All three honorary patrons of the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster met up for the first time to support the theatre's fundraising drive and see its outdoor production of Oliver Twist.
BAFTA-winning Sarah Lancashire, Coronation Street star Cherylee Houston and Lancaster-based actress Christine Mackie attended a reception in the Ashton Memorial before the show.
Sarah, star of Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley, reflected on how inspiring theatres can be: "places like The Dukes are so valuable to future generations not just for those wanting to be actors but also for young people who've not yet decided what to do with their lives."
Cherylee was one of the young people who was inspired by The Dukes more than 20 years ago and appeared in some of its productions in Williamson Park.
Christine, who has also appeared in many Dukes plays including the outdoor productions, called upon more people to become patrons of the theatre.
Earlier in the day, Sarah Lancashire led an actor's studio event at The Dukes where she talked about her career and answered questions from the audience as part of the theatre's Youth Forum Summer Takeover.