Community Theatre

IN THE HEART OF THE COTSWOLDS

WHAT'S ON

Creatives' Champion Award Winner!

Nominated by Cirencester Scene Magazine, Cirencester Theatre Company is honoured to have been named
the 2020 Creatives' Champion by the Cirencester Chamber of Commerce, for our commitment to championing
creativity through community projects and accessible theatre during the pandemic. 
  • Why were we nominated?

    Cirencester Theatre Company (CTC) is a not-for-profit community theatre group with a passion for providing opportunity through theatre to as many people as possible. Aside from full stage productions at their resident theatre (The Sundial, Cirencester College), their work includes local community projects such as:

    • Pop-up community theatre (marketplace events and free-of-charge performances at care homes)

    • Comedy sketches at The Phoenix Festival

    • Radio plays with Corinium Radio

    • Skills workshops for members and those of neighbouring groups

    • Playwriting huddles, open to all

    • Free-to-view virtual productions via their YouTube channel


    Formed in 2018, CTC has around 20 active members of varying ages (teens to seventies) and levels of experience. They welcome people from all walks of life and believe in championing local creativity by supporting neighbouring theatre companies and community organisations.


    In 2019, when Mulberry Court Care Home were seeking help for their VE Day celebrations, CTC were the first to volunteer. Members wrote a series of wartime sketches, dedicated weeks to rehearsals, and performed to a great reception from residents and their families. 


    With a number of aspiring writers in their group, CTC offer a platform to anyone who wants to try their hand at playwriting. This year, original works written and produced by members were to include a full stage production and performances at various community events. Due to the pandemic, these have been postponed, but that hasn’t stopped CTC from coming up with other ways of entertaining the local community.


    With the country in lockdown, members of CTC wrote and produced ‘The Show Must Go Online!’, a free-to-view 5-part comedy series about a theatre group who decide to perform their upcoming stage-production online. The series, which aired in June, combines the dynamics of amdram, the peculiarities of lockdown, and the technical challenges of virtual performance. The production was a hit, with the first episode reaching nearly 700 viewers from Gloucestershire and further afield. In October, series two (a Halloween special) was broadcast, supported by Corinium Radio, and series three is set for 2021. CTC manually subtitled all episodes to make them more accessible to viewers. 


    For CTC’s members, virtual performance has been a welcome distraction, an opportunity to learn new skills in screenwriting, production and editing, and a vital way to connect during lockdown and shielding. Community theatre groups like CTC often include older people who may continue to shield until the pandemic is over. This means most productions will need to be online for the time being, but many groups lack the know-how to do this. Because of this, CTC are offering their scripts including technical instruction to other community theatre groups, in the hope that this will provide them with opportunities to stay connected, be creative and continue performing to their own local audiences.


    CTC are honoured to have been named Cirencester's Creatives’ Champion, and would like to thank Cirencester Scene for the nomination, Cirencester Chamber of Commerce for the award, and all voters for their support.

More About Us

Cirencester Theatre Company is a not for profit community theatre group formed in 2018, by a group of sociable folks who enjoy getting together and being creative. We have an open mind when it comes to what we perform and where and enjoy performing in as many forms as we can, from on stage to pop-up theatre, festival entertainment, virtual performances and workshops. We have a passion for connecting with and supporting our local community. We aspire to grow and try new things, including producing home-grown theatre from the  writers within our group. We aim to build fun, inclusive partnerships with like-minded people and groups and provide an opportunity for anyone interested to contribute ideas and try new things. 

Watch the video for a sneak peek at the friendships and fun inside the Green Room!

Music: Hands High

Musician: LiQWYD

URL: http://www.soundcloud.com/liqwyd

Our Team

We are a fun and friendly group of around 25 members, with a variety of experience and interests in theatre production. Our main goal is to have fun. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy being a part of, whether on stage or behind the scenes, we’d love you to get in touch.

Alex Mulley

Chair

Katy Sorensen

Treasurer & Marketing Lead

Ally Castle

Secretary

Contact Us

Contact us to find out about upcoming productions, social events and membership. 

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