Today we enter the second week in our countdown to next Monday's Examiner Community Awards. We spotlight the three shortlisted nominees in the Arts Award and the winner will be revealed at the glittering awards night at the Galpharm Stadium.
IT’S the Huddersfield Thespians’ 90th anniversary year and the theatre group is still going strong thanks to the commitment of its many members.
Huddersfield Thespians president Steve Marsden told the Examiner it is “brilliant” they have been recognised as a collective with an Arts award nomination.
The 44-year-old from Lindley said: “I think it’s really good that local interests are being recognised.
“There are a lot of people within this group who have put in a lot of hard work over the years.
“Having recognition from outside the group feels really good for us.”
The Huddersfield Thespians is an amateur dramatics company which puts on five plays at the Lawrence Batley Theatre each year.
Their members are aged from 16 to 60 and come from all over Kirklees to produce plays written by playwrights ranging from Terry Pratchett, Charles Dickens and Alan Ayckbourn.
The group’s secretary, Sue Underwood, said: “We are committed to bringing live performance from the community to the community, to entertain, amuse, excite and challenge.
“And we are proud to be a part of a thriving volunteer arts scene that has been part of Huddersfield life for many years.”
Mr Marsden, a local businessman, has been a member of the theatre group for 28 years.
He said they are staffed entirely by volunteers and rely on membership fees, box office takings and one-off donations to keep the group running.
He said: “The enthusiasm, talent and commitment of our members is amazing.
“People work in a variety of roles from building sets to preparing props, creating costumes, working as stage managers, acting, directing, creating and maintaining our website and attracting publicity for our shows.
“We are trying to get more people to join us. Lots of people want to act but not many people want to do roles that don’t have the limelight like backstage.
“When the stage staff Michael Schofield and Stephen Hague have decided they’ve had enough we’re going to struggle to get the same level of commitment from other people.”
