20th Anniversary Gala - November 2001

The Finn-Brit Players - A History (Glyn Banks)

The Finn-Brit Players - 2001

(both taken from the programme)

THE FINN-BRIT PLAYERS - A BRIEF HISTORY

In October 1981, 8 people performed an evening of short plays called '3 Plays on the Theme of Marriage' at the Finnish British Society premises. This was the start of the present Finn-Brit Players. However, the story begins some time before this momentous occasion. There had been a number of performances given by expatriates and Firms stretching back to the 50s. Prominent amongst these thespians were Kingsley Hart (alas deceased), Tim Andrews, and Diana Webster. Both Tim and Di have acted with the present Finn-Brit Players, notably in 'Oh What a Lovely War!'. The group, however, was dormant for a while until its resurrection 20 years ago.

In the autumn of 1980, Ahti Tolvanen, Norman Mason and myself got together with the idea of starting a theatre group. I contacted Kingsley because I knew of his reputation, and in the spring of 1981 we held a meeting at the Finnish-British Society when the idea of putting on a production was agreed upon. Mark Shackleton was also present at that meeting. Kingsley decided to direct the plays and we rehearsed mainly in his flat (as far as I recall). Ahti Tolvanen was the stage manager.

For the opening night we chose the large back room at the FBS premises. We built a stage against the back window and used the two doors at the sides as wings. We even had lights set up. The office space became the dressing room. The room was full to capacity and the evening was, as far as I remember, a great success. We did perform the show elsewhere, but it was the night of October 21st that will always remain in my mind.

The Finn-Brit Players has moved on since then and the repertoire of plays has encompassed everything from Shakespeare to musicals, from the classics to the modern, from children's theatre to agit-prop. Hundreds of people have been involved over the years and many of those will be here tonight, including Gunvor Hustich who was involved not only in '3 Plays on the Theme of Marriage' but also in the early days of the Finnish-British Drama Society. Let's hope that in 5, 10, or even 20 years we can all meet up again and celebrate the continuity of a theatre group that over the years has given so much pleasure to audiences and performers alike.

Glyn Banks

The Finn-Brit Players - 2001

Our group is a very special one, and over the years we have had hundreds of members. They have all shared the desire to create something new, put on a performance and share in the joys of theatre and literature. Today, as I imagine it was twenty years ago, we function on the basis of members donating their time, talent and enthusiasm. Putting on a performance is still the same immense effort, and that inevitable 'Players-shakes' and tingle one week before performance is a true friend.

We are very proud to say that the group is still going strong. In the past five years the Players have put on several plays (Macbeth, Cinderella, Robin Rockies, The Sea, Letters Home, Mr & Mrs Blake, No Pasaran, Night of Joy, Pricks), numerous play readings (now a regular monthly event) and been involved in fund-raisers (crowd scenes in short-movies, voice-overs for Nokia etc.). In the past year we have worked together with Caisa Cultural Centre on several occasions and had a weekly 'Poetry and Jazz' evening at Cafe Engel. The group, we are happy to say, are vibrant and active, and wish to continue with the work and fun started twenty years ago.

Notably, the Players decided this autumn to register as a charitable association in our own right, so we will shortly become The Finn-Brit Players r.y. We believe this will give the group greater opportunities of securing the future of the club, a club that so many have come to see as their second home.

So, I would like to echo Glyn in his hope that we all meet again at our next big anniversary and celebrate the continuity of a truly wonderful theatre group.

Mira Berglund-Fitzpatrick