Beginnings

In the first instalment of our 'Now We Are Forty' celebrations, Helen Brown, a founding member of The Castle Players', shares her memories of how it all began!

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In 1983, I arrived at Barnard Castle from Ulverston after returning from Nigeria, where I founded a small theatre group. I was living near a small fishing village called Iwopin, where contractors from John Laing International were building a town with schools, shops and other amenities.

Before my stint in Nigeria, I was the Administrator of Renaissance Theatre Trust, a professional grant-aided arts promotion trust. We toured music, theatre, dance, and exhibitions throughout Cumbria, featuring artists like The Royal Shakespeare Company, Hinge and Bracket, Polka Puppets, and G & S companies. We also ran a professional theatre company.

In 1985, after arriving in Barnard Castle II took a job as a barmaid at The Old Well. The pub was always packed, and I quickly became familiar with the regulars. One dark December night, the electricity went out. We improvised a dram workshop, playing games like 'wink murder' and 'charades'. The laughter was infectious, and everyone had such fun I decided to start a drama group. I booked a room at The Witham in October and advertised for participants. We began with workshops and play readings.

The company also needed a name, so members put forward their suggestions and interestingly on eof the ideas was 'The Outsiders', but 'The Castle Players' won the vote. Our first production, 'New Broom', was the work of a local writer. We lacked equipment, but the production was a sell-out and received good reviews. I contacted Durham Theatre Company for help and met the director, Laurence Sach, who came and ran a few theatre workshops and promptly offered me a bob as the Administrator.

The Castle Players then got a new member, Simon Pell, who had come to stage manage Durham Theatre Company's Medieval Mysteries in Durham Cathedral. Simon put forward an idea to perform Tom Stoppard's 'Fifteen Minute Hamlet', and our relationship with Shakespeare began. We performed outdoors for a two-year period at various venues including Stanhope Town Hall, The Old Well Garden and The Castle, to name a few.

When the pub shut on a moonlit midsummer's eve, we took bottles of wine to the grounds of The Bowes Museum to celebrate the longest day. We heard the midnight hour announced by the church clock. In the quiet we watched the shadows dancing on the breeze; probably a little drunk on some grand ideas, we decided to mount an outdoor production in the grounds. I secured a £6k interest-free loan from the bank and presented a budget and plan to the curator, Elizabeth Conran, who approved our promenade performance of 'The Dream', complete with fireworks and an outdoor market. It was a scary time: would people come? Could we pull it off with an entirely amateur cast? Could we overcome health and safety arrangements? Would it rain?

A year later, on Wednesday 21st June 1989 we shared that magical experience with four sold-out performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream, each performance ending with a spectacular fireworks finale. Year after year, our audiences brought picnics and blankets, transforming the tree into our beloved summer home.

The cast and crew of A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Bowes Museum.