'Made It!' by Heather Powell records how Bay Theatre Players got their theatre

When Heather Powell arrived in the Eurobodalla in 1989, she went to a Bay Theatre Players (BTP) production of South Pacific. At that time, BTP had been operating from a council owned hall at Observation Point for nearly 15 years. The former amateur thespian in Zimbabwe, Ireland and England was immediately hooked and became a member at once.

She became one of a thriving group of members committed to putting on the best community theatre productions they could.

However in 1994, the company was informed the NSW Department of Lands wanted the land at Observation Point back, and their lease at the hall would not be renewed.

Thus began what Ms Powell said was "quite an incredible story" of a community rallying to create a new theatre.

"We had no idea how we were going to continue as a theatre," she said.

"Do we build a theatre from scratch or do we find an old building and convert it?

"We just had no idea."

What they did do was start raising money. Ms Powell said BTP members were endlessly innovative with their creative fundraising techniques.

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They performed at community events, ran theatre restaurants and, most importantly, bought a costume hire shop, later branching into men's formal wear hire which was greatly popular.

These fundraising efforts, paired with "putting on plays off the smell of an oily rag," Ms Powell said, meant within a few years, BTP had raised $100,000.

Along with $50,000 from the council, BTP were able to purchase a hall at 33 Gregory Street, Batemans Bay to use.

Again, the community rallied to revamp an old warehouse into a theatre - one builder offered to lay the carpet, another to install the seating, another to help construct the backstage area. Over seven months, bit by bit, the warehouse disappeared, replaced by a theatre to seat 97 patrons. One member even drove to Sydney to pick up second-hand seating for the theatre.

"It really is a community theatre," Ms Powell said.

"Very few little towns have community theatres.

"We are very special."

The new theatre was opened in 1998, and BTP have been lighting up the stage and entertaining audiences there ever since.

Now Ms Powell wants to share the "extraordinary" story of the community's fight to have a theatre. She has written a history of the events leading to the new theatre in the form of a script called 'Made It!'.

"I want the people using the theatre now to have a feel for the dedication of the community - they really wanted to have a theatre," Ms Powell said.

"It really is a lovely story, and people will be richer for knowing it.

"They will walk through those doors and have a different feel."

BTP is holding a book launch at their Gregory Street theatre on February 11 at 10:30am.

RSVP to Janet Terry at janet.terry1@bigpond.com