COALVILLE THEATRE FESTIVAL

19th to 21st june 2026

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 : COALVILLE

    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.

    EVENTS 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

    Richard Dax (headteacher) directs his students to bring this abridged classic to life at the Century Theatre. A brilliant opportunity to see the next generation discovering Shakespeare in their own way and particularly fitting as the festival coincides with the midsummer solstice.

  • INVISIBLE WOMEN

    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 : YOU MATTER HERE

    Ashby School students creating an original piece to explore the many challenges facing young people today. This piece asks a simple question: What if value is not something we earn? What if belonging is not a prize for achievement, but a starting point? To be performanced at the Century Theatre Studio

  • WORKING TITLE : LAST SHIFT

    In this new production for the Coalville Theatre Festival, local playwright Ben Weatherill brings to life the women behind the factory doors of Palitoy. The humour, the resilience, the friendships and the quiet pride that shaped the town of Coalville. Warm, funny and deeply human, this celebration of Coalville's working women - and the legacy they left behind.

    EVENTS FOR THIS PROJECT 

  • 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.

  • WORKING TITLE : GRIMM AFTER DARK

    Set in Coalville’s iconic nightclub, Young Actors Academy present Grimm’s fairy tales that collide with modern youth culture, exploring identity, temptation, power, and the fragile journey from innocence to adulthood.  When the clock strikes twelve… who will you become? Enter the club. Lose the fairy tale. Find yourself.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE THEATRE FESTIVAL

Please contact : theatre@coalvillecan.coop