Pat Yesin in the play ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ 2020
2004
I moved back to Bishopsteignton in July 2004 to live in my father’s house, in Teign View Road. My father, Fred Gilbert, had been a stalwart member of the Players since moving to the village in 1976 and was Treasurer for a number of years, 1979 to 1983. So I knew all about the Players although I never got to see any of the shows my father was in as I lived in Turkey for many years.
Cast of the 1970s production of Blithie Spirit from left to right inlcude: Mrs Bradman (Brenda Gilpin), Charles Condomine (Adam O’Riordan), Madame Arcati (Meg Horton), Ruth (Christie Coleman), Dr Bradman (Fred Gilbert)’.
2006
The Visit
Working at the primary school in the village, I got to know Pippa West who recruited me in 2006 to take a part in my first production which was The Visit, a dark play by Friedrich Durrenmatt about the corrupting power of money. John Patton directed and it had been in rehearsal for some time but it was a large cast and they never had enough people for all the parts. They asked me to be the Stationmaster, and later a couple of extra parts.
Programme for Bishopsteignton Players play ‘the Visit’
Programme for Bishopsteignton Players play ‘the Visit’ inside
We rehearsed often in the Bishopsteignton Primary School hall, the head teacher at the time, Ken Irvin had a small non speaking part as one of the heavies. But his main forte was artistic creativity. He created a fantastic forest using the inner tubes of rolls of carpet donated by a local firm. We performed the play in March 2007 in the round in the village hall, all hung about with black material, with a station on the stage, complete with ‘public lavatory’, and a marvellous balcony, lent by Ipplepen Players, at the other end.
I borrowed an authentic stationmaster’s hat from my neighbour Fred Kavanagh who had been an engine driver. I filled in any periods of inactivity by energetically sweeping my station. The play was entered for the South Devon Drama Festival which meant that it was judged by an independent adjudicator. It won best production that year, best actor for Tony Cottle and best supporting actor for Nigel Everett. I chiefly remember the adjudicator’s remarks in his feedback with reference to my Stationmastering “there’s a limit to how much sweeping can be done”. Well, I was a beginner!
Players play ‘The Visit’
2008
At the AGM later that year, I was persuaded to become Secretary – well nobody else wanted to do it!
In those days, the Secretary had to organise every aspect of a production, so it was quite stressful! More recently we have adopted the strategy of appointing a producer as well as a director for each show.
The Weekend
The next show we did was The Weekend by Michael Palin in May 2008. I remember the read through at which I read the part of the Marxist cleaning lady, Mrs Finlay. She was such fun to do that I asked Nigel Everett, the director, if I could have that role. He assured me that a long tradition of the Players was that the Secretary should have whichever part they wanted! So, it was decided. But we had only read Act 1 and in fact Mrs Finlay didn’t appear again, so it was a very small part indeed!
We performed this play in the round in the village hall. Act 2 involved an elaborate dinner party, and the stage crew really went to town on setting up the table with cutlery, glassware and floral arrangements; they even made fresh prawn cocktails every night. However, this process took so long that we were marked down by the adjudicator and did not repeat the success of The Visit at the Drama Festival that year, this despite brilliant performances by both Pippa and Tony again in the principal roles. Tony’s part of the curmudgeonly husband had been created for Richard Wilson.
It was definitely a play of two halves; starting out in light-hearted mood rather along the lines of One Foot in the Grave with an hilarious scene featuring a game of scrabble, and then morphing into a much more serious analysis of a disintegrating marriage. But a great find was schoolgirl, Grace Bouchard who triumphed in the part of Charlotte, the grandchild. She subsequently performed with us again in other shows. She was a prominent member of TYKES the youth wing of the Teignmouth Players. Very talented.
Poster for Bishopsteignton Players 2007 Play ‘The Weekend’ illustrated by Brenda Gilpin
Programme for the Players 2008 play ‘The Weekend’
2009
Say Something Happened and The Fat Lady Sings
Our next production in May 2009 was two one act plays: Alan Bennet’s bleak Say Something Happened teamed with David Tristram’s hilarious The Fat Lady Sings, one of the Little Grimley series.
At Pippa West’s suggestion we did one of these performances at the Church Hall in Ideford, and proceeds went towards the church roof repairs. And we did two other performances at the Community Centre. I didn’t have an acting role in either of these plays, but I did practically everything else! Ably assisted by Linda Wilmot, who had recently joined the Players.
Original Hand Drawn Poster for the Bishopsteignton Players production of ‘Say Something Happened’ and ‘The Fat Lady Sings’ illustrated by Brenda Gilpin
Plays for Coarse Actors and Albert and the Lion
In July 2009, we had a play reading with a view to putting on some Plays for Coarse Actors by Michael Green – spoofs of Chekhov, Beckett and Pinter. And these were to be directed by Rachel Vowles, a semi-professional actor who had been involved with several of our shows before. Unfortunately, this fell through. So, we discussed alternative options and, in the end, decided to do a revue. And this is when John Bessant introduced us to his friend Richard Lamming, saying they could ‘sing a little’. And when they actually sang for us, we all realised that John had been absurdly modest because they were brilliant.
I did a Stanley Holloway monologue, Albert and the Lion, Pippa coached me in the Lancashire accent! The highlight of the evening was when some of the lads did a hilarious ballet routine to the dance of the cygnets from Swan Lake. This received a standing ovation, and the audience demanded an encore. Manning the cd player, I had great difficulty finding the beginning of the music in the dark and after a glass of wine! We did one night only in November. But it was very profitable, and we were able to give a hefty donation to the Royal British Legion.
2010
The Happiest Days of Your Life
The next full production was in the summer of 2010. This was The Happiest Days of Your Life, a period comedy which had also been a successful film starring Joyce Grenfell and Margaret Rutherford.
Poster for Bishopsteignton Players play ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ illustrated by Brenda Gilpin.
I played Mrs Sowter, an irascible though monosyllabic parent. Grace returned to play the part of Barbara Cahoun, from the girl’s school that owing to a bureaucratic error was billeted on the boys school. And we had another youngster, Tom Chudley Evans to play Hopcroft Minor.
We performed it in the round at the Village Hall. We won lots of prizes that year at the South Devon Drama Federation: Best Young Actor for Tom, Best Supporting Actress for Pippa and Best Production with a special mention for the costumes, masterminded by Linda, with great attention to detail. We even sewed seams into our tights for authenticity.
Cast of ‘The Happiest Day of Your Life’ 2010
Deckchairs and Poison, Passion and Petrification or the Fateful Gazogene
The next production was another evening of one act plays in November 2010. Two of the Deckchairs comedies by Jean Maconnell, and a surreal one-act play by George Bernard Shaw, Poison, Passion and Petrification or the Fateful Gazogene. In the interval, John and Richard accompanied Pippa in a set of songs which was the birth of the group Rubato. John and Richard had performed for many years under the name Heresy. This combination proved very popular especially such songs as My brother Sylvest and Ivan Skavinsky Skavar. John and Tony brought the house down with their Deckchairs dualogue in drag between two lady dog owners!
I was the cockney landlady in the Bernard Shaw play. Marilyn and Peter Hepworth excelled themselves creating a plaster ceiling to hang in the middle of the village hall for this. During the play, the ceiling had to be poked in order to produce plaster to use as an antidote to the poison administered by George Fitz-Tollemache in a jealous rage to his wife’s lover, Adolphus Bestable. One horror moment for me was when I completely froze and could not remember my next line. It was a key line too “He’s not asleep he’s dead.” Audiences greatly enjoy these moments, but they are hell for the amateur actor!
A scene from the play ‘Poison, Passion and Petrifaction’ 2010
Sitting on Deckchairs in the play ‘Poison, Passion and Petrifaction’ 2010
Again sitting on Deckchairs in the Play ‘Poison, Passion and Petrifaction’ 2010
Sailor Beware
The next production was to be Sailor Beware by Philip King and Falkland Cary which Richard Lamming was very keen to direct. I was cast as the nosey neighbour, Mrs Lack. Sadly, we had to abandon the show when Liz Mac had to withdraw from being the harridan Emma Hornet. Richard tried to persuade me to take the part on but I really didn’t feel up to it. Gemma Neale was going to play the heroine, Shirley but she was about to get married and wanted to start a family. We didn’t think a pregnant Shirley would be appropriate! In the end we decided to do an evening of entertainment instead and Richard would coordinate.
2011
Murdered to Death
We also started to think about doing a summer play in the open air. This was the spoof murder mystery, Murdered to Death by Peter Gordon and my part was the femme fatale Margaret Craddock. Quite a challenge. I had hardly anything to say or do for the first Act and then came to life in Act 2 and turned out to be the murderer. But the stars of the show were John Bessant as the incompetent Inspector Pratt and Pippa West as Miss Maple, complete with knitting.
Oh, and Rachel Vowles returned to do a fantastic stint as one of the first murder victims. Her lingering death, trailing a limp hand slowly down the door frame as she expired, was a highlight of the show! We did this in June 2011 in the garden at Teign Lawn. It made a natural stage with its patio and steps leading down to a lawn, sheltered by tall poplar trees. The audience was invited to bring their own chairs and picnics and it made a truly memorable few evenings.
The weather wasn’t brilliant, but we only had a light drizzle on the opening night. At that time Teign Lawn was owned by Lorna and Steve Brown, long time supporters of the Players. When they later sold the house, they made it a condition of sale that the new owners should continue to allow the Players to use the garden and they have been true to their word. A very happy arrangement for all of us! Thanks Nick and Dawn!
Poster for Bishopsteignton Players play ‘Murdered to Death’
Cast from the Play ‘Murdered to Death’ 2011
Cast rehersing for the Play ‘Murdered to Death’ 2011
The Bishop’s Revue
Through the spring of 2011 we rehearsed both productions at the same time which was pretty arduous. We did the Bishop’s Revue in May in the village hall. The main thing I remember from it was our nun routine. Leigh Lamming, Viv Nietrzebka, Heather Conway and I dressed as nuns singing, ‘There is nothing like a nun’, adapted by Richard and John from the South Pacific number. We brought the house down! And it became quite a trope. The nun costumes were created by Linda; we got good use from them in later productions. Viv and I even wore them to do the Teign Mud Run!
Front programme for the Bishopsteignton Players 2011 play ‘The Bishop’s Revue’.
Programme for the Bishopsteignton Players 2011 play ‘The Bishop’s Revue’.
Bishopsteignton Players Play ‘Revue’ 2011
Bishopsteignton Players Play ‘Revue’ 2011
Bishopsteignton Players Play ‘Revue’ 2011
This article highlights Pat’s reminiscences from 2004-2011 and will be continued in Part Two – so watch out for the next article