Falmouth theatre company could close

8:35am Wednesday 20th August 2008

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ONE of Falmouth’s best loved theatre companies is on the verge of closing following series of break-ins at its rehearsal rooms.

The Bray Theatre Company has seen the rooms in the old Penwerris School broken into twice in the last ten days, with essen tial equipment stolen during the second attack.

Founder Ivor Bray has described the situation as “absolutely soul destroying.”

Founded in 1988, the group puts on a number of shows each year for the benefit of charities in the area. In the last 20 years it has raised in the region of £25,000.

But following the latest in a series of break-ins, which have inten sified since January, theatre company officials have said they are not sure how much longer they can go on.

Treasurer Shirley Hunking said the group couldn’t go on like this forever.

“We have nearly 100 members, children and adults, who enjoy themselves while entertaining. We don’t want to disband but we can not go on like this forever. If we keep having break-ins we won’t have the money to repair or replace things.”

She added that it was disheartening to spend money on repairs when the takings should be going to worthy causes.

Mrs Hunking said the group was already having to rehearse with the windows boarded up, following a previous incident of vandalism when the panes of glass were smashed.

In the first of the two latest attacks vandals broke into the rehears al room and threw costumes around the room, poured coffee across the floor and wrote graffiti on the walls.

Last Friday the group went to rehearse for their current produc tion of Treasure Island – which a cast of 40 children are performing at the Princess Pavilion every Monday until September – only to dis cover their music system worth around £100 had been stolen.

Fortunately the theft has not put the show in jeopardy as the pavil ion has its own sound equipment, but with rehearsals due to start early next month for the group’s annual pantomime the equipment will be sorely missed.

“It’s upsetting. We just can’t go on and on. Why can’t these people find something better to do?” added Mrs Hunking.

Mr Bray said the group had tried to cover every aspect of security they could think of, but still the thieves and vandals broke in.

Previous incidents have included potential thieves attempting to remove the bricks around the doorway in order to get in and group members arriving to rehearse only to find squatters sleeping inside.

“It’s endless. It’s such a secluded place. It goes quiet and all of a sudden you get a spurt of break-ins, just when you think you’re safe.

It’s a sad, sad world,” added Mr Bray.

Were you or have you been a member of the company? What do you think?

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