Having achieved our goal of replacing the theatre roof, we have set ourselves the target of replacing the seats in the auditorium.

Originally when our Playhouse Theatre opened in 1973 it was fitted with the seats obtained from the old Barnsley Civic Theatre when that was refurbished in the 1960’s.The present seats have a long history, having originally been in the Globe Theatre on New Street in Barnsley, were installed in 1990 following the closure of the Globe before its demolition to make way for the Western Relief Road. These had been installed in the original Globe Cinema and had been renovated in the early 1980’s, by members of the Barnsley Theatre Trust who leased the building until it’s demolition in 1990. So after over 30 years of further use they are ready for some serious “T.L.C”!

We have had a quote of £22,000 for the renovation of our seats and to aid us in our fundraising, we invite you to “Sponsor a Seat” for £25.00 (or more if you so wish). By sponsoring a seat in the theatre, your commitment will be recognised by all who visit the venue. Your name, a family member’s name, your company name, or a personalised dedication will be engraved into a plaque and secured to the back of your chosen seat (if available). Sponsoring a seat is the perfect way to honour a loved one, or celebrate treasured memories of the theatre. Your donation will be acknowledged on our website and on a “Roll of Honour” in the theatre. For further information do please contact us.

You can sponsor a seat (or simply donate towards our seat fund), by using the contact form on the website or through any member of the society. It would be nice to think that we could raise the funds for the renovation in time for the Thesps Centenary in 2026!