Exit Stage Left Youth group are putting on the musical Grease in November, and are thankful to the local community for their help in getting their huge fundraising task off to a great start.

They successfully won one of the £500 grants from the Big Local Dragon’s Den on 20th April, and held a talent show on 22nd April at the newly-launched Westfield Community Centre.

Exit Stage Left is a volunteer-run youth theatre group based in Radstock, established in 2002. The founder, and driving force behind Exit Stage Left, is Alison McCausland, a previous winner of the B&NES ‘Woman Who Makes a Difference in a Social Environment’ award, due to the difference she has made in childrens’ lives.

Exit Stage Left believes that the theatre should be fully-inclusive and accessible to everyone. Over the years, ESL has helped children grow and overcome shyness, awkwardness, self-doubt, Asperger’s, Down’s syndrome and physical disability to believe in themselves and “sparkle”.

The shows have been known to bring joy to a lot of people – from the children involved, to their family and friends and the local community who come to watch. Being relentlessly inclusive and affordable does come at a price, so the group relies on fundraising efforts and hard work.

Grease is the group’s most ambitious show to date, with the performing rights alone coming in at £4,000. Of course, ticket sales will recoup some of the costs, but why do such an expensive show?

In the 40th anniversary year of Grease the film, it was the first choice of a poll amongst theatre-goers and the cast, who Alison decided to let choose the group’s next production.

It is a popular and fun show to do, a rite of passage for young performers, and with the cast committed to put in the hard work to fundraise to pull it off, why not do it, even though it is a challenge?

On Friday, 20th April, three of the young performers – George Pratt, Keziah Wheeler and Polly Mitchard – gave their pitch at the Big Local Dragon’s Den as to why the group and local community would benefit from receiving a grant. Made very welcome by Westfield’s B&NES Councillor, Robin Moss, Community Worker for the Big Local, Sarah Westell, and the event’s compere, Westfield Parish Councillor, Ron Hopkins, seventeen groups, all with worthy a cause, put their case to the three ‘Dragons’.

After each pitch, each ‘Dragon’ asked a pertinent question, so the assembled residents could decide who to cast their five votes for. Exit Stage Left were delighted to win one of the Dragon’s Den £500 grants, and cannot thank them and the local community enough for this fantastic start to their fundraising.

On Sunday, 22nd April, the group held a talent show, also to raise funds. They are grateful to Westfield Community Centre for their generosity in providing the venue for free, and to all who contributed funds and support for the event.

Next on the calendar is a Grease-themed disco on Saturday, 19th May at Westfield Community Centre. For ticket information, please email: [email protected].

The performances of Grease will be at the Dragonfly Theatre, Writhlington, on 15th – 17th November.

Sarah Mitchard