Famous actors (including Dame Judi!) back Harrogate Theatre

The cultural hub’s newest patrons include such big names as Reece Dinsdale and Natalie Gavin.

And an actor who made a big impression on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing last year, Davood Ghadami, has also come on board.

The newcomers join existing patron Dame Judi Dench who still sends Harrogate Theatre personal festive greetings each year.

But celebrity support adds up to more than simply sending Christmas cards.

Associate artist at Harrogate Theatre, Marcus Romer said he expected the benefits for the popular theatre and its audiences to be tangible.

Marcus, who worked with Reece when he directed him on The Knife That Killed Me feature film for Universal Pictures, said: “The invitation which they kindly accepted included the opportunity to develop some work here.

“Harrogate Theatre will give these brilliant actors the chance to try things out, it’s not just a case of a name on a letterhead.”

Acclaimed Yorkshire actress Natalie Gavin has been in many TV series including Channel 4’s low-life comedy Shameless, BBC’s Prisoners’ Wives and the BBC’s The Syndicate about lottery winners.

Davood Ghadami is probably best known for BBC soap opera EastEnders, as well as Life’s Too Short, Law & Order, Skins Redux, Doctor Who and more.

But he knows Harrogate Theatre well having trod its boards in 2007 in a production of Look Back in Anger.

Reece Dinsdale, who now lives in Harrogate with his wife and two children, is not only a popular actor through roles in the likes of Spooks, Life on Mars, Silent Witness and Jim Henson’s Storyteller, he’s also an award-winning director himself.

Harrogate Theatre’s chief executive David Bown said: “Reece has been a heavyweight of British film, TV and theatre for as long as I can remember. I am thrilled that he has agreed to join us here at Harrogate Theatre.”

Marcus Romer says Harrogate should be proud of its theatre. He said: “People are starting to realise what an extraordinary gem it is. It’s a place which acts as a hub for the town and makes things happen.”

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