About

White Bear Productions formally known as Theatre d’Europe was set up as a community arts project in 2004 by local artist and community arts worker Patrick Hayes, and two French nationals who were language teachers Maryse Winch and Valerie Baudon. The aim was to broaden or initiate awareness and knowledge of Europe, its language, history, and its culture by utilizing theatre and performing arts. This was achieved with visits to schools and its most successful achievement at the time was when the company set up a project entitlted, ‘Voyages en France’ whereby Rookery House a Grade2 Georgian building was transformed to a Chateau and local children came and experienced drama, dance, singing and games. 

The company then evolved to producing full length theatrical productions the most successful being, ‘Les Vaches Dans Le Champ’ which was performed at the Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham in 2019. The venue had full houses for its run and received extremely positive and favourable feedback. This has been followed by a rehearsed readthrough of, ‘All My Pretty Ones’ that took place in front of a live audience at the ‘Woodman’ in Birmingham which was funded by the Sir Barry Jackson Trust. The reading received exceptional positive feedback and the next step is to stage the production at the Birmingham Rep in their studio theatre this June 2024 to coincide with the 80^th anniversary of the massacre in which the play is set around.