A local Town’s theatre society is putting on a spring show to mark its 70th anniversary. The Bishop Auckland Theatre Society (B.A.T.S) was formed as Bishop Auckland Little Theatre Club in 1939, members having met informally to read plays in their homes since 1932.
The group originally rehearsed in what is now the Postchaise Hotel in the town’s Market Place and put on shows at the Jubilee Hall in Victoria Avenue, now the Masonic Hall.
The group moved its performances to Bishop Auckland Technical College in the 1960s and eventually into Bishop Auckland Town Hall in the 1990s. Rehearsals now take place at the town’s Cricket Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
April 22nd, 2009, sees the group performing the first night of ‘Wait Until the Ghost is Clear’, a comedy by Ian Hornby, at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, with the writer himself hoping to see his show brought to life by a dedicated team making up the cast and crew.
“Including a flirtatious neighbour, marital problems and the dreaded mother-inlaw, this comedy should see audiences rolling in the aisles,” said a spokesperson for the Theatre Society.
Despite having a strong membership in earlier years thanks to a youth section, numbers have since fallen and the group is always looking for new talent, of any age, to join. No previous experience is necessary.
‘Wait Until the Ghost is Clear’ opens at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday, April 22nd, and runs until Saturday, April 25th, 2009. Tickets are available on the door, by emailing bishoptheatre@yahoo.co.uk, or by telephoning 01325 314759.
Costs are a ‘credit crunch busting’ £6 for adults and £5 for concessions. Anybody interested in joining B.A.T.S, for acting through to set design, can telephone Jean Hill on 01388 604351 or Dorothy Hudson on 01325 314759.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
