The VentureTheatre

The Venture Theatre on North Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch is owned and run by Ashby Dramatic Society, an amateur theatre group formed in 1921 by Leonard H. Matthews. The society staged its early productions at the town hall before buying the former Parish Rooms, St Helen's church hall, and converting it into a dedicated theatre that opened to the public in 1981. A National Lottery grant funded a further refurbishment in 1995. The venue seats around 110 people in its main raked configuration, fewer when set out for cabaret or thrust-stage shows, and every role on stage and behind the scenes, including running the building, is filled by volunteers. Alongside the society's own plays and musicals, the theatre hosts visiting comedy, music and tribute acts. It receives no ongoing public subsidy and is self-funded through ticket sales and hire fees, operating as a single independent venue rather than part of any touring circuit or arts group.