INSTEAD of celebrating their 50th anniversary with a new spring production, the Okehampton Courtenay Players have had to cancel it through a lack of cast members.
The players have no problem getting performers for the annual pantomime but their core membership is dwindling.
'The committee is virtually all that is left,' said Courtenay Player of 25 years Grace Baker.
'We are celebrating our 50th year of drama but the group is collapsing.'
The thespians regularly perform two plays a year and this is the first time one has had to be cancelled.
'A drama group which cannot put on plays is a bit of a misnomer,' she added.
Mrs Baker said if the players were going to survive and flourish in the future there needed to be a transfusion of new blood.
'We have got to a stage where we have no one under 40 —we need people in their 20s and 30s so we have the right mix of age ranges to put on a play.'
With an expanding town like Okehampton, the group believes there must be people interested in the theatre, whether as actors, directors, back stage workers, set designers or costume makers.
Lack of experience is no deterrent to membership said Mrs Baker.
'Everyone has to learn,' she said. 'We are not critical but perfectly happy to help people.'
People are happy to sing in the chorus in the pantomime but not keen to act she continued.
'Obviously, to learn a part in a play is harder work but the rewards are there,' she said.
'If you have a part and you are good, it is very, very satisfying and you get a great sense of achievement.'
She said it was also very good fun.
The Courtenay Players are intending to go ahead with a millennium show in October but, in the meantime, will be out and about canvassing for new members.
They are arranging a social evening where people can find out more about the group and, hopefully, join up. Posters are going up around the town.
If anyone is interested they can call chairman Graham Cross on 01837 82272 or club secretary Allan Smart 01837 54154.