In 1963 after the winding up of the original Letchworth Drama Festival at St. Francis College some six years earlier due to insufficient support for a 625-seater theatre every night, and after running an internal festival for a few years, The Settlement Players decided that the Little Theatre audience justified an open festival. They set up an independent committee to organise a festival in 1963 with their backing for that year only. After that, if a success, the committee would be on its own.
Hugh Bidwell was Chairman for over 25 years, Gwen Spinks Secretary for over 20 years and John Cruse Treasurer. Percy Simmonds then David Fyfe acted as Stage Manager and John Elson looked after publicity.
A single year's venture on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th May 1963 was to continue for the best part of 40 years. Twelve teams were invited to participate and the six selected were Settlement Players with an extract from Antigone, St Paul's Amateur Dramatic Group, Harpenden Drama Group, Garden City Players, Baldock Drama Group and the Company of Players from Hertford.
The Festival was usually held in one of the weeks prior to Easter at a time when courses and groups were not meeting, an essential requirement as the Festival took over the entire building. Remember that the Cruse and Spinks rooms were not built until 1975 and that the rooms upstairs comprised a separate Warden's flat. Dressing room space for each company was provided in the Brunt Room and small classroom which is now the kitchen. Make-up space was in the stage dressing room.
The rules were drawn up by Hugh Bidwell after discussion with Welwyn and Luton Festivals. Plays should run for a minimum of twenty minutes and a maximum of fifty minutes. A penalty of one mark per minute for over/under running would be imposed. No play should contain less than two speaking parts. Ten minutes were allowed for setting up and five minutes for clearing the set.
Admission prices in 1963 were as follows: - 3/6d for the first four rows, 3/- for the remainder of the hall and 2/6d for unreserved seats in the Green Room. Season Tickets were also available.
J. Bridges the adjudicator in 1963 was a B.B.C Producer living in the Garden City. He waived the fee of five guineas per evening. Adjudicators were always members of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators. A rostrum in the back room offered a clear view with light provided. Usually three teams competed each evening. The aim was to shorten Saturday's programme as the Festival as a whole would be reviewed after the normal adjudication on that evening's plays. Finishing at 11 p.m. would be regarded as very early! . On Saturdays the hall would be packed and a representative from each team would be present in case they had won! The cup was presented by the Chairman of Letchworth Urban District Council.
There was only one trophy at first - The Plowman Trophy for the winner. In 1966 the S.P.A.D.S. offered a cup for Runner-up as their contribution to the Steinfeld Memorial Fund. In 1965 a new prize was donated by Noel Ripley and an Adjudicator's Award was added for excellence in costumes, lighting, set, production or whatever gripped the Adjudicator.
Teams covered a wide geographical area - Settlement, St Paul's, Bancroft Players, Barn Theatre Group Welwyn Garden City and Langford Drama Club were fairly local. Others came from afar - Swavesey, Sawston, Waterbeach and John Bowen all came from Cambridgeshire as did Stapleford. Clavering Players came from Essex. Southgate Jewish Literary and Debating Society were from London. There were many more over the years!
Drama Festival time was always busy, many minor jobs were tackled e.g. numbers for seats, notice boards and cords for curtains. In 1965 a bell in the Common Room was first mooted and sound replay to the Cruse and Spinks Rooms was arranged after 1975.
Archives relating to the Festival have recently been deposited as a gift to the Garden City Collection. The temporary classification is: L S Drama/Letchworth Little Theatre Drama Festival.
Programmes are missing from 1964-1971, 1973-5, 1982-3, 1989 and 1991. Should you have any of these, please contact me on 01462 686321.
Roy Evans
President
The Settlement Players
Hugh Bidwell was Chairman for over 25 years, Gwen Spinks Secretary for over 20 years and John Cruse Treasurer. Percy Simmonds then David Fyfe acted as Stage Manager and John Elson looked after publicity.
A single year's venture on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th May 1963 was to continue for the best part of 40 years. Twelve teams were invited to participate and the six selected were Settlement Players with an extract from Antigone, St Paul's Amateur Dramatic Group, Harpenden Drama Group, Garden City Players, Baldock Drama Group and the Company of Players from Hertford.
The Festival was usually held in one of the weeks prior to Easter at a time when courses and groups were not meeting, an essential requirement as the Festival took over the entire building. Remember that the Cruse and Spinks rooms were not built until 1975 and that the rooms upstairs comprised a separate Warden's flat. Dressing room space for each company was provided in the Brunt Room and small classroom which is now the kitchen. Make-up space was in the stage dressing room.
The rules were drawn up by Hugh Bidwell after discussion with Welwyn and Luton Festivals. Plays should run for a minimum of twenty minutes and a maximum of fifty minutes. A penalty of one mark per minute for over/under running would be imposed. No play should contain less than two speaking parts. Ten minutes were allowed for setting up and five minutes for clearing the set.
Admission prices in 1963 were as follows: - 3/6d for the first four rows, 3/- for the remainder of the hall and 2/6d for unreserved seats in the Green Room. Season Tickets were also available.
J. Bridges the adjudicator in 1963 was a B.B.C Producer living in the Garden City. He waived the fee of five guineas per evening. Adjudicators were always members of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators. A rostrum in the back room offered a clear view with light provided. Usually three teams competed each evening. The aim was to shorten Saturday's programme as the Festival as a whole would be reviewed after the normal adjudication on that evening's plays. Finishing at 11 p.m. would be regarded as very early! . On Saturdays the hall would be packed and a representative from each team would be present in case they had won! The cup was presented by the Chairman of Letchworth Urban District Council.
There was only one trophy at first - The Plowman Trophy for the winner. In 1966 the S.P.A.D.S. offered a cup for Runner-up as their contribution to the Steinfeld Memorial Fund. In 1965 a new prize was donated by Noel Ripley and an Adjudicator's Award was added for excellence in costumes, lighting, set, production or whatever gripped the Adjudicator.
Teams covered a wide geographical area - Settlement, St Paul's, Bancroft Players, Barn Theatre Group Welwyn Garden City and Langford Drama Club were fairly local. Others came from afar - Swavesey, Sawston, Waterbeach and John Bowen all came from Cambridgeshire as did Stapleford. Clavering Players came from Essex. Southgate Jewish Literary and Debating Society were from London. There were many more over the years!
Drama Festival time was always busy, many minor jobs were tackled e.g. numbers for seats, notice boards and cords for curtains. In 1965 a bell in the Common Room was first mooted and sound replay to the Cruse and Spinks Rooms was arranged after 1975.
Archives relating to the Festival have recently been deposited as a gift to the Garden City Collection. The temporary classification is: L S Drama/Letchworth Little Theatre Drama Festival.
Programmes are missing from 1964-1971, 1973-5, 1982-3, 1989 and 1991. Should you have any of these, please contact me on 01462 686321.
Roy Evans
President
The Settlement Players