Bishopstoke Players is an amateur drama group based near Eastleigh in Hampshire, UK. We currently perform three shows per year in Durley Memorial Hall and donate proceeds from our shows to the charity Action for Children, which we are proud to have done since 1947.
ALADDIN by Charles Philip
Step into a world of magic, mischief, and mountains of laughter as Bishopstoke Players bring the classic pantomime Aladdin to life!
Join us in the bustling streets of Old Baghdad, where young Aladdin dreams of escaping his everyday life and finding a brighter future. Armed with a mysterious magic lamp and a larger-than-life Genie, he sets out on his quest to make himself rich and to marry the beautiful Princess Jasmine.
But who will help him? Will it be his mum, Widow Twanky, or his brother Wishy Washy? Can he escape the wicked schemes of the evil Abanazar Jaffa and his hapless sidekicks?
This timeless love story of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine makes for a show bursting with all the ingredients of a perfect family pantomime! Whether you’re 5 or 95, this spectacular production promises unforgettable fun for all ages. Bring the whole family and make magical memories together!
Performances are at Durley Memorial Hall (Durley Brook Road, SO32 2AR) from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th January at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
Tickets are £12 (under-16 £8) and are available here or email boxoffice@bishopstokeplayers.uk or phone 07871 006551.
As we are proud to have done every year since 1947, proceeds will be donated to the charity Action for Children.
THIS IS WHY WE DO IT!
Our Chair, Adrian, presents a cheque for £1,000 to Action for Children, as our donation from our 2024-25 season of productions, after the Saturday performance of ‘The Shadow Factory’.
Since we were founded in 1947 we are proud to have donated over £80,000 to Action for Children!
A massive thank you to everybody who has made this possible by supporting us and watching our shows over the years.
BISHOPSTOKE MEMORIAL HALL – OUR HOME 1957-2020
We performed in Bishopstoke Memorial Hall from 1957, when it opened to replace the previous Public Hall, until the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and subsequent permanent closure the following year. The hall was demolished in March 2025 and the site cleared in preparation for a new community hall.
On this page we take a photographic tour of the history of Bishopstoke Memorial Hall and our use of it.
DRAMA FESTIVAL SUCCESSES
We love taking part in one-act drama festivals across the region, and in 2023 were delighted to again receive recognition for our work.
In March, Cameron Caws won the Best Adult Actor award at the Totton Drama Festival for his role in ‘No Easy Road’ by Peter Yates, while director Beth Bowers received the Adjudicator’s Award at the Maidenhead Drama Festival for the same play.
While in October, at the Woking Drama Festival, Lizzie Sellars won The Desmond Holt Memorial Cup for Best Youth Actress for her roles in ‘Tremulous’, by Le Wilhelm, and ‘For the Taking’, by Peter Yates, while ‘Tremulous’ won the Adjudicator’s Award, “for keeping hope going”, reflecting the content of that play.
Congratulations to all involved!!!
JOIN US!
If you are interested in getting up on that stage and showing us what you can do; taking part in one of our drama festival plays or our full-length productions, please do get in touch!
AN APPEAL
We’re proud of our heritage and are collecting copies of all our old programmes since we were founded in 1947. We’re almost there but are missing only 3 programmes, all from the 1950s. We’d love to complete the set so if you know of any of these programmes from Bishopstoke YLU Players or Bishopstoke Young Leaguers Union (our old names) – maybe found lurking during a house clearance? – please do get in touch as we’d love to make a copy of them:
- 1953 ‘Family Drama’
- 1955 ‘Happy Days’
- 1957 ‘Half Holiday’
All the programmes we do have, along with a myriad of photos, posters and more, can be found in our Past Productions gallery. Please do have a browse!
ABOUT US
Bishopstoke Players is an amateur drama group based near Eastleigh, Hampshire. We present three full-length plays each year, generally in January, May and September, and perform in one-act drama festivals throughout the south.
We were founded in 1947 to raise money for Action for Children and since then have presented over 200 dramas, comedies and pantomimes, raising thousands of pounds for charity.
FIND US
Following the closure of Bishopstoke Memorial Hall, pending demolition and replacement with a new community facility, we will be performing in a variety of venues until hopefully we can return to Bishopstoke.
Click on the map above for more details.
ACTION FOR CHILDREN
PATRONS
Our Patrons are our premier league of supporters! For an annual subscription Patrons receive a reserved seat at each of our productions.
If you would like to become a Patron, please contact us.
JOIN US
Are you just itching to get up on our stage to show us what you can do? Or would you prefer to take a backstage role? Or maybe you simply want to be part of a show but don’t know exactly what? Just pop along and meet us to find out more.
HAMPSHIRE LOCAL THEATRE GUIDE
For information about the best shows in amateur theatre in our local area check out the Hampshire Local Theatre Guide
CONTACT US
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