University College Players

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The University College Players (or Univ Players for short) are the theatrical society of University College, Oxford.

The first production was in May 1941 when Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" was performed in cooperation with Merton College. Peter Bayley was the senior member from the start till the 1960s. After the Second World War, Univ Players was re-founded with a production of "Measure for Measure" in 1946.

In 1953, a young Maggie Smith appeared in a production of "He Who Gets Slapped" by the Russian playwright Leonid Andreyev, after attending a theatrical training scheme at the Oxford Playhouse.

Michael York was a Univ Players member in the early 1960s, before graduating with a degree in English in 1964. Peter Sissons, later to become a newscaster, was Treasurer of the Univ Players during his time studying at University College in the 1960s. John Albery took over from Peter Bayley as the senior member of the Players during the 1960s, after his appointment as a chemistry don at University College. He organized the Univ Revue for many years.

In the 1970s, the Univ Players they produced successful outdoor summer productions of "The Seagull" (1976, in St. Hilda's meadow), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and an adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland" (1977 and 1978, in the grounds of Magdalen College School by Magdalen Bridge).

More recently they have had annual outdoor summer productions in the garden of the Master's Lodgings (e.g., "The School for Scandal" in 2003).

Univ Revue

John Albery organized the Univ Revue in the college Hall for many years. It consisted of an irreverent series of sketches with some musical by both fellows and students of the college. Performers included John Albery, Leslie Mitchell, Jean Maud, Colin Moynihan, John Redcliffe-Maud and others.

Alumni

Here are a selection of former members:

* John Albery
* Peter Bayley
* Jonathan Bowen
* Gordon Honeycombe
* Andrew Robinson
* [http://www.irdp.co.uk/wgq.htm William George Q]
* Peter Sissons
* Dame Maggie Smith
* Michael York

See also

* Oxford University Dramatic Society

References

* Darwall-Smith, Robin, "A History of University College, Oxford". Oxford University Press, 2008, pages 469, 478, 495–6. ISBN 978-0-19-928429-0.

External links

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