John Peel Theatre

The Little Theatre at the Heart of Wigton

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President: Melvyn Bragg


Tickets available online from

logo-orangeor by phoning 07977 835094
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Our Next Production:
PANTO: THE PIE-EYED PIPER OF WIGTON
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2017 WINNER

Our Facilities:

Proscenium arch theatre

90 raked seats

Wheelchair access

Induction loop

Licensed bar

Real coffee

Ice cream & snacks

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Registered Charity No: 1178881

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Latest News

  • Join us for our next Virtual Open Mic night on 19th November 2021 on Zoom only. The Dropbox link is already open for video submissions - see our Facebook page for the link.
  • Our Christmas Special Open Mic Night will be back to hybrid - in the theatre and on Zoom. Join us on the 17th December with your Christmas performances. Tickets for the theatre are booking now.
  • We have taken the difficult decision to postpone our pantomime until February. New dates will be published soon. Bookings will be honoured on the new dates. Please contact us if you would rather have a refund.
  • See our upcoming productions page for details of our next events.

In Memoriam

Our Company, our Theatre Family, is bereft. We have lost not just one, but two of our own. First lovely Rosalie, and now our beloved Catherynn. Our audiences are going to miss her love, her laughter, her big voice and her big heart. Her death rips a huge gaping hole in our fabric which will never be filled, but we are so much richer for having known and loved her.


"Now boast thee, Death, in thy possession lies
A lass unparalleled."

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Catherynn Dunstan
1970 - 2021
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Rosalie Paver
1946 - 2021
I do not feel funny, today
All my good humour has gone away
Overnight I lost a friend,
A beautiful life brought to an end.
A sister, daughter, wife and mother
This hateful virus claims another
One too young too soon to go
Denied the chances to know
The men her sons will grow to be
How they will fill their destiny.
The theatre will no longer ring
To the sound of a voice given chance to sing
Her laughter and spirit, her great sense of fun
We must be saddened and let tears run
But remember this lady for all that she was
For the joy and the love and the smiles because
She will never be gone, will always be near
Thank you and sleep now, Catherynn my dear.

Colin Dipple
Wigton Theatre Club is a charity run entirely by volunteers. We own the John Peel Theatre which is our much loved home, but as an old building it is expensive to run and maintain. We rely entirely on ticket sales and refreshment sales for our income, but we put on free Open Mic Nights almost every month, and the odd free show such as Remembering. Please consider leaving a donation using the link below or in the box in the foyer- help us keep the lights on and pay our many bills!




Response to COVID-19

We can’t wait to open our doors again to welcome audiences, but we want to keep you safe. Although Covid rules have been relaxed by government, we are a small community venue, and we take our responsibility to our audience very seriously. Here are the extra precautions we will put in place:

  • You must not attend if you are suffering from Covid symptoms, or have been told to isolate by NHS Track and Trace. Please get in touch- we will refund your money. If you have any doubts, please consider taking a Lateral Flow test before you come.
  • All tickets must be prebooked, and limited to a maximum of half our capacity
  • We will help you to ensure that you and your group will be socially distanced from other groups
  • All Front of House staff will wear masks as they check your tickets, sell you drinks and usher you to your seats. We ask you to do the same, if you can, when you are moving about the building
  • We will ask you to sign in using the NHS QR code, or leave us your contact details
  • We will use a one way system within the theatre as far as possible
  • The ventilation system in the auditorium will be on constantly
  • Before the performance and during intervals, all doors will be open
  • All our taps, soap dispensers and hand sanitisers are touch free
  • There will be surface wipes in all the toilets
  • All surfaces will be cleaned between shows

Precautions for Open Mic Nights

  • You must not attend if you are suffering from Covid symptoms, or have been told to isolate by NHS Track and Trace. If you have any doubts, please consider taking a Lateral Flow test before you come.
  • Places are free, but must be prebooked, and limited to a maximum of half our capacity
  • We will ask you to sign in using the NHS QR code, or leave us your contact details
  • The ventilation system in the auditorium will be on constantly and all doors will be open as far as possible
  • There will be a larger space than usual between audience and performers, as singing projects further than speaking
  • We will sanitise the mics between acts using ultraviolet and Ozone sterilisation, or please consider bringing your own
  • All shared instruments and equipment will be sanitised between uses
  • All our taps, soap dispensers and hand sanitisers are touch free
  • There will be surface wipes in all the toilets

Thank you for helping us keep everyone in our community safe!


Not visited us for a while? Come and enjoy our newly updated bar and expanded range of drinks. We now take card payments.

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The Little Theatre at the Heart of Wigton …

  • is the home of Wigton Theatre Club, entertaining the people of Wigton with live shows for over sixty years

  • is fast gaining a reputation for putting on quality shows which are different from the run of the mill

  • is a perfect small theatre, with licensed bar, comfortable raked seating, real coffee, ice-cream, and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere

  • is often called the friendliest theatre in Cumbria
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What we achieved in 2020

  • Toilets completely refitted
  • Hearing loop restored and extended
  • Sound stage created
  • Back-stage monitor system upgraded and extended
  • New LED Moving Head Lights installed
  • Ran very successful Virtual Open Mic Nights during the lockdown period
  • Recorded the theatre's first Mummers' Play using Zoom for both rehearsals and recording
  • Regular Virtual Open Mic Night attendees recorded a version of The Fairytale of New York which has had over 7000 views
Theatre by the community, for the community