Bartholomew Players are diving into their 51st year with a classic play: A Murder is Announced. It will be taking to the stage at our Village Hall in May – have you got your tickets?
Agatha Christie’s well-loved Miss Marple mystery is a fitting choice for the Players, as 2026 is 50 years since the author’s death, with the last 40 years of her life having been spent in Oxfordshire.
It is also over 50 years since Bartholomew Players was first formed in Eynsham, originally by teachers at the school (hence the name). The Players kicked off their inaugural year (1975) with another classic play, Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. Until last year when he sadly passed away, the Players were proud to still have one of the original members: Steve Ashcroft. He enjoyed his time with the group right up until the end.
No longer affiliated with the school, the award-winning Bartholomew Players have been rehearsing and performing at our local Village Hall for the past 25 years. The main hall is an ideal space for both rehearsals and performances, where the stage, lighting and sound equipment allows the Players to bring their fictional worlds to life!
Catch their latest performance, A Murder is Announced, each evening from Wednesday 13 May to Saturday 16 May. Tickets are £14 and can be purchased in advance online from https://www.trybooking.com/uk/FUXA, by contacting Denise Santilli (07721 744020; bart.players@gmail.com) or from Evenlode DIY in Eynsham. Tickets will also be available on the door from 7pm on the night of the performance (curtain up at 7.30pm).
The group is always looking for new people to join them, whether as an actor or to support with the production in other ways, such as set-painting, costume-making or marketing. The age of the group is broad – from 18 to 84 – and the group meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the Village Hall.
To enquire about joining the group, contact Denise on bart.players@gmail.com. Find out more about Bartholomew Players on their website: www.bartholomewplayers.co.uk