WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE
WELCOME
From Producer & Artistic Director Clive Brill
Hello and welcome to our new website.
Like all other theatres in the country Frinton Summer Theatre has very sadly had to go dark this season and what was to have been our glorious 80th is now on hold for a year. But we are determined to bounce back in 2021 with a great season to mark our very special anniversary.
Please keep coming back here to check on our plans. As soon as we are able we will start to run a series of fund raising events in preparation for next year and we will regularly post videos and updates from friends and supporters of the theatre. Thank you to all who have helped so far.
We are launching this website with an appropriate contribution from a Frinton favourite - Ben Stock. Thank you Ben! Please donate to our fund-raising efforts if you can (which are via 'Go Fund Me', not 'Just Giving' as Ben mentions in the video).
Keep in touch and I very much look forward to welcoming you back next year.
Clive Brill
We receive no public funding; the cancellation of this season will be financially devastating for us. We are relying on your support to ensure the future of Frinton Summer Theatre as an essential part of Frinton society.
We would be extraordinarily grateful if you could consider donating the value of one ticket, on average £20, to our theatre. If you are a UK taxpayer you can also add gift aid to your donation - this will allow us to claim 25p from every £1 you donate from the UK Government.
OUR PATRON
Richard Wilson o.b.e
Richard is best known as the star of “One Foot in the Grave” and later “Merlin” for the BBC.
He has had a long, distinguished career as both actor and director. Most recently he worked at Chichester Festival Theatre directing “Fracked” by Alistair Beaton and appearing in Alan Bennett’s “Forty Years on”. He has always been a champion of new work and new artists and to that end remains heavily involved with The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) nurturing the emerging careers of writers and actors alike.
Richard continues to work with our Artistic Director Clive Brill on the hilarious BBC Radio 4 mokumentary “Believe it” by Jon Canter - which is the not-quite-true story of his life.
In 2014 Clive asked Jon Canter to write a play especially for Frinton Summer Theatre and then persuaded Richard to star in it along with Frinton stalwarts Jasmine Hyde and Patrick Marlowe. It was a baptism of fire in every sense because Richard had never rehearsed a play in just over a week before and had certainly never worked with a real dog on stage. Darcy the dog was a big hit - along with Richard - although she did attempt to upstage Richard a number of times.
Richard documented his experience in the BBC R4 documentary “Frinton Forever” (Below) and went on to narrate the BBC film “On Stage at Frinton Summer Theatre”
After “The Dog” Richard agreed to become our patron and has been supporting us ever since including several generous donations to our Tent productions and our latest GoFundme fund-raising effort.
He had planned to step down as our patron after our 80th anniversary - sadly postponed - but we’re hoping he’ll stay on to celebrate with us next year instead.
You can listen to the BBC Radio 4 Documentary 'Frinton Forever' here.
What people say about us