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Community Theatre (UK)

The UK usually uses the word 'amateur' instead of 'community', despite the fact that community is used as well. Since Amateur theatre is such a general term for that sort of theatre see there.

However in the UK a new form of community theatre is growing which is one with professional theatre links. Here there are no auditions as such, all the people who turn up can take part in the productions, at the discretion of the director or directors. Although paid professionals may take leading roles, amateurs do too. Because of the lack of clearing with the numbers in these productions, they tend to lean towards huge productions, which can be a problem.

The ideas of amateurs playing big parts has been used in UK television in such shows as Soapstars and Operatunity.

Exactly what this Community Theatre is and what it will become has yet to be established. However this may be considered a technical description for this type of drama.

However given the growth of Repertory, Theatre in Education, Footlights and Fringe Theatre in the UK and (Off-Off Broadway in America) and their impact on mainstream drama the impact of Community Theatre cannot be underestimated.