Bury Theatre workshopBury Theatre Workshop is a community theatre group formed in February 2012 from a group of theatre enthusiasts, actors, writers, directors, eager to give a voice to the creative and dynamic spirit of the community of Bury St Edmunds. Through our productions, workshops and play readings we offer opportunities to learn from each other and to develop our community’s experiences of theatre both as audience members and as participants.
Our missionWe provide actors and play directors with the opportunity to express their creativity and improve their theatre skills. We do this through the performance of plays in which we strive to achieve the highest possible standards for the entertainment and stimulation of our audiences.
We welcome all, young (16+) and old, total beginners and experienced thespians. Our watchwords are inclusiveness, learning and encouragement. We see community theatre as a shared experience amongst all of the participants, not as a vehicle to create ‘stars’. We value and encourage everyone’s involvement and contribution, audience, leading actors and programme sellers alike. This is not to say we do not aspire to quality in our productions. Indeed, we have some very experienced people with whom we learn and develop our skills. We do this through the production of plays and also through our programme of regular workshops. The ethos within BTW is highly ‘professional’ though we are proud of our amateur status. Indeed, our members come from a wide range of backgrounds and are consequently able to bring skills and experiences from their lives outside theatre to the organisation. This greatly enriches the range and quality of our output. our venuesWe undertake to produce 6 plays each year. Two of these are in the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds where notable past productions have included 'The Graduate', 'Pygmalion', 'Anna Karenina', 'Hay Fever', 'The Duchess of Malfi', 'The Good Person of Szechwan' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. It is always a great privilege to perform in this historic Georgian playhouse.
In June 2014 we established a wonderful relationship with the Unitarian Meeting House, a beautiful and ancient building in the heart of Bury St Edmunds (Churchgate, also known as 'The Unitarians' - IP33 1RH). In addition to our monthly workshops, we produce at least 3 productions each year in this unique studio theatre space. Our annual 'Shakespeare in the Park' event takes place usually in July in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds. In June 2016 we were invited to take our production to the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket where we hope to undertake future outdoor performances. Previous Shakespeare in the Park productions have included 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'The Tempest', 'Twelfth Night', 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Play selectionAn ‘artistic committee’ selects plays from the suggestions put forward by members throughout the year. We aim to provide a range of genres including Shakespeare and contemporary playwrights. World theatre, medieval theatre, ancient Greek theatre, American theatre, Restoration theatre, Jacobean theatre, Commedia dell’ arte; all are considered. Although many of our plays have songs and dances in them, we don’t do musicals as this is a genre adequately catered for by other organisations in the area. If there’s a particular play you’d like to see or be involved with, let us know.
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Welcome!To the BTW website! We'd love to hear what you think of it. Let us know via the 'Contact us' page.
Come along to our next workshop. All welcome! Look at these creative minds at work on Dracula! How could you not want to work with these people! 
Ariel, Prospero and Juno from 'The Tempest', June 2013
'The Tempest'' in rehearsal
'Dracula' in rehearsal
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