Stables Theatre News
STUART BAILLIE on volunteering at the local theatre
We first found The Stables Theatre in 2018: we’d already been living in Hastings for more than a decade and had driven past the theatre countless times but had never made it inside.
Dress Rehearsal for America Ground: The Musical by John Knowles, performed recently at The Stables
The first play we went to see was on our wedding anniversary. Iit was Ben Hur, directed by David Sismore and starring, among others, Peter Miller. Before going, I struggled to figure out how the play would work. How can you stage a chariot race on the stage of The Stables?
Well all was revealed; there was no chariot race. There were a lot of laughs, and we enjoyed a cleverly-written play that used Ben Hur as a backdrop to a classic love triangle story. Since then we’ve been going along about twice a month. We became members – you get your tickets a bit cheaper – and slowly but surely we were drawn in. When we started going, the voluntary nature of The Stables never occurred to us – everything runs like clockwork, and someone is always there if you need to ask anything. I’ve been to professional venues with paid staff and not received the warm welcome that The Stables has become famous for.
So a couple of weeks ago I did my training to be one of those front of house people, welcoming you on arrival and making sure you know where you’re sitting and where everything is. Next week I’m doing my behind-the-bar training. All good fun.
Scene from the current production: The Miss Firecracker Contest by Beth Henley, performed by visiting players, The Chicago Heights Drama Group. Playing until 6 July
So if you’ve got a little spare time on your hands why not think about joining the ranks of Stables volunteers? If you’ve got a talent for performance there are always openings for actors, directors and musicians. If you haven’t, there’s the box office to man, the bar to staff and the patrons to welcome.If you’d like to get involved, why not drop in one day? The box office is open every morning from 10.30. Or just say hello when you’re coming to a show and let us know you’re up for a bit of volunteering or phone work. You’ll end up having a great time.
For information and current Stables shows and performances go to https://stablestheatre.co.uk/
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