Cotswold Playhouse

There was an excellent 2 page spread in SNJ last week which launched the latest appeal to close the funding gap. It contained glowing descriptions of the Playhouse and the Cotswold Players by amongst others the bestselling novelist Jilly Cooper and professional actors Graham Bill, John Carlin and Anthony Young.

A little over £300,000 has been raised but to complete the fitting out, a further £65,000 is needed. If you can offer your skills, expertise, ideas or would like to make a donation or offer sponsorship, please contact Melanie Palmer at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Patrick Howell, Chairman, Cotswold Players on 01453 890304. Donations can be made by sending a cheque payable to Cotswold Players to the Cotswold Playhouse Appeal, the Stroud News and Journal, 6 Lansdown, Stroud GL5 1BE

And now to the progress made since my last entry. The new drains for both surface and foul water are to be connected to the main drain in the playing field to the rear of the building and because of the slope of the site a trench no less than 3 metres deep has to be dug through part of the existing building. The first photo shows the partially complete trench in the Red Room. This room, which was erected about 8 years ago, has been used as a store room for scenery and was called the Red Room because the floor was painted that colour, but a layer of dust has proved an effective disguise. Those of you who know the room will probably recognise at the far end the lower part of the sink unit used by the scenery painters for cleaning brushes.

On 12th June, Rachel Small, Manager Regeneration, Stroud District Council and Brian McGough, Building Manager, Stroud District Council, visited the site. In the photo below they are shown, together with Sarah Goodwin, Treasurer of Cotswold Players (far right), inspecting the underpinning for the stage, which is now complete.

Regretably there is nothing further to report on the relocation of the two mains cables. A meeting with the electricity company has been towards the end of this week, but until the cables have been relocated no more progress can be made on the laying of the foundations.

Progress has been slower than anticipated, mainly because the builders are waiting for the electricity supply company to move 2 live cables that cross the site of the new extension. The tower has been demolished but the seagulls are still there. This photograph was taken on 5th June 2007 and shows the site of the new lounge, above which will be the dance studio / rehearsal room. The tough little buddlea is still clinging onto life in the gutter.

The next photograph shows the area under the stage (at lower ground floor level) which has been excavated to make room for a store-room. At the top of the photo are the joists supporting the stage and on the right can be seen the front end of a caterpillar digger which somehow amazingly was shoe-horned into the small area. Eventually there will be a doorway immediately beneath the RSJ which will lead to the costume store and the stairs up to the ground floor.