Latest News

If These Bricks Could Talk

Men, Women and children of all ages are being recruited by the Thwaites Empire Theatre to take part in their 100th birthday community performance to celebrate the history of entertainment at Ewood.

 A multi-media performance using drama, dance and song has been written by Tim Lince of Pendle Productions based on the story of how the cinema was built to its present state as a successful performing arts centre for the whole community.  

Participants with experience or newcomers are all welcome to get involved.

If These Bricks Could Talk

There is a particular need for the main characters of the play which include the original five founders, Henry Ainsworth, a Grocery Manager at the Cooperative, Frederick Caton, a Clogger, Christopher Hope, a Spindle Maker, Henry Duckworth, a Flagger and Slater and Benjamin Hall, a Coal Merchant.  Other interesting roles include 'Lizzie' the silent pianist who legend has it enjoyed a tipple, a one legged clog-dancer and Elma Yerburgh of the Daniel Thwaites Brewery dynasty.   Dancers are also needed to be involved in a Bollywood section to mark the period of history when the venue was briefly an asian cinema.

 

Members of Blackburn Youth Theatre and Blackburn Drama Club have already been invited to take part and the theatre is now calling on other local society members to be involved and to take small sections.  Harriet Roberts, production co-ordinator, explained that this is an episodic piece of work funded by the Heritage Lottery. It's hoped that small groups will be able to work on parts of the performance themselves so that the whole thing can be sewn together towards the end. She said, 'This will be attractive to many people who would like to have a role but can't commit to regular rehearsal evenings twice a week.'


The show will be called 'If these Bricks Could Talk' and is based on the memories of the ghost of a projectionist at the Cinema.  Performances will take place from Weds 23 to Sunday 27 June 2010.  Local schools including St Lukes and St Phillips, Griffin Park, Holy Trinity and Sacred Heart have signed up to work on their own shorter versions of the script which they will also present in the theatre at the end of June as part of the project.

To find out more call Harriet Roberts on 07850 959 898