Below is an inspiring piece from Paul Gooch, a member of Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club (SLTC) who has overcome personal obstacles to enjoy his passion for live theatre:
Hi, my name is Paul Gooch, and I joined SLTC in 2017.
I am 55 years old, and I was born with learning and physical disabilities. I wasn’t able to walk until I was 11 years old, and at the age of 16, I had already undergone 25 operations.
I have a condition called muscular dystrophy, and I also have rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
At The Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club, I am just Paul, one of the members, and I don’t let my disabilities prevent me from trying to do things.
I have appeared onstage in Sleeping Beauty 2018 (I played a courtier), Underneath the Arches 2018 (I played various parts in this town show to celebrate 60 years of the Plowright Theatre), Dick Whittington 2019 (I played a villager), The Fifth Elephant 2019 (I played Willikins the butler and a dwarf), and Dinner for 100 – The Freddie Frinton Project as Albert Ramsbottom at a popular local seaside resort, Cleethorpes, with my friends Ian Moss and Sue Dolby.
I’ve also appeared in various SLTC musical performances, followed by Jack and The Beanstalk 2022 (I played the voice of the beanstalk), Frankenstein the Panto 2023 (I played Jackpot), Cinderella 2024 (I played a butler), and A Bunch of Amateurs 2024 (I was backstage crew).
When I’m not onstage, you will often find me in the foyer at the Plowright Theatre helping my friend Suzanna with the SLTC raffle and selling the show programmes. I like to attend the social reads for the plays that we are going to put on, and I enjoy helping with the show ‘Get ins and Get outs’ where we build the set and then take it to pieces at the end of the show run. You might have seen me in costume, helping at publicity events such as the Armed Forces Day, where I hand out flyers for our shows and talk to the members of the public about our upcoming shows. I also take part in events outside of SLTC, such as the Spooktacular event at Normanby Hall, and visiting The Stamford Shakespeare Company at Tolethorpe Hall.
I have recently really enjoyed being a part of Aladdin, directed by Romy Smithson. Pantomime is so much fun, not just for the audience, but for the cast too. It’s hard work at rehearsals, but lots of fun. I played the First Worker, so I spent my time in the laundry with Widow Twankey, where I was often very mischievous.
I really enjoyed learning the song and dance routines, and I hope that the audience enjoyed watching and singing along.
I hope that my story inspires people to not let your disabilities limit you. Go out there, find your hobby, and most importantly – have fun!