Norfolk’s Sheringham Little Theatre is set to host a new playwriting competition sponsored by actor Suranne Jones and TeamAkers Productions, the production company she runs with her husband. The competition aims to raise money for the theatre which expects to experience a financial shortfall of £25,000 as a result of changes to employers' National Insurance contributions in the new Budget.
The Norfolk-wide competition is backed by Jones, who was announced as the theatre’s president in February following a collective 50 years of presidency from local philanthropists Lord and Lady Walpole. Jones, who recently starred in BBC dramas Dr Foster and Vigil, intends to raise funds for the theatre through ticket sales for performances of the winning entries, with the Jones giving an on-stage critique afterwards.
She said: ‘We will be calling on all writers in the Norfolk area to tell us a story. Judges will choose two winning plays which will be read to an audience and be discussed by me and my husband. It will combine a search for community talent with being a money-maker.’
The 160-seat theatre has already had to adapt to falling ticket sales (down 30 per cent on pre-pandemic level) by adding extra performances to shows that were selling well and presenting events in its Hub café but, chairman Jonathan Beak confirmed, fundraising events, commercial sponsorship and donations are needed for the theatre to thrive.
The Norfolk town of Sheringham has a rich performance history, with residents over the years including composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.