Curtain Theatre open day

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

The Curtain Theatre on Milkstone Road

Rochdale’s Curtain Theatre is hosting a free open day for people to learn more about the theatre and get involved.

The amateur theatre was established in 1925 by a group of friends and relatives, taking its name from the Elizabethan ‘Curtyn Theatre’ in London, where Shakespearean plays were first performed.

After enduring some difficulties putting on productions first at the Drill Hall, near the old fire station, and then in a school hall in Deeplish, the Curtain Theatre moved into its present premises on Milkstone Road in 1933.

Almost 100 years since its inception, the theatre is still going strong, producing five shows per year, with eight performances per show. It also hosts a number of guest shows.

Many of the customs that were used throughout the theatre’s beginnings still exist today. For example, because cast members were often required to help, ‘front of house’, a gown with a hood, or domino, was introduced to help to conceal their identities before they appeared on stage.

Anyone who wishes to know more about the theatre or become involved with its many aspects – from front of house and backstage, to stage and set building, to lighting and sound operation – is invited to attend the open day on Saturday 27 August.

Daniel Groves, business director, said: “We want people to know about our hidden gem, which is just three minutes away from the train station and 10 minutes’ walk from Rochdale town centre.

“We will be showing people around the theatre, including backstage. People can come down on the open day and register to become involved.”

For more information, please visit:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/events/70292/events-in-rochdale/open-day-at-the-curtain-theatre