Thanks to Kevin Wilson for this news from Original Theatre which he founded a year ago. Ed
Chale Church is to become the new home of Island theatre company, Original Theatre.
The historic church – which is approaching its 900th anniversary – will continue as a place of worship, while also becoming a venue for new plays, as well as rehearsals, and theatre workshops for local people.
Original Theatre will stage plays at the church, and work with local people of all ages who are interested in developing skills or learning new ones, whether that is front of house, back stage, technical or acting.
We have several plays in development, and we hope to encourage people in Chale to get involved. We are very much for the whole Island, but proud of our roots in Chale, and we want Chale to be proud of us, too.
The perfect place to stage plays
We are delighted that the Reverend Helen O’Sullivan and the Parochial Church Council have allowed us to set up home in one of the Island’s most beautiful and atmospheric churches. It is certainly an original venue – the perfect place to stage the original, newly written plays in which we specialise.
The aim is to provide a theatre to be proud of, to attract audiences to the church, and generate revenue to help protect and preserve it.
The venture is backed by the Chale Village Partnership.
“Pleased to offer the church building”
Helen said: “We are so pleased to offer the church building in this way for the benefit of the whole community, and we look forward to working with Original Theatre, making more of Chale Church and preserving its place within the heart of this community and helping preserve it as a place of worship.”
For more information about Original Theatre, go to www.originaltheatre.net
