene, still an active HDG member and committee
member, made the panto's, person sized goose, costume.  Scenery was provided by the very talented Master Artist, Joe Wilkes
who still lives in the village. Lighting was provided by the BBC News Director (no less!), Tony MacPherson, also known as Mac.
Mac lived in Corse End Road, Hartpury with his wife, Jenny.  Den Groves, along with Victor, both current members, assisted Mac
with lighting effects and other stage management tasks.
Stuart McGhee and Martyn Peterson shared the role of the goose.  Evelyn Fowler played Mother Goose.  Den Groves played Jack
and remembers, fondly, how Evelyn referred to him as Our Jack henceforward.  Mona Trigg was the pianist.
Catherine ended her involvement in 1981 with Sing a Song of Sixpence. Sally Gough's role as director ended with Music Hall in
1983 - and her involvement with the Group in 1984.
In 1976 the Group changed its name from The Village Hall Players to Hartpury Drama Group. They continued to stage productions
at the Old Village Hall right up until 2012. 'Last Panto in Little Grimly', directed by Kate Ezra, was the final show to be
performed at the Old Hall. The Group, now in its new location at the recently built Hartpury Village Hall, performed its very
first show there in 2012: The Fat Lady Sings, and was also directed by Kate Ezra.
Those directing/producing for many years onwards include: Joan Wood, Hugh Evans, Alan Dee, Janet Tolputt, Annie Wells,
Malcolm Pearson, Graham Vaughan, Trish Gallagher, Sarah Rowe, Dave Page, Kevin Barker, Richard Pett and many others.
Trish Gallagher continues to take an active role for HDG and this autumn (2022), she had intended to direct a murder mystery: 
A Very Fashionable Murder. Unfortunately this has had to be postponed to allow the covid hit show 'Old Actors Never Die' to be
re-scheduled then. 
The Group will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year in 2023 and, in honour of those responsible for the Group's very existence,
we will celebrate by putting on Mother Goose! Hopefully, if it can be located, HDG will make use of the original script.  
Anecdotes
Den Groves fondly remembers the Mother Goose panto pianist, Mona Trigg. He recalled, with fondness, that she played the piano
at a slow pace but was hired nevertheless because she performed best at the auditions. The director/producer, Catherine, held
several auditions for a suitable pianist but none proved any more able than Mona - not even two music teachers from a 
well-known Gloucester school! Both school pianists were apparently memorable, because they were equally terrible!
We then fast forward to 1980, when our very talented Esme Jones took over as pianist. Esme still plays piano for the Group.
Without Esme, the Group would have folded at an early age, it is told.
Joe Wilkes, who painted the backdrops so skilfully in the early years, used rick sheets that weighed a ton. Joe went on to 'retire' 
three times and subsequently supped his way through three bottles of 'retirement' gifts of whisky. 
In the 1995 production, The Grand Old Duke of York, Janet Tolputt, directed and performed.  She literally passed out just before
appearing on stage. Needless to say the show had to go on despite this alarming hiccup.
The changing rooms in the Old Village Hall were a picture to behold in 1972/3! There weren't any! Condense ran down the walls.
The kids changed in the kitchen with the adults changing ad hoc behind a clothes rail in the committee room. A few glasses of
 'medicinal liquor' banished any embarrassments, it is recalled.
Trish remembers on one occasion the director asked a cast member if she would remove her wedding ring for her part in a play
 - this she very reluctantly agreed to do (as she was superstitious about doing so), but at that moment the stage lights went out
and at the other side of the stage a props tray loaded with China fell over - needless to say she never did remove her ring. 
Spotlights, in the early years, were a finger crossing and hope for the best, affair. There were no formal stage lights to speak of
so Den and Victor rigged up spots with 60 watt bulbs covered with gels. They then made three semaphore coloured flags tied up
with fishing wire that was yanked up and down - to create any colour changes required that was operated by Tony MacPherson
in the wings. Mac (as he was known), went on to teach Den all he knew about lighting the stage and in particular how to avoid
shadowing. We are delighted to say that there have been many HDG productions and proudly list these in the past shows section.
The most successful ones between 1979-2008 were HDG's 'Old Time Music Hall' productions as these had the biggest draw.
Following these successes were the pantomimes and they also drew in large audiences.
Celebrating HDG's 50th Anniversary
It will be with some fanfare that Hartpury Drama Group will put on Mother Goose in 2023 to celebrate the Group's 50th anniversary.
Many of the people mentioned from 1972/3 onwards are still with us and remain active members of HDG. Trish Gallagher has agreed
to assist with the production. Den Groves, tongue in cheek, said he would audition for the role of Jack. Richard Keene has agreed,
once again, to make the goose costume. Victor Smith has agreed to once again be in a supporting role. We also hope that Esme Jones
will be tinkling the ivories!
The legend of Hartpury Drama Group continues!
Our thanks to Mo and Den Groves, Richard and Caroline Keene, Esme Jones, Trish and Frank Gallagher, Victor Smith and Dave Swift
who all contributed to the production of this potted history.