The garden of Abbotsford in Vicar Street provided a beautiful setting when a group of Abbey supporters, especially banded together by Doctor P.R. Buckton, presented open-air performances of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night on four evenings in early July 1954.

Many of the local cast had not trod the boards before, but the ambitious project went down a treat with Wymondham audiences. Organised and directed by Doctor Buckton, the play was described in the local press as “very well done” with “a high level of performances by everybody taking part.” The authentic Tudor costumes were specially hired from a firm in Covent Garden.

With the drunken Sir Toby Belch, played by Doctor Buckton himself, Sir Andrew Aguecheek (E.H.Dodds), a foolish dandy, and Feste the clown (S.Allin) suddenly appearing from behind hedges there were laughs aplenty. And Feste’s singing of “O mistress mine” and “Come away, come away, death” were a delight to the ear. However, there were many praiseworthy performances, not least J.F.Woodhouse as the bumptious Malvolio, Clare Becher as Olivia, a wealthy countess, and Winifred Scott as Maria, Olivia’s gentlewoman.

Proceeds from the run were for the Wymondham Abbey Organ Restoration Fund and following the success of Twelfth Night, the Abbey Players were formed and for the rest of the Fifties staged several plays to raise funds for various church projects. As with Twelfth Night these productions were staged in the Vicarage Room, which was replaced by the Abbey Hall on the same site in 1970.