Celebrate 75 years of Sleaford Little Theatre with latest production Sand Castles

Sand Castles is a light-hearted comedy by Bob Larbey who wrote much-loved classic British TV shows, The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles, and will be performed by Sleaford Little Theatre at their home venue, Sleaford Playhouse.

Set beside the seaside, Sand Castles deals with the upending of tradition as new characters arrive by the beach hut area and bring change, much to the consternation of Stan and his long-suffering wife. Says director Nigel Guilliatt, “You’re going to find the sort of characters that Larbey is good at writing, people who have distinct views on their position in the world but who are struggling to cope with new people moving into their space. It’s a nice gentle comedy and the audience won’t know whether to side with the incomers or the people who are already used to their ordered way of life by the beach huts.” It was 1950 when Sleaford Little Theatre put on their first play - the Noel Coward comedy Blithe Spirit. It would be exactly half a century later before the society found a permanent home in the form of The Playhouse, with productions until then being performed at various venues in town, often the Secondary Modern School (St George’s Academy). In the years following their launch, the society would put on usually two plays each year, as well as participating in national drama festivals. Recently the members have been looking through the theatre archives, a collection of photos, memorabilia and press cuttings that portray a story of a company of actors going from strength to strength as they channelled their ambitions onto and behind the stage. It was only a few years into their existence that they performed at a theatre in the West End of London as part of a festival. One of their scrapbooks remains on show at Sleaford Museum in an exhibition about the history of The Playhouse. This material covers the period leading up to the reopening of the venue in 2000, when members of the society raised money to purchase the building and oversaw its renovation as they brought a dedicated theatre back to the town. In their Diamond Anniversary year, the society members are looking forward, with improvements planned for their home. Says chairperson Andy Canadine: “Following a redecoration of the theatre at the beginning of the year, we’ve already scheduled further works with brand new digital signage being installed, and the technical box at the back of the auditorium being extended so that we can upgrade our equipment.

"This will also give us the scope to be able to install a higher grade of cinema projection equipment which we are hugely excited about. Since taking on this role, it has been my goal to put The Playhouse on the map and get the public coming through our doors, and being able to offer regular cinema showings helps us achieve this.” With further external acts bringing nights of drama to the theatre in the coming months, Sleaford Little Theatre are also looking forward to their first participation in the RiverLight festival next month, with an open day planned for June 15 involving tours and workshops, and a performance by the Academy (junior drama section) outside The Hub on the finale day on June 21. It is hoped these events will give the public a valuable insight into this local performing arts venue.

Tickets for Sand Castles at Sleaford Playhouse are on sale now and are available from their box office at Dee’s Gifts on the Riverside, or via their website.

For ticket information and reservations, visit: sleafordplayhouse.co.uk/tickets/2025/sand-castles Coming up at The Playhouse: Sand Castles (Sleaford Little Theatre) – May 21 to May 24 Winter Wilson: Home – May 31 RiverLight Festival Open Day – June 15 Murder at The Playhouse (Purple Dreams Productions) – June 27 Stop!… You’re Killing Me (Hambledon Productions) – July 3 Made in Motor City (Music of Detroit from the 1960s & 1970s) – September 12.