Geoffrey began his acting career as Professor Theophilus Brainwave in a sci-fi play at his junior school in the 1930s.

After being Secretary of his college dramatic society at university, he became a junior school teacher and over his career directed more than twenty plays on the school stage.

Retiring to Canterbury in 1989, he joined the Canterbury Dramatic Society in 1998 for a production that never reached performance.

As Secretary, he helped to bring about the reuniting of C.D.S. with Playcraft in 2003 and established the pattern of regular performances before the public at the Gulbenkian Theatre, the Whitstable Playhouse and other venues.

He has appeared in seven productions of the group and directed the performance of the play ‘597’ connected with the unveiling of the statues, in Canterbury, of Ethelbert and Bertha by Prince Michael of Kent in May 2006. Geoffrey appeared as Signor Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing and Mr Witherspoon in Arsenic And Old Lace.

Derek Standing
President
Set Design & Construction

Some 42 years ago, Derek responded to an urgent advert from Canterbury Dramatic Society and although only 18 he got a job and even survived giving the cast a nightmare on his first set because he did not know that one has to add size glue to the powder paint.

Recent productions: RolePlay; The Birthday Party; The Accrington Pals; Play It Again Sam; Fallen Angels; Much Ado About Nothing; The Vortex; Night Must Fall; The Importance of Being Earnest; Barefoot In the Park.

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.

Huw Jones
Assistant Director: Barefoot in the Park.

Huw is an experienced theatre professional who has directed over 200 productions, many with non-professionals.

Trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, he has taught drama in schools and colleges, been Portsmouth’s drama advisory teacher, and for 15 years was Director of Portsmouth Arts Centre.

Before moving to Kent, he ran his own company, Mansel Productions, undertaking a variety of projects in Hampshire and abroad, in Warsaw, Poland. Currently Head of Drama at Kent College, Canterbury.

Huw has recently joined the Players, becoming Assistant Director for Barefoot in the Park. He will be directing Lady Chatterley’s Lover in Spring 2012

Pip Piacentino
Committee Member
Actor: Play It Again Sam; Arsenic And Old Lace
Performance Director: The Accrington Pals, Fallen Angels; Dark of the Moon;

Pip fell in love with Britain when stationed here with the US Navy and decided to make it his home. His links with Kent, especially Deal, stretch back to 1964.

Pip first appeared on stage in New York when his father brought the three-year old Pip on stage to liven up his act. He is equally at home as an actor, director or playwright. A member of the South London Theatre Centre, he directed many plays for them including Peter Whelan’s "The Accrington Pals" which he also directed in April 2007 with Canterbury Players. Pip is to direct Canterbury Players in "Fallen Angels" by Noel Coward.

Sharon Gair
Treasurer
Actor: Much Ado About Nothing; The Accrington Pals; Bazaar and Rummage; Night Must Fall.

Sharon has recently returned to acting, after having a break in 2005/06 to undertake real-life motherhood! She returned in 2007 as Annie Boggis in ‘The Accrington Pals’.

Whilst she has enjoyed all her roles over the years, from Rattigan to Coward, some of Sharon’s real favourites are: Linda Loman in ‘Death of a Salesman’, Muriel Wickstead in ‘Habeous Corpus’, Alison Porter in ‘Look Back in Anger’, Elvira in ‘Blithe Spirit’ and Sybil Railton-Bell in ‘Separate Tables’.

It has been interesting for her to revisit “Night Must Fall”; in 1995 she played the part of Olivia Grayne.  

She is also Treasurer for the Players.

Sarah Gooch
Actor: Much Ado About Nothing; The Birthday Party; La Ronde; The Accrington Pals; Bazaar and Rummage; The Importance of Being Earnest; Pint Sized Henry V
Performance Director Blue Remembered Hills; Two; Day After The Fair; Canterbury Tales; Pint Sized Henry V
Stage Manager - RolePlay
Vice Chair, 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".

Stephen Lamyman
Actor: Pint Sized Henry V, Barefoot in the Park.

Stephen has been with the Players for just over a year having joined initially as a social member. He has thoroughly enjoyed his acting experience in Pint Sized Henry V and is very much looking forward to a new challenge in Barefoot in the Park. He has felt very welcome from everyone he has met through the Canterbury Players and has enjoyed the Social and Work side of the group. Stephen, as ever will put as much energy and vigour into his performance as possible, and hopes that even without the 3 course dinner supplied with Pint Sized Henry V; people will still enjoy watching it.

The only review we could find of Stephen comes from Mr Shorrock; a Year 7 History teacher who states “Stephen is an excellent pupil who unfortunately distracts others, perhaps more time studying and less time talking would prove him well.” What this says about his acting credentials we are unsure, but serves to know the man none the less.

Sally Parker
Actor: Bazaar and Rummage; Roleplay; La Ronde, Two; The Vortex, Night Must Fall, Barefoot in the Park.

Sally made her stage debut as Noddy at FHODS Little Theatre at the age of ten, and on leaving school played Honey in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". She made connections with CDS while acting in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and was immediately cast as the prompt for "Dr Faustus". She went on to play Pattie in "Season's Greetings", Dr Scott in "Who's Life is it Anyway", Olivia in "Twelfth Night", Julie-Ann in "Roleplay", Ilsa in "La Ronde", Bell-Bell in "Bazaar and Rummage", the Landlady in "Two" and Olivia in Night Must Fall. Sally is currently a full-time mother.

Mark Charles Smith
Actor: For Canterbury Players Gosforth's Fete; La Ronde; Fallen Angels; The Accrington Pals; Much Ado About Nothing; Arsenic And Old Lace; Dark of the Moon, Night Must Fall; The Importance of Being Earnest, Barefoot in the Park.
Sound Engineer for Blue Remembered Hills.
For Chilham Players: Seasons Greetings
For Kent Shakespeare Company: Twelfth Night.
A monologue orator for The Penis Monologues for the theatre company, Unfinished Business

Mark has appeared in a number of Canterbury Players productions, as well as end of year short films at universities in Canterbury and Hastings, as a film extra for various productions filmed in Kent including "The Other Boleyn Girl", "Wild Child", the 2011 production of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", as a player in a Chris Tarrant TV programme, as a major player in a KETV production called 'The Sea Shall Have Them' and recently took part in a pilot for a new sitcom aimed at getting onto the UK terrestrial channels.

Mark is looking for more TV and film work to get him out of the office once in a while.

My Facebook page.
Links to recent videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY9qcWjPomk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwE-cdMAu88

Tessa Taylor
Actor: Much Ado About Nothing; Day After The Fair; Dark of the Moon; Night Must Fall; The Importance of Being Earnest, Barefoot in the Park.

Tessa has been a Drama teacher in London and Surrey. She trained in Cheltenham from 1960-63, performed at the Everyman Theatre, and then directed school plays at the Thorndike in Leatherhead.

Moving to Canterbury in 1991, she began teaching at Chaucer Technology School, joined Playcraft and played (among other rôles) Maggie in ‘Hobson’s Choice’ and Natasha in ‘Three Sisters’. In 2007 she completed her training for the Church and left Chaucer: from the stage to the classroom to the pulpit!

For the Canterbury Players, she took part in "Much Ado About Nothing", "Day After The Fair" , "Dark of the Moon" and Night Must Fall.

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.

Sid Moon
Actor: Blue Remembered Hills; Two; Canterbury Tales; Dark of the Moon; Night Must Fall.

My first appearance on stage since leaving school was in 2006 when I appeared in the Canterbury Festival community opera "The Promised Land" performed at the Marlowe Theatre. It was there that I met members of Canterbury Players and finding them such a friendly bunch decided to join.

Since then I have been involved in productions every year, those being "The Palace of Varieties", "Blue Remembered Hills", " Two" and the "Canterbury Tales".

Elswhere I enjoy performing in musical productions and have been in " Titanic" with Herne Bay Operatic Society. "Kentish Tales", "Drood", "Rackrent" and " I've Looked in the Window at Diamonds" with the Canterbury based Really Promising Company.

I am thoroughly enjoying the "Dark of the Moon" and thank everyone involved for allowing me to be part of it.

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

Jim was recently cast as the playwright Bertolt Brecht in “I’ve Looked in the Window at Diamonds”, a musical show about the life of composer Kurt Weill.  Brecht wanted to “keep the audience guessing at what will happen next” and Dark of the Moon has a few surprises for the audience.

Over the past few years, Jim has played the roles of Fred in Noel Coward's Fallen Angels, Arthur Boggis in The Accrington Pals, Doctor Einstein in Arsenic And Old Lace and, most recently, Bruce Fairlight in The Vortex.

Sally Brown
Director: The Importance of Being Earnest.
Actor: Two; Arsenic And Old Lace; The Vortex; Dark of the Moon;
Stage Manager: The Canterbury Tales

Sally first acting role was as Narrator in the Nativity play Babushka. She was offered the lead, but refused on the account that she would have to wear a dress. Dresses were for girls.

She has stuck to her principles and has played roles such as Puss in Boots (shorts & fur), Frauline Kost in Cabaret (dressing gown) and Edward in Henry VI (fetching trouser suit with deadly weapon accessorises). Only since joining the Players in 2009 has she been cast as a female character requiring a dress.

Sally studied drama at Aberystwyth university, and her career as a Performing Arts Teacher eventually moved her down to Kent a couple of years ago. Trying to ‘make it’ as an author, she is currently studying for a MA in Creative Writing and teaching English in Canterbury.

Sally recently directed 'The Importance of Being Earnest' which was enjoyed greatly by cast, crew and audience alike.

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

I directed Night Must Fall twenty years ago in London, where it was a great success.  I had a good cast then, but I've got an even better cast now.  This is a superbly written play which, with good actors, cannot fail to keep the audience in a state of suspense right up until the last moment

Jill recently appeared at the Gulbenkian as Clara in The Vortex by Noel Coward and has sung the part of Lotte Lenya in “I’ve Looked in the Window at Diamonds” for the Really Promising Company.

One of her favourite roles was as Aunt Abby in Arsenic And Old Lace for the Canterbury Players in October 2009.

Tony Johnson
Actor: RolePlay; Much Ado About Nothing; Arsenic And Old Lace; The Vortex; Dark of the Moon; The Importance of Being Earnest, Barefoot in the Park.

Over the past forty years, Tony has appeared in more than 50 Plays, often in leading roles and twice winning Best Actor awards.
Since joining Canterbury Players in 1990, he has appeared in many of our Productions and  made his Shakespeare debut with us, as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" and later as Leanato in Much Ado About Nothing.

Since then, he has played the homicidal maniac Jonathan in Arsenic And Old Lace, the elderly 'maiden gentleman' in Noel Coward's The Vortex, the hog-farmer Mr Allen in Dark of the Moon and more recently, the judge in the opening scene of Night Must Fall.

Alison Rook
Actor: Dark of the Moon

This is Alison’s first role with the Canterbury Players (and possibly her last….) After appearing in plays at school, she did not do any acting for a long time. Instead, singing in a choir seemed to provide the performance fix. But in 2006 she took part in the chorus of ‘Promised Land’, at the Marlowe Theatre, part of the Canterbury Festival and a great experience. After that, Jill Ackhurst invited her to sing ‘Only a Faded Rose’, a tear-jerking spoof Victorian ballad, in The Palace of Varieties in Canterbury 2007. This was a great success, and led to her joining the Players.

Recent work with the company has been Prompt for The Vortex (2009) and the ongoing job of sorting out the company’s stage costumes, after some years of neglect. This has been good fun and Treasures Have Been Found. Some of them are appearing in this production, also Alison’s first outing as a costume person.

Gill Moon
Actor: Dark of the Moon; Night Must Fall.

This is Gill's first attempt at acting since joining the Canterbury Players in 2007 when she appeared in Palace of Varieties.

Gill met several Canterbury Players members while appearing in the community opera Promised Land which was part of the 2006 Canterbury Festival. This venture led to the forming of The Really Promising Company in which Gill has appeared in several shows.

She also appeared on stage as a slave with Ellen Kent's Moldovian Opera Company in Aida at the Marlowe theatre, and as a dead sailor singing Bright Eyes with the Spy Monkeys at the Gulbenkian Theatre in 2009.

This play appealed to Gill because of the fun of a barn dance and the church revival scene. So she was tempted to have a go!

Since joining Canterbury Players Gill has made many good friends and shared a lot of memorable times. She is thoroughly enjoying being part of Dark of the Moon production.
Gill

Becky Lamyman
Actor: Dark of the Moon; Pint Sized Henry V;
Assistant Director/Stage Manager. The Importance of Being Earnest

Dark of the Moon will be Becky's first foray into grown up theatre, with her previous experience being focussed around school plays, including "Trolls", "The Wiz" and "Do We Ever See Grace?" where she played an 11 year old suicidal clown. This role clearly traumatised her and she gave theatrics a wide birth until her third year studying Classics and English at the University of Kent where she directed/produced and acted in the student Christmas panto.

Becky currently works at Christ Church Students' Union and joined the Players in the summer of 2010 helping out backstage at the production of "The Vortex".

She is thrilled at joining the cast of the "Dark of the Moon", and hopes to do the Players proud. 

Becky would like to take this opportunity to thank the Players for their warm welcome.

Richard Vince
Actor: Dark of the Moon; Pint Sized Henry V; The Importance of Being Earnest

Richard thought he had achieved all his acting ambitions in his very first play, when he played a tree in a school production in Aladdin. Not one to take this early peak as a sign to get out while the going is good, he spent most of his school and university days appearing in and/or directing amateur productions on stage and film, as well as a brief stint as a supporting presenter on BBC Radio. During this time, he noticed a worrying trend where he started life being cast as naïve innocents and heroic roles before transitioning to almost exclusively villains, murderers and mad men. The pyschological and personality implications of this shift are ones he chooses to avoid….

After a few years ‘out of the game’, he has started to make use once again of those creaky acting muscles and his studies in drama at the University of Kent and joined the Canterbury Players. He was thrilled to have been made to feel so welcome, forming many enew friendships, and to be cast in his "Dark of the Moon" (as the villain!). He is currently throughly enjoying working with the cast and crew of "Pint Sized Henry V" and "Importance of Being Earnest", where he gets to enjoy on set costume changes, multiple roles/accents, a rugby match, trivial behaviour, romance, comedy and sudden revelations. Or, as he calls it, Tuesday evening.

Susanna Gerken
Costumes.
Assistant Director / Stage Manager: The Importance of Being Earnest

Susanna first trained as a teacher and then studied languages and drama in Italy. She lived abroad for many years and has performed in different amateur groups.

Since coming to live in Canterbury she has joined the Players and designed the costumes for "The Birthday Party"; La Ronde"; "Play It Again Sam" and "Fallen Angels".

Susanna is a very welcome addition to the Players.