Poulton Drama - the am dram group where dreams come true

Not many amateur drama companies can lay claim to being asked to help out by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

But the multi-NODA award winning Poulton Drama can.

It was just one episode in a long history of success and triumphs by the dedicated and talented actors, directors and stage crew.

The 60-strong group, which has been staging plays since the 1940s, was due to perform Witness for the Prosecution with days of the coronavirus lockdown.

A spokesperson said: “We pride ourselves in taking on challenging plays in varying formats and we are one of the few local amateur groups who produce regular Shakespeare.

“We put on three plays a year, in March, June and November.

“We are a diverse and friendly group, always ready to welcome new members to take on acting or behind the scenes roles.

“We also have a buzzing social calendar which includes regular theatre visits, quiz nights and our infamous after show parties!”

The group is this year limited to just one play, the rearranged Witness For The Prosecution this coming November, due to the virus closing down theatres, and stage their performances at Thornton Little Theatre.

In recent years, they have performed plays from the light-hearted, to the serious; from various Ayckbourns to Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (which won a NODA Best Actor), and have won numerous NODA awards for a whole host of other plays.

They include Vicar of Dibley, Blood Brothers and The Crucible.

The group also staged Neil Simon’s Rumors in June to mark the refurbishment of the Vicarage Park Community Centre in Poulton.

They were also the first amateur company to stage Victoria Wood’s Pat and Margaret in 2000, getting the go-ahead from Victoria Wood herself.

But what about the RSC? In 2015 the Royal Shakespeare Company set up a ground-breaking project, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation.”

Applications were invited from interested amateur groups.

Poulton Drama had their application accepted and a number of the group’s actors underwent a pretty lengthy and challenging audition phase, which they passed and were chosen to join the RSC when the play came to Blackpool’s Grand Theatre in 2016.

The group’s chair, Anthony Henry, said: “I think every amateur actor has a dream of an opportunity to perform, just once, on the greater stage, beyond their regular local venue.

For me, ever since I was a schoolboy, my dream was to perform with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“ It was a huge honour as I was to play the role of Nick Bottom, the Weaver.”

As it happened, the group was also invited to perform in Stratford on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage, a mind-blowing experience for any actor.

• More at www.poultondrama.co.uk