IT’S curtain up on Curtain Call, the latest comedy from Swindon’s Phoenix Players.

Performing a play about life in the theatre is an intriguing and sometimes downright dangerous decision for a theatre company to undertake.

There is always the pitfall of being criticised for self indulgence.

But in the plot of Curtain Call it is not the actors who take centre stage but the front of house and behind the scenes crew who are the main characters.

Set in the theatre general manager’s office, the story revolves around a local amateur dramatic society’s production of Oklahoma.

The director wants to have live horses on stage...

The play was written by Bettine Manktelow and this production is directed by Emma Hartup.

Nic Gratton takes on the role of the general manager, Alec, Grace Brown is Val, Alex Pitcher is Murphy and Sandra Murphy is Mrs Murdstone.

Daphne and Dennis Breakspeare, stalwarts of the Phoenix Players, are helping out in the box office and front of house for this show.

Daphne was awarded a British Empire Medal for her services to amateur dramatics in 2010.

The players began life in 1954 as The Poetry Circle Players, based in the town’s first Arts Centre. They presented Christopher Fry’s First Born that same year.

In the 1960s the poetry circle part of the group faded out and Phoenix rose from the ashes to become one of Swindon’s leading theatre companies.

The players notched up their diamond anniversary last year, marking 60 years of treading the boards and entertaining Swindon theatre lovers with more than 200 shows.

There are around 40 members belonging to the company and new blood is always welcome.