BILLY ARTHUR is seeing a light over at the Frankenstein place.

The St. Thomas native is a founding member of new pro theatre company which is setting up shop in St. Catharines — he’s artistic associate — and Billy is to essay the lead role of Brad Majors when nextcompanytheatre mounts a fundraising production of Rocky Horror Show in a couple of days in St. Catharines.

Billy graduated Brock University in 2001 with his bachelor’s degree in theatre after growing up in St Thomas.

“I went to Locke’s Public School, Arthur Voaden, Cen- tral for a class . . . lol . . . and then went off to Brock,” he e-smiles.

He credits a grade school teacher for awakening his interest in the performing arts.

“It was my Grade 1 teacher, actually,” he says on the phone.

“Mrs. Buckles from Locke’s. She always pushed me.”

He holds his Equity card but Billy’s the first to admit that life in the theatre is peripatetic. His credits include Shaw Festival, Toronto, touring in school shows, Niagara Falls, even Kincardine. The work is where you find it, when you can find it.

And with the economy, “Right now, the work is nonexistent, unless you make it yourself.”

Funny thing.

“That’s when the arts are also necessary. People are down. There isn’t much money. People want to be entertained.”

Billy and a fellow Brockian where talking up their own theatre company when they met up with David Fancy, current head of theatre at Brock, who was talking up his own. A handshake settled a deal to work collaboratively. Fancy is artistic director of the show.

Next’s mission is broad: to entertain but also to present socially relevant work, to tell local stories, and to mentor young artists.

Rocky Horror is on the boards Feb. 10 to 12. Info: nextcompanytheatre.com