Kilmardinny Players

Kilmardinny Players

History of the club

In April 1998, Ken Findell and Brian Hayward placed an advert

in the Milngavie & Bearsden Herald calling for all interested

in amateur dramatics to come to a meeting at Kilmardinny House.

Both men had been members of former drama groups based at

the Arts Centre and, with the support of East Dunbartonshire

Council’s Arts Council, wished to recreate an adult drama group

in the area. From that first meeting Kilmardinny Players was born.

Willy Russell’s “Stags and Hens” was the new group’s first production

in January 1999 drawing a positive review from the

Milngavie & Bearsden Herald who counselled its readers to welcome

this “fresh, young company”.

In the years that followed, Kilmardinny Players produced 9 full

length plays from comedies such as Peter Gordon’s “Murdered to Death”

or Norman Robbin’s “Wedding of the Year” to thrillers like

Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” and the romance of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park”.

Willy Russell made a second appearance with a non musical version of his

hit “Blood Brothers”.

Kilmardinny Players also collaborated with other local groups including the

Antonine Theatre Group, the Kirkintilloch Players and the

Whitekirk Players in a series of One Act plays. The Players also debuted

a new play in the SCDA One Act Play Festival and in 2008 entered

the Full length Play Festival with Liz Lochead’s “Good Things”.

Ten years on, Kilmardinny Players is preparing for a visit

from Miss Marple as a production of Agatha Christie’s

“A Murder is Announced” (an adaptation by Leslie Darbon),

is planned for 12-14 November 2009 at Kilmardinny House.

For Ken and Brian, there is no escape.

Both were granted Honorary Membership of the Group that would

not be here without them, to thank them for their vision and hard work

and to celebrate the first 10 years of Kilmardinny Players.