After the success of The Hypochondriac, Estuary Players are now looking forward to their next Production – See How They Run! by Philip King, which is being performed at Matthews Hall in November 2025.
This classic comedy is set in a small English village, Merton-cum-Middlewick, at the end of the Second World War. At the centre of the action is the Reverend Lionel Toop, his wife Penelope, a former actress, Clive a fellow actor from Penelope’s past and a nosy parishioner Miss Skillon who draws certain conclusions… With the arrival of the Bishop of Lax and a German Prisoner of War disguised as a Vicar, mayhem ensues, in this otherwise sleepy backwater.
Leigh Steedman leads this Production as Director. He will be familiar to Estuary Players’ audiences as an actor; as Hal in Loot and most recently as the lovesick Cleante in The Hypochondriac. Whilst he is a very experienced Director, this will be the first production he has directed in Topsham.
Estuary Players can boast a long and highly varied list of productions in its 40 years of existence, but its not our track record that's our biggest asset: it's our ambition to do better theatre each time which we feel gives us that edge- the next show is always more important than the last one.
We aren't avant-garde, or experimental, but we do believe that only the best writing gives us the opportunity to bring out the best acting, directing and presentation. We don't always rise to the occasion, but we always try. Why not come and join us, and. whatever your interest or skill, you will find a welcoming and supportive atmosphere. You can still check out our track record though by looking through the past shows list to see if you share our taste.
Estuary Players produces two plays a year in the Matthews Hall in Topsham, usually at the end of April and the end of November. We announce the next show as a rule during the previous one. We also regularly present outdoor versions of our shows in the summer at Powderham Castle, and our topical Mummers' Play is a highlight of Topsham's Charter Day, the last weekend in August.
Estuary Players has been going since 1977, so as you can imagine there are a lot of shows to talk about. We have rarely repeated ourselves - take a look at what we have done over the last almost half a century.
Say it with Flowers Once again Estuary Players will be contributing an exhibit along with other Topsham clubs and organisations. Do come along to see our surprising interpretation of the brief.
The classic farce by Phillip King, full of vicars and escaped German prisoners of war. 25-28 November 2025 Book now=#page:186038
Estuary is always on the lookout for good theatre, something for our actors and crew to get their teeth into. Recent examples are A Memory of Water and The Roses of Eyam, two contemporary plays dealing with real issues.
Estuary has a proud record of putting Shakespeare on the Topsham stage - King Lear was a recent example. Over the years we have performed most of the comedies and some of the tragedies, but we've also done a good deal of Restoration comedy, some Brecht and Chekhov.
Right from the start Estuary has been able to draw on writers from its own ranks. The much missed Nick Jones contributed several scripts, some of which were produced professionally elsewhere. In the last few years we have staged several local history shows, highlighting the Exeter Ship Canal and the remarkable history of theatre in Exeter. We came back from the pandemic with our own adaptation of Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree, called The Mellstock Quire
Probably our favourite genre, we like to inject at least a little humour into everything we do, even our local history plays. Loot, Joe Orton's still slightly shocking black comedy, was a recent offering, and we hope to produce a hilarious updated version of Moliere's Hypochondriac very soon. And don't forget our annual contribution to Topsham's popular Charter Day - the fabulous Mummers' Play!
We welcome all new members, regardless of whether they want to work backstage, on stage or front of house - or even just come and watch. Our auditions and rehearsals are always open if you want to come and meet us first, and we're always delighted to meet new people.
