A podcast celebrating all that's good about Brentwood, Essex
School’s out for summer, and if you’re looking for somewhere to take the children without having to go all the way up to London for a show, the summer pantomime – The Wizard of Oz – at Brentwood Theatre could be just the thing for you.
Staged by friend of the podcast (see S4Ep24 and S3Ep27 on Spotify), Sophia-Marie Hornsey, the show runs for three days and promises fun for all the family.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to Brentwood Theatre to meet the cast.
Brentwood born and bred founder of Sophisticated Entertainment, Sophia-Marie Hornsey is this week’s guest on The Brentwood Buzz, Brentwood’s celebratory podcast.
Sophia-Marie appeared on the podcast last Christmas when she brought a panto version of Beauty and The Beast to The Brentwood Centre. Now she’s back having a chat about how she moved from Pilgrims Hatch Primary School to performing in the West End and on cruise ships to bringing panto to Brentwood.
In recent The Brentwood Buzz podcasts we have found there is a talented pool of community theatre players who circle effortlessly around the various groups with a lead role here, a bit part there and occasionally even some directing thrown in.
One of those players is Lindsay Hollingsworth, writer of pantos for The College Players, in which she also acts and sometimes directs, when she’s not teaching youngsters to play percussion instruments, or encouraging them to join Brentwood’s Orchestras for Young Musicians.
This summer Lindsay is bringing her directing skills to Romford Shakespeare Theatre for its summer show, The Comedy of Errors, which will be performed outside in Hornchurch.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to meet Lindsay to find out why the arts are so important to her.
Brentwood Musical Theatre Society is no stranger to The Brentwood Buzz, featuring in S3Ep19 and S1Ep17 as well as a decent mention in the recent chat with actor Stephen Moyer.
BTMS’s next show is Evita at the Brentwood Theatre from 19th to 23rd May 2026, so we’ve been back to talk to some of the Society’s long standing members and find out why being part of this fabulous community theatre group is a real family affair.
Internationally acclaimed actor, director and well-known vampire, Stephen Moyer, is returning to Brentwood – his home town – for a fundraising event for Brentwood Theatre.
Stephen, who is the theatre’s first patron, will be interviewed by friend of The Brentwood Buzz, Bill Wells, whose work with pretty much every theatre group in town makes him something of a local legend.
Bill will be talking to Stephen at Brentwood Theatre on Tuesday 21st April at 7.30pm (tickets are £25 and available from the theatre website) but The Brentwood Buzz managed to catch up with him, and Stephen’s mum, Jean Wilson, at the Marlborough Theatre Club this week for a bit of a preview.
https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-steven-moyer/
The Marlborough Dramatic Club has been putting on plays for the people of Brentwood for one hundred and twenty five years, and members are currently rehearsing their latest production, ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ by Roy Horniman.
The Marlborough Dramatic Club meets at Brentwood School and performs in the school’s Memorial Hall. The Brentwood Buzz has been along to rehearsals to find out about the club’s history and to meet up with some of the cast – who, it turns out, are old friends of the podcast.
Kind Hearts and Coronets is on at the Memorial Hall, Brentwood School, on 9th, 10th and 11th April, and you can get tickets by calling 07746 915348 or online at http://www.marlboroughdramaticclub.uk
The Brentwood Buzz is a regular visitor to Brentwood Theatre, reporting on many of the shows put on by local theatre groups, including Shenfield Operatic Society, Brentwood Musical Theatre Society, 1:4:9 Productions and The College Players.
Last year a new manager arrived at the theatre, Jake Bedson, a professional actor, director and former Haven Holidays host. He’s helping shape the theatre’s future, and has an exciting secret project due to be revealed later this year.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to visit Jake to find out more about what is going on behind the scenes at our wonderful local theatre.
You can find out more about upcoming shows at the Brentwood Theatre here: http://www.brentwoodtheatre.co.uk
Photo: Jake Bedson at Brentwood Theatre
Photo Credit: The Brentwood Buzz
Shenfield Operatic Society is staging a production of The Witches of Eastwick at the Brentwood Theatre at the end of this month (27th to 31st January) so if you feel a bit of devilish raunchiness and a “Sex Choir” might brighten up your January, make sure you get tickets.
The Brentwood Buzz has been to rehearsals to meet the Witches and to find out some of the behind the scenes business and gossip from the Society’s Chairman, Jamie Fudge-Smith.
Tickets for The Witches of Eastwick are available from https://brentwood-theatre.co.uk/
You can find out more about the show and its cast on the Shenfield Operatic website here: https://www.shenfieldoperaticsociety.com/next-shows
And this podcast can also be found on Spotify and Amazon Music by searching for The Brentwood Buzz. Like, comment and share!
The Brentwood Buzz heads to Press Night at Sophisticated Entertainment’s Beauty and The Beast at the Brentwood Centre
There is nothing like a dame, especially one who’s singing Nessun Dorma while dressed in a glorious froth of hoops and ruffles and wearing a teapot on her head.
And that’s what you get in this year’s Beauty and The Beast Panto at the Brentwood Centre, together with some fabulous performances from a close team of young actors and a troupe of sassy and talented dancers who – in the main – are still at school.
Local production company Sophisticated Entertainment is putting on the show until 4th January 2026 (https://www.everyoneactive.com/news/the-brentwood-centre-activity-brochure/) at the Brentwood Centre, and invited The Brentwood Buzz along to press night for an all singing, all dancing night of entertainment.
Addendum
My lovely friend Mark died suddenly on 5th July 2025. Hundreds of people attended his funeral at St Thomas’s Church in the centre of Brentwood, and his coffin was adorned with his Mayoral hat.
Mark’s animals were rehomed with friends and fellow animal wranglers.
A bench in his memory was installed by Brentwood Borough Council, with the encouragement and support of his fellow ward councillors, Mellissa Slade and Roger Hirst, and his sisters, Kim and Lynne.
We all miss Mark. He was the best of men.
Photo by Mark – Chesney Hawkes, Alex Burghart MP and Cllr Mark Reed – combining Mark’s passion for theatre and politics.
The Brentwood Buzz