Stage is set for theatre website

Cyber Space: Phil Steels at work on the GBT website

AMBITIOUS am dram enthusiast Phil Steels knew it was time to update his theatre's website when he failed to get a gong for it this year!

Guide Bridge Theatre's website was relaunched this week and is even better and brighter than before.

The site won the theatre eTameside awards in 2004, 2005 and 2006 but Phil decided a new look was needed when 2007 saw them gongless for www.gbtheatre.co.uk

As if the 38-year-old was not busy enough with working as a computer programmer and in his spare time set-building, organising lighting and sound for shows, being a committee member and health & safety officer and helping with rebuilding the front of the theatre, he decided it was time for the website to have a fresh look.

Phil said: "The first GBT website went live in 1998 and 10 years later is proving to be a huge resource for members to keep up-to-date with what's going on. After 10 years, the time seemed right to create a new website - and we didn't win anything at the eTameside awards this year so that made me get working!"

Phil started the website in June 1998, when he first went online and got 10mb of free web space with his subscription. "I thought I would try my hand at website design", says Phil.

It proved to be a huge success and has had 52,713 visitors to date, an average of 14.4 visits per day. Although most visitors are local, the site has a worldwide appeal and keeps many lapsed and far flung members in touch with that is going on at GBT.

Messages in the online guestbook have been left from Germany, Isle of Man, Tenerife, Bangladesh, Guernsey, Prague Czech Republic, Malaysia, Greece, Ireland, Wanganui New Zealand, USA (Massachuesetts, Richmond, Maryland, Texas, Michigan, New York, Florida, Amarillo, Cincinnati, California, Milwaukee, Arkansas), Canada (Ontario, Sudbury), Australia (Victoria & Perth).

Originally containing just a few pictures, the site now has an archive of photographs of most productions of the last 10 years along with reviews from the Reporter and programmes from 1972 to date.

Due to a recent find at theatre, the new website will have an additional 139 programmes going back to the start of Ashton Rep (the former name of GBT) in 1942.

Visitors will find famous names such as John Savident and Kathy Staff cropping up in the collection. Other new features include:-

• Month by Month view of what is happening at the theatre
• Updated photographs on the Virtual Tour Page
• GBT in the Media
• An Obituaries Section

A Theatrical Quotes section, which updates on every page, includes famous quotes from the likes of Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Arthur Miller, Frank Sinatra to name a few.