A 110-year-old theatre company has delighted audiences for generations and the key to its success is “everyone is like family”.
Founded in 1912 many actors have taken to the boards in the service of The Waterloo and Crosby Theatre Company. From Fiddler on the Roof to The Wizard of Oz the company has worked hard to foster talented artists and provide quality local theatre to the community.
The company is for everyone and anyone, no matter their experience, is welcome. This is the cornerstone of its longevity and why so far it has stood the test of time.
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Clare Hymas joined the company in 1982 and has since gone on star in several productions. Her claim to fame is that she was the oldest person to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the age of 37.
She told the ECHO: “My husband was a keen footballer and I wanted something to do for myself. I had always sung in choirs and wanted to try musical theatre. It was the only number for a community theatre that I found in the phone book so I went along to a rehearsal.
“My first production was Fiddler on the Roof and I cried when I came off stage because I thought that I would never do something as good again.”
Originally called the Waterloo and Crosby Amateur Operatic Society, disaster nearly stuck for the company in 1982 when it almost folded and had to merge with the Cambridge Players. While Clare occasionally takes to the stage, in recent years she has taken a step back from performing and is now the company treasurer.
Speaking on the company's longevity, Clare, 65 said: “I think people have been very loyal and we have been prepared to change and adapt over the years. Along with a strong core of people who are prepared to move mountains if mountains need to be moved.
“One of the main differences is we have a lot more youth members now and it is thriving. You used to have to be over 18 and it is great getting younger people involved. The youth membership has grown and our pantomimes are multi-generational now."
Unlike Clare, Chairman Nicci Henshaw has never longed to perform, she first become associated with the company when her daughter Sarah joined as a child. Since then the 52-year-old has gone from lending a helping hand to directing productions.
Nicci said: “We are all-encompassing and we do take people on from all walks of life and we don’t expect our members to be professional or exceptional. It is about having fun, we see ourselves as a big extended family and that extends to our audience.
"We're a family and that is what it comes down to. If you were to ask any of the members they would tell you the same. I think the audience can feel that everybody is enjoying themselves on the stage”.
For their next production, The Waterloo and Crosby Theatre Company is stepping out of its comfort zone. Moving away from the standard classics they are performing Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'School of Rock' based on the 2003 film starring Jack Black.
Clare, from Crosby, said: “We are stepping out of our comfort zone again, this is the first full-length rock show that we have done. We are stepping out into more modern shows which comes with its own problems but it will be amazing and should be one to remember.”
The play will run from July 12 to 16 at Merchant Taylors Boy’s School.
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