Our History
1971
The Tugun Theatre Company was originally christened as The Tugun Repertory Co. and established in 1971. When the Company was beginning, it originally took residence in the Tugun Progress Hall at Golden Four Drive. The Hall President at that time was Tom Atkin, who also helped to build the hall.
1971 - 1998
The Company then started to produce productions three times a year, for the next 27 years. Interspersed with Music Halls comprising fantastic chorus girls which were very popular at the time and lots of sketches. The Chairman was John Littlebury and while resembling ‘Colonel Sanders’ was a wonderful compere. A few years later a young lady called Val Breadman who hailed from Sydney joined the Company and helped produced some excellent shows. The original members helped in these new shows as singers in the choir as well as chorus girls and boys, while maintaining the ever-present and much loved sketches of course, not unlike Music Hall!
While still at the Progress Hall, the Company took part in several street parades. including, but not limited to: Surfers Paradise, Coolangatta, Tweed Heads, and Murwillumbah. These parades were filled with fun, memorable moments and provided great publicity for the Company. A few of the members frequently would dress up and ride in the back of a friend’s beautiful, large cabriolet American car.
Unfortunately, there were no dressing rooms at the hall, apart from the public toilets. Behind the hall was an old shop, that was in slight disrepair, but complete with a door and shop window. The Company managed to attain permission to use this shop space and immediately moved in. Boarding up the window, adding dressing tables, chairs, and clothes hangers, this space was used for several shows until the company raised enough funds to purchase a large shed, and promptly replaced the boarded up shop. The only downside to this upgrade was a slight gap between the shed and the hall that was open to the elements, not the best on a rainy night!
With true community spirit in mind, sometimes clothes, furniture and other props were purchased from the local Op-shops, hired from surrounding theatres, or even brought from the performer’s own homes. This gave some people recognition, noticing that their once loved personal affects were still being lovingly used in their local community theatre.
In 1995, Councilor Peter Turner announced that a Community Centre was to be built next to the Land of Legend, a beautiful castle and popular tourist attraction along Coolangatta Road. This Centre was expected to be built by 1997 and was needed for the community to alleviate the pressure on the Progress Hall, which has since been renamed Tom Atkins Hall, to honour and respect the beloved Hall President, Tom Atkin. This Hall is still open and just as busy as before, with the completion of an amazing refurbishment. Tugun Theatre Company was fortunate enough to have input with the Gold Coast Council Architect to incorporate theatrical needs to the Centre, including 2 dressing rooms, showers, large wings on both sides of the stage and later a sound and lighting box in the room above the kitchen.
1998 - 2010
And so it came to pass, Tugun Theatre Company moved into the Community Centre in 1998. The Company now had a stage twice the size of Tom Atkins Hall, room under the stage to house flats, and also secured permission to build a shed out the back for furniture, clothes and props. Over the years the Company have run Children's Theatre Classes and performances, and various sound and lighting workshops.
2010 - Now
The Company now host four productions every year covering most aspects of entertainment, namely Drama, Music Hall, Comedy, One Act Plays, as well as street theatre. With cabaret seating of up to 10 guests per table, patrons are encouraged to BYO for drinks and nibbles to have a great night out at Tugun’s coveted Community Theatre Company.
Full House for “Over My Dead Body”
February 2016