COALVILLE THEATRE FESTIVAL

MAKING THE INVISIBLE, VISIBLE

Coalville is set to become the star of its own show with the launch of a bold new theatre festival celebrating the town’s heritage, people, and identity through original performances.

Rooted in Coalville’s industrial past and shaped by the voices of the community today, the festival will present newly created theatre about the town, for the town. Drawing inspiration from local history, lived experience, and the places that define Coalville, the programme will transform familiar spaces into stages and everyday stories into powerful live performances.

FESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS

  • WORKING TITLE : COAL

    Castle Rock students are developing an original piece of drama exploring the life of a miner, drawing inspiration from Gary Clarke’s powerful dance work Coal. The performance will take place at Snibston Colliery Park as part of the Coalville Theatre Festival, connecting the students’ work directly to the history and stories of the site itself.

    UPDATE FOR THIS PROJECT 

  • WHAT SHE CARRIES

    Young people from Smiles Academy will create a vibrant piece of street theatre inspired by Coalville’s iconic Mother and Child statue. Designed by Robert Thomas for the opening of the Belvoir Centre in 1963, the sculpture represents the town’s industrial heritage and strong sense of community identity.

  • A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

    Key Stage 2 students from Belvoirdale Primary School bring this abridged classic to life at the Century Theatre.

    A brilliant opportunity to see the next generation discovering Shakespeare in their own way. Particularly fitting as the festival coincides with the midsummer solstice.

  • WORKING TITLE : WOMEN FOOTBALL

    Chorus Theatre, a local drama group, are planning a play about the Coalville Munition Girls FC (the “Munitionettes”). The team became nationally renowned during the First World War, attracting large crowds, raising funds for war charities, and famously winning the Bass Charity Vase in 1918—the only women’s team ever to do so—before women’s football was banned by the FA in 1921.

    The production will be staged at Coalville Football Club, which is celebrating its centenary year. This connects strongly with the recent success of Coalville Town Women, who went unbeaten to win the Women’s Senior Leicestershire League last season, secured their first FA Cup qualifying win, and now compete at Tier 6—an inspiring continuation of the club’s legacy.

  • WORKING TITLE : YOUTH

    Students from Ashby School will devise and perform an original piece exploring the many challenges facing young people today — including pressures around mental health, social media, identity, academic expectations, and an uncertain future — at the Century Theatre Studio. The venue itself stands as a lasting monument to community theatre provision.





  • WORKING TITLE : PALITOY

    Local playwright Ben Weatherill is developing an original play set in the Palitoy factory. The production shines a light on the people behind the production line, celebrating their humour, resilience, and the everyday dramas of working life in a workplace that holds deep significance for Coalville.


  • BETWEEN ROUNDS

    A young writer from Coalville Jake Gillespie is developing his skills as a playwright with the support of Ben as his mentor. The piece will feature as a piece of a pop up theatre, revealing stories of community life, rivalry, humour, and belonging. Expect the unexpected as everyday moments turn into live performance at a club or pub in Coalville during the festival.

  • WHERE COALVILLE CAME TO DANCE

    This theatre piece traces the life of Coalville’s iconic nightclub as it shifts through the years — changing music, fashion, and faces — while revealing the moments, memories, and emotions that lived between the beats.
    Performances at the Emporium, this immersive theatre piece journeys through the venue’s changing eras — from packed dancefloors to quiet corners — bringing decades of Coalville nightlife back to life.