The Drama Group was founded in the winter of 1950 by Mrs Lilla Holland. It gave its first performance at the Village Club (in the Village Hall) a few months later, in April 1951. This was a series of five one-act sketches and a one-act play, ‘The Rose and Crown’ by J B Priestley, all produced by Mrs Holland. Those taking part were Janet Chenery, Judith Herbert, Eileen English, Judy and Tim Digby, Gerald Balls, Jack Horner, John Mumford and Bill Holland. The stage Manager was Jack Baughan, Electrician Jack English, Promp Betty Baughan and music was provided by Alfred Clarke on piano. After a final curtain call, Mrs Holland paid tribute to everyone involved and said it was the group’s intention to produce one or two three-act plays each year and these took place over the Easter week-end. Profits went to help establish the financial position of the Group but the intention was that future productions would help benefit local charities.
Both Jack and Pat Horner were keen members of the Drama Group from its inception. A news article concerning the first performance stated that ‘mention might be made of Jack Horner’s laughable hiccoughing in ‘The Cure’ which, if over-acted, could so easily have been robbed of all humour’. The following year Jack played Inspector Belsize in ‘Night Must Fall’ by Emlyn Williams. In 1955 the chosen play was ‘Rookery Nook’ by Ben Travers in which Jack played Clive Popkiss. Later ‘Rookery Nook’ became the name of Jack and Pat’s new bungalow. Three one-act plays were performed in1956, the year Jack and Pat married and in 1957 Jack played Alfred Gilbey in ‘One Wild Oat’ by Vernon Sylvaine. An undated, un-named news cutting in the Archive mentions ‘Wishing Well’ at Saxmundham Market Hall, with a photo and a mention of Jack in character, in a wheelchair. This was their eighth production so would have been 1958. The programme acknowledges Patron Lady Bois, for ‘allowing us to hold our rehearsals at Cockfield Hall’.
Around the mid-1970s the Drama Group was wound up but Phoenix Players Drama Group formed in 1998. This was started by Drama teacher and villager Jane Williams and she produced many of the plays they put on. The first project was ‘Habeas Corpus’, a ‘satirical, farcical comedy’ by Alan Bennett, performed at the Village Hall on 25th and 27th March 1999. On 2nd – 4th December they performed a farce ‘Love Begins at Fifty’ by Raymond Hopkins.
