Burnley Youth Theatre

Burnley Youth Theatre stands beside Queens Park in Burnley, Lancashire. It began in 1973 as an inter-school drama group before becoming a permanent youth theatre. For many years it worked from wooden huts on Queens Park Road. In 2005 it moved into a purpose-built theatre on the same site. The old Quarry Theatre was replaced in 2014 by the Moira Preston Building. The site once belonged to Welfare State International, an experimental theatre group. The theatre has produced up to ten shows each year and staged plays at the National Theatre. In 1993 Thinking of England went from Burnley to London’s South Bank. Queen Elizabeth II opened the nearby Mechanics Theatre in 1987, and Prince Charles visited in 2008. Sir Ian McKellen reopened the theatre in 2019 after flood repairs. Playwright Julia Donaldson attended a 2010 performance of her book Bombs and Blackberries. Visitors find a modern theatre with a studio named after Alan Daiches. Weekly workshops cover drama, dance and technical roles. The 50th anniversary in 2023 included a woodland trail of woven characters. Alumni include television writer Paul Abbott. The theatre remains a lively centre for young people aged 0 to 25.