About Chelmsford Theatre Workshop
Chelmsford Theatre Workshop (CTW) was founded in 1969 by a group of drama enthusiasts who wanted to form a new amateur theatre company to produce, develop and explore different aspects of theatre and performing arts. You can find out more about our history by visiting our History page.
Keep checking our website for audition notices and sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to be notified when auditions are announced. We also have a page on Facebook where audition notices are posted.
Today, the company produces between 6 and 10 productions per season (September – July) and has a reputation for excellence in all areas and artistic integrity, often tackling difficult plays or challenging concepts that other companies may not approach. The CTW season is renowned for variety, often including popular or well known pieces amongst lesser-known or performed pieces as well as original work.
CTW has previously taken productions to festivals across the UK including Woking, Brighton and the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The company won six awards in recent years and was proud to be given the Outstanding Contribution award at the 2012 Panic! Awards:
Best Independent Theatre Production (PANIC! Awards) 'Love, Loss and What I Wore' 2016/17
Best Technical Achievement (NODA D8) 'Gaslight' 2016/17
Best Drama Production (NODA D8) 'The Compleat Female Stage Beauty' 2015/16
Best Independent Theatre Production (Panic! Awards) 'Sweeney Todd - The Musical' 2015/16
Best Technical Achievement (NODA D8) 'Earthquakes in London' 2014/15
Best Drama & Overall Production (NODA D8) 'Blood Brothers - The Play' 2014/15
Best Independent Theatre Production (Panic! Awards) The Haunting of Hill House 2014/15
Best Actor (NODA) 'Frost/Nixon' - 2013
Best Drama & Overall Production (NODA D8) 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)' 2013
Best Drama & Overall Production (NODA D8) 'Bouncers' 2013
Outstanding Contribution (Panic! Awards) Chelmsford Theatre Workshop (2012)
Best Drama (NODA D8) 'She Stoops to Conquer' 2011
Best Independent Theatre Production (Panic! Awards) 'The Arsonists' 2010/11
Best Drama (NODA D8) ‘Steel Magnolias’ 2010/11
Best Junior Player (Woking Drama Festival) ‘Ae Fond Kiss & Scarborough’ 2010
Best Drama & Overall Production (NODA D8) ‘Kind Hearts & Coronets’ 2008
Best Production (NODA - Smart Cup) 'The Exorcism' 2007
Best Actor (NODA) ‘Someone who’ll Watch Over Me’ 2007
Best Drama & Overall Production (NODA D8) ‘The Exorcism’ 2007
Adjudicators Award (NDFA) 'Moll Flanders' 2001
Premiere Award (Skegness Playgoers Festival) 'Moll Flanders' 2001
In the 1970s, CTW took control of the old Springfield Parish Hall on Springfield Road, Chelmsford and the Old Court Theatre, home of CTW, was born. Today the venue is Chelmsford’s third theatre and is a well equipped venue which offers a flexible performance area allowing the company to perform in the round or experiment with different staging.
CTW is a registered charity and is self-financing, using income from the the Old Court Theatre facilities, ticket sales and membership subscriptions to fund the company’s productions and running costs of the venue. CTW is managed by an elected management committee who are elected once a year at the Annual General Meeting. They fulfil all the necessary roles associated with running the company and the Old Court Theatre, including budgeting, theatre management and technical management.
CTW is entirely run by volunteers, and the company are always eager to welcome new members.
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