1 November 2013

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

CHEQUER Mead Theatre and Community centre is the vibrant heart of the town, and a place which brings enormous pleasure to its audiences.

The sheer range of its productions – from ballet to pantomime, folk music to musicals, plays and concerts – makes Chequer Mead one of the leading venues for the arts in the south east.

But it’s not just the theatre which puts it at the heart of the town’s leisure activities. The busy foyer restaurant, art gallery, and rooms-for-hire – which play host to everything from art classes to belly dancing and craft fairs – mean the building is in use throughout the day as well as every evening.

A unique blend of staff and volunteers keep Chequer Mead running, with the help of The Friends of Chequer Mead, a dedicated band of supporters who raise funds to improve the facilities the centre has to offer.

Membership costs £10 a year for a single member, £17 for a couple and just £5 for student membership. Corporate sponsorships are also available for £50 a year.

For this ‘Friends’ get a regular newsletter keeping them abreast of future productions, concessionary rates on tickets for many of the shows and exclusive social events including ‘meet the cast’ evenings – in addition to the satisfaction of supporting such a well-loved and much–used town facility.

The work of the Friends has been vital to the operation of the theatre in recent years, and the evidence of their support is everywhere.

The items they have paid for include computer equipment, curtains for the meeting room, display cabinets, an onstage cyclorama, backstage crossover, portable staging, soundproofing in the Studio, sound and light equipment, a digital video projector and screen, and the theatre’s grand piano.

All these items have greatly enhanced either the running of the venue or added to the staging of productions which have encompassed shows like Les Miserables, or appearances by the Russian Ballet – staged in East Grinstead at a fraction of the cost, or inconvenience, of travelling to London to see comparable performances.

So Chequer Mead is appealing for more ‘Friends’ to help support the theatre and community centre – not least because, in its third decade serving the town, some items, like the seats, have inevitably become worn out and need replacing.

The cost of supporting the theatre is easily recouped over the course of a year, there is a great deal of fun to be had at the special events laid on for the ‘Friends’ – and there is also the satisfaction of supporting a venue which gives so much pleasure to so many people throughout the town.

To become a Friend of Chequer Mead send/take a cheque with your name, address and phone number into the theatre in De La Warr Road, East Grinstead, RH19 3BS.

Single membership is £10
Joint is £17
Student is £5
Corporate is £50.

For further details contact the box office on 01342 302000.