A touring theatre company has been saved from cancelling gigs this winter thanks to a Cwmbran business. Preston’s Certain Curtain Theatre was targeted by a gang of thieves on their way home from a performance in Yorkshire in October.
Lighting and electrical equipment worth £6,000 was stolen while they stopped off to stretch their legs. Zero 88, a manufacturer of lighting control equipment based in Llantarnam Park, has loaned them a lighting desk and dimmer packs so they can keep performing while they raise the money to replace their kit.
John Woudberg, writer, said: “We parked at a retail village, near Leeds, to stretch our legs. The gang of men pulled up beside us. We thought they were workmen, so thought nothing of it. We returned minutes later, to find they’d drilled out the driver’s side lock and taken everything of any value.”
The company, which operates without any revenue funding, has been touring Britain and abroad for nearly 30 years. Its unique brand of drama raises awareness of domestic violence and its causes.
Claire Moore, actor, said: “We’d had an amazing response to our performance of ‘Lady In Red’ so we were on a real high coming home. We thought we were going to have to cancel bookings in the run-up to Christmas – something we have never done and then Zero 88 came to the rescue. They kindly offered us the use of a Zero 88 lighting desk and dimmer packs to help us out whilst we try to raise funds to replace what we need.
“Their help and kindness certainly helps to restore our faith in humankind and has enabled us to perform to over 1,000 people who we wouldn’t have been able to reach without their support. I cannot thank them enough!”
Jon Hole, product manager for Zero 88, said: “We were really sorry to hear about the theft. The company do valuable work in communities across the UK using Zero 88 products. We are more than happy to help them out and wish them all the best in their fund-raising efforts.”
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