Bury Theatre Workshop

Bury 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 Mission

We 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 Venues

 

Our annual ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ event takes place usually in July in the Abbey Gardens, Bury St Edmunds. Past productions include ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘The Tempest’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Much Ado about Nothing’.  

​

We also perform in a range of indoor venues in and around Bury St Edmunds. These include the Theatre Royal where we have presented numerous plays including 'The Graduate', 'Pygmalion', 'Anna Karenina', 'Hay Fever', 'The Duchess of Malfi', 'The Good Person of Szechwan', 'The Importance of Being Earnest', ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ and more.  

​

Other venues in which we have performed include the Unitarian Meeting House and the halls of numerous villages in west Suffolk.

​

​

Play Selection

An ‘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.

​

​

Become a Member of BTW

To join BTW just download a Membership Form here (fillable pdf), or here (Word), and forward to our Secretary along with £20 either by post (to Bury Theatre Workshop, 21 Grove Park, Walsham le Willows, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP31 3AE) or by using the PayPal button below. All you need to know is shown on the membership form.