Well, as you’ve probably guessed by now, we’re an amateur theatre company. (Amateur in that we do it for amore – love. Not amateur as in a little bit ropey). And never ‘amateur dramatics’ – that label is very last century.
Speaking of last century, TWC was invented in 1970, we’ve been re-inventing ourselves with every show since. Now here we are in 2022, our 53rd year. It’s been quite a journey.
We started as a youth group specialising in experimental work, and we still retain that independent and innovative impulse. We’ve staged over 50 completely original productions, homegrown specifically for and by TWC. The group contains many members who have written work that we’ve successfully performed on stage. Original or not, all our productions tend towards the bold, exuberant, and generally larger than life. We try to avoid the usual middle-of-the-road am-dram fare of farces, Stoppards and Ayckbourns. Many amateur companies endlessly recycle the same predictable catalogue. We try to be more original – at least some of the time!
Our approach is informal, with a simple philosophy: To aim for the highest possible standards in every aspect of our productions – but never at the expense of enjoyment. In other words – we take our output seriously, but not ourselves.
If you’d like to find out a bit more about our history, support us by becoming a patron, or look at some choice selections from past press notices (good and bad), please click the button at the top of this page.
How we’re run
Theatre Workshop Coulsdon is run by a committee elected from the membership at an annual meeting held each October. In addition to the roles of Secretary and Treasurer, five other members make up the committee which meets on a monthly basis to discuss the choices and challenges that the group has. This ranges from the ‘nuts and bolts’ of finance, maintenance and health & safety to creative decisions over what future productions may be. Any member may attend these meetings, although only the committee members may vote. Any member may propose an item for discussion by the committee, either in person at a meeting or via the secretary. A copy of the constitution, outlining the group’s objectives, organisation and operation, is available on request from any member of Committee, the Charities Commission website (searching for our charity by name) or by clicking this link.
Theatre Workshop Coulsdon is a registered charity in England and Wales (No.1150788)
