Local theatre groups from around the area were in rehearsals when we visited the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock, as tonight they put on the last show by local performers before the Theatre closes. They are determined to see it open again though in the future.
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00:00Together for Backstreet Theatre Company!
00:03Time to open!
00:15Hello, I'm James McMirovich and I'm here at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock.
00:19Tonight is the final show. It's a performance of eight different community groups from around Cannock.
00:24We've just been inside speaking to some of the people about what the theatre means to them.
00:29Obviously their sadness about it closing and the work that they're trying to do is to keep the theatre alive in Cannock.
00:34So let's go and see what people had to say.
00:37Good to go.
00:38Okay, so tell me about your thoughts when you found out that the theatre was going to be closing.
00:42Well it's disheartening really because we are a family here.
00:45It doesn't matter if you're in one side or another. We are a family. We are a community.
00:50And it's going to affect all of us.
00:53And we live and breathe musical theatre. Even if it's just a hobby or an actual passion or a job at ourselves.
01:00It affects all of us because now we've got nowhere to go to perform upcoming shows.
01:05We're all struggling to find somewhere to carry on our dream and our hope.
01:11What have been your experiences of performing here and working here?
01:15Obviously performing is just amazing. Once you're on that stage it's just incredible.
01:21You're playing all sorts of characters. You're on and off stage.
01:25I've been performing since year four at school. I've been here for numerous years with different societies.
01:31I've been part of Backstreet since 2019 when we did Wedding Singer here.
01:37But obviously the last few years I've been helping other societies.
01:40So I helped Ray Knowles a couple of times backstage.
01:43And I've also helped with Cannock Drama Society as well.
01:46We all just come together and we all just help each other when we can, we do.
01:50I suppose that's the thing about this place. It's somewhere that's just brought you so many different memories.
01:54It is though. I've come and seen shows here.
01:56Like if I'm not on stage or backstage I support other societies.
02:00I've seen like other tribute bands and different shows and pantos.
02:06We all support. That's the thing. It's the heart of Cannock it is.
02:09It's local for anyone.
02:11And it's, as we've said, it's the last night for the community groups to come in and be able to perform here.
02:17It's like you said, it's a real loss to them isn't it?
02:19It is. It's upsetting. Emotions are going to run high tonight it is.
02:23It's because we're hoping it is not final curtains.
02:26We're hoping once it's closed, the fight, there's some amazing people are fighting for us.
02:32And the community has got behind us with a petition and that.
02:36And it's such a shame. It's not just us that's closed.
02:38It's the museum that's closed as well, which is a part of history.
02:42And that's the thing about it as well, that Cannock is losing things.
02:46Do you feel that it's losing a lot of its cultural scenes results?
02:49I think it is as well, but it's going to affect all the local businesses.
02:52It's like when we perform here in breaks, we use like local facilities.
02:57Obviously, if it's the pub or we go shopping or whatever, they're losing our business as well because we're not here as well.
03:04Because a lot of people, like families that come and see us, they probably go for a drink and food beforehand or afterwards.
03:10We meet at the pub after to celebrate what we have achieved and talk about the shows.
03:15Because that's what we do once we finish a show.
03:17We're a day in the pub. We are. We're talking about it, having a laugh and joke.
03:21Things have gone wrong. It's part of the family, but we are one big family here.
03:27It is. It doesn't matter if you're on stage, off stage or supporting us. We are a family and we are a community.
03:32Yeah, okay. So tell me your thoughts when you found out that the theatre was closing.
03:36So we were devastated when we heard the news last November that the theatre was going to close.
03:42We've used this theatre now for the last ten years as a company.
03:47We come here once a year. A lot of our colleague companies come here twice a year.
03:53So it's a big venue for people. It was a real shock when we heard it was going to close.
03:59And you've had a lot of experiences of performing here, I suppose, in the past as well.
04:02Yeah, so right from when I was a kid at school.
04:05We used to bring school shows here and then right through to the adult company that we're with now, Brown Hills Musical Theatre Company.
04:11So we're here once a year.
04:14And within that, the community, obviously the community of groups who use this place, what's been the overall reaction?
04:20You've said devastation. Has there been sort of thoughts about what's next?
04:24Yeah, we kind of galvanised a group quite quickly after the initial announcement.
04:29So there's a group that's been convened and we've registered as a charity.
04:34We've kind of chased theatre trusts and there's five trustees on one of those trustees.
04:38And we're working quite closely with the council, really positively now, in terms of looking at taking this on as a community ownership,
04:45as an asset for the community for future generations.
04:48And if you can do that, do you think it can secure the cultural future within Canary?
04:52Definitely, yeah, without a doubt.
04:54And the business model that we're looking at is exactly that.
04:58It's making sure that we cater for all of the user groups that currently use the Prince of Wales now,
05:03that keep it full, keep the theatre full every night.
05:06And what's some of your best memories here?
05:08Probably Adam's Family when we did in 2016.
05:13That's one of my favourite shows.
05:15That was a really feel-good show.
05:17You know, a big company show.
05:20Yeah, you and me, we can light on the stars.
05:24If you stay when we go, we can rule the world.
05:31Yeah, you and me, we can light on the stars.
05:36If you stay by my side, we can rule the world.
05:46So what were your thoughts when you found out that the theatre was going to close?
05:49It was awful, really.
05:51It was heartbreaking.
05:52You know, we spend our lives here and a lot of people have done from a very early age.
05:59It was soul-destroying for people when people use this as a means of an outlet
06:04in terms of experience that joy of theatre, really, and the arts and culture element as well.
06:10Was that the same for yourself, Greg?
06:12Yeah, I didn't come into theatre until I was in my thirties,
06:15but the people I was surrounded with have been coming here since they were five years old.
06:19There's dance groups which have been coming here since they were, like, tiny, tiny, two, three upwards.
06:26And new dance groups coming through. They all perform here.
06:30And that's one of the things that I've been speaking to with some of the groups in there.
06:33They've said how much the community depends on a place like this.
06:36Definitely. And it's not just, like Greg said, there's so many people in the community,
06:41but it's also generations as well.
06:43We see all these people that come through as dance students and performing arts school students
06:48for the likes of, like, M3 Studios and Class 1 Dance.
06:51And they go through the ranks and they get all their professional status and everything.
06:56And then you see their children coming through as well,
06:58and the parents are there chaperoning and everything.
07:00And it becomes a really big, you know, joyous occasion for people to come to the theatre
07:06and not just perform, but the sort of the camaraderie backstage as well
07:12and that community spirit that we all get as well.
07:42You get a lot of ex-professional people coming back to the area.
07:48They join in with the amateur groups.
07:50Or you get different people through different stages through different groups
07:53who go on to become professional.
07:55We now have a couple of them in London there, don't we?
07:58Who've performed with us from little to...
08:00And they've moved on. Without this theatre, there's nowhere to perform.
08:05And assuming this is the end and this is going to close and we're not going to be able to come back,
08:10what are some of your fond memories of this?
08:13For myself, I've sort of been coming since I was five, six years old, performing, dancing.
08:21And then from about 15, 16 coming here to do work experience through school.
08:27It's been part of my life the whole, you know, sort of 30 years really.
08:32And I can't see how it will be without this theatre.
08:38How I can actually sort of day to day and not cope without it being here.
08:43It really is a lifeline for a lot of other people as well.
08:46It's a wrench isn't it?
08:47It is, yeah.
08:48I had never even sung on karaoke until I started to do theatre.
08:52I got brought in by these wonderful people.
08:55And this for me, it's a dream.
08:58It's a platform for me to be something incredible.
09:02And it has made me who I am today.
09:05It's given me confidence.
09:06It's really made me a better person.
09:09You have to share.
09:10You spend time with people.
09:11You learn about people.
09:13The good, the bad.
09:14You know, when you spend this much time together, you become family.
09:18And not just one group.
09:19It's all the groups together.
09:21And on the flip side of that, and not from a performer's perspective,
09:24but from an audience member's perspective.
09:26We had the overtones in the building last night.
09:29Sold out tickets.
09:31And the atmosphere in there, it was absolutely buzzing.
09:35You know, you felt the energy in the room.
09:38And it's just, it's such an experience to stand there and watch over 400 people
09:43just having the night of their lives.
09:45You know, it's, you can't get better Friday night than that.
09:48And it will affect the schools as well, because you've got Kingsmead.
09:51They've got the theatre.
09:52They've got great set up.
09:54They've put on fantastic shows.
09:56This is the next level.
09:58The country and the area will really struggle not having this next level to go to.
10:04You'll find people just walk away from theatre, from dance, from a lot of things.
10:09It's such a shame.
10:28You'll never walk alone.
10:38You'll never walk alone.
10:44You'll never walk alone.
10:57Thankyou.