Wigton's John Peel Theatre launches winter fundraising appeal

Wigton's John Peel Theatre, which dates back to 1885, is hoping to raise funds to help cover additional expenses and ultimately help support upcoming productions.

Co-chair of the theatre, Kate Jensen, said: “We don’t do a lot of fundraising as we’re mostly supported by our ticket and bar sales and we’re fairly self-sufficient but every now and again, we try to raise funds from the community to help us with the extra bills and fund our bigger productions. 

“Every bit of funding we get goes straight back into the theatre, none of it is taken by anyone as salary.

"It goes straight into improving our props and costumes, lighting and sound systems as well as the upkeep of the building," she said. 

Read more: Wigton John Peel Theatre celebrates 60th with a nod to its origins

So far, £1,000 has been 'generously' donated from the local community via the theatre's PayPal donate page. 

"We’re hoping to build a portfolio of regular donations going ahead, even if it is just £5 a month, it would really help us know what funds are coming in," Kate said. 

The theatre’s fundraising efforts include a quiz night, set for Friday, November 15, which promises a fun-filled evening with live entertainment, great prizes, and a big raffle.

Teams of up to six people can take part, with tickets priced at £4 per person, with availability on offer.

The theatre, which is run by volunteers, also has several upcoming shows including a family-friendly murder mystery Christmas show on December 11, and Charlie Dore and Julian Littman on December 7 as part of the Folk at the John Peel sessions.

The theatre's much-loved pantomime is set to take place in February but what it will be has yet to be revealed, with auditions set to take place in December.

“Anyone curious, we did give a clue in our Wigton Carnival float," Kate hinted. 

Tickets for all upcoming events can be found at www.wigtontheatre.org/tickets.php

To help support the theatre, you can donate by clicking here.