Blackburn Drama Club

Infobox Theatre_Group
bgcolour =
name = Blackburn Drama Club


imagesize =
caption =
formed = 1944
location = flagicon|ENG Blackburn, Lancashire, England
disbanded =
notable =
homepage = [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk]
genre = Drama

The Blackburn Drama Club is an English amateur dramatics organisation located in Blackburn, Lancashire. It has been producing plays for 63 years as of 2007. In that time, the Drama Club has staged over 230 productions. [" [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/history.htm "Blackburn Drama Club - A brief history"] " Blackburn Drama Club Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007]

Performances are held at the Thwaites Empire Theatre, which is located in Ewood, Blackburn.

History

Blackburn Drama Club was formed in 1944. A group of ten enthusiasts decided to bring back amateur dramatics to Blackburn after the corruption of the activity following the war. [" [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/history.htm "Blackburn Drama Club - A brief history"] " Blackburn Drama Club Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007] [" [http://www.thwaitesempiretheatre.co.uk/blackburn.html "BDC - A brief history of the club"] " Thwaites Empire Theatre Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007]

The Drama Club made its debut with a production of "Gaslight" at the YMCA Hall, three weeks after the organisation gathered for their first meeting. It was February 1944.

In November 1964, the stage and props were destroyed by a fire. The club moved on to a new venue, the Technical College, in which the Drama Club staged over 140 performances until moving to the newly refurbished Thwaites Empire Theatre in 2002.

The Drama Club's first production at this venue was "Bouncers". Over 1,000 people attended the performance, a significant rise in audience members since the 1960s. [" [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/history.htm "Blackburn Drama Club - A brief history"] " Blackburn Drama Club Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007]

Present day

The Drama Club currently stages around four productions a year in the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn. [" [http://www.thwaitestheatre.co.uk/ "What's on at the theatre?"] " Thwaites Empire Theatre Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007] The time that spans these productions makes up a 'season'. At the start of a season, usually in the months of June and July, play readings and auditions are held at the theatre. Rehearsals usually begin six weeks before a production. [" [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/membership.htm "BDC - Membership"] " Blackburn Drama Club Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007]

New members often come across the Drama Club via their website, which can be accessed below, or local directories and tourism adverts. To become a member, subscription currently stands at £10 a year. [" [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/membership.htm "BDC - Membership"] " Blackburn Drama Club Website, Retrieved 21 June 2007]

As well as stage productions, the club also do a variety of other dramatisations, such as outdoor events, radio plays (mainly for BBC Radio Lancashire) and amateur films.

Past productions

1944

*"Gas Light"
*"The Torch Bearers"
*"Ghosts"

1944-45

*"Robert's Wife"
*"When We Are Married"
*"The Silver Cord"
*"Tobias and the Angel"

1945-46

*"Star in Eclipse"
*"Candida"
*"The Two Mrs Carrolls"

1946-47

*"While the Sun Shines"
*"The Little"
*"Foxes"
*"Watch on the Rhine"

1947-48

*"The Women"
*"Rope"
*"The Light of Heart"
*"See How They Run"
*"The Ranks of Tuscany"
*"Dance of Atonement"

1948-49

*"The Skin Game"
*"Time and the Conways"
*"Duet for Two Hands"
*"The Father"

1949-50

*"Miranda"
*"Made in Heaven"
*"They Walk Alone"
*"The Lady From Edinburgh"
*"Twentieth Century Lullaby"
*"A Marriage Has Been Dissaranged"
*"The Voe is Blue"

1950-51

*"The Chiltern Hundreds"
*"Message for Margaret"
*"The Sacred Flame"
*"The Cure for Love"

1951-52

*"Little Lambs Eat Ivy"
*"Mrs Moonlight"
*"Rain on the Just"
*"By Candle Light"
*"Ladies in Retirement"

1953-54

*"Don't Listen Ladies"
*"Laura"
*"Ring Round the Moon"
*"Too Clever for Love"
*"Corinth House"

1954-55

*"Love in Idleness"
*"Dark Summer"
*"Relative Values"
*"Love's a Luxury"

1955-56

*"Affairs of State"
*"Waters of the Moon"
*"The Noble Spaniard"
*"The Gift"

1955-57

*"The Happy Marriage"
*"A Question of Fact"
*"Someone Waiting"
*"The Happy Prisoner"

1957-58

*"The Whole Truth"
*"Book of the Month"
*"All for Mary"
*"Uncertain Joy"

1958-59

*"Heaven and Charing Cross"
*"Dear Charles"
*"Rose Without a Thorn"
*"Sailor Beware"

1959-60

*"Treasure Hunt"
*"The Secret Tent"
*"Red Letter Day"
*"Wind of Heaven"

1960-61

*"Running Riot"
*"The Man Upstairs"
*"The Witch"
*"Nude with Violin"

1961-62

*"My Flesh, My Blood"
*"Break Out"
*"Mary Stuart"
*"Wolf's Clothing"

1962-63

*"My Three Angels"
*"Flowering Cherry"
*"The Innocents"
*"Roar Like a Dove"

1963-64

*"The Amorous Prawn"
*"The Return"
*"Blithe Spirit"
*"Billy Liar"

1964-65

*"Dear Delinquent"
*"Trespass"
*"Trial and Error"
*"Rape of the Belt"

1965-66

*"Semi-Detached"
*"The Lark"
*"Doctor in the House"
*"Rebecca"

1966-67

*"The Wooden Dish"
*"Present Laughter"
*"Trap for a Lonely Man"

1967-68

*"The Dock Brief" and A Resounding Tinkle
*"Simon and Laura"
*"The Heiress"
*"All in Good Time"

1968-69

*"Barefoot in the Park"
*"Double Image"
*"The Chalk Garden"
*"The Love Match"

1969-70

*"This Was a Woman"
*"Love and Kisses"
*"The House on the Cliff"
*"Hindle Wakes"

1970-71

*"Shadow in the Sun"
*"Relatively Speaking"
*"The Matchmaker"
*"Make Me a Widow"

1971-72

*"All Things Bright and Beautiful"
*"Settled Out of Court"
*"Let's All Go Down the Strand"
*"The Diary of Anne Frank"

1972-73

*"Wild Goose Chase"
*"Who Killed Santa Claus?"
*"Hobson's Choice"
*"The Anniversary"

1973-74

*"Johnny Belinda"
*"Wait Until Dark"
*"Celebration"
*"Duet for Two Hands"

1974-75

*"How the Other Half Loves"
*"The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
*"A Day in the Death of Joe Egg"
*"A Policy of Love"

1975-76

*"Love on the Dole"
*"Persons Unknown"
*"The Price"
*"Gaslight"

1976-77

*"Ann Veronica"
*"Accolade"
*"Move Over, Mrs Markham"
*"Dangerous Corner"

1977-78

*"The Crucible"
*"Woman in a Dressing Gown"
*"The Killing of Sister George"
*"Nude with Violin"

1978-79

*"Murder with Love"
*"Zack"
*"Rookery Nook"
*"Separate Tables"

1979-80

*"Come Blow Your Horn"
*"Time and the Conways"
*"Murder at the Vicarage"
*"I’m Talking About Jerusalem"

1980-81

*"Oh! What a Lovely War"
*"The Farm"
*"Bedroom Farce"
*"Pygmalion"

1981-82

*"The Winslow Boy"
*"Death on the Nile"
*"Shut Your Eyes and Think of England"
*"Saturday Night at the Crown"

1982-83

*"Cat Among the Pigeons"
*"Bell, Book and Candle"
*"Ring Round the Moon"
*"Murder Mistaken"

1983-84

*"Accrington Pals"
*"The Happiest of the Three"
*"Say Goodnight to Grandma"
*"Outside Edge"

1984-85

*"Therese"
*"When We Are Married"

1985-86

*"Table Manners"
*"Music Hall"
*"Born in the Gardens"
*"Spring and Port Wine"

1986-87

*"The Shop at Sly Corner"
*"Music Hall"
*"Season's Greetings"
*"Bonny Brid"

1987-88

*"Hobson's Choice"
*"An Inspector Calls"
*"Move Over, Mrs. Markham"
*"Music Hall"

1988-89

*"Hindle Wakes"
*"Fur Coat and No Knickers"
*"Death of a Salesman"

1989-90

*"All in Good Time"
*"The Glass Menagerie"
*"The Day After the Fair"

1990-91

*"Hay Fever"
*"A Christmas Carol"
*"Blood Brothers"

1991-92

*"A Doll's House"
*"Noises Off"
*"Abigail's Party"

1992-93

*"The Crucible"
*"Blithe Spirit"
*"Beyond Reasonable Doubt"

1993-94

*"Music Hall"
*"Breezeblock Park"
*"The Importance of Being Earnest"

1994-95

*"Charlie's Aunt"
*"A Taste of Honey"
*"Habeas Corpus"

1995-96

*"The Lion in Winter"
*"Happy Families"
*"Pack of Lies"

1996-97

*"Billy Liar"
*"Racing Demon"
*"They Came From Mars…"

1997-98

*"Touch and Go"
*"Present from the Past"
*"Whose Life Is It Anyway?"

1998-99

*"Confusions"
*"Passion Killers"
*"The Anniversary"

1999-2000

*"House Guest"
*"Shakers"
*"Journey's End"

2000-2001

*"Bouncers"
*"The Chalk Garden"
*"Wildest Dreams"

2001-02
*"Herbal Bed"
*"Cash on Delivery"
*"The Memory of Water"

2002-03

*"Sense and Sensibility"
*"Bouncers"
*"Brassed Off"
*"Nude with Violin"

2003-04

*"Trivial Pursuits"
*"A Man for All Seasons"
*"An Evening with Gary Lineker"
*"Night Must Fall"

2004-05

*"Playhouse Creatures"
*"Caught in the Net"
*"Two Planks and a Passion"
*"Beyond a Joke"

2005-06

*"The Diary of Anne Frank"
*"Black Comedy"
*"Brimstone and Treacle"
*"A Chorus of Disapproval"

2006-07

*"Neville's Island"
*"Hobson's Choice"
*"Fur Coat and No Knickers"
*"The Heiress"

2007-08

*"Abigail's Party"
*"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
*"Don't Dress for Dinner"
*"The Matchmaker"

2008-09

*"And a Nightingale Sang"
*"Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn"
*"Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime"
*"The Ladykillers"

ee also

*Acting
*Actor
*Blackburn
*Drama
*Theatre

References

External links

* [http://www.blackburndramaclub.co.uk/contents.htm Blackburn Drama Club Website]
* [http://www.thwaitestheatre.co.uk/ Thwaites Empire Theatre Website]