1. ITV Report

Club Life: Blackwood theatre's world record bid

Blackwood Little Theatre company was founded in 1929 and has always encouraged members of the local community to tread its boards.

On Saturday night, a group of brave actors will put on a performance of Tim Firth's Calendar Girls.

It's the first time the rights to stage this play has been given to amateur dramatics socities. Blackwood Little Theatre will be the first group in Wales to stage this production and will form part of a world record attempt whichaims to successfully stage the most productions of one play in a year.

The theatre company was founded in 1929, but it wasn't until after World War Two that it made its permanent home in a disused chapel in the town. Years on after lottery funding and sheer hardwork from some of its lifelong members, the building has been transformed.

This theatre's been a huge part of my life, because I've been so involved in every aspect of it - especially the building, the acting, the directing.

It does take a lot of your life. Sometimes you wonder why you're doing this! But it's obviously because you love doing it.

I'm lucky to have a very understanding wife!

– Peter Musto, lifelong member

Earlier this year the company beat off tough competition to win the Welsh One-Act festival.

Aside from the play itself - based on a true story of members of a WI group in Yorkshire who decided to pose naked for a calendar following the death of one of their husbands to cancer -the Blackwood ladies have also bravely bared all.

There probably isn't one of us who hasn't been affected by cancer in some way. Certainly for a couple of our members, this is very very close to their heart.

At the periods where emotion is most needed, what you see is genuine.

It's not just the sad side of it though. It is really a celebration of how something happens, and how we get over it.


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