Pembrokeshire’s Sarah Waters, the award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith, has pledged her support to the Torch Theatre, by becoming our patron. The Torch Theatre helped ignite her passion for the arts as a volunteer usher.

Sarah grew up in Neyland, five miles from Milford Haven, and went to school at Milford Grammar. The Torch Theatre played such an important part in her life as Sarah explains:

“I first began a connection with the Torch Theatre as a teenager in the early 1980s, when, for four or five years, pretty much every week, I did front-of-house volunteering - selling programmes, taking tickets and showing patrons to their seats. Crucially, this involved sitting in on the performances along with the audience, meaning that I got to experience a huge range of plays and films that, in south west Wales, far from big-city theatres and cinemas, I would never otherwise have had the chance to see.”

Those early experiences at the Torch instilled in Sarah a passion for theatre, cinema and fiction-making that has never left her. 

“Without the Torch Theatre, I would literally not be the person or the author I am today. In the decades since the 1980s, the Torch has gone on being a brilliant centre for the arts for the people of Pembrokeshire, bringing the excitement of theatre, cinema, music and dance to the local community and beyond, just as it brought it to me. It’s a fantastic, vibrant resource that must be preserved, celebrated and cherished,” said Sarah.

Benjamin Lloyd, Executive Director of the Torch said: ‘Sarah is part of the Torch Theatre family and a rich tradition of supporting the arts and developing artists here in Pembrokeshire. Sarah experienced first-hand life-enriching engagement with the arts that has shaped the lives and experiences of so many across the generations. The Torch is a precious resource and artistic and economic driver for the people of Pembrokeshire. As we strive to protect our services for the benefit of our community, we are thrilled and proud to count Sarah amongst our keenest supporters.’

If like Sarah, you want to help preserve Pembrokeshire’s centre for the arts, there are many ways that you can support the Torch. Like Sarah, you could volunteer your time as an usher, gaining exposure to a wide range of artforms and contributing directly to the life of the theatre. Alternatively, you can make a donation, become a member, or simply enjoy a meal in Café Torch and a night at the theatre with Private Lives, running until Saturday 21^st October only.

Click here to find out how you can ‘Caru the Torch’. The Torch launched its stunning Autumn production of Private Lives to wide acclaim. Find out what all the fuss is about here and book your tickets now!