Herne Bay Flags

Prior to the 1939-45 War Herne Bay had a successful theatrical group, known as The Mask Players, presenting plays and pantomimes. Their operations were suspended during the war and although an effort to re-start the group after 1945 it did not come to anything.

Theatrical amateurs being what they are it was not long before this vacuum was filled. One of the groups that emerged was known as The William Askew Players and it was this group who at a meeting on the 27th May 1948 was reformed as Theatrecraft.

Under the Chairmanship of Mr. R.A. Addyes-Scott and the patronage of the company’s first president, Miss Frances Green, this small group of players launched themselves on an unsuspecting public with a presentation of, The Barretts of Wimpole Street later in 1948.

In the beginning it was the practice of the society to borrow £30.00 from one of the members in order to finance a production, reimbursement being made from the takings. George Barelli who was treasurer in 1953 for the production, The Happiest Days of Your Life, inherited a bank balance of £4.17.6. For this show no money was borrowed, the royalties being paid as soon as enough money had been taken at the box office. Sufficient money was made on this show so that there was no need to ever borrow again.

Originally the intention was to present only plays but as Theatrecraft developed it took on the task of reviving the town’s annual Christmas pantomime at the request of Herne Bay Urban District Council in 1957.This led to a pattern of two plays and a pantomime every year; the latter providing the finance to support the plays.

A further widening of Theatrecraft’s scope of activity occurred in 1964 when modern musicals were included in their repertoire. A regular pattern of two plays, a musical and a pantomime each year evolved making Theatrecraft the most prolific of the town’s amateur theatre organizations.

In recent years this has been reduced to one play, a musical and a pantomime each year as the demands on members’ time had made it increasingly difficult to cast two plays a year.

The Herne Bay Festival is a community event held annually in Herne Bay, Kent, celebrating the local culture, arts, and community spirit. It typically features a diverse range of activities and entertainment suitable for all ages, including live music performances, art exhibitions, theatre, street performances, food stalls, markets, family-friendly activities, and various workshops.

The festival aims to bring together residents and visitors, providing a platform for local artists, musicians, and performers to showcase their talents. It fosters community engagement and highlights the vibrant cultural scene of Herne Bay. The event usually spans several days and is held during the summer, making the most of the coastal town’s scenic beauty and attracting tourists to the area.

The League of Friends of the Kent & Canterbury Hospital was founded in 1953 with the stated purpose “to relieve sickness and to preserve good health for the public by supporting the work of the Kent & Canterbury Hospital”. Even in those early days of the NHS, it was clear that not all patient needs could be met by the Welfare State and the League was formed to help provide some of what was missing.

Since its foundation, the League has contributed over £8.5 million to the hospital. This money has enabled purchases of sophisticated high-tech equipment, costing tens of thousands of pounds, as well as a wide variety of smaller medical items, furniture and fittings.

In addition to fundraising, the League is responsible for the three shop outlets in the hospital and these are run by a mixture of volunteers and paid staff. The shops provide a valuable service for the patients, visitors and staff and the profit that is made from their sales is the single largest year-on-year source of income for the League, aside from legacies, which are unpredictable. Other services provided by the League include a shops trolley and mobile library service to all wards throughout the hospital. Our Stamps & Coins Service continues to thrive and provides valuable funds through auctions.

Since 2017, the non-profit Herne Bay Jazz Festival has celebrated the best of live jazz from across the genre on an annual basis with headliners including some of the top names in the industry. With a large free stage program, we provide many opportunities to enjoy and explore this music without the usual expense. Our stunning coastal setting is the perfect location for top-calibre performances for everyone, from family events to big names, enjoyed by our community, visitors from around the UK and abroad.

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Canterbury Musical Theatre Society, formally known as Canterbury Operatic Society, was founded in 1906 and performed a variety of performance shows, particularly operettas by Gilbert & Sullivan, around the music halls in the city. When the old Central Cinema in The Friars was converted to the Marlowe Theatre in 1952, this became the society’s home for the next 60 years. As the Marlowe has more recently favoured professional touring productions and with the devastating effect of Covid on theatres, the society was no longer welcomed to The Marlowe and so now use other venues and theatres to stage its productions.

The world of Musical Theatre provides a fantastic opportunity to meet people, express ourselves and do what we love with likeminded people. We are always welcoming to new members with a passion for Musical Theatre and thrive to be the best we can be when performing on the stage.

Our next production will be The Addams Family performed right here at The Wonderful King’s Hall over Halloween this year!

The perfect immersive and kooky event to give you a Halloween to remember. Book now!

Better Day Productions were established in 2019 by James Coare and Perry Pullman. The company was due to begin performing in 2020, however, the pandemic resulted in the majority of the companies work going online. They starred in the online hit series, Harry and Megan, which was entered for the online Edinburgh Fringe in the summer of 2020. The show became the most viewed video of the festival and led to the award-winning mockumentary Happily Ever After.

However, the company are most at home on stage and were thrilled that they were finally able to reveal all (quite literally) in The Full Monty in November 2021 followed by the sell out show, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, in March 2022 and Tick Tick Boom in November 2022. In March 2023 the company performed their first show at the Kings Hall, All Shook Up, which was quickly followed by Back To the  80s in November 2023 and most recently the sensational Flashdance in May 2024.  The company have big plans beyond this, producing  junior shows, Moana Jnr and Annie Jnr with Chicago Jnr to follow in 2025.  The end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 promise to be an exciting time with both Rock of Ages, November 2024, and Made in Dagenham, June 2025, heading to the Kings Hall.

Better Day Productions are a small company with big ambitions. However, we couldn’t have gotten this far without the amazing casts we’ve had, the exceptional bands, the creative crew and the support of all of our friends and family. Most importantly though we hope that you, our beloved audience, enjoy the shows and have as much fun watching them as we do performing them.

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