WELCOME TO THE FAMILY Reading to Headline Stephen Joseph Theatre Fundraiser

Fans of Alan Ayckbourn will recognise the fictional town of Pendon as the setting for some of the writer's most popular shows. This year, it's the venue for the Stephen Joseph Theatre's annual fundraising weekend, from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September.

Pendon hosted a pageant in Ten Times Table; an amateur production of The Beggar's Opera in A Chorus of Disapproval; and all manner of watery shenanigans in Way Upstream, amongst others.

Its most recent incarnation was as the home of the Meizner family in 2023's Welcome to the Family, a show which Alan wrote for the Old Laundry Theatre (now the Victoria Wood Theatre) in Bowness-on-Windermere.

That mean it's never been seen in Scarborough, so the SJT is thrilled to present a rehearsed reading as the Sunday afternoon centrepiece of its September fundraising weekend, Welcome to Pendon. Directed by Alan Ayckbourn, the cast is Eileen Battye, Terence Booth, Georgia Burnell, Bill Champion and AnTony Eden.

Josh is keen to introduce his fiancée Sara to his parents, Lord and Lady Meizner. But as they're dead, this is a problem. Josh's Uncle Lance gifts him a state-of-the-art 'Capture' visit to the past, allowing him to revisit his family home whenever he likes. The celebratory champagne might be flowing, but family secrets are also about to be uncorked…

The weekend will kick off on the Friday evening with Backstage Secrets, an evening of conversation with theatre professionals who have worked with Alan at the SJT over the years, including actors and directors Robin Herford and AnTony Eden, choreographer Sheila Carter and stage manager Fleur Beeley.  They'll be sharing some exclusive insights into what really happens behind the scenes when you're working together to bring a play to life. After the interval, they'll be joined by the rest of the cast of Welcome to the Family.

Whether you're a lifelong theatre fan or just curious about how the magic happens, this is your chance to see the SJT from a whole new perspective. 

The SJT is a Registered Charity (253606). All money raised will go towards its New Work Fund, helping it put brand new work on its stages and nurture new talent.