AN AMATEUR theatre company is gearing up for their seventieth anniversary later this year.
Carlisle Green Room Club has been an amateur theatre group in the city since 1952, bringing with it every year, 6 plays and a pantomime.
David Wood, who has been the venues chairman for the past six years but involved with the theatre group since 2007, said: "It was started in 1952 as the Fortune Players, and as things became very successful, it was thought it was time to get our very own venue.
"As far I know, we moved into the new premise in 1979 due to our increasing popularity, which is now the current location, and hasn't closed once during that period except for Covid.
"At that time in 1979, we became quite unique in that we were the only theatre in Carlisle after all other theatres had closed down.
"We're amateur but we're very proud at what we've achieved," he said.
Covid was a difficult time for the theatre business, much like most of the industry, causing last minute cancellations to plays that had a great deal of work put into them.
"We were closed for 18 months and it was very difficult, but we managed to return with our previously abandoned play.
"It was quite an emotional experience, and something we're all very proud of," he said.
The chairperson's tenure at the theatre group usually only lasts four years, but as the pandemic thwarted the schedule, David was kept on for an additional two years.
"I'll be finishing my role in August but I'm hoping to get more into directing and more acting, I'd like to go back and tread the boards a bit more," he said.
Looking forward, the venue has an exciting list of scheduled events to bring in the anniversary with a more comedy-flavoured listing schedule, including a showing of One For the Road on May 16, as well as a returning of the popular Northern Comedy Theatre for a murder mystery event.
There will also be a gala dinner in August for members and guests to attend and celebrate the hard work that's went into the theatre company since its inception.
"We want members to suggest other ideas outwith our programme schedule to bring in the event," David said.
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