Our proud tradition of supporting the arts in Louth continues with Louth Riverhead Theatre

Wed 20 Dec 2023

At Masons, we are proud to support Louth Riverhead Theatre, like us it’s been at the heart of the town for many years, and we were delighted to be asked to sponsor the new What’s On Guide for 2024.

We feel so fortunate to have a community owned theatre in the heart of our town delivering wonderful opportunities for the people who live and work here. The theatre is almost entirely run by volunteers who put on incredible productions with the huge talent that is Louth Playgoers. 

Michael Courtney recently took over as theatre manager and has implemented many changes at the theatre to ensure its longevity for future generations. 

Louth Riverhead Theatre is a safe and welcoming place to make friends, perfect for anyone who has just moved to Louth, with a friendly volunteering culture and a multitude of roles to appeal to your talents. 

Whether it’s Box Office or Front of House, selling ice creams and programmes, running the bar, creating and painting sets or designing and making costumes with wardrobe, there’s plenty of variety. Volunteers also have the opportunity to brush up or develop more technical skills by working as lighting and sound technicians. 

The auditorium seats 207 and a small studio which seats 90 and is often used by professional companies from London and major cities as a rehearsal venue.

The theatre has a cosy bar area serving pre-drinks with a booking facility for interval drinks. The entire venue is available as a private venue to hire for functions and even hosted a wedding recently for a theatrical couple.

If you’re looking for original artwork for your new home, you’ll find some fantastic pieces in the ever-changing display in the Louth Riverhead Theatre Gallery adjacent to the bar area. The Riverhead Gallery is curated by Geoff Stone, who works on Box Office and is always on the lookout for emerging local talent.

If you’re new to Louth or have recently moved here getting involved with the theatre is the perfect way to embed yourself in the community. Many Dance Schools put on regular shows and there is a brilliant in-house youth theatre group.

Writing talent is welcomed too, as every summer there is an opportunity for brand-new or emerging writers to join a series of workshops and then present their work in the autumn at Louth’s legendary Scratch Night. A bit like the Dragon’s Den of new theatre production, hopefuls pitch ideas with the full backstory and cameo performances to allow the audience to vote for their favourite which then goes into production put on at the theatre. 

Our Marketing Manager, Sarah Lamballe has been volunteering at Riverhead theatre for three years and thoroughly recommends it as a way to meet new people when you move to the Louth area. 

“I’ve always loved theatre. It feels as magical to me today to see a live performance as it did when I was a child. The quality of the performances staged by Louth Playgoers is extraordinary. Highlights for me in recent years include The Railway Children and Joseph. I understand it is very hard to get the licence to perform Joseph, so the fact that Louth Riverhead Theatre was given permission is a testament to the talent we have in our town.” 

You don’t have to be lured by “the smell of greasepaint and the roar of the crowd” to get involved. Simply buying tickets and attending performances is a brilliant way to support our theatre. Find out what’s on at louthriverheadtheatre.co.uk where tickets are bookable online to collect at the Box office. If you’re a regular theatre goer purchasing a theatre card will give you a discount for every performance. 

Don’t forget to look out for the latest news on Louth Riverhead Theatre’s Facebook and Instagram and X. If you’d like to become a volunteer, you’ll find all the details you need to get in touch here. And if you're stuck for gift ideas and you've left it late, you can buy gift vouchers online to encourage friends and family to discover the arts in Louth. 

If you’re in town, pop in to see us at Masons offices in Cornmarket to pick up one of our proudly sponsored What’s On brochures from reception and start planning your local theatre trips for 2024.