Stepping out onto the Main Space stage gives me instant freedom to be anyone I want to be for a short while,” says Christine, a member of Doncaster People’s Theatre (DPT).
On Saturday 5 September, Christine stood alongside 59 other local performers, aged 13 to 86, to bring two and a half centuries of Doncaster history to life in Waiting in the Wings at Cast. Across two performances, 774 people watched as the stories of the city’s theatrical past were brought to life by the people and communities who are part of its cultural future.
Director of Cast 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.
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.
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. The production drew on local archives, oral histories and community memories to explore the people, places and performances that have shaped theatre in Doncaster since the opening of the Theatre Royal in Market Place in 1776.
The production combined 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 to the stage with new members of the company.
The performances also brought together a remarkable cross-section of Doncaster’s civic, cultural, political, community and business life. Among those attending were Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson, the Junior Civic Mayor Eliana Urah and Deputy Civic Mayor Cllr Nick Allen, alongside councillors, City of Doncaster Council representatives, darts, Arts Council England, Right Up Our Street, local artists, funders, community organisations and cultural partners.
Sally Jameson, MP (Doncaster Central) 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 and guests was equally enthusiastic. Audience members 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”.
Councillors and community representatives praised the production for bringing Doncaster’s history to life, while Sam Chapman, Freeman and Council member of The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, said it demonstrated “what culture can do at its best: connect generations and people, build confidence, create belonging and deepen pride in places through research, stories and history”.
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 (curated by Wren Albion and Sacha Grey from Doncopolitan) of Doncaster’s theatrical heritage and a documentary film by local filmmaker Raj Madaan.
Waiting in the Wings may have looked back 250 years, but its story is ultimately about what happens next - and the people who will continue to make theatre, culture and community part of Doncaster’s future.
More information about Cast’s participation programme and future community productions can be found at castindoncaster.com.
