Jill Akhurst
Director – "Palace of Varieties" and "Bazaar and Rummage"
Director's Assistant "The Accrington Pals"
Singer of saucy songs; Actor Fallen Angels; Two; Arsenic And Old Lace; The Vortex.

This is the second "old lady" Jill has played for the Canterbury Players - are they trying to tell her something? Guildhall trained Jill has been with the Players now for three years, during which time she has directed "Palace of Varieties" in 2007 and "Bazaar and Rummage" in March this year. She also played the maid Saunders "Fallen Angels" in (March 2008) and the Old Woman in "Two" in July this year. She is also involved with the "Really Promising Company" and enjoyed some success last October playing the Princess Puffer in "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" at the Theatre Royal, Margate.

Ian is one of the major stalwarts of the Canterbury Players, working hard behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly: organising sponsorship; publicity; ticket sales; venues; taking part in the choice of performances and a great deal more besides.

His first production, as a director with the Players, was Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons Greetings". This was a joint production between Playcraft and Canterbury Dramatics Society, before their merger into The Canterbury Players. Since then, he since been involved in one way or another with virtually every - if not all - productions. This includes directing "When we are Married" in November 2004; Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" and later, Alan Ayckbourn's "Gosforth's Fete", here giving a few of the newer members the opportunity to take their first tentative steps on stage - after which they have never looked back.

Louise Gibbins
Actor: Play It Again Sam; Gosforth’s Fete; The Accrington Pals; La Ronde; Much Ado About Nothing; Bazaar and Rummage by Sue Townsend; Woman in Two; Day After The Fair

Louise joined the Players in 2006 & has since been involved in several productions.

The first was Harold Pinter’s ‘The Birthday Party’ where she was the official teapot bearer between Acts II & III. Following the success of teapot placement, she was cast as Councillor Mrs Pearce in Alan Ayckborne’s ‘Gosforth’s Fete’. Louise proved herself to be a massive hit when Charlie Jubber (Gosforth) omitted to catch her as she fell off the podium backwards.

In Schnitzler's ‘La Ronde’, she played a prostitute which was lucky as Louise was concerned about being typecast! Louise also appeared in the production, "The Accrington Pals" by Peter Whelan. Here, she played Sarah, a hardworking but fun loving mother in her late twenties.

Louise is seeking film extra work, her public profiles on casting websites can be found HERE and HERE.

Sarah Gooch
Actor: Much Ado About Nothing; The Birthday Party; La Ronde; The Accrington Pals; WPC in "Bazaar and Rummage" by Sue Townsend..
Performance Director Blue Remembered Hills; Two; Day After The Fair; Canterbury Tales
Stage Manager - RolePlay
Social Secretary & Actor

Sarah has been involved in theatre since the age of thirteen and has been a member of Canterbury Players for the past ten years. Recent acting roles with Canterbury Players include Meg in “The Birthday Party”, the actress in "La Ronde", Viola in “Twelfth Night” and May in "The Accrington Pals".

Danielle (Dee) Neligan
Actor: La Ronde; Play It Again Sam; The Accrington Pals

Recently informed by her mother that she has been usurped in her role as Drama Queen of the family, Danielle begs to differ. Starting out in school nativity plays (though never cast as Mary), she moved on to a spot of TV and drama at Uni. Initially drawn to her first role with Canterbury Players, as the presenter in "La Ronde" - because she dreamed of being a dominatrix with a whip - she is now utterly content flowing around in a corset and a pretty dress. April 2007 saw Dee acting the part of Eva Mason, in Peter Whelan's "The Accrington Pals".

Jim Akhurst
Actor: The Accrington Pals; Palace of Varieties; Fallen Angels; Arsenic And Old Lace; The Vortex.

Jim knew that his German 'O' Level would come in handy one day and is delighted to have been given the opportunity of playing Dr. Einstein in "Arsenic And Old Lace". His previous roles for the Canterbury Players include Fred in "Fallen Angels" and Arthur Boggis in "The Accrington Pals". He has also performed some music hall turns for the Players in Palace of Varieties in 2007 and at a charity event this summer.

Hayley has had a long association with theatre first as an actor both at school and as part of the Harlequin Youth theatre, Redhill.

She has also worked with lighting and sound on several productions, as well as stage-managing the Redhill Carnival this year. She had a brief association with the Surrey County Youth Theatre when she was Deputy Stage Manager on their production of Animal Farm in 2005.

She recently became involved with the Canterbury Players and has acted and sung as part of the Palace of Varieties. Hayley is currently studying Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Kent and is entering her third year. She hopes to have more involvement with the Canterbury Players especially with the lighting and sound. She also hopes to become a director in the future.

Richard has been involved in the backstage side of theatre since school and has built sets for Grease and Bugsy Malone. More recently he acted in and helped build the set for the Canterbury Players Palace of Varietes and operated the sound, rigged lights and built set for Gosforth's Village Fete. He has also worked as an assistant stage manager for the Redhill Carnival at the Harlequin Theatre. In the past he has worked backstage and shifted set for two theatre companies.

He is currently studying history at the university of Kent and is entering his third year. He is actively involved in the student union and sits as a member of the Societies Federation Committee and Union Council. He hopes to continue his association with the Canterbury Players and would possibly seek to produce/direct one of his own plays in the future.

Richard is also an accomplished close-up magician and has entertained the likes of Lord Carey as well as the audiences of Gosforth's Village Fete and The Palace of Varieties.

Tony Innes
Sound Engineer, Actor

Member of several village troupes before getting a bit serious with Tokyo International Players as soundman. Joined Canterbury Dramatic Society, as it then was, in 1998. Soundman again for several Gulbenkian productions, including Death of a Salesman, Dr. Faustus, Desire under the Elms, and Roleplay.

Played Sir Percy Shorter in Habeas Corpus, Dr. Emerson in Whose Life Is It Anyway, and a forgetful newspaper reporter in When We Were Married.

Back to soundman again for La Ronde, and recently played the fool in Palace of Varieties.