Dunstable theatre raises its curtains again with a psychological thriller

A Dunstable theatre is raising the curtain again 20 months after being hit by the pandemic.

The Dunstable Rep members have used their enforced time off well, making long-needed repairs to their Victorian home in the Little Theatre and making it as Covid safe as possible.

And this week it welcomed back an audience with a glass of bubbly and a tense psychological thriller, Dead Guilty.

Club chairman Richard Foster said: "We are going carefully and delivering what people want so that they will want to come out again." he said.

Dunstable Rep, which has been open since 1945, works as a theatre club. People can also visit as guests of members or guests of the club.

There were around 400 members before Covid hit and the club is working hard to make everyone feel safe enough to come back to the auditorium.

Ventilation has been improved with heat recovery units to increase air flow front of house with a similar system in the auditorium which extracts onto the roof. Plays with smaller casts are also planned.

"We are doing a slightly shortened season with only five shows instead of the usual six," said Richard. "Every two months we will have a new show."

And the club has big plans for encouraging more people to join. As well as seeing the shows, members work as actors, directors, behind the scenes staff, working on the costumes and props, and helping with the bar.

"We will be having more social events," said Richard. "We will be making a lot more noise about what we do."

The club moved to its current site on High Street South in 1964 and The Little Theatre was opened on October 7 by Bernard Bresslaw, best known for his performances in the Carry On films.

The theatre now provides a 99-seater raked auditorium, changing rooms, a Green Room, box office, coffee room and a bar.

There are still tickets available for Dead Guilty which runs until November 27.

Tickets available from littletheatre.org.uk/book or email [email protected]