Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
Are you interested in learning about set design? Some of our current set designers would be willing and delighted to run a set design workshop and nurture anyone who would be interested in learning.
Please get in touch with chair@sindodunplayers.org.uk if 
you are interested.
Everyone and anyone would be welcome to come along.
Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
Hi Caroline and all the Corn Exchange volunteers,
We just wanted to send our sincerest thanks to all of you from
the whole team at Winter Blues & Jazz for what was a wonderful
weekend of music in February. we’ve attached a few photos in a
document which were taken at the Corn Exchange during the
weekend.
Without your commitment that weekend we couldn’t have run
our flagship events in your fantastic theatre which were close to
being sold out 3 nights in a row. Those concerts were very
special and the feedback we have had from audiences has told us that there were many
unforgettable moments, the musicians felt the same, the theatre has a special
atmosphere.
Also, we quite literally could not have put on the whole weekend for our community – in
venues all across our town – without the contribution from the tickets sold at the Corn
Exchange. Our sponsors and other venues all contribute but the Corn Exchange provides
over 3 times the nearest sponsor which ensures that 80% of the concerts around town are
completely free. This helps many people who can’t afford a night out but also local
businesses. One pub told us they “struggle to get to the end of the month” at this time of
year but that their tills were ringing due to the weekend and many have told us they made
7 or 8 times their usual amount.
So, thank you for your contribution. You helped bring a lot of joy to our town and our
community – from children in the family centre to people in a care home and so many in
between. We feel so lucky to have the theatre and your army of committed volunteers in
our corner.
See you next year then?
Very warmest wishes,
Maff, Fleur, Steve, Nigel, Chris and all the WWBJ volunteers.
Maff Potts
Co-founder, Crowmarsh Jazz
Wallingford Winter Blues & Jazz
www.wallywinterbluesnjazz.co.uk
Friday, February 14th, 2025
The Corn Exchange is moving from the current paper-based system to Ticket Scanning using Digital QR coded tickets.
Tickets purchased online or from the Box Office after 12th February will have QR codes on physical tickets and online confirmation emails, including the confirmation booking reference as on the current tickets.
You don’t need to do anything just bring your ticket with you as usual – on your phone or paper copy.
Please see flyers and posters for further information.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
The Corn Exchange in Wallingford and the Sinodun Players, resident company and owner of the theatre, have received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest possible honour for voluntary groups in the UK.
The Players transformed the Corn Exchange from a derelict building into a “cornerstone of the community”. It has been showing plays and films to residents of Wallingford and the surrounding area for more than 40 years.
Members and volunteers at the theatre, which is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, were told today (Tuesday, 2nd June) about the award – which is made every year to mark the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.
Gloria Wright, Chair of the Sinodun Players said: ‘We always knew our wonderful members and volunteers were brilliant, and I’m sure they already know how highly they are valued, but now all the hard work and commitment over the last 40 years has been officially recognised.’
The nomination process was carried out by Deputy Lieutenants for Oxfordshire Miranda Markham and Kate Tiller. Dr Tiller said in her report: ‘Wallingford Corn Exchange, home of the Sinodun Players Amateur Dramatic Society shows how a traditional local organisation can transform itself and develop into a key community asset for the 21st century.
She added: ‘Described by its users as “the heart of the community”, not only is it a cultural landmark but importantly it serves as a cross generational meeting hub where people of all backgrounds are welcome to both enjoy the experience as well as to volunteer their own unique skills.’
The group was nominated for the award by Lynda Atkins, a former Oxfordshire County Councillor. She said: ‘Without the Sinodun Players and its volunteers, the Grade II listed Corn Exchange would not exist as a community facility’.
Ed Vaizey, ex-MP for Wantage and Didcot and a former culture minister, gave his support as part of the submission and said: “The Sinodun Players, and the Corn Exchange theatre which they run, have been cornerstones of the community in Wallingford and the surrounding area for decades. As a result of their entirely voluntary efforts, Wallingford has an outstanding range of drama available”.
Professor Malcolm Airs, former conservation officer for South Oxfordshire also added his recommendation to the nomination: “As the local authority Conservation Officer at the time I was deeply impressed by the sensitive way that they carried out the conversion in a manner that retained its intrinsic historic character. Under their careful stewardship it has undergone a series of staged improvements to become a highly sophisticated venue.”
The Sinodun Players purchased the then-derelict Corn Exchange in 1976, converting it into a base for its theatre productions, a theatre and cinema. The building has been run as a successful venue since the end of 1978 when it was formally opened by the late Sir Peter Hall, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company and former director of the National Theatre, who lived in Wallingford at that time.
The Sinodun Players and Corn Exchange Wallingford is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the award this year. The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Wednesday, February 25th, 2015
The standard level for film sound in an Auditorium is 7.0 on the calibrated Dolby™ Volume level control.
However, many cinemas including this one, have found that this setting can allow excessive sound levels on some film soundtracks.
However, as part of the experience, the sound in a cinema will always be louder than that of a television set playing in a family lounge.
We therefore run our sound level at Volume setting 5.5 which allows the quiet nuances and dialogue on the soundtrack to be easily heard as well as allowing the occasional high level sound such as that of a jet aircraft taking off. This is done for dramatic effect.
The Auditorium sound level is always checked by the projectionist as soon as the main feature starts.
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