Players' Theatre - 21st Century Rebirth

21st Century Rebirth

The remaining director, aided by a group of members, set up a restoration committee and after a phenomenal amount of work by many people, founded a new club. This was registered as a not-for-profit company - 'The Players' Joys Limited' and has charitable status.

The Players' group is now once more delighting audiences in the West End, putting on shows at the Arts Theatre, and, shortly at the renamed Venue Theatre (in future, the Leicester Square Theatre). In addition, they work with Westminster City Council for example by performing in the spectacular 'West End Live' festival, (second appearance in 2008), and by putting on a music hall show for the launch, at the Coliseum Theatre of Westminster's innovative idea for a National 'Silver Sunday'.
A long lease of a building in Craven Street (the other side of the Charing Cross station tracks) has been purchased by another group of supporters, who have registered a property company with the tobacconistic name 'Craven Players Limited'. It aims to construct a completely new theatre, which will be 'friendly' to the elderly, disabled and the environment. A benefactor has given the club £100,000 towards the cost of the project.

Theoretically there are two Players' clubs operating in central London. The second theatre premises under the Arches off Villiers Street were taken over by off West End Theatres. They renamed it 'The New Players Theatre'. After a short while they sold the theatre, bar and restaurant to Pure Management, who also own the nightclub Heaven, across the Arch. Pure Management continues to operate the theatre. A relationship with Soho Theatre was formed after the hugely successful sell out show "The Tiger Lillies: Seven Deadly Sins" a punk cabaret production. It therefore seems to have little relationship left to the music hall heritage of the old club. More recently, "The New Players Theatre " changed its name again to the "Charing Cross Theatre".

'The Players' have concentrated on more frequent, smaller scale shows, plus the maintenance of awareness of music hall around London and the country by participation in local festivals and other events. The Players' Theatre club is an important part of British music hall tradition. Meanwhile, music hall performances by the Players in the traditional and familiar style continue to take place at Charing Cross Theatre on an occasional basis.