STAGE FRIGHT AT THE PLAYHOUSE !!

On the morning of Thursday 23 October 2025 a large number of Salisbury Probus members and partners gathered at the Salisbury Playhouse for a fascinating backstage tour.  We were unexpectedly greeted in the foyer by a local ukulele music group which added some festive cheer to the occasion.

Salisbury Playhouse was purpose-built in 1976.  It comprises the 517-seat Main House and the 149-seat Salberg Studio, a rehearsal room, a daytime café, and a community and education space. It is part of Arts Council England‘s National Portfolio of Organisations and also receives regular funding from Wiltshire Council and Salisbury City Council.

Plays in the Main House are often own or co-produced works, of which there are between eight and ten a year. The Playhouse also houses touring productions and a variety of events as part of the Salisbury International Arts Festival. In 2018, the charity which runs the theatre amalgamated with Salisbury Arts Centre and Salisbury International Arts Festival and was renamed Wiltshire Creative.

The theatre management’s advertised invitation to us was to ….. “Step behind the scenes and find out how we make our celebrated productions. Tread the boards of the Main Stage, walk the dressing room corridors, have a peek at our costume department and see where the amazing scenery is constructed.”

Our group was very fortunate to be guided and informed by Kate Robinson, the Playhouse’s former Creative Learning Director and our experience was really fascinating.  Three highlights stand out – going on-stage on the set of the Blithe Spirit production, witnessing the scope of work and the intricacies of the costume department, and visiting the workshop where the scenery is constructed. One of our esteemed number suffered visible stage fright ….

In the picture below Tim Reed (Head of Workshop) is showing us the original model of the stage set which he was tasked to bring to life.  Amazing detail, artistry and execution.

Like me, I believe the majority of our number were in awe of the extent and scope of work, manpower, effort and professionalism which is needed to sustain each theatrical production.  We are very lucky to have such a facility in our City.

Immediately following our theatre tour we decamped en masse to Salisbury’s Cote Brasserie for our pre-arranged lunch.  The food was delightful, the service excellent (meeting our tight timescale) and the conversation was lively and animated!

Then it was back to the Playhouse for the matinee performance of Blithe Spirit, a 1941 farce written by the English playwright, composer, and actor Noël Coward. Known for his wit and style, Coward’s theatrical career lasted for nearly six decades. Blithe Spirit, one of his most popular and enduring works, was first performed in the West End, running for nearly 2,000 performances.  The story centres on novelist Charles Condomine who, upon inviting a medium named Madame Arcati to a dinner party, accidentally brings the spirit of his deceased first wife into the natural world – much to the dismay of his second wife!

The performance did not disappoint and it was intriguing to see how everything we had seen on our morning tour just worked to perfection – costume, lighting, acting et al.

What a fabulous day out!  As always our thanks go firstly to Phil and Karen Riley who planned and organised the outing so well.  Great work.

And secondly The Probus Club of Salisbury extends sincere thanks to our guide, Kate Robinson, whose insights, knowledge and presentation made our tour so memorable.

Our thanks to the management and staff at Cote Brasserie for their warm welcome, an excellent lunch and the delightful ambience which exemplifies their offering.

And finally, to the management, staff and the production team and cast of Blithe Spirit – thank you for rounding off our day so well!

Godfrey Ball

Probus Liaison