This Theatre is now loved by so many people, we started with nothing, a shell of a building and a hope that we would be able to bring something special to the local community. We were turned down by quite a few funding bodies, and were told that it would not be possible or incredibly difficult to achieve what we are now achieving!

They were not wrong! It has been incredibly difficult, but we have been supported by our local community. They have stuck with us since the beginning enjoying what we put on, and also seeing the building develop. 90% of our funding has come from our patrons buying tickets & food and drinks. We have had some very generous patrons who have donated money for windows and doors or stage equipment. We feel incredibly lucky that other local theatres embraced what we were trying to do here and donated their 'hand me downs'.

We love welcoming new and familiar faces into the building! Every volunteer and staff member are enthusiastic about our space and love telling patrons what's new and about the next stage of renovation.

I personally have never had a job that is so incredibly rewarding and heart breaking all at the same time!

One day, we have a busy café, a lunchtime marketing conference and our choir rehearsing in the evening, there was a fantastic buzz about the place. Then we get a phone call in the night saying we have been broken into. It was one of those phone calls when your stomach just drops!

The burglars gained entry through the Mulberry Room smashing doors and windows, headed to the bar and turned the place upside down looking for money. The most demoralising part for me is seeing the hard work of the trustees, staff and volunteers who have put so much in to making the place what it is, destroyed. The time and effort, the money that has been raised and saved are now put on hold whilst we repair what has been broken.

Despite all this we ran a make-shift café in our Chandelier Room, we were blown away by the amount of support from people who dropped everything for the clear up operation and joined for tea, coffee and cake and brightened our day. We were asked by a lot of people about how they could then donate to help us so this doesn't happen again, which is why I have now done this!

Thank you, all the messages and donations we have already received means so much to us knowing that what we do here in our little theatre has touched so many people.

We want to improve our security at the back of the theatre, so we can keep restoring the venue and continue to bring you interesting and different acts.

Thank you

Zoe x