Ludlow Assembly Rooms prepares Sleeping Beauty and its first community Shakespeare

Ludlow Assembly Rooms is the town's busy home for theatre, film, music, talks and classes, with the Picture House cinema, a theatre, a dance studio and a bar all under one roof. This winter it has two big productions in the works.

First comes the pantomime. Sleeping Beauty runs from 8 December to 2 January and is the fifth joint professional pantomime from Ludwig Theatre Arts and Ludlow Assembly Rooms. Local young performers share the stage with professional actors in the story of Princess Aurora, cursed by the wicked Carabosse to sleep for a hundred years, with costumes, comedy and songs promised along the way. Adult-only shows are also scheduled.

Then, in spring, the venue breaks new ground. Ludlow Assembly Rooms will present its first in-house community production of a Shakespeare play, Macbeth, from 11 to 13 March 2027, directed by Peter Hayter in the main auditorium. There will be six performances, including three matinees, two of which are specifically for local GCSE and A-Level students.

The team is looking for about 15 actors aged 16 and over, and no previous acting experience is needed, just passion and commitment. Preliminary work begins in mid-November, with full rehearsals on evenings and weekends in January and February. Help is also wanted backstage, from stage management and production to costume and set design.

Community has been a theme all year. In August the venue threw open its doors for a free open day, with live music and dance, a clay workshop, a craft fair, short films in the auditorium, Music Tots sessions for under-fives, ceilidh band Join the Dots, and a Doodle Bar inviting visitors to add to an ever-growing mural.

Panto-goers can make an evening of it, as Bill's Kitchen is open for pre-show suppers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and on the evenings of the adult-only shows. Tickets for wheelchair users must be booked by telephone or in person, and children under two do not need a ticket if they sit on a paying customer's lap.

Visitors at the open day were also able to find out about hiring the theatre or dance studio, joining the Friends membership scheme or becoming a Picture House Unlimited member.

To book, see what is on or request a Macbeth audition pack, visit ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk or call the box office on 01584 878141.