MEMBERS have rallied to save an amateur dramatics group in Evesham after fire wiped out equipment built up over 30 years.

Phoenix Theatre Group had the majority of its technical equipment, costumes and props wiped out when a neighbouring storage unit caught fire near Broadway in May.

READ MORE: Evesham theatre group could close after fire wipes out storage unit

It caused committee members to question whether rebuilding from scratch would be possible but new chairman Mike Robinson, who takes over from Keith Norledge who remains involved as director, producer and treasurer, has revealed plans for a big comeback from next month.

The Show Must Go On, a mixture of music from West End shows, hits The Henrician theatre, formerly Evesham Arts Centre, on Friday and Saturday October 8 and 9 before 2022 panto Dick Whittington follows.

Mr Robinson said: “Our committee met just after the fire via Zoom and we all agreed we’d vow to carry on, pick up the pieces and bring our company back.

“We’ve had to scale back this year’s musical production but we were determined to get our young cast back in front of a live audience as soon as possible. We decided on a compilation show of over 20 musicals plus a bit of comedy.

“We’ve also cast our 2022 panto Dick Whittington and rehearsals start for that next month. That production will hopefully see us back to normal with a larger cast and our usual six performances.

“Lockdown restrictions made rehearsals difficult but with restricted cast numbers the group have been working hard on the new October production aptly entitled The Show Must Go On.

“It’s a compilation of musical numbers from the big West End shows, plus a little of the comedy the group are known for. We’ve even managed to put in a potted pantomime as we couldn’t perform one this past year due to Covid restrictions.”

Tickets are priced at just £6.00 for The Show Must Go On with tickets also available for Dick Whittington from www.Henrician.org or in person from the Tracey Sollis charity shop, High Street, Evesham.