Exciting announcement for Whitby theatre company RNLI partnership.
Dogwood director Antony Bellekom visited the lifeboat station to share the update.
The RNLI, the charity that saves lives at seas, is to continue its partnership with Whitby’s professional theatre company, Dogwood Productions, which will see its Facing The Waves musical restaged in a new version in 2027.
The show, with music from award-winning composer, Alastair Collingwood, counterpointed the life of Whitby’s iconic Victorian lifeboat hero, Henry Freeman, with the experiences of today’s crews. The show originally premiered in 2024, during the RNLI Bicentenary and after sell-out performances in the town, toured from Alnwick down as far as London’s Lyric Theatre. It was seen in locations as diverse as the lifeboat station itself in Bridlington and Selby Abbey.
Dogwood Director, Antony Bellekom said: 'The RNLI is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In that sense, it’s a gift for theatre makers, with an amazing richness of stories as source material. But it’s not all about the past: just as the seas off our coast will always have the potential to take lives, so does the tradition of volunteering go on. It’s like a baton of responsibility is passed down through the generations'.
Senior station technician Richard Dowson said: 'It is wonderful news that Facing The Waves will continue to partner with the RNLI, we watched the production in 2024 and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is through raising awareness of the RNLI that we are able to continue to do what we do - saving lives at sea, thanks to public interest and donations.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.