Thanks to the resourcefulness and resilience of a Workington theatre group, people will soon be able to enjoy their long-awaited return to the auditorium. While life on stage appears to have ground to a halt around much of the country, Workington Playgoers is determined to ensure the show must go on. And if that means rehearsing outside, in bone-chilling temperatures, then so be it. The group will be staging
The River, by Jez Butterworth, at the Theatre Royal next week. There will be a reduced capacity in the auditorium and the number of actors and backstage crew has been kept to a minimum but otherwise it will be showbusiness as usual.
Last modified on Mon 14 Dec 2020 06.12 EST
When Cleo Binnsâ father died in June 2018, she and her mother, Ann, wanted a humanist service to honour his life. âI got in touch with a celebrant who wasnât available, but recommend that I contact Will Tillotson,â she remembers. Shortly after she called him, he went round to meet Cleo and Ann in the Lake District, near to where he lived at the time. âAs a humanist celebrant, you meet every family, so that you can discuss their loved oneâs life and write a tribute,â he says.
During their meeting, it didnât cross his mind that it would be anything more than a professional relationship. âIt would have been unthinkable that something would happen â and totally unethical,â he says. Cleo, who was grieving along with her mum, felt comforted by Willâs presence. âAt the time, I wasnât thinking about dating or anything like that. But I know that, when he left, Mum and I felt much