Athelstan Players

Amanda Duffin

Amanda moved to Malmesbury in 1993 and joined the Athelstan Players in 1994, as she knew she’d meet some like minded people not afraid to make fools of themselves on stage; she wasn’t disappointed. Since then she has consistently played dumb blondes and ingénues (but is getting a bit past it now). Her ambition is to give up the diet and play an old battleaxe.

She is always very reluctant to sing, and if given a choice would rather be right at the back in the chorus (unfortunately for our audiences she’s not always given the choice). She had many years of dance training as a child, copying Pans People whilst watching Top of the Pops in the living room, the rewards of this hard work can usually be seen in the Revues!

Bob Charman

Christine Mace

Christine has been the chairman of the Athelstan Players for the past 5 years and a member of the group for approximately 15 years.

She has produced and directed a great many 1 Act plays which has won many awards over the years. Christine enjoys producing pantomimes, occasionally takes part in Revues and Pantomimes enjoying singing and dancing.

A trained dancer and still an active tap dancer, Christine's great love is the musicals, past and present. Her youngest granddaughter was also in the Junior Athelstan Players, so continuing the family tradition.

Colin Woodfield

Conan Coatsworth

David Shelley

David joined the Athelstan Players in 1963 as set designer, a job he still carries out, as well as performing on stage. His sets have on several occasions won prizes at one-act festivals. David also makes specialist props for the shows.

On stage David has done most things from being Badger in Toad of Toad Hall to the Dean of Paddington in Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime.

David has also appeared in a joint production of Son et Lumiere staged at Malmesbury Abbey and Shakespearean roles at Sheldon Manor.

Debbie Charman

Doug Morris

Elizabeth Outlaw

Elizabeth joined Athelstan Players in 1957/8 and then left to go to college in London, where she took part in Revues and different social events that the college put on.

On return to Malmesbury, Elizabeth got married and came back to the Athelstan Players in the late 1960's. Enjoying being on the stage, working Front of House and Back Stage, Elizabeth has produced three Carnival Revues, taken part in Radio plays and prompted in quite a few plays, many of them in the One-Act Play Festivals. Whilst she has taken parts in Three Act Plays, Pantomimes and Comedy, Elizabeth's great love is Revues.

Elizabeth has enjoyed and made many friends in Athelstan Players, and has had some of the best fun, which audiences do not see, at rehearsals.

Hilary Barnes

Jackie Peel

James White

James only came to pull the curtains. Within a few months he was squeezing into evening dresses, donning wigs and performing The Full Monty (family version) in the 2001 Carnival Revue.

Since then he has been marooned on a desert island as Man Friday, was Rat in Toad of Toad Hall, did the Dyson dance, (you’ll never look at a Dyson in the same way again) in 2003, and most recently played an 18 year old Neanderthal (we really do need some younger members) in ‘Heroines and Heroes’.

So be warned if anyone ever asks you to pull the curtains, think twice. Oh and just don’t ask him to step, clap and sing at the same time.

June Rose

Kate Payne

Margaret Williams

Marilyn Preston

Mark Vincent

Maureen Pike

Megan Mills

Born and bred in Wiltshire, Megan has lived in Malmesbury since she was three years old. Apart from amateur dramatics her main interests are sport, music, travelling, reading and cryptic crossword puzzles.

Megan became a member of the Athelstan Players in 1965 and is often typecast as a batty old lady! It was while playing such a character, that with Hazel Boniface and John O’Brien, she won the HTV One Act Play Festival in 1977, with a play called ‘Mr Sampson’. Representatives from HTV visited all the One Act Play Festivals in the West Region and the best three plays were chosen to appear on television. Megan's biggest thrill, however, was winning the best actress award in the same festival in 1989.

Megan enjoys taking part in all drama but prefers character and comedy parts.

Pat Castle

Roger Spencelayh

Roger wandered into the Studio one Tuesday evening in September 2003. Christine Mace, who at the time was directing a rehearsal for the Christmas play, 'Toad of Toad Hall', pointed at the CD player and asked "Can you operate one of those?” And that's how Athelstan Players got their Sound Engineer.

Perhaps Engineer is a bit of an overstatement, but Roger's qualifications for the job range from having experience playing in a band in the late sixties to running a mobile disco in the seventies and eighties.

In his other life, Roger is a freelance IT trainer and software developer.

Ruth Whitehouse

Ruth has been with the Athelstan Players for 2 years, She acts, sings and at a push dances as long as it’s not too demanding. Married with 3 children, Ruth works as a volunteer advisor for North Wilts CAB.

Sarah Grey

Shirley Collier

Shirley Collier joined Athelstan Players in 1978. During the first 14 years she held the post of Secretary for 10 years. Shirley took part in every production during that 14 years including One Act Play Festivals with two nominations for best actress and a nomination for best comedy performance.

After 14 years she decided to have a change and left to join another drama group. She also then joined a Light Opera Group where she gained experience performing in big musicals.

Over the years Shirley has played a great many different parts and is very much a character actress. She rejoined Athelstan Players 2 years ago.

Steve Dowker

Sue Poole

Susan Hill

Moved to Malmesbury in September 2006 and joined Athelstan Players in late 2007. Previously performed in "The Visitor" - Community Play in Hereford and in drama with Hereford Players and Bathford Players and numerous gigs with Batheaston PTA - pantomime, going from principal boy to ugly sister; musical review, although crap voice - better at the comic stuff. I like character parts - loony ladies and aliens! Love dancing, especially rock and roll but getting a bit long in the tooth for it.

Val Chapman