The Playhouse Weston Super Mare – Check It Out With Us
Have you been to this theatre in Weston Super Mare? It’s definitely worth the journey
The Playhouse in Weston Super Mare, is only one hour away from Bristol by bus, or half an hour by train. It’s really worth the distance to check this lovely theatre out.
The Playhouse is in the centre of Weston Super Mare, with pretty much only a road separating it from the busy Sovereign Centre.
We went for the very first time this week to see Blood Brothers on the Saturday matinee playing on 21 September 2024.
The day and time of performance is relevant when checking theatres out, because you do tend to get different demographics of people choosing to go on specific days and times. This gives the whole experience of theatre-going a different energy depending on when you go.
We found our experience at this performance really chilled and definitely more so than the much bigger theatres which Blood Brothers will play at.
The Playhouse uses volunteers Front of House on the incoming whose role is then taken over by paid staff during the performance.
What was really nice about this is that the Front of House experience was friendly and professional without being dogged by a corporate identity looming over its shoulder.
Inside the venue It has a lovely bright and modern foyer area, which has recently been improved with an access lift for Disabled people.
The bar on the first floor was also bright and airy. The layout of the building also meant there were no difficult bottlenecks for people to get caught up in.
The auditorium itself was really impressive. The view from every seat was excellent. We chose a ‘box’ for access reasons. What a joy it was to be able to watch the performance head on instead of having to extend your neck around a corner for three hours.
The boxes are separated by a short wall from the main body of the audience. Several boxes had seating side-by-side, whereas ours was a little unusual.
We were in Box D which was brilliant. It had an unusual double-decker layout, which was perfect for neurodivergent people. It was also a glorious celebration of legroom and the seats were so comfortable.
The auditorium during the incoming and interval never felt overwhelming or too busy. The theatre’s seating capacity – according to its website – is 664. It’s a nice number.
The Safety Curtain
We went to see Blood Brothers specifically because it had been studied at the school of one of my children. Being dyslexic, it’s really useful to use a range of methods to aid their learning. And, what better aid than the show live on stage.
Blood Brothers is always a show you can rely on to be nothing less than excellent, as was the current touring production we saw in Weston. It has a really weighty feel to it. There’s humour and lighter moments, but relies on really strong acting for the darker themes. Sean Jones as Mickey was outstanding in this respect.
It was quite sad there were no programmes on sale for the show, so for anyone else feeling this same sadness, we’ve taken the list of cast and creatives from the official website and listed them below.
For more information about The Playhouse Weston Super Mare, visit: https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/playhouse-theatre
For more information about Blood Brothers, visit: https://www.kenwright.com/productions/blood-brothers-uk-tour/
Cast and Creatives for 2024 Autumn Tour
Mrs Johnstone – Vivienne Caryle
Narrator – Scott Anson
Mickey – Sean Jones
Eddie – Joe Sleight
Mrs Lyons – Sarah Jane Buckley
Linda – Gemma Brodrick
Sammy – James Ledsham
Mr Lyons – Tim Churchill
Policeman – Alex Harland
Donna Marie/Miss Jones – Chloe Pole
Postmam/Bus Conductor – Graeme Kinniburgh
Perkins – Ben Mabberley
Neighbour -Dominic Gore
Brenda – Jess Smith
Written by Willy Russell
Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright
Resident Director – Tim Churchill
Music Supervisor – Matt Malone
Design by Andy Walmsley
Lighting Design by Nick Richings
Sound Design by Dan Samson
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