Old Stagers

Last updated

The Old Stagers (OS) is an amateur theatre group, founded in 1842 by Hon. Frederick Ponsonby (later Earl of Bessborough) to perform during Kent's annual Canterbury Cricket Week. [1] Originally the Canterbury Old Stagers, it took its current name in 1851. [2] It claims to be the oldest surviving amateur dramatic company in the world, having staged its first shows in Canterbury in 1842. [3] [4] It has continued to give annual performances since (with intermissions for the two World Wars). [4] It now stages its plays at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury.

Contents

The Old Stagers has close links to Kent County Cricket Club and the I Zingari nomadic amateur cricket club. Ponsonby was also a founder of I Zingari, and later became president of Surrey County Cricket Club. One of the earliest Old Stagers was the Kent and England cricketer Alfred Mynn who first appeared in 1847 and then regularly until his death in 1861.

Old Stagers Amateur Dramatic Society records, including programmes, newspaper reviews and photographs of productions from 1842 to 2003, are archived at Canterbury Cathedral Library as item U449. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury</span> Cathedral city in Kent, England

Canterbury is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent County Cricket Club</span> English cricket club

Kent County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Kent. A club representing the county was first founded in 1842 but Kent teams have played top-class cricket since the early 18th century, and the club has always held first-class status. The current Kent County Cricket Club was formed on 6 December 1870 following the merger of two representative teams. Kent have competed in the County Championship since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club's limited overs team is called the Kent Spitfires after the Supermarine Spitfire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Ponsonby, 6th Earl of Bessborough</span> English peer and cricketer

Frederick George Brabazon Ponsonby, 6th Earl of Bessborough, was an Anglo-Irish peer who played first-class cricket 1834–56 for Surrey, Cambridge Town Club, Cambridge University (CUCC) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Zingari</span> Amateur cricket team

I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs, founded in 1845 and 1888 respectively. It is the oldest and perhaps the most famous of the 'wandering' cricket clubs, and is well known for its historically aristocratic membership and its colours of black, red and gold, symbolising the motto "Out of darkness, through fire, into light".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Chandos Leigh</span> British aristocrat and barrister

Sir Edward Chandos Leigh was a British aristocrat of the Victorian era, a barrister by profession, and a first-class cricketer. He served as President of MCC for 1887–88.

In English cricket, the years 1826–1845 were dominated by the roundarm bowling issue, which was resolved when the style was legalised in 1835, and by the formation of the first modern county clubs between 1839 and 1845.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil Wilson (bishop of Bunbury)</span> English cricketer and Anglican bishop

Cecil Wilson was an English county cricketer and Anglican bishop. He was the third missionary Anglican Bishop of Melanesia from 1894 to 1911, and subsequently, the second Bishop of Bunbury from 1918 to 1937.

Charles Joseph Harenc was an English lawyer and amateur cricketer in the mid-19th century. He played cricket for the Gentlemen of Kent, the Kent County Cricket Club teams of the 1840s and for MCC as well as a number of other sides and was regarded as the best Gentleman bowler of his era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Yardley (cricketer)</span> English cricketer and playwright

William Yardley was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club from 1868 to 1878 and for Cambridge University from 1869 to 1872. In the early 1870s, only WG Grace was reckoned his superior amongst amateur batsmen. Yardley was also an actor, playwright and drama critic.

George Marsham was an English landowner and amateur cricketer who was connected with Kent County Cricket Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old County Ground</span>

The Old County Ground is cricket ground, located at West Malling, historically called Town Malling, in the English county of Kent. It is known to have been used for cricket matches in 1705 and has been the home ground of Town Malling Cricket Club since their formation in 1827. Known under various names throughout its existence, the ground hosted 14 first-class cricket matches between 1836 and 1890.

The Angel Ground was a sports ground at Tonbridge in the English county of Kent. It was used as a venue for first-class cricket by Kent County Cricket Club between 1869 and 1939 and then for association football by Tonbridge Angels F.C., until 1980. It was subsequently demolished and redeveloped by Tonbridge and Malling District Council in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerset Cricket Museum</span>

Somerset Cricket Museum in Taunton, Somerset, England, is a small museum housing exhibits on the history of cricket with a particular emphasis on the history of Somerset County Cricket Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury Cricket Week</span> Cricket festival week in England

Canterbury Cricket Week is the oldest cricket festival week in England and involves a series of consecutive Kent home matches, traditionally held in the first week in August. It was founded in 1842, although a similar festival week was first held in 1839 by the Beverley Cricket Club, the predecessor of Kent County Cricket Club. Since 1847 it has taken place at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, before that it was held at the Beverley Ground in the same city. In addition to hosting cricket matches, it also includes several other events and ceremonies. As of 2018, there have been 167 Canterbury Cricket Weeks held. The week continued through the Second World War with cricket being held on the ground each season.

The Beverley Ground was a cricket ground in Canterbury in Kent. It was in use in the mid-19th century, with recorded matches taking place between 1839 and 1846. It was the home ground of Beverley Cricket Club and was where the first Kent County Cricket Club was formed in August 1842 during Canterbury Cricket Week which was held at the ground until 1846.

Henry Arkwright was an English amateur first-class cricketer. He made seventeen appearances between 1858 and 1866. He is one of only three cricketers to have taken 18 first-class wickets in a match.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Edwards</span> English cricketer and British Army officer (1842–1910)

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Fleetwood Isham Edwards was Keeper of the Privy Purse to Queen Victoria from 1895 to 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William de Chair Baker</span> English cricketer and cricket administrator

William de Chair Baker was an English cricketer and cricket administrator who played for and was involved with Kent County Cricket Club throughout his life. Baker played first-class cricket for Kent and for Cambridge University from 1841 to 1853. He was credited as one of the originators of Canterbury Cricket Week and was secretary of Kent at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury from its establishment in 1847 until his death in 1888.

References

Further reading