Wombwell Thespians Amateur Dramatic Society is a small charitable society who present by public performance stage plays. The society also aims to advance the education of the public in the dramatic arts. We serve both the local township of Wombwell and also the wider Barnsley Metropolitan Borough area. Although the 200 seat Playhouse Theatre was originally conceived as a permanent home for the Thespians, since 2011 it has expanded to become a true Community Theatre as it is now also “home” to the Real Music Centre Theatre Company (RMC) which is the performance section of the flourishing Real Music Centre which opened in Wombwell in 2009, and have been staging their musical productions and concerts in the Playhouse since 2011. It is also being used increasingly by external organisations for a variety of uses. 2026 is our Centenary Year as The “Thesps” were formed in 1926 (we are not sure which month) and initially members were teachers at the Parish Church’s Sunday School. The fledgling society’s first performances, probably in April 1927, were a series of One-Act plays presented, not surprisingly, in the Parish Hall. They were entitled, “Dear Departed”, “A Little Foul Play” and “Between the Soup and the Savoury”. The first full length play, J. K. Jerome’s four-act farce, “Robina in Search of a Husband” was presented on 15th & 16th of February 1928. The producer was Miss Pattie Washington, who was well known in local musical and dramatic circles for many years who, possibly, also produced the earlier one-act plays. From then on (apart from the covid period!), like the Windmill Theatre, the Thespians “never closed” and in conjunction with Wombwell Operatic Society, continued to put on plays throughout World War II. This wasn’t without a few problems. Plays were often cast and rehearsals started when some of the men were called up for the forces. This would put the play back to the casting stage. However, performance dates were fixed to coincide with a full moon so that audiences were able to see their way home in the blackout. Besides the old Wombwell Parish Hall, the Society has staged plays at several other venues in Wombwell including the Baths Hall, the Empire Theatre and Wombwell High School. In June 1969, Geoff Ford, the society’s electrician, reported to the committee that the former Park Street Chapel would probably be available on lease for a reasonable figure and that in his opinion it would make an ideal theatre. After further enquiries it was found to be the case. Recent correspondence has recently been discovered with the deeds, which show that in June 1971 the building was being rented by the society for the sum of £1.0.0 per week and was valued at £800. Over the succeeding months the committee discussed ways of raising the funds to buy the property. In September 1971, it is recorded in the minutes of the committee meeting that “someone has agreed to lend us the money”. This “someone” was Mr P J Burke, a local building contractor who actually gifted us the money. Meanwhile, work had been progressing to convert the building into a workable theatre which finally opened in April 1973 as The Wombwell Thespians Playhouse. The original pews were used to form the Proscenium and replaced by seats dating from the early 1900's from the Barnsley Civic Theatre which were being renewed at that time. Over the 53 years since there have been further improvements made to the theatre including, in the 1980's, provision of toilets and a tea bar area under the existing balcony, new double glazed windows, and the creation of a lighting and sound control room at the rear of the balcony. The auditorium seat were replaced in the early 1990's with more comfortable seats from a Barnsley Cinema which had closed. This together with the internal re-modelling reduced the capacity of the theatre from it's original 350 to 200. Gradual upgrading of stage lighting and sound systems has also been taking place and after strenuous fund-raising, the building was re-roofed in 2024. At the present, members are busy carrying out a total refurbishment of the seats - which date from 1924!