On Sunday, after the final curtain call, producer Kath Joyce said that the Players had two aims: to celebrate 40 years of live theatre and to have fun in typical Players’ style.

“The cast found lots of reasons to laugh together backstage,” Kath said.

“They have supported and encouraged each other and patiently sung the same songs over and over again without complaint.”

Kath said that she and the show’s musical and vocal director, Fiona Jones, felt privileged to have worked with such talented and lovely people.

“We are also grateful for the work of our support crew, Asta Buchanan, Ann Smith and Janet Beesley, who made each performance move so smoothly,” she said.

“Now we have faced the final curtain we are confident that Ruby Anniversary was also fun for all our audiences.

“I don’t know what our golden anniversary will bring - perhaps we’d better start planning soon.”

This evening, July 1, director Sam Lloyd, who was in the cast of Ruby Anniversary, will move the end-of-year production of Wind In The Willows onto the Playhouse stage to continue rehearsals.

The play, written by Alan Bennett, is based on the much-loved Edwardian novel by Kenneth Grahame.

And, slotting onto the Playhouse stage before Wind In The Willows gathers too much pace, the Players’ Youth Theatre will hold its July workshop on Saturday.

To date, Youth Theatre has covered a lot of ground - comedy, characterisation, stage craft, audition skills and play building.

This workshop will focus on set design, lighting and sound.

Later in the year youth members will learn vocal techniques, choreography, make-up and circus skills.

They are also learning lines and warming up their vocal chords for their end-of-year Christmas party display, which will showcase all they have learned throughout the year.