Castle Theatre stages 30th anniversary exhibition seeing three decades of Wellingborough history 'brought back to life'

The Castle Theatre in Wellingborough will mark the official anniversary on April 30 with a limited run of Annie, the same show that opened the building 30 years ago.

Leading up to the show, a portion of the theatre has been decorated with memories, keepsakes, and memorabilia, an exhibition covering the inception of the Castle on the site that was once a Hillards – then Tesco – supermarket, through its many pantomimes, guest appearances, and eventual takeover by Parkwood Theatres, all leading to 2025 and its thirtieth year in operation.

Martin Cleverley, head of operations at Parkwood Theatres said: “It would appear that many people have held onto a huge archive of memorabilia, which only goes to show how precious and important the Castle Theatre is to many of its local community.

“This exhibition will remain in place for the public to see from today, through to the culmination of our production of Annie.

"The important thing about the concept of this production is that the idea came from the team themselves, which demonstrates a desire to remember the past and celebrate the venue in the most appropriate way.

"We want this building to be the hub for the local community to make use of.

"If the way we have already grown in the last six years is a mark to go by, I look forward to seeing where this theatre will be when we celebrate its 40th anniversary.”

The exhibition is full of throwback photos, newspaper clippings, programmes, and props, costumes, and set dressing for performances dating all the way back to the late 1990s.

The theatre has hosted all manner of events including the annual pantomime (last year’s Peter Pan was mad, but a lot of fun), as well as recently bringing West End shows to the Wellingborough venue such as Blood Brothers, which we called ‘captivating.’

However, not all of the Castle’s history has been rosy, even if it has managed to achieve such a significant milestone.

Parkwood Theatres took over the running of The Castle in January 2019 after the theatre from Wellingborough Borough Council. Financial difficulties had forced the complex’s temporary closure.

Now, the theatre is in a great spot, with audiences to the annual pantomime increasing rapidly over the last five years, and a packed what’s on schedule giving local people a diverse range of shows to see at the now-iconic Wellingborough building.

Gary L Johnson is a founder of GLJ Theatre and a regular cast member of productions at The Castle, calling the building ‘a second home.’

He said: “I think it’s amazing seeing 30 years of history being brought back to life for the community to enjoy.

"It’s a second home, and sometimes a first home some times in the year, be it panto or directing. I came up in the youth theatre and came to work his in my first job as a stage manager.”

The first run of Annie took place between January 26 and Saturday, February 4, 1995, with around 100 local people taking part in the production. Now, in 2025, the show will go on once again, with performances taking place from Wednesday April 30 to Friday, May 2 at 7.30pm, with two performances on Saturday, May 3 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.