A ROSSENDALE theatre where actors have had to pull pints during intervals is appealing for help.

Bacup Royal Court theatre has had to think laterally in recent months to fight the recession and falling takings.

Though cast members have doubled up as bar staff to serve the theatre-goers, bosses at the Royal Court are urging local people to lend a helping hand.

Chairman Geoff Knight said: “We need to get a team together to help out with the most basic of things.

“We have had occasions when actors on stage have had to switch from their performing role to serve behind the bar in the interval.

“The theatre has had a few people ringing up offering to help and so we are going to have a meeting on Wednesday, August 26 in the upstairs foyer, when hopefully we can get people assigned to the various jobs.

“People do not need to commit to being there every night. If we can get a team of around 20 then the jobs can get divided up evenly.”

In recent productions the theatre has had close the circle coffee bar due to a lack of people available to serve drinks.

The theatre is also trying to attract trustees so that it can be run on a charitable basis to attract more funding in the future.

Geoff said: “We are also looking for people to help run the registration and tuck shop at the youth theatre BYTES, which attracts 60 children to the theatre every Saturday.”

BYTES production of Annie will be on stage next month from September 16 to 19 followed by Jimmy Cricket’s one-man show.

Anyone who wants to get involved with the theatre should call Geoff on 01706 874963.