For the first time in its history, this year the Lighthorne Festival of One-Act Plays will expand to five nights.

The growth directly contradicts the national trend. In the past two years, hundreds of music and drama festivals nationwide have closed, or curtailed to cut costs in a bid to survive

The expansion is in response to unprecedented demand from amateur theatre groups wishing to take part in the Festival; held annually in the first week in June in Lighthorne Village Hall.

Festival Chair Rod Chaytor said:”It is really heartwarming to witness the growing popularity of our village Festival which, although still very much a community event, has attained national recognition since we launched just over a dozen years ago.

“At least part of its success is down to the thriving amateur theatre scene in Stratford and surrounding district. We have at least nine local teams, including Lighthorne Drama Group, which have successfully applied for places this year.

“But we have still not been able fully to meet demand. There are a further two teams currently on our subs bench. And we are remaining super-popular with audiences, too. We sold out over all four nights last year.”

The Lighthorne Festival of One-Act Plays launched in 2013 with nine different plays performed by seven different groups over three nights. The next year it grew to a dozen plays performed by 12 different groups over four nights, and has stayed in that format ever since.

It is unique in that it runs café-style with the audience seated at tables and with a hot snack served in the first interval. It also offers what is still the biggest prize in UK amateur theatre, with £1,000 plus a handsome, engraved to-keep glass trophy to the winner. Under Festival rules the cash prize is split 50-50 between the winning group and a registered charity of their choice, paid directly to the nominated charity by the Festival.

This year the £20 per night ticket will include a mandatory £2 donation to the Lighthorne Village Hall Renovation Fund which is urgently raising money to demolish and replace a failing north wing extension, which contains the Hall’s changing rooms.

Rod added:”Any and all of the dozens of groups who have graced our Festival over the years will be aware just how basic those facilities are and how urgent is the need to replace them. Apart from the ticket donation, our not-for-profit Festival will additionally be donating every penny it can afford to that cause, which is very close to our hearts.”

The Lighthorne Festival of One-Act Plays will run this year run from Tuesday June 2 to Saturday June 6, inclusive. The Running Order is on the website, lighthornefestival.org.uk 

The Box Office – reachable via lighthornefestival@gmail.com – will open on Monday May 4.

This year’s adjudicator will be award-winning actor and director Ruth Cattell, GoDA.