Lace Market Theatre, Community theatre in Lace Market, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Lace Market Theatre is a theatre in the Lace Market district of Nottingham, housed inside a red brick building listed as Grade II on the national heritage register. It has two performance spaces: a main auditorium and a smaller studio, each used for different types of productions throughout the year.
The theatre was founded in 1972 and moved into its current building in the Lace Market, a district once at the heart of Nottingham's lace-making trade. The 19th-century building was converted for theatrical use while keeping much of its original brick structure intact.
The Lace Market Theatre is an amateur theatre run entirely by volunteers from the local community, which gives it a down-to-earth character that professional venues rarely have. Audiences here often know people on stage, making each performance feel personal and rooted in the neighbourhood.
The theatre is within easy walking distance of Nottingham city centre, in the Lace Market area where streets are mostly flat and straightforward to navigate. It is worth checking the programme in advance, as shows sell out quickly given the small size of the auditorium.
The theatre trains its young members to handle every part of a production, from acting to set building and lighting, not just performing in front of an audience. This means that on some nights, the entire cast and crew behind a show can be teenagers from the local area.
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