St. James's Theatre Club was started in the early millenium and involves an organised party enjoying an evening out together at the Richmond Theatre or sometimes the Orange Tree. In total, over 100 people, young, old, single and couples, have been to these outings. Some parishoners have even been to all of them! An outing of some sort is organised roughly once a month and the aim is to get people together to have some fun during the week. The groups includes people who have not been to the theatre for years and some who have never been to The Orange Tree. Others just appreciate the evening being organised for them, including transport in some cases.

Right from the start it was a great success, with the response being very positive. Now that it’s a regular fixture in St James’s social diary, people know what to expect. They look forward to an evening out with old or newly acquired friends and are always in excellent spirits. During the interval, some people stay in their seats for a chat, while others head for the bar for some refreshments.

There are generally about a dozen people who attend but there were 25 at the ballet. Whilst the theatre itself gives great pleasure, St. James's Theatre Club is about other things too. It can bring people into contact with one another for the first time: "I hadn't realised she was so interesting", said one about another! It also allows people to go out during the evening in a safe environment when they may not otherwise have done so: "It's ages since I've been to the theatre but it's so nice to have the company of so many friendly people." And it also allows people to help others: "I'd drive to Richmond anyway, so it's no trouble for me to pick you up and drop you off at the end of the evening."

For more information or if you’re interested in joining us, please see the notice board at the back of the church, look at the Forthcoming Events page or contact Ria Beaumont on 020 8943 4336. If you need a lift to the theatre, that’s no problem as there are a number of people willing to drive. Everyone is welcome!

Historical Background to St. James's Theatre Club
It all started in the kitchen at the church hall when Fiona Jones and Ria Beaumont were doing the washing-up after church. At that time, Fiona was responsible for group bookings at Richmond Theatre and they discussed the fact that most people in the congregation were only meeting on a Sunday. They wondered if a regular trip to the theatre would help bring people together during the week in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

After approval from the vicar, they got a little theatre programme together for Richmond Theatre, who offered discounted tickets for some of their performances. The first production was Star Quality, a comedy by Noel Coward on 22nd May 2006, and nine people signed up. It was a very enjoyable evening, with everyone mixing in and chatting to one another. Since then, they’ve been to many more productions, including comedies, musicals, ballets and murder mysteries. More recently, they’ve added The Orange Tree to their list and were over-subscribed for Gilbert & Sullivan’s 'The Pirates of Penzance'.