A TV Repair Shop star has helped a seaside theatre with some 11th hour “the show must go on” advice when gremlins got into a projector.
Opening night of an am dram comedy Cold Comfort Farm was just hours away when equipment projecting images on to the stage began showing problems.
But the charity-run community venue turned to a new-found friend in the shape of electronics wizard Mark Stuckey from the popular television series. He lives in Cromer and is a regular visitor to, and fan of, the theatre – where he will be starring in a question and answer show early next year. When theatre director Debbie Thompson alerted him to the impending crisis he was happy to help.
Mark gave the projector the once-over in his workshop and realised the problem lay in some connecting wires rather than the machine itself. He said: “I am more used to dealing with film projectors than digital ones, but all equipment can tell you a story if you look into it. I was able to work out the projector itself was fine, but the wiring and maybe some software needs checking.”
Debbie added: “Without Mark’s expertise we would have been chasing around the county to get a stand-in projector from our sister St George’s at Great Yarmouth – which still would not have worked because the problem was in the connections. After doing a work around for the play in true ‘the show must go on’ style, we are planning to replace the problem wiring and get the projector thoroughly checked out for the next time the projector is used. We have only recently connected with Mark, but he has already been a big help to us, offering advice and support, including with our cinema offering, and we are delighted he has agreed to do a Q and A in January, for free, to help raise funds for our venue, which we are delighted he loves.”
Mark worked in electronics for 25 years from a radio and TV shop to MOD nuclear weapons systems. Since joining the Repair Shop team in 2018 he has tackled projects ranging from retro radios to jukeboxes. At his Cromer home he runs a Classic Radio Shop from his garden workshop where he checked out the theatre projector.
Learn more about Mark, what it’s like behind the scenes at the Repair Shop, his favourite repairs and many other hobbies during a matinee “chat show” at the theatre on Saturday January 24. Ticket information will appear later on the theatre’s Facebook feed and website www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com
