Cherwell Theatre Company

Cherwell Theatre Company (CTC) is a creative home for young theatre-makers in Banbury and the surrounding areas. They exist to give young people a sense of self-belief, wellbeing and value by bringing them together with professional artists to make theatre. The work of CTC is for everyone, though they are particularly interested in creating strong female roles and non gender stereotype characters, where the voices of their young participants shine through. Their patron is Sir Trevor Nunn, former Director of the RSC and National Theatre. He’s one of many professionals who support the belief that CTC truly creates access and aspiration for all, regardless of background. Established in 2004 by Nasser Memarzia and Karen Corradi, CTC has since presented: fifteen family theatre productions; three festivals showcasing local young artists; two 'Theatre in Education' productions playing to more than 100,000 schoolchildren in our district; and a number of street theatre and site-specific works such as ‘A Shakespeare Summer Soiree’ at Broughton Castle and 'Myth' which toured parks and housing developments in 2019, bringing new communities together. Their weekly theatre workshops are the core of everything they do, and CTC alumni have gone on to train at prestigious drama schools including RADA, Mountview, The Central School of Speech & Drama, Italia Conti, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. Many choose to return to work with them as professionals, post-training. Others of course have success in non-arts based jobs, attributing their confidence to their time spent with CTC- 'a family you never really leave'. Cherwell Theatre Company is proud to welcome all young voices, regardless of background or experience. They hold no auditions, and as a registered charity with low overheads, are able to keep subscription fees low and offer bursary places to those that need them.