A well-known amateur dramatics group in County Durham is “disappointed” and “devastated” at the idea of not being to stage its annual summer production at the venue it has used for the last 35 years.
The Castle Players stage numerous productions per year, with the summer show - usually a Shakespeare play - always staged in the grounds of the Bowes Museum.
This year, the group was preparing to perform Love’s Labour’s Lost from July 4 to 8, but the museum has imposed certain restrictions which have forced the Castle Players to make the difficult decision to not go ahead.
The dates were confirmed with the Bowes Museum last year, but the numerous conditions recently imposed by the museum have made it “both financially and, in practical terms, impossible to mount the production”, according to the Castle Players.
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Christine Gibson-Bell, chair of the Castle Players’ trustees explained that the group had been told that there are potential ground works planned for the car park area - although those dates are not yet confirmed, they could clash with the production forcing us to cancel at short notice.
Ms Gibson-Bell said: “We have also been informed that we can only do three performances, instead of the normal five performances, which affects our income.
“We’re not allowed to take vehicles on to grassed areas, which means we cannot erect tiered seating or deliver essential set and technical equipment, and we must pay £50 per hour each for two duty managers to be present at every performance from 5pm to 10 pm – something we have never had to do in the past.
“As a registered charity that does not receive annual funding, we have always been self-sufficient, bringing in everything we need to mount our productions.
“We have always been professional and respectful of the museum grounds and have taken great care to ensure we return the site as we found it.
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“We extend our apologies to our loyal audience and supporters who look forward to our annual productions - unfortunately, it is now too late to find a replacement venue for this year. Cancelling has such a knock-on effect because so much work goes on behind the scenes to stage a production like this.
“It’s so disappointing and everyone involved in putting the show on is devastated really.”
The Castle Players will be actively looking for a suitable site to mount the 2024 summer production.
A spokesperson for The Bowes Museum said: “We are sad to hear that the Castle Players have decided to cancel this year’s performance.
“We have been in discussions with the group for some months about the conditions of use, contribution to costs, and the risk of disturbance to their performance from potential works on the museum grounds this summer.
“Here at The Bowes Museum, we are passionate about supporting our community and have significantly subsidised the Castle Players for many years. As a charity, we have to balance the ambitions of organisations who would like to use the grounds with ensuring we manage the site well and sustainably.
“Over the past four years, our discussions with the Castle Players over recent years have included the need to reflect costs more fully, which we have endeavoured to contain to support the Castle Players.
“We understand their decision, and we have arranged a meeting with their committee to look ahead to the potential of hosting the production again in the future.”
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