In 2004, Norrie Woodhall, the last remaining member of the original Hardy Players, and who knew Thomas Hardy, was asked her friends Devina Symes and Olive Blackburn what she would like for her 100th birthday in 2005. Norrie asked them to put on a Thomas Hardy play.

Soon afterwards, by chance, Devina came across the original script of Harry Tilley's adaptation of 'The Return of The Native', which Dorset wordsmith, Tim Laycock re-worked for a contemporary audience. The original production was overseen by Hardy himself and featured Norrie's sister, Gertrude Bugler in the role of Eustacia Vye.

The play which was well received at four venues throughout Dorset raised £2,824,85p for Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, Norrie's chosen charity. As well as celebrating her 100th birthday, Norrie's wish to promote Thomas Hardy and the Dorset he made famous, was fulfilled, and The New Hardy Players were born.

In 2006 one of The New Hardy Players, Jennifer Bailey, adapted and directed 'Under the Greenwood Tree', which again toured four venues in Dorset and one in Somerset, and raised over £2,500 for the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust.

So what Happened Next?
For some while Norrie had been keen for a play to be written about Hardy's life; a life which she and her sister Gertrude became part of in the author's later years. Her vivid memories from that time enabled her to write the last scene of the play, 'A Life of Three Strands' which she co-wrote with Devina Symes, and in which she took a small part and read the poem 'The Ruined Maid'.

In order to fund the play the players staged a programme called 'Dorset Voices' in Dorchester in March 2007, in which individual members perform poems, prose and music from Dorset's past and present. The evening raised over £600 which was more than enough to cover costs involved.

'A Life of Three Strands' was performed at four venues around Dorset, and the group were able to donate over £3,000 to Norrie's charity, which was topped up by a further £1,000 from sales of Norrie's autobiography 'Norrie's Tale... the last of the Hardy Players.' So successful was the 'Dorset Voices' programme that the group were asked to perform it at Dorchester and Tincleton, with further evenings to come in 2008 at Briantspuddle (in aid of Affpuddle church), Dorchester and Owermoigne.

Forging Links
Following on from 'The Return of the Native', 'Under the Greenwood Tree', and Dorset Voices in March 2007, the group were asked to take part in the Dorchester Festival, and were approached by the Thomas Hardy Society who invited them to take part in the Hardy Birthday Weekend celebrations in June 2007. We were very pleased to join in the celebrations and perform an extract from 'The Return of the Native' and acted out Hardy's poem 'The Curate's Kindness', with Norrie appearing in the latter.

Celebrating Hardy's Life
To commemorate Hardy's death on January 11th 2008, and to celebrate his life, The New Hardy Players staged 'A Life of Three Strands' at Athelhampton House near Dorchester. The house, which Hardy knew well, was a superb location for the performance, and it was truly amazing to watch Norrie, who is now 102 years old, performing once again, and witness her moving speech at the end.

And so to 2008 and 2009
There was much to celebrate in 2008. It is 120 years since Hardy's first collection of 'Wessex Tales' was published, and marks 100 years since the original Hardy Players were formed and eighty years since the collection of poems, 'Winter Words' were published. Our main production for 2008, two of Hardy's short stories, 'The Thieves who couldn't Help Sneezing', and 'The Waiting Supper', was adapted by Jennifer Bailey.

2009 brings "The Mayor of Casterbridge" back to its roots. This Hardy classic, adapted by Devina Symes, and long awaited by Norrie Woodhall, will be performed by the New Hardy Players during the summer months.