Guild of Players

The Guild of Players was formed in 1913, making it one of the oldest amateur dramatic companies in Scotland. The Guild was formed, as noted in the minutes of an early meeting, ‘to promote an improvement in the public attitude towards, and taste for, the drama, by means of plays of outstanding merit, by lectures, readings, and in any other way which might commend itself to the Directors.’

Work began in 1959 on refurbishment of the Theatre Royal under the supervision of Guild Master Percy Hopkins and local architect Colin Morton. The refurbishment maintained as much of the existing décor as possible but made drastic changes to the stage and auditorium which had both been drastically altered when the building was converted into a cinema.

The Guild has been performing in the Theatre Royal ever since, putting on a regular season of three shows and a Christmas Pantomime, as well as starting the Guild of Players Youth Theatre to encourage younger members of the community to participate. The Guild’s most recent activities have seen a further refurbishment and expansion of the theatre, restoring and expanding the building to provide a much-improved facility.