About Bath Unity Players
Bath Unity Players was formed in 1944 and has been going strong ever since! We pride ourselves on being a fun, family-based drama group that is open to all. There are no set requirements for people wanting to join us, just a willingness to get involved and have fun. If you want to join us, we want to have you!
OUR PRODUCTIONS Our biggest production of the year is our pantomime which we perform in December at Kingswood School Theatre. Rehearsals for this begin in September. Here people have the chance to take to the stage in a principal role or as part of the chorus – singing and dancing to bring the show to life. We also have a strong team of helpers working backstage and Front of House. After a short break over New Year we begin preparations for our play. This usually takes place around Easter and is a chance for the group to flex their acting muscles. We perform a range of different materials and are always on the lookout for something new. Our final production is our Patrons Show in July. This is a show that is complimentary for our Patrons as a thank you for their support, but which we also sell tickets for. It has taken many different forms over the years, including a murder mystery dinner, variety sketch show and entertainment quiz. It is a real chance for us to try different things, and for people to take on roles they may not feel ready for in some of our bigger productions. After a break from performing for the summer we are back to the beginning, ready to go through it all again! OUTSIDE OF PRODUCTIONS We aim for Unity to be more than just a performance group. We strive to keep a full timetable of social activities throughout the entire year. In the past few years we’ve done:
We are always looking for different things to do and welcome new ideas. We also have a members’ AGM to look back the past year, plan the year ahead, vote for the new committee and choose our annual charity. WHAT DO PEOPLE DO IN THE GROUP? There are lots of different ways in which our members take part. Some members just take part in one show per year and others do all three. If you are planning on joining us on-stage we do ask that you also help out with set painting (artistic skill not required!), spreading the word about our shows and setting up and packing away from each show. This often involves a day of ‘get-in’ before a show. We also ask that you are able to commit to rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays and let the director know of any occasional rehearsals that you are unable to make before taking on a part. Performing on stage is just one way to get involved in our group as there are so many people that make a production happen. Off stage roles include costumes, set painting, scenery design, back stage support, making props, front of house team, musicians, lighting, sound, choreography and more. If you are currently unable to commit to two rehearsals a week, these other roles could be a good way of getting involved with the group. We also have the support of a number of Patrons who support the group through an annual subscription, entitling them to half price tickets for the pantomime and play, and a free ticket for our summer show. I’M INTERESTED, SO WHAT DO I DO NEXT? The first thing to do is talk to us. Any member of the group will be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have. Once you’ve done that come you can fill in a form telling us a bit more about yourself and what you would like to get involved with. THE PRACTICAL BITS Unity rehearses at St Barnabas Church Hall in Southdown. We rehearse on a Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30pm – 9:30pm with additional rehearsals in the week before a show. Every member completes an information form upon joining the group. This allows us to keep in contact with everyone throughout the year, as well as ensuring we have any medical and emergency information we might need to aware of. The minimum age to join is 14. Anyone under 18 must have parental consent to join. Younger children may join in with some shows if their parents or carers are also members - decided on a case by case basis. Annual membership is £25 for adults, and £12.50 for under-18s. Members performing in a production must also pay a show fee of £10 per show towards scripts, licences, costumes and props. Members’ fees mostly cover your insurance for the year but paid up members are also added to our mailing list and invited to social events (sometimes subsidised) and auditions. Members also have the advantage of being able to raise any suggestions or complaints with our members’ rep. Non-paid-up members (e.g. friends and family) are also welcome to our social events at an additional cost (Unity subsidises social events for paid-up members only). If you would like a copy of any of our policies please let us know. |
Committee
Each year we elect a committee who meet regularly and make sure everything runs smoothly.
The committee for 2020/10 is: Cressida Bullock - Chairman Katrina Cowie - Secretary Rachel Cruse - Treasurer Tom Bullock - Publicity Beckie Cruse - Social Katrina Cowie - Patrons Secretary Tiger-Lily Pitman - Members Rep Julia Barratt - Musical Director Cressida Bullock is also our nominated Safeguarding lead. |
Rehearsals
We rehearse at St Barnabas Church Hall, Bath, BA2 1JU, usually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
This versatile space gives us plenty of room to rehearse for our pantomimes and it's so good that we perform our April play and Patrons' Show here too! |