Theatre company receives highest honour with royal award

Unleashed Theatre Company in Torquay has received the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service—the highest honour for UK voluntary groups.

Martin Harris, Creative Director of Unleashed Theatre, announced the remarkable achievement on Thursday morning, November 14, at their venue, The Royal Lyceum on Abbey Road, in the presence of the company’s volunteers, participants, trustees, and other supporters.

In an emotional speech, met with cheers from the audience, Martin reflected on the company’s many successes since its founding in the early 2000s, including numerous large-scale community plays and musicals that have enriched not only the local arts scene but people’s lives. 

“What we’ve achieved in ten years has been incredible,” Martin said. 

“We’ve seen people really get their lives back and seen them transformed. We’ve seen people who have lost everything return to work and get their lives back.”

Above: Martin Harris during the announcement 

The King’s Award for Volunteer Service celebrates outstanding contributions to community life across the UK.

Unleashed Theatre was among 281 organisations in the UK honoured with the accolade, which was established in 2002 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. 

The community theatre company’s journey includes a ten-year summer residency at Buckfast Abbey, where their outdoor performances became a local tradition. 

In 2014, they launched the Unleashed Community Drama group at the Leonard Stocks Homeless Centre, holding weekly Thursday workshops without fail for nearly a decade. 

This program provides a creative and supportive environment for individuals facing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges.

In 2018, after the success of two major fundraising shows, Unleashed established their community choir, which is free to attend and recently won an award at The South West and Torbay Music Festival.

In 2022, Unleashed took a significant step by purchasing their own premises, The Royal Lyceum, saving the historical building from developers.

Above: Martin Harris after the announcement 

Expressing his gratitude, Martin said: “It is a huge honour for our volunteers to be recognised by the King’s Award. Unleashed is very much a community, and everyone has contributed to the supportive and joyful environment that has led to us receiving this award. Now that Unleashed has its own premises at The Royal Lyceum, we hope to build a community hub in the centre of Torquay that everyone can enjoy.”

Paul Martin, Unleashed Theatre’s Finance and Operations Manager, added: “It’s very humbling to be recognised nationally for something that is so close to your heart. It’s a true accomplishment and celebration of all of the time and hard work put in by our volunteers, certainly over the last three years since we’ve taken over the theatre. Here’s hoping that it continues to grow and help a lot of people in our community for generations to come.”

Unleashed has an exciting programme for the remainder of 2024, including a Retro Film Club and Christmas Carol The Musical. They have also set up a fundraising project for a new roof and kitchen at their premises, with a GoFundMe page on their website.