Bedworth Theatre Company
<>
<>
We are now embarking on the most demanding time of our existence.
Performing "The White Devil" by John Webster (a contemporary of William Shakespeare) will have been relatively easy. This time we must create and write the play ourselves, with help and encouragement from drama teacher (please put down that whip) Simon Winterman.
We hope that by early next year to have created a play about the ribbon-weavers of 19th century Bedworth, as part of the Ribbon Weaving project being run by Bedworth Arts Centre. We must acknowledge the many hours of research being put into the project by many volunteers - and organised by local historian John Burton.
<>
STOP PRESS
2008
We AGAIN failed to win the Cooperative Shield in this year's
Nuneaton Festival of Arts competition - but,
WE'LL BE BACK!!
<>
Bedworth Theatre Company is a drama group for adult actors. We are not professionals but like to think we can produce plays of a standard that the public would be pleased to watch. We specialise in straight theatre as opposed to "Musicals" but do sometimes use music in our productions. From time to time, we organise 'Murder / Mystery Nights' which involve audience participation and where the cast improvise on a theme.
The group has a good mix of people from all different backgrounds and ages. Everyone is welcome to join from 18 to 80 years (OK, 800 if you insist, we might do “The Return of the Mummy” sometime), male and female. We not only want people who are prepared to act but are also interested in back-stage activities such as sound, lighting and stage management.
We usually put on at least two productions a year in the Studio Theatre at Bedworth Arts Centre as well as an entry in the Nuneaton Festival of Arts, in May.
The Company has a good social atmosphere. The Arts Centre is a pleasant place in which to have our weekly meetings for rehearsal and discussion as it is centrally situated and there is good parking. The sessions are from 7.30 pm until approximately 10 pm on Wednesday evenings. Subscriptions are £2.50 per session which helps to fund productions and cover the room hire. We also have occasional social and fund-raising events.
Bedworth Theatre Company was formed in 1973 going under the name of The Bedworth Players. However, people thought we were a football team so we changed it to “Bedworth Amateur Theatre”. Latterly, however, the 'amateur' bit was felt to be inappropriate which resulted in another change to “Bedworth Theatre Company”.
Our first production - “The Blue Goose” - took place in 1973 at Bramcote Army Barracks. Others followed at Ash Green School and Nicholas Chamberlain School. The opening of Bedworth Civic Hall (for which celebration we were asked to put on "The Blue Goose" on their second opening day) provided a permanent base for the group and an exciting platform for the presentation of larger productions, but, due to costs, we now use the Bedworth Arts Centre Studio Theatre as our main acting base.
The group has, over the years, presented many successful plays such as “The Hollow”, “Pygmalion”, “The Railway Children”, “Toad of Toad Hall”, “Oliver Twist”, "Educating Rita" and many, many more (see Past Productions).
<>
Updated: 16th May, 2008