About Us

Who we are

about-1

70 Years of Drama and we're still going strong..

Back in 1947 the BOAC dramatic section's first presentation was a programme of 4 one-act plays at Airways House, Brentford. Back then, admission cost one shilling and sixpence (including complimentary program).

A year later, the section adopted the name The Speedbird Players. When the usual venue, the stage in the canteen, was demolished in 1950 to make way for a snack bar, the group spent a nomadic existence performing at various local venues. The opening of the Heston Clubhouse in 1966, gave the group a permanent home once more and a venue that was and still is the envy of many amateur dramatics companies. A few core members of the original group soon attracted new members and got the group in full swing again. Some of those new recruits are still in the group today!

In 1968 the group expanded their repertoire of plays and branched out to present their first pantomime "Cinderella" - a tradition that continues to this very day with the group performing a pantomime every January. Spurred on by their success the Players expanded even further in 1971 and produced their first full-blown musical, Sandy Wilson's "The Boyfriend", setting another tradition which was also to continue to the present day.

Following the merger of BOAC with BEA to form British Airways, the Heston Clubhouse was given its present name of the Concorde Centre. Our group continued under the name of the Speedbird Players until 1982 when the Speedbird tag was dropped before adopting our current name of The Concorde Players in 1984.

2017 saw a new chapter as we became Concorde Productions and moved to the Magna Carta Arts Centre where we launched our new look with the musical The Little Shop of Horrors.

In 2019 St Judes Players and Concorde Productions joined forces in our new venue in Englefield Green, the merged theatre group became Edge Productions in 2020