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Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society (PBDS) have invested three years of communal labour and £120,000 to rebuild their much-loved Playhouse.

Following the pandemic, new regulations meant the Playhouse required substantial changes to the downstairs layout and bar area, including creating disabled access designed to bring the theatre into the 21st century.

The redesign meant that further changes were also required to comply with building regulations, and additional costs spiralled to a staggering total of £150K.

A special fundraising campaign titled 'Give The Playhouse a Lift' was launched via Justgiving, and further money was raised via Easyfundraising and the Local Lotto.

Pateley Playhouse during its conversion from a Methodist Chapel - the lady in the Image, taken in 1964 is Barbara Cansell who was heavily involved with the renovation

After writing over 30 grant bids, developing sponsorship schemes and persistent appeals for donations from the community, the theatre finally acieved the funding required to complete the scheme.

Ruth Dodsworth, president of PBDS spoke about what the theatre means to the people of Pately Bridge, she said: “Each time I bring someone upstairs the first thing they do is go ‘oh wow’, because it’s such a special atmosphere here.

“The local community is very keen to support us as they know they are going to get good quality entertainment.

“The size of the theatre and closeness to the actors makes you feel like you are in safe hands.

Barbara Cansell photographed in the same position as in the image from 1964, proud to see it in good hands.

Ms Dodsworth described the magic of a performance in the small, ‘in the round’ style theatre, she said: “It's about connection, you are not just watching a screen, you are connecting with the audience, and you get the feedback all the time, not verbal, but you can feel their emotions move with the story as it unfolds.

“You know when you are doing it right, you know when they are listening hard and everyone is deftly silent and that’s an incredible feeling.

“Sometimes the audience gets everything and other times you are left wondering why they aren’t laughing.

“It’s like any live performance, whether its music or whatever, it’s just so much richer.”

The ticket booth renovation is one of many changes to the Playhouse

Keith Burton, the treasurer of PBDS, said: “There's something particular about this theatre - it’s not just a theatre, it's a community place.

“It means a lot to people, not just on a level with acting, but it's about coming together to do a project as a team.

“It’s more like being a part of the family, I think the audience feels the same.

“They are not just going to see a show, they are applying to a sense of closeness within our community.

“I can’t think of one show that hasn’t been sold out or packed.

“It's going to be exciting to open up the doors and to have our audience back with us.

“There’s a shared sense with everyone that we are coming home to our theatre.”

The Playhouse still requires an additional 20K to completee the renovations but will be opening to generate income as in the meantime: ‘the show must go on’.

It will be opening its doors for the first time to the public to perform ‘See How They Run’ from Monday April 17 to Saturday April 22, at 7.30pm, with all tickets costing £10.

For tickets or to find out more visit: http://www.pateleyplayhouse.co.uk/.

Pateley Playhouse: dawn of a new era after £120K renovation brings theatre into 21st century

READ MORE: ‘See How They Run’ launches a new era for Pateley Playhouse as it re-opens after three-year revamp