News Doncaster comes together to celebrate 250 years of theatre at Cast

Waiting in the Wings brought 60 local performers together on the Cast stage to celebrate 250 years of Doncaster’s theatrical history.

“Stepping out onto the Main Space stage gives me instant freedom to be anyone I want to be for a short while.” For Christine, a member of Doncaster People’s Theatre (DPT), being part of Waiting in the Wings was about much more than performing. It was about being part of something with her community.

On Saturday 5 September, Christine stood alongside fellow local performers, aged 13 to 86, to bring two and a half centuries of Doncaster theatre history to life at Cast. Across two performances, 774 people watched as stories from the city’s theatrical past were brought to life by the people and communities who are part of its cultural future.

Written by Chris O’Connor and co-directed by James Blakey and Simon Jones, Waiting in the Wings was created through months of research, workshops and rehearsal. Local archives, oral histories and community memories helped uncover the people, places and performances that have shaped theatre in Doncaster since the opening of the Theatre Royal in the Market Place in 1776.

The production brought together members of Doncaster People’s Theatre, Citizens of the World, Bombshell Blu and Theatre Squad UK, alongside live music and integrated BSL interpretation. For some members of Theatre Squad UK, it was their first time performing on a theatre stage, while DPT members who had previously performed together returned alongside new members of the company.

Cast Director and Director of Waiting in the Wings, James Blakey, said: “What made Waiting in the Wings so special was that we weren’t simply telling the story of Doncaster’s theatre history – we were giving the people of Doncaster the opportunity to tell it themselves. Bringing 60 performers from different ages, backgrounds and communities together on our Main Space stage was a real celebration of what theatre can do. And to see such a wide range of people from across the city joining our audiences, celebrating the production and sharing in that experience made it feel like a genuinely significant moment for Doncaster.”

The production brought together not just performers, but a remarkable cross-section of Doncaster’s wider community. Civic and political representatives, cultural organisations, funders, local artists, businesses and community groups joined audiences at the performances, celebrating the city’s theatrical heritage together.

Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson was among those attending. She said: “It was great to see over 50 local performers come together and celebrate Doncaster’s performing arts history. Thank you to Cast and the Doncaster People’s Theatre for putting on the production.”

The response from audiences was just as enthusiastic. One audience member described Waiting in the Wings as “the most authentic performance I’ve seen in years”, while another said they “laughed, cried and felt a sense of joy and connection that comes from great live performance”.

Nicola Doyle, Community Engagement Manager at Cast, said: “What an achievement. A 60-strong community and cameo cast coming together to celebrate 250 years of theatre in Doncaster. And to the incredible cast and everyone who made Waiting in the Wings possible: thank you for reminding us what community, theatre and Doncaster can do when we come together. Here’s to the next chapter of Doncaster’s theatrical story.”

The production formed part of a wider project celebrating 250 years of theatre in Doncaster, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund with an award of £50,778.

Alongside Waiting in the Wings, the project included an exhibition of Doncaster’s theatrical heritage, curated by Wren Albion and Sacha Grey from Doncopolitan, and a documentary film by local filmmaker Raj Madaan.

The project was a celebration of where Doncaster’s theatre has come from – but also of where it can go next.

Waiting in the Wings may have looked back 250 years, but its story is ultimately about what happens next: the people who will continue to make theatre, culture and community part of Doncaster’s future.