Riverhead Theatre launches 'Search for a Star' competition

​The Riverhead Theatre in Louth has launched a 'Search for a Star' competition, which will see auditionees compete over three heats to be in with a chance of competing in the grand final this summer, where the winner will be crowned the ‘Search for A Star’ winner of 2024.

Manager Mike Courtenay said: “It was noticed that there’s nothing of this type of thing on at the moment, Search for a Star was huge when I was younger and we thought it would be great for Louth.

"It will only be open to people in Lincolnshire and will be a fantastic opportunity for the town.”

The competition is open to singing, dancing, comedy, magic, and variety acts, and interested acts will need to submit a demo showcasing their talent, and a shortlist will then be selected for the heats, which take place on Tuesday March 12, Tuesday April 9 and Tuesday May 9, all at 7.30pm.

The heats will see the winner claim a £50 first prize and £20 for the second-placed winner, and judges will also selected a third entrant each, with ten acts ultimately set to perform in the final on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 7.30pm.

The winner will receive £1,000 prize, with second place winning £500 and £250 for the third place – sponsored by NT Shaw of Louth.

Last year, it was announced that the Riverhead Theatre, owned and operated by Louth Playgoers Society, will not be receiving any further Arts Council funding from April 2023, and since then, the trustees of the Riverhead has been trying to sell-out shows to ensure the theatre’s survival.

Mike said: “Since the grants stopped, we’re having to trim things a bit and shows we’ve been able to put on before we can’t now,” he said, “We can’t get some acts we used to as we relied on the grants to get a diversity of acts, we have to make sure everything we put on pays its way.

"But we’ve got a good client base and the support we’ve had from the community has really helped us.”

To give back to the community that has helped them, the theatre will host a warm space this winter, running until March, from 10am to 1pm.

Guests will be offered a free hot drink and biscuit to enjoy in a warm space.

Donations of supplies or monetary contributions will be gratefully received.

Search for a Star is open to anyone aged 16 and over, with an entry fee of £10 for a solo act or £15 for groups, payable when selected for the heats.

No acts involving pyrotechnics, or anything that will risk danger to people or the building, will be permitted.

To enter Search for a Star, send your details along with a demo or video link to [email protected] or via the website at www.louthriverheadtheatre.com