Thank you for visiting the Apple Bee Theatre website.

A word from our founder, Daren Appleby Thought I’d write a few words on how all this began.I was renting an apartment in Newbury, Berkshire when one very early Saturday morning 1/2am ish, all snuggled in bed up high in a mezzanine and not being able to sleep I turned the tv on and this film Cabaret was about to start.I’d watched it many many yrs ago with my mum who absolutely adored Liza Minnelli. So I snuggled again to watch and refresh my memory.The film begins and this face appeared, smiling like a clown and he started to sing this song, Willkommen. And that was it. I was hooked. I thought, I want to be him, the Emcee, even for just a moment. So I jumped out of bed, opened the laptop and searched to see if there was a play of Cabaret. There was, I’d found it. I couldn’t get back to sleep with all these ideas rushing through my head. I’d never performed in a theatre before. But I had performed on stage at local schools, pubs, clubs and streets. And from out of one restless night, I was going to put on a show at a theatre.From that moment Apple Bee Theatre Co was born.I walked the length and breadth of Newbury and drank in every single pub looking for a cast. I asked this guy whom I’d only ever seen drinking on his own. I asked the barman, the girl who walked by as I was sat outside the pub on a summers day drinking a cold beer. A friend said, ask this person. Another friend said, ask that person.. and so I did. And slowly but surely it started to happen. And not only did I find the most amazing cast throughout my ‘determined wanderings, the icing on the Cabaret cake was asking a local musician Max Hunt to be the MD. He said yes. He then pulled together a few of his musical friends and the Beautiful Orchestra was formed.I didn’t have time to sit and think about what I was doing, I just went with the flow. I had a vision, a cast and a band that I just couldn’t let go of. We had a theatre, a KitKat Klub, a Sally Bowles, a Cliff Bradshaw, an Emcee, Cabaret girls, Cabaret boys and the Beautiful Orchestra.. an all acting, singing and dancing production. 18 months later, I walked on stage as the Emcee singing Willkommen
We did 4 shows and by the time our last performance on Saturday night had arrived we’d sold every ticket.

And with all that said and done, I have to put out a special shout to:Nini Richardson, Charlotte Edwards, Maud Munro, Michelle Godfrey, Paul Melluish, Siobhan Boyle & All the actors, professional & amateur, that gathered here. The Arlington Arts centre Stage crew, Light & Sound technicians, Hair & make up artists, Poster/flyer designers, Wardrobe crew, Players of instruments, And all the others…... for being there …All of these beautiful souls at one point or another, throughout, helped create.
None of this would have been possible without them.
Thank you, you beautiful bunch of wonderfully talented humans…. 🙏And as they say, the rest is history!Chase your dreams, catch them and live them… be that butterfly that never got caught in a net and continue the fight to help free up those that did…. 🦋"What good is sitting alone In your room?
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret”All the 🍎 🐝 ❤Daren Appleby