About Broxbourne Theatre Company

Photo: The King and I (May 2008)

Broxbourne Theatre Company is one of the Lea Valley's leading amateur theatre companies, with a 65 year reputation for colourful and spectacular productions.

Founded in Enfield as ETCEA (Enfield Technical College Entertainments Association) in 1943 by Alec Stretch, the company rapidly built up a strong reputation for pantomimes and musicals.

ETCEA was invited to present Broxbourne's 1977/78 pantomime Robinson Crusoe after two years in which the Council had suffered heavy losses presenting four and six week professional pantomimes with sometimes as few as 6 people in the audience. Councillors, who had already agreed that long run pantomimes were never likely to be viable in Broxbourne, gladly accepted the opportunity to have ETCEA present a shorter run of nine shows on its behalf.

The shorter runs proved immensely successful, with most performances playing to full houses.

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With the support of Broxbourne Councillors, ETCEA was invited to change its name and make Broxbourne its permanent home. Thus Broxbourne Theatre Company, formerly ETCEA continued to present the Borough's official annual pantomime every year for more than 25 years.

Broxbourne Theatre Company also independently presents a musical in May each year, the details of which are on this site.

[More detailed information on our 60 year history]

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In 2005/6. Broxbourne Council decided to present an additional commercial pantomime, displacing our own show into January. In the first year, this resulted in only a small reduction to our own pantomime sales. This was in part due to the additional publicity that our own show received because of the novelty of competing against a commercial organisation. But w ithout that additional publicity in 2006/7, audiences were very significantly down and with heavy competition from other pantomimes just a few miles away to the North, South, East and West it is going to be hard work for both shows to continue to capture such an audience in future years.

Broxbourne Theatre Company is an entirely non-profit organisation. Cast and crew are all unpaid volunteers. Nevertheless, it still costs around £50,000 to present its two major shows each year. Hitherto, its pantomime has always played to full houses and Broxbourne Theatre Company has relied heavily on the income from the pantomime to balance its annual budget.

Accordingly it urges the local public, whether or not they also see the commercial show, to continue to make Broxbourne's OWN Pantomime their first choice, just as they previously have in buying well over 100,000 tickets over the last 30 years.

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Headquarters are at Bollescroft , a council building which Broxbourne Theatre Company restored from dilapidation using proceeds from the pantomime. There is also a Young Set which meets weekly in Bollescroft, encouraging the under-16s to take an active start in theatre.

New members are always welcome, whether for onstage or backstage activities. Minimum age for membership of the main Company is 16, but those aged 9-15 can join the Young Set (a waiting list may apply). Join here !

For further information, see the links in the margin or below, or if you need any further information please contact us

Pictures from Robin Hood
and the Babes in the Wood

January 2009

Pictures from
The King and I

May 2008

Pictures from
Aladdin

January 2008

Pictures from
Calamity Jane

May 2007

Pictures from
Dick Whittington

January 2007

Pictures from
My Fair Lady

May 2006

Now booking for the pantomime
CINDERELLA
in January 2010

or join our free Mailing List for details of the 2010 musical
HELLO DOLLY