Questors Reaches Final of National Theatre Awards
Nominated as one of the country's best amateur venues
The upgrade to audience seating was one factor in the nomination
September 10, 2026
The Questors Theatre has been announced as a finalist in the Great Amateur Theatre category of the Theatres Trust’s Great British Theatres Awards, a national celebration recognising venues and individuals making an outstanding contribution to the UK’s cultural life.
Launched as part of the Theatres Trust’s 50th anniversary, the awards highlight theatres that champion accessibility, community engagement and the long-term sustainability of their buildings. The Great Amateur Theatre category specifically celebrates volunteer-led organisations whose ambition and dedication have created exceptional spaces for their communities.
Questors has been shortlisted in recognition of a series of major improvements undertaken in recent years to make the theatre more inclusive, resilient and environmentally responsible. These include the replacement of the Playhouse roof — with further roofing works ongoing — upgrades to audience seating to improve flexibility and accessibility, and the launch of a new user-friendly website.
The theatre has also become the first amateur theatre in the UK to introduce captioning for every in-house production, significantly expanding access for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences.
Michael Eppy, Executive Director of The Questors Theatre, said the nomination reflects years of sustained effort. “We are delighted to be a finalist for Great Amateur Theatre. Over the past few years we have replaced roofs, refurbished auditoria and developed a new model of captioning performances to increase accessibility for all. As we approach our centenary in 2029, we are continuing to invest in the future of our theatre to ensure we remain an inclusive and adventurous home for amateur theatre for the next 100 years.”
Theatres Trust CEO Joshua McTaggart praised the finalists for their commitment to improving their buildings and widening access. “From replacing leaking roofs and insulating draughty buildings to installing hearing loops, flexible wheelchair seating and captioning facilities, these finalists showed how amateur theatres can play an outsized role in connecting their communities. Theatres Trust knew there was a need to celebrate theatres, but our judges had an incredibly hard time selecting the finalists. I want to extend my congratulations to every one of them. We can’t wait to celebrate our Great British Theatres in style this November.”
The winners will be announced later this year.
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