PACE Theatre Company

PACE Theatre Company is a registered charity and non-profit making theatre company based in Paisley, Scotland. Formed in 1988 by David Wallace, PACE is comprised of four main components: a professional theatre production and Theatre-in-education (TIE) company; PACE Youth Theatre, with over 2,000 members; PACE Casting, a casting agency which represents Youth Theatre members; and PACE Media Productions, a media production company specialising in educational and dramatic video productions.

Pantomime

PACE Theatre Company has produced Paisley's acclaimed pantomime at Paisley Arts Centre since 1988. Written and directed by, and also starring, David Wallace.

Pantomimes - Year by Year

• 2009 Sleeping Beauty
• 2008 Beauty & The Beast
• 2007 Cinderella
• 2006 Mother Goose
• 2005 Babes in the Wood
• 2004 Snow White
• 2003 Aladdin
• 2002 Sleeping Beauty
• 2001 Beauty & the Beast
• 2000 Hansel & Gretel
• 1999 Mother Goose
• 1998 Snow White
• 1997 Cinderella
• 1996 Jack & the Beanstalk
• 1995 Babes in the Magic Wood
• 1994 Aladdin
• 1993 Beauty & the Beast
• 1992 Hansel & Gretel
• 1991 Cinderella
• 1990 Snow White
• 1989 Aladdin
• 1988 Babes in the Wood
• 1987 A Christmas Carol

History

PACE Theatre Company was formed by David Wallace in 1988 who shortly afterwards founded PACE Youth Theatre. Since then PACE has moved to the forefront of Theatre in Education in Scotland, while PACE Youth Theatre has grown to become the largest youth theatre of its kind in the UK with a current membership of over 2000 and over 200 young people awaiting places at any given time.

PACE started with just one employee and now employees over 100 people each year including 18 full time and 4 part time staff, as well as numerous contract staff including actors and drama workers and stage personnel.

The company though evolved to such a degree that its needs exceeded that provided within Paisley Arts Centre. In 1992 the company became independent of the local authority, as a non-profit making company and registered charity. It also began to attract commercial contracts in the shape of commissioned productions for corporate and local authority or education clients, commissions to produce educational videos. In 1997 the decision was made that the demand on the company’s services required it to expand, not only to enable it to increase the amount of projects undertaken but also to find space to rehearse, perform and undertake workshops. In 2000 PACE collaborated with the renovation of The Wynd Centre in Paisley to manage and become the main-end user of and auditorium and youth theatre workshop space in the newly refurbished church. PACE also makes this facility available to the community to hire for professional and amateur productions, events and conferences.

In 2002, committed to its aim of providing the benefits of youth theatre to as many young people as possible, PACE opened a new youth theatre base in Ayr, based in the Gaiety Theatre and Citadel Leisure Centre. In August 2003 PACE secured a second building in School Wynd which was converted into what is now known as “Spires Drama Studios” comprising 3 dedicated drama workshop studios, a café area and numerous offices. This has become the organisation’s main base and administrative hub. In 2008, PACE celebrated its 20th birthday.

Choices for life

Every year Pace does a choices for life event in the SECC (Glasgow), Aberdeen exhibition center and the Edinburgh Highland center. The show is seen by almost every primary seven pupil in Scotland and conveys a powerful drugs education message. As well as the Pace performance there are also other well known stars that take part in this special event.

External links

• PACE Theatre