Derbyshire theatre company gallops back to Chatsworth House to present a farce and a musical

Chatsworth Players kick off with the classic 19th century farce Dandy Dick, to be presented in the private theatre at Chatsworth House from June 8-11.

Written by Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, this tale focuses on a pious Dean who secretly backs a horse (the Dandy Dick of the title) to pay for repairs to his church spire. The clergyman has to extricate himself from an hilarious situation involving mistaken identity, young lovers and hapless protagonists.

Lindsay Jackson, who chairs Chatsworth Players, said: “We are thrilled to be able to produce a play with a large cast and bring the theatre back to full capacity. We produced two small plays in 2021, one outdoors and one to a reduced-capacity theatre; but we are so happy to be back involving members from across the community and providing such a wonderful play for our patrons to enjoy. The players were originally formed to bring together people from all the villages to perform a play that one village group on its own wouldn’t be able to manage, so getting back to that principle is an absolute joy.”

Tickets for Dandy Dick are now on sale at www.chatsworthplayers.com

In July, the players will make their Buxton Festival Fringe debut with Flowers for Algernon.

This thought-provoking one-act drama, based on the book by Daniel Kayes, encourages people to think about valuing what they have rather than what they aspire to, through the eyes of a learning-disabled young man.

Chatsworth Players will present the work at the Arts Studio on July 11, 17, and 19, with a one-off performance at Over Haddon Village Hall on July 23 at 7pm. Tickets are now on sale via underthefringe.com and www.chatsworthplayers.com

And finally, the Players will be presenting their first musical – Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning, amazing Into the Woods. It follows the familiar characters of Grimm’s fairy-tales as their storylines become intertwined.

Light and funny in Act I, heart-breaking and thought-provoking in Act II, this play with songs is about the choices we make, unintended consequences, personal responsibility, and the unshakable bond between parents and children.

Into The Woods will be performed at the theatre at Chatsworth House from October 12-15.

For more information and to book visit www.chatsworthplayers.com.

The performers who have put Chatsworth Players on the theatrical map are drawn from the towns and villages within a 15-mile radius of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s stately home.

Chatsworth Players was founded by the late Sylvia Jackson, a London-trained professional who acted and directed all her life and who moved to Bakewell from Nottingham in 2005.

Syliva felt that if ambitious actors from amateur societies in the area could be drawn together as a group they would be able to tackle more challenging productions - perhaps with larger casts - than most villages could manage. So she wrote to all the societies that were within reach, outlining her vision.

And the idea took off.

Sylvia saw the benefit of using the 100-seater theatre at Chatsworth House when the Duke of Devonshire asked her advice on bringing it back into use. The first production was The Crucible by Arthur Miller and the Chatsworth Players have been performing there ever since.