Theatrical history was made in 1922 when the Cotswold Players became the first actors to take a play to one of H.M. Prisons, when they presented Jerome K. Jerome's 'The Passing of the Third Floor Back’ at Gloucester Prison. This unique occasion has since been followed by a more recent visit to Leyhill Open Prison.

Early in 1925, Galsworthy's 'Silver Fox' was presented by the Players in Bristol. This sets up an echo for latter-day Players when, in 1959, they won the National Tape-Drama contest with a scene from this play.

Under the conditions of the Second World War, the Players’ activities were necessarily limited. However, things returned almost to normal within a few months of the war's end. From 1945 until the early part of 1957 the Cotswold Players presented a series of successful play seasons at the Church Institute, Stroud. So spectacular indeed was the resurgence that in 1954 the Players were invited to perform their production of "Vanity Fair" before an international audience at the British Drama League Annual Conference and Theatre Week at Malvern. The adaptation - from Thackeray’s famous novel - was by Constance Cox, well known for her adaptations of the classic for television. She came to Stroud and accompanied the Players to Malvern. The reception accorded the play was most moving and Dorothy L. Sayers, who saw this presentation, stated "the production would have done justice to the professional stage". The Cotswold Players have many times been successful in competitions and festivals both in Gloucestershire and further afield.

The society bought the Slade Hall, Parliament Street, formally a Primitive Methodist Chapel, in 1951, when it was put up for sale by Stroud Urban District Council.  
The very first performance in the building took place in January 1953 when “Bluebeard”, a pantomime written and directed by Miss Trout, was performed within the original 4 walls of the chapel building on a temporary stage with no main curtain.

The first public performance on the new stage was in June 1957 when, following the official opening of the new theatre by the late Sir Barry Jackson, William Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was performed.  This was directed by Grace Keene and every member took part in some way or other.