I’m such a huge fan of a good theatre show, whether it’s a musical or a cheeky bit of Shakespeare. And the lockdowns made me realise that going to the theatre was something that I should do more, especially when it comes to local theatre. Thankfully, we have lots of incredible theatre groups across our region, so it was definitely about time we had one feature in the Indie Tees Collective series.
This week, it’s all about the amazing Billingham Players, an award-winning theatre group who are a bit of a triple threat when it comes to all things performance. Not only do they act their plays, they also build and dress their own sets, and maintain their beautiful theatre. They’re truly fabulous and I’m really excited to see what they’ve got in the pipeline. So if that’s whet your appetite, keep reading to find out more about this incredible group!
Hello! Let’s start with a bit of an introduction. Who are you and what is your business all about?
Hi, I’m Claire Jennings and I’m the Secretary for the Billingham Players. We’re a local theatre group based on Belasis Avenue near Billingham Green, and we have our own theatre which is called the Theatre Upstairs and seats up to 120 people. The building was previously an old dance hall with a sprung dancefloor, so it’s brilliant that we get to keep it going and carry on the tradition of bringing entertainment to Billingham!
We produce up to five plays a year as a group, where we design, build and dress all our own sets. We also hire our theatre spaces to other local groups, as well as performers and artists who are looking for a unique space to put on a show. Our directors and actors also work with other local groups to do shows and we’re currently exploring lots of different opportunities for community-based groups so that the space can be used more often, by those who need it.
The group is run entirely by a team of volunteers who all take on multiple roles, from managing the theatre to building the sets to running the shows and everything else in between!
Where did the inspiration for Billingham Players come from?
The group has been running since 1975 (!) which makes it as old as me, and we even have some members who have been with us right from the very start. It was originally founded as a social group attached to the ICI works in Billingham. The group first performed at the Synthonia Club before moving to the Theatre Upstairs and taking on the management of our own theatre space.
We’re still a very social bunch, and we welcome new members to come and join our work nights on a Tuesday, where we spend a lot of time maintaining the theatre, building our sets and generally looking after our lovely old building!
How did the lockdowns affect the Billingham Players, and how are plans going for post-lockdown shows?
Along with every other theatre in the land, we went dark in March 2020 and we were officially closed to the public until July 2021. In between times, a small number of us were able to go into the theatre to make sure everything was ticking over, and in the summer last year when households were able to mix, we did a LOT of tidying up and sorting.
Since then, we’ve been working hard to make some improvements to the building and to bring it into the 21st Century with a bang! Outside, we’ve got a brand-new sign, which includes our website and our social media links (Facebook and Instagram – give us a follow to see what we’re up to next!), we’ve painted the front doors and added gold stars to our staircase. We’ve even got new loos for the ladies and improvements will be coming soon to the gents too!
For our first show, post-lockdown, we put on a one-man show, Three Kings, starring Andrew Stockdale and directed by our Chairman, Thelma Russell. The show was originally written for Andrew Scott and in a nice post-lockdown twist, our Andrew had played a king in our final show before we had to close (Lion in Winter), so it was a full-circle moment when he was the first to tread the boards again, in a play that was once again about kings.
Our next show, Laying the Ghost, will be in September. We also have Teesside Musical Theatre Company joining us for Copacabana in October, a one-off evening of music, Songbird, with Jessa Liversidge, and then it’s panto season as Cinderella comes to town in December!
There’s lots going on, and we can’t even begin to describe the joy at being back on the stage and able to welcome our audiences back – it’s just brilliant!
What do you enjoy most about being part of Billingham Players?
Where to even start. It’s honestly been a life-changing experience for me. I actually met my husband there, I’ve made some of the best friends I will ever have, and I’m so proud to be a part of something that means so much to our audiences and loyal members.
It truly is a brilliant bunch of people, working hard and putting in many long hours (all in our spare time and for some of us on top of full-time jobs) to bring our audiences top quality shows. Some of our productions have been compared to London West End shows, which blows my mind. No season is the same at Billingham Players and we love to put on theatre that challenges as well as entertains.
We recycle all our sets and use the same pieces of material for the next one, and making something from scratch and watching it grow into yet another fantastic set is probably one of my most favourite elements. The practical side of the build as well as the creativity in the set dressing gives me such a sense of accomplishment and awe – we made that, type of moment!
What has been Billingham Players’ biggest achievement so far?
Our final production before we had to close, Lion in Winter, became an award-winning show! Winner of the NODA award for Best Drama in 2020, it was such a stunning show from the fabulous costumes made with students from the Northern School of Art, to the striking set and stunning lighting. We truly did end on a high note before we had to go dark!
Our other biggest achievement are our volunteers – not only the work they help us to do, but the loyalty as they come week after week and help to keep us going. We value every single one of them so much because without them we wouldn’t even exist! And even when we all had to mask up and work in different spaces during the times we could be open throughout the pandemic, everyone just got stuck in and got on with it. We’re always open to new people joining us, so if you fancy it, please do get in touch and we’ll show you round.
What’s next for Billingham Players? What do you hope for the future?
Onwards and upwards always! We’ve got a busy season ahead of us now that our lights can shine once again. We can’t wait to see a full house, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build on our community ambitions and welcoming in more local people and groups to use our ace space. As before, if you’ve never been and you’re looking for a space, we’ll be happy to show you around.
And finally, recommend one other Teesside independent to us!
We’re going to go with naming one road as there’s so many fab independent businesses on it and we love them all! Next time you’re in Billingham, don’t miss a trip to Station Road. From a fab bistro to a bakery, coffee shops, florists, butchers, barbers, pubs and more, it’s an absolute gem and trust us, you won’t be disappointed with anything.
Anyone else really itching to get back to the theatre now? Let’s do it! As Claire said, make sure you keep up with Billingham Players on their Facebook, Instagram or their website. And if you fancy, you can join their team of fantastic volunteers and help out with their next show!
Make sure you check back next week for another incredible Teesside independent!
