Theatre crew staged a dramatic recovery
THIS week, we are looking at the work of Bacup Royal Court Theatre, Bacup, which, as a charity, educates, informs and entertains the public in dramatic and musical arts by offering an escape from poverty and bringing affordable entertainment to all.
The building was originally Barkers Iron Foundry, and opened as the Royal Court Theatre in 1893, remaining open until May 2015, when it closed due to financial difficulties.
In June 2015, a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Bacup Royal Court Theatre Group (BRCTG), a not for profit organisation with a view to saving the theatre. They managed to reopen the theatre in January 2017, and under their new management, the theatre is in better shape now than it has been for many years, opening its doors for amateur and professional shows alike.
While maintaining the theatre’s Victorian roots, the current board of directors have over the last four years secured funding from the Arts Council and the Lancashire Environmental Fund and have carried out a considerable amount of refurbishment and maintenance work, including new and additional seating that increases its capacity to 506.
Areas of the theatre have been re-carpeted, bar areas and toilet facilities refurbished, rewiring and updated sound system, lighting and heating system, and the dressing and green rooms have been remodelled. The outside area adjacent to the theatre has recently been landscaped and is now an excellent space for use by both the theatre and the community.
The Bacup Royal Court Theatre is and has always been seen by the community as an icon of Bacup and is a credit to the nine directors and over 75 volunteers who are working tirelessly to provide a facility that attracts a wide range of exceptional performing arts genres, and has already rescheduled 24 professional shows ready for the much anticipated reopening in July.
They are also staging amateur shows including The Vicar of Dibley in September 2021 and Cinderella in January 2022.
For further information on scheduled shows and how to book tickets, please check out their Facebook page or their website at www. bacuproyalcourttheatre. com.