A MOVE is under way to build up audiences for contemporary drama in the Bishop Auckland area.

The Reach theatre project, which brought Stockton Arc into the venture a year ago, has now embraced Bishop Auckland Town Hall, enabling it to join forces with other theatres and arts centres in the North-East and bring some of the best touring theatre companies to that part of the region.

By combining forces, shows become affordable and venues benefit from support with marketing and audience development.

"With this project, professionally produced posters and leaflets were printed and distributed widely throughout the region, something we would not otherwise have been able to do," said Janet Strong, organiser at Bishop Auckland.

"There is a perception that people need to travel to cities to see good quality shows. However, with this project, quality shows are coming here. It’s a chance for people to see something different at a very reasonable price.

"Bishop Auckland has always had a small audience for theatre and this project will allow us to build on that. Traditionally audiences come from the town, further up the dale and from surrounding towns and villages, including Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Ferryhill."

The performance space is intimate, accommodating 210 on raked seating, less for productions in the round or cabaret style.

The town hall was invited to join the project by Annabel Turpin and David Edmunds, of Dep Arts, the Leeds-based dance and theatre producer, who were putting together a bid to the Arts Council's strategic touring fund.

"The response has been good with lots of positive feedback from audiences," said Ms Strong. "It’s also resulted in us working with drama students from local schools who have participated in workshops and seen and enjoyed the shows."

The town hall presents theatre, music, comedy, film and community events. For theatre events, there is a pre-show and interval bar.

Forthcoming drama productions include Cape Wrath on Saturday, April 25 (1-3pm), described as "an epic journey in a stationery minibus", performed by the internationally acclaimed company Third Angel. It is heartfelt, moving and funny.

Says Alexander Kelly, writer and director: "After he retired, my grandad went on a trip from the Midlands up to Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point of his native Scotland.

"He sat, looked at the sea, and thought about his life. Then he got up and went home. Over 20 years later, I got on a coach and followed in his footsteps. This is what I learned.”

Third Angel returns on Monday, May 18 (7.30pm) with The Life and Loves of a Nobody, a story of hope, fame and love gone wrong about a girl who dreams of becoming a star of the silver screen and running away with the circus. The play explores the gap between dreams and realities and how we decide whose life stories deserve to be told.

John Godber's bittersweet comedy April in Paris will be staged by Reform Theatre on Monday, June 8 (7.30pm). The play, about a couple's hilarious attempts to rekindle their marriage, was nominated for an Olivier Comedy of the Year award.

Tickets for Cape Wrath cost £4. Seats for the evening shows cost £10 or £8 for concessions. Call the box office 03000 269524 or visit bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk for tickets and full details.