Theatre wants memories from patrons for anniversary

The Castle in Wellingborough open in 1995 and has a 500-seat auditorium

A town's theatre has asked people to contribute any memories and memorabilia for an exhibition to mark its 30th anniversary next year.

Castle Theatre in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, opened on the site of the town's former cattle market in 1995.

Alongside the exhibition the theatre will also put on a new production of the musical Annie, which was the first show to be performed in the space when it opened.

Martin Cleverley, the theatre's manager, said the anniversary would be a "homage to last 30 years".

The theatre hosts touring shows, musical acts, comedy and community productions, as well as showing films.

It also has a children's theatre and a dance and drama school called Castle Arts.

In 2019 Parkwood Leisure, which runs three other theatres in England, took over the management of the venue.

The theatre was built on the site of the town's former cattle market

Mr Cleverly told BBC Radio Northampton the theatre wanted to use its exhibition space on the mezzanine floor to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

He said the venue wanted to "remind people the journey that the Castle was been on, right from the start up until the modern day".

"We're asking anyone for anything," he said.

The new production of Annie, which start its run in April next year, will be a "part professional, part community performance", Mr Cleverly said.

He said it would "kick start something new with the Castle Theatre, a community theatre company".

"We want this start a new journey for the Castle Theatre and hopefully give us the opportunity to put on an annual production using this new theatre company going forward," he said.