We were extremely sad to read the news this week that the Leatherhead Drama Festival, which has been running for 17 years, will no longer be taking place. The message from the committee reads:
It is with much regret that we have to announce the sad demise of Leatherhead Drama Festival, 17 years after its launch in 2004 and with 16 successful and rewarding festivals to its name.
It is such a huge undertaking to produce a drama festival on this scale and unfortunately we no longer have the manpower to make it happen.
The festival was the brainchild of local resident Richard Houghton whose intention was to put Leatherhead on the cultural map in response to a vicious press description of Leatherhead High Street as "one of the worst in the UK". Thanks to the patronage of Sir Michael Caine from our inauguration in 2004, delighting audiences and participants by regularly attending our gala nights we soon became the envy of other festivals and gained recognition as being the largest festival of its kind in the UK. We are sure that many people will treasure their memories of performing on a professional stage and being presented awards by Sir Michael for many years to come and for this, we are eternally grateful and proud.
We would like to thank with all our hearts the vast numbers of people who have supported the festival over the years, in numerous different ways, and we hope that you will understand that we are simply not in a position to take the festival forward into 2022 or thereafter.
To quote the Bard, "Our revels are now ended" or to quote Winnie the Pooh, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard".
Thank you - Leatherhead Drama Festival Committee.
