Sponsorship package welcomed by Thame Players

THAME PLAYERS has recently secured a three-year sponsorship with a local developer, which will help with much needed work to the converted church that now houses the Players Theatre in Nelson Street, and will contribute to the 70 year-old, amateur theatre group’s creative development.

Members of Thame Players wait to mee the Princess Royal, when she visited Thame market back in February

Speaking for Thame Players, Helen Johns said: “The creative funding will enable Thame Players to enhance our own productions, for example, by achieving superior special effects, better lighting and sourcing higher quality costumes. Rectory Homes is the headline sponsor of Thame Players’ summer production this year, Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The funding enables Thame Players to enhance set design, lighting and costume selection, and also to stage a series of Shakespearean acting workshops hosted by Bruce Alexander, the TV and film actor who is also a patron of Thame Players.

“These workshops will be free to participants. Next year, it is hoped that Rectory’s funding will enable Thame Players to stage a showpiece open-air production of another Shakespeare play.

“Rectory Homes’ funding of capital improvements will mean that essential work can be carried out to the exterior of the building, including the frontage, the roof and stage door access. Inside the theatre, it is anticipated that Rectory’s funding, which will be matched with equal funding from other sources, will finance technical improvements. It is hoped that these will include the installation of state-of-the-art back projection at the rear of the stage, facilitating quicker set changes and reducing the need for laborious physical set changes.”

Simon Vickers, founder and chief executive of Rectory Homes, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Thame Players, a gem of an asset to the town of Thame. We take community support very seriously and look to put something back into the community wherever we can. Rectory are already the principal sponsors of Chinnor Rugby Club in Thame and a headline sponsor of Thame Food Festival and the Thame Show. By sponsoring Thame Players, we are also contributing to arts and entertainment provision in Thame.”

Pat Shepherd, Chairman of Thame Players, added: “That Rectory Homes has now decided to extend their sponsorship over a three-year period is very welcome news and we are looking forward to working with them on creative development and on building and technical projects. Rectory’s expertise, support, advice and encouragement will be tremendously valued by all of us at Thame Players.”