A MERIONNYDD theatre has been given a new lease of life following an appeal for volunteers to help run it.

The future for Barmouth’s Dragon Theatre looked bleak last week but an appeal for help in the Cambrian News has saved the day.

Last week we told how the theatre had remained closed throughout the pandemic, but improvements had been made behind the scenes thanks to the board of trustees.

With assistance from Barmouth Town Council, the theatre has been able to invest in a new lighting rig for the stage in the main auditorium, due to be installed in November, and the management team is putting together an extensive programme of events to make the most of the state-of-the-art installation.

In addition, work is being done in the bar, the main auditorium ventilation system has been serviced and made operational, and there are plans to renew the kitchen area.

However, the theatre’s small board, for reasons of age, health or length of service, have to step down, leaving the theatre in desperate need of new volunteers to survive.

“The Dragon Theatre operates as a limited liability company and charity and uses a board of trustees to operate,” a theatre spokesperson said.

“If there are insufficient trustees on the board the business cannot operate and we would be forced to make a decision to close down.

“It would be very sad if the town was to lose such a valuable and (pre-Covid) well-used asset, so this is an appeal for local people to join the board and help The Dragon Theatre to progress.”

“The minimum commitment required would be the attendance of monthly meetings, on the evening of the second Monday of the month.

“But obviously there are plenty of opportunities to help if people want to get more involved with the dayto-day routine of the theatre.”

Anyone interested in helping out was invited to an AGM which took place on Monday, 27 September.

“The response to this appeal is crucial to the outcome,” said the spokesperson ahead of the meeting.

But the future looks brighter because the appeal has attracted a new team.

“We had a good AGM with a number of people attending and, in response to our appeal for more support in the Cambrian News last week, three people stepped forward and agreed to join the board of trustees,” a theatre spokesperson said.

“In addition we have heard from a further four people who were unable to attend but have expressed an interest in getting involved. They will be invited to the next regular meeting on 11 October.

“It was a positive outcome. We’ve now got new people with different skills and optimism.”