A theatre company in Capel St Mary that has wowed audiences for over five decades has been given a new lease of life.

Back in January, the Orchard Players were desperately searching for funding and feared that their curtain may have come down for the final time after hall hire doubled from £2,400 per month to £4,800.

However, the group is now celebrating after negotiating a new price for its venue with the Community Trust for the village hall.

“We had another meeting, and we pointed out what we brought to the venue. We’ve managed to negotiate a much better price, and we also get to keep our storage,” explained Linda Garrod, group secretary.

Rather than £400 per month, the hire will be £290.

“It was very good of them to come to this arrangement, and they’re now working with us a lot more,” said Linda.

The group is now looking forward to its summer show, ‘Into the Light,’ directed by Glyn Hill. The show will be running from Thursday to Saturday this week.

Linda said this will be a showcase of many of the cast’s favourite musical numbers.

“We’ve got songs from Meatloaf, the Rat Pack, and the children have choreographed a dance. There’s a huge variety.

“There’s not so much of a theme for this show – the theme is, let’s get together, and really show what we can do!”