The Castle Theatre Wellingborough

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The Castle Theatre is located in Wellingborough, England. The theatre's main house can hold up to 503 people and hosts many productions through the year. The Castle Theatre is situated in the town of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire.

Contents

[edit] History

The Castle theatre was opened in 1995 on the site of Wellingborough's old cattle market. The Castle is much more than a theatre as it includes:

  • Main House (503 seats) (Can change to flat floor, 'in the round' and can have an orchestra pit)
  • Studio Theatre
  • The Dominic Barber Studio
  • The Drama Room
  • Cinema
  • Bar/Resteront
  • Art Gallery
  • Meeting room

Every room most days is being used as the whole of the local community use the theatre in many different ways. These include Castle Youth Theatre, Youth Dance, Youth Music and the Castle Youth Company

[edit] Christmas @ The Castle

The Christmas show at The Castle Theatre is the theatre most important show of the year. Each year the show goes on for the whole of December. These are the last 4 years shows.

  • Big Bad Wolf (Dec 2004)
  • A Christmas Carol (Dec 2005 - Jan 2006)
  • The Princess and the Pea (Dec 2006)
  • Beauty and the Beast (Nov-Dec 2007)

Big Bad Wolf, A Christmas Carol and The Princess and the Pea were all written by Bart Lee, The Castle's Artistic Director 2004 - 2007. Big Bad Wolf and The Princess and the Pea was directed by Bart Lee but A Christmas Carol was Directed by James Horsby.

Beauty and the Beast sees a new age at The Castle Theatre with a new Artistic Director Karl Wallace to take control. The Show has now finished but here is the review.

The Review

Forget the Disney version. Beauty & The Beast at The Castle is more magical. The audience is transfixed by a fairy-tale world conjured up by a talented group of actors and musicians.

The show is set 300 years ago. A troupe of travelling players is rehearsing stories to a group of children. By using songs, costumes, props and shadow puppets, the players bring to life the weird and wonderful tales.

I lost count how many musical instruments are played during the show. There are strange-looking horns, flutes, gongs and even a harpsichord. The musicians are on stage amongst all the action, and from time to time the main actors join in by playing a violin or plucking a lyre.

Paul Boyd's script and music is stylish (and wordy at times) but there were a number of jokes to amuse children and adults. He's gone back to the original fairy tale.

Hissing and booing Don't go expecting a pantomime. There's not even a hint of Christmas during the show and no hissing or booing. Audience participation is just clapping along to the catchy songs.

In recent years, Christmas shows at The Castle have been rough and ready and bright and brash. The Castle's new artistic director Karl Wallace, who's also the director of Beauty & the Beast, has single-handedly raised the standard. His production is sophisticated and atmospheric - the sort of quality we'd normally associate with Northampton's Royal Theatre.

[edit] The Castle Community Theatre

Each year in the summer The Castle put's on a show for local people by local people. It is in its 4th year this year and is proud to present " THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES " This is going to be a show like no other before. The show is going to be set in "Promenade staging" which means the audience will move around to see the show.

This new production is opening this week with some of your favrote actors at The Castle, with brand new chariters for everyone to injoy. With chariters like the The Weavers, Madame Grossiere and Madame Pouffe-pouffe. We have a very small Emperor who will haver no clothes on by the end of the show.

Other community shows at The Castle are ........

  • The lion the witch and the wardrobe
  • Charlie and the chocolate factory
  • The Pied Piper
  • The Emperor's new clothes

[edit] The Youth Theatre

The Youth Theatre at The Castle has grown since it opened. CYT (Castle Youth Theatre) as it is known is doing more shows than ever before. This year The Castle youth theatre have put on a new connextions play " The Book of everything " The play looks at how faith can control your life. This show ( The Book of everything ) which the company has been working on this year has been given the chance to perform the show at the Natial Theatre in London as part of the New Connextions festival.

In 2007 CYT did many productions:

  • The Hare and the Tortoise
  • DeoxyriboNucleic Acid
  • The Black Remote
  • The Flour Babies
  • Johnny and the Dead
  • Adventures in Wonderland
  • HUBBUB (new)

CYT age is from 7 - 19 different age groups on different nights.

www.thecastle.org.uk

[edit] References

The Castle Theatre link title

BBC NORTHAMPTON link title

[edit] External links