Link Players

Link Players Present...

In the beginning …A Very Brief History of The Link Players Drama Group

In the early 70's, the Methodist and Anglican Churches were having one of their many "let's see if we can get back together again" series of discussions. Locally at the Methodist Church in Stockland Green. Birmingham were meeting with friends at St Marks Anglican Church in Bleak Hill under the joint leadership of their two ministers. It was as a direct consequence of this initiative that The Link Players Drama Group was formed early in 1973; initially the Group was based on members of the two congregations and the name "Link" was chosen to signify/symbolise this arrangement. Until "closure" in 2016, it was thought that the Group might just have been one of the longest running ventures from those far off days.

The Link Players first public performance was a religious one-act play entitled "Pontius Pilate", which took place during the evening service at Stockland Green Methodist Church (aka The Green) on 20^th May 1973.

Over the last 40+ years, over 135 people [together with Susie the dog (yes a real one) and "Ruffles" a plastic budgerigar (there have been 2!)] have either built/painted sets, acted, prompted, directed, produced, pulled curtains, switched lights on/off, made the tea and generally taken part back stage (sometimes unwillingly) in bringing "live" theatre to the local community.

June Walker was the only founder Member to have been in the Group continuously from the start and, until her untimely death in 2017, was probably the only person who had seen EVERY performance of EVERY play that they performed at The Green.

Away from The Green, Link Players have also performed under the pseudonyms of Link Youth, Link with Youth and Tomorrow Productions.

At The Green alone the Group performed 25 different one-act and 45 different three-act plays. In addition a number of these were performed on “away” trips to other venues including The Birmingham Old Repertory Theatre; The Arden Hall, Castle Bromwich; Tamworth Arts Centre; The New Theatre, Hereford; The Playhouse Theatre, Weston Super Mare; The National Exhibition Centre (for Crufts Dog Show Centenary Pageant 1991); The Police Training Centre at Tally Ho, Edgbaston; and The Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull.

Some Link Trivia

The Stage is approximately 16’0” (4.88 metres) wide by 13’6” (4.12 metres) deep from front apron edge to rear set line. This is actually smaller than two parking bays on a normal car park.

Occupations of the Group have been extremely diverse and have included Artists, Bank Clerks, Butchers, Electrical Engineers, Environmental Health Officers, Glazing Consultants, Insurers, Hairdressers, Heating Engineers, HGV Drivers, Housewives, IT Managers/Consultants, Jewellery Makers, Journalists, Laboratory Assistants, Librarians, Newspaper Printers, Nurses (Male and Female), Painters and Decorators, Personal Assistants, Photographers, Police Officers (Male and Female), Postal Workers, Publicans, Quantity Surveyors, Receptionists, Roofers, Secretaries, School Children, Shop Assistants, Students, Teachers (Pre-School, Infants, Primary, Junior, Secondary and Special Needs!), Telephonists and Trainee Solicitors.

There have been four weddings in which the Bride and the Groom were both members of Link Players, namely: –

* Miss Pamela Silk and Mr Brian Round (1977),

* Miss Lorraine Lee and Mr Clive Jinks (1978),

* Miss Pauline Micklewright and Mr Andrew Thompson (1993) and

Emma and David (2003)

* these ceremonies took place at The Green.