CODA Veteran!
David Sanders is based in Croydon and has been a member of CODA for 20 years. He first joined CODA to play Tom Bertram in Mansfield Park.
His favourite play with CODA was 12 Angry Men, favourite musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and the favourite of the productions he directed, The Importance of Being Earnest.
A Passion For Directing!
David has a big history in directing productions. The first play he ever directed for CODA was A Streetcar Named Desire. He says, “It was a really fun project with a tremendous cast, three of whom have since become professional actors.”
He directed Abigail’s Party at the Ashcroft. “We had great fun rehearsing that. A lot of drinks are consumed in the play and the cast finishing each drink to fit with the script took perfect timing and a lot of practice. Fortunately, they weren’t real. Apart from a prop setting malfunction before one of the performances when Michael Trakas (erstwhile CODA chairman) found himself knocking back neat rum. At the interval he claimed he could barely see!”
And two plays he directed ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and co-directed ‘Romeo and Juliet’, were performed in Wandle Park.
His favourite play of all time is the Importance of Being Earnest. “It is beautifully written, and the characters and script are hilarious. When you have the right performers (as I did) it is ‘the visible personification of absolute perfection!’” It was the first play he directed in Wandle Park.
Early Beginnings!
“As a child I was made to perform every Christmas and summer holiday by my older sisters, who liked to put on little plays and shows. We performed in front of family and neighbours. We were SO adorable…!
“I became interested in it as an adult shortly after I left home. I found myself with a lot of spare time on my hands and decided I should find a hobby. I decided on acting so I went to Croydon library and looked up local groups. (This was before the internet.)
“I chose the one which was closest to where I live, Shirley Players, and they welcomed me with open arms. That was 27 years ago! I still belong to the group.”
David’s “day-job” is job is ‘Insurance Broker’. “I spend most of my day looking out of the window, eating biscuits. Aside from CODA, David is also a member of the Miller Centre, St John’s in Selsdon, and Shirley Players. What David loves most about CODA is the friends he has made over the years.