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The Angles Theatre is a theatre and historic
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
playhouse in the market town of
Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...
,
Isle of Ely The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county. Etymology Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures that ...
, Cambridgeshire, England. It is among the oldest of Britain's theatres. The current premises consists of the original theatre building and a former library, originally an 'infant' school built in 1837, both of which are
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
. The patrons are Sir Derek Jacobi,
Jo Brand Josephine Grace Brand (born 23 July 1957) is an English comedian, writer, presenter and actress. Starting her entertainment career with a move from psychiatric nursing to the alternative comedy stand-up scene and early performances on '' Saturd ...
, Claire Tomalin and Dame Cleo Laine. The theatre was believed to have been built in 1790 as part of the Lincoln theatre circuit and was generally referred to as the Wisbech Theatre. Regular performances at the theatre continued until about 1850 when it was used as a concert room for a number of years. At the end of the 19th century, part of the property was used by the School of Science and Art. The building was returned to use as a theatre and arts venue, and renamed as The Angles, in 1978.


History


18th century

The
Licensing Act 1737 The Licensing Act of 1737 is a defunct Act of Parliament in the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a pivotal moment in theatrical history. Its purpose was to control and censor what was being said about the British government through theatre. The act ...
created the office of Examiner of Plays, whose responsibilities included censoring all plays in Britain. In 1778,
John Larpent John Larpent (14 November 1741 – 18 January 1824) was an English inspector of plays. Early life Larpent was born on 14 November 1741. He was the second son of John Larpent (1710–1797), who was forty-three years in the Foreign Office, and ...
was appointed inspector of plays by the
Marquis of Hertford The titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain. The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron B ...
, who was then
Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...
. He preserved manuscript copies of all the plays submitted to the inspector from 1737 to his death in 1824, including those produced at the theatre in
Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...
. Buildings in Wisbech in Pickard's Lane and on the Sutton road were used as theatres in the 18th century. The Whitley and Herbert company of comedians performed in the town during Wisbech Race Week in June 1777. In 1778 or 1779 Italian writer
Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti (24 April 1719, Turin, Piedmont – 5 May 1789, London) was an Italian literary critic, poet, writer, translator, linguist and author of two influential language-translation dictionaries. During his years in England ...
attended a theatre performance here. Other early theatres in Wisbech, referred to in newspapers and other documents, appear to have been temporary structures such as that erected near the High street by the company of James Augustus "Jemmy" Whitley (c. 1724–1781) for a season in 1779. Whitley announced, in 1779, an intention to build an elegant and extensive structure for the 1780 season. With Whitley's death, however, that theatre was never built, and the way was left open for the development of a theatre in Wisbech by others. The Theatrical Representations Act 1788 allowed local
magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
to license occasional performances for periods of up to 60 days. An early reference to a theatre on Deadman's Lane (later Great Church Street and now Alexandra Road) is a benefit performance, for Mr and Mrs James Edward Miller, of the play ''The Battle of Hexham'', on 20 May 1791, which was the last performance of the 1791 season. The ''
Stamford Mercury The ''Stamford Mercury'' (also the ''Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury'', the ''Rutland and Stamford Mercury'', and the ''Rutland Mercury'') based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, claims to be "Britain's oldest continuously published news ...
'' of 24 February 1792 stated, "A correspondent from Wisbech informs us, that a very elegant theatre is just fitted up in the compleatest stile (sic), and will be opened on Saturday, March 3d, with the admired comedy of ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
'', and the Farce of '' No Song, No Supper''." The theatre was built by Miller, who managed it jointly with Thomas Shaftoe Robertson until 2 May 1796, when Robertson purchased Miller's rights in all the properties of the Lincoln theatre circuit. In 1793 The Millers advertised the last benefit of the 1793 season at Wisbech Theatre to be ''Everyone Has His Fault'' and ''Don Juan''. When not in use for performances the theatre regularly held auctions, the most prominent of which was the sale of household furniture, linen and china from
Wisbech Castle Wisbech Castle was a stone to motte-and-bailey castle built to fortify Wisbech (historically in the Isle of Ely and now also in the Fenland District of Cambridgeshire, England) on the orders of William I in 1072, it probably replaced an earlier ...
, belonging to the late Edward Southwell. This was most likely the first auction held at the "New Theatre" in November 1791, because the sale of the mentioned items was not permitted on the castle premises. Robertson married Frances Maria Ross in 1793.


1800 to 1840

Robertson announced in 1806: "The Theatre has undergone considerable improvement and will be lighted up with new and elegant chandeliers"; these are unlikely to have been supplied by gas as the town council did not negotiate gas supplies until the 1830s. Child actor
William Henry West Betty William Henry West Betty (13 September 1791 in Shrewsbury24 August 1874 in London) was a popular child actor of the early nineteenth century, known as "the Young Roscius." Family Both of William's parents were very wealthy due to inheritanc ...
performed at the Wisbech theatre in 1808.
Amelia Holman Gilfert Catherine Amelia Holman Gilfert (1789–1833) was an American stage actor and theater manager. She was referred to by contemporary critics as the first star of the American theater. She was the Actor-manager, manager of the Charleston Theatre in ...
and her father
Joseph George Holman Joseph George Holman (1764–1817) was an English actor, dramatist and actor-manager. Early life Born in August 1764, he was son of John Major Holman of St. Giles's, Middlesex, an ensign and adjutant in the British service, who died when his so ...
, appeared in 1812 as Cora and Rolla in ''Pizarro'', Desdemona and Othello in ''
Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...
'' and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth in ''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'', and she played Lady Contest in the farce ''The Wedding Day''. The use of weapons firing blanks, candles, oil lamps, fireworks and other special effects could cause fires and injuries. For example, Fanny Robertson's half-sister Mary Brown was a member of the Wisbech company until she married an actor of the Stamford company and moved to Stamford, where, in 1816 whilst working on a dress, a candle set her clothes on fire; she died of her burns. William Hilton the elder (father of William Hilton) created scenery for the Robertsons for many years until the 1820s.
Madame Tussaud Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud (; née Grosholtz; 1 December 1761 – 16 April 1850) was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and Madame Tussauds, the wax museum she founded in London. Biography Marie Tussaud was born 1 December 1761 in S ...
brought her touring waxwork show to the theatre in November and December 1825. The pit was covered over to enable the display of her works. A military band played. Tickets cost one shilling, and the theatre was crowded each evening. The 1827 season included
Sarah Booth Sarah "Sally" Booth (1793 – 30 December 1867) was an English actress. Personal life Sarah Booth was born in Birmingham, England in 1793. She was related to Barton Booth. She was discovered in Manchester, England as a dancer, alongside her si ...
's appearance for five nights in May, playing Juliet in ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''. The theatre was "entirely new Painted", in addition to improvements made in the previous year. The "Infant Roscius"
Master Herbert Master Herbert (born 1822) was an English child actor. 'Master Herbert' also known as the 'Infant Roscius' Henry Herbert (1822-?) born 22 December, in Wisbech, the son of John Herbert (a member of Wisbech Harmonic Society). He was taken to th ...
performed in Wisbech in 1829.
Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris.  He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...
appeared in April 1831. The same year, Robertson died, leaving his wife Fanny in charge of the Robertson theatre company. T. W. Robertson, the son of her nephew, William Shaftoe Robertson, performed here, aged five, as Hamish, the son of the title character in '' Rob Roy''. The banker James Hill (father of
Octavia Hill Octavia Hill (3 December 1838 – 13 August 1912) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, whose main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London, in the second half of the nineteenth century. Born into a fa ...
and
Miranda Hill Miranda Hill (Wisbech 1836–1910) was an English social reformer. Biography Hill was a daughter of James Hill (died 1872), a corn merchant, banker and follower of Robert Owen, and his third wife, Caroline Southwood Smith (1809–1902), ...
) bought the theatre and adjoining land in 1835 and started to invest money in the theatre and in further developing the site. When the theatre opened in February 1836 for a one-month season, it was advertised as the "New Theatre", with the scenic department and every other arrangement on a scale of expensive improvement never before attempted in Wisbech. The improvements did not go unnoticed; in May a Georgina Gooch was charged with stealing the theatre's gas fittings.
William Macready William Charles Macready (3 March 179327 April 1873) was an English actor. Life He was born in London the son of William Macready the elder, and actress Christina Ann Birch. Educated at Rugby School where he became headboy, and where now the ...
performed here in June 1836, and social reformer
Robert Owen Robert Owen (; 14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) was a Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement. He strove to improve factory working conditions, promoted e ...
gave a lecture in January 1837. The five-week 1837 season opened in February with ''The Stranger'' followed by the farce ''Love, Law, and Physics''. The theatre was described as having a ceiling "designed from the celebrated Painting by Rubens, in the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
; the Fronts of the two tiers of Boxes are formed in compartments of Groups of Figures from the Mythology: the space between each Panel finished by a splendid Drapery of Green and Gold, in imitation of the Ornamental arrangement of the Italian Opera in 1831, the whole forming a coup d'oeil of elegant embellishment never before attempted in Wisbech". Hill was also the owner of the newspaper ''The Star in the East'', in which he promoted the theatre's productions, such as the four day engagement of vocalist Harriet Waylett. He built a progressive infant school in front of the theatre in 1838. Mr Young performed the titles roles in ''Virginius'' and ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' and took the part of
Quasimodo Quasimodo (from Quasimodo Sunday) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the novel ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (1831) by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster, but h ...
in ''Esmerelda'' in March 1838.
Richard Owen Sir Richard Owen (20 July 1804 – 18 December 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and paleontologist. Owen is generally considered to have been an outstanding naturalist with a remarkable gift for interpreting fossils. Owe ...
returned that year to give three lectures. The Wisbech Dramatic Society gave their first performances, ''
The Castle Spectre ''The Castle Spectre'' is a 1797 dramatic romance in five acts by Matthew "Monk" Lewis. It is a Gothic drama set in medieval Conwy, Wales. ''The Castle Spectre'' was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 14 December 1797. The ori ...
'' and ''Hunting a Turtle'', in December 1838 and January 1839. They performed '' The Honeymoon'' and '' The Haunted Inn'' in June. The theatre pit was boarded over to facilitate the 1839 New Year's Eve Ball. In March 1839 the theatre hosted circus acts for three days. Also in 1839, Mrs Robertson engaged Henry Compton to perform at Wisbech and other Lincoln circuit venues. A critic wrote that his performance as Touchstone in ''As You Like It'' and as Mawwarm in Isaac Bickerstaff's ''The Hypocrite'' "was capital, he kept the audience in one tumult of laughter from beginning to end". On 27 June 1840 James and Thomas Hill went bankrupt, and their estates were sold by auction, including the Wisbech theatre, which Mrs Robertson was then leasing.


1841 to 1899

The theatre opened for the usual five-week season on 5 March 1841 with a new company and extensive internal alterations. The ''Cambridge Independent Press'' described the improvements: " floor has been laid along the entire length from the stage to the boxes, and the space hitherto appropriated to the stage, tastefully embellished with variegated drapery; the ensemble forming an elegant saloon, adapted to public assemblies, lectures, &c., but easily convertible, we believe, to its original use." In October a newspaper reported that "Wisbech old workhouse is to be sold on the 30th inst., the building is of immense size, in a good situation, and at small expense might be converted into a theatre. The present theatre is much too small, and in a miserable situation, difficult of access in carriages." A later report gave further details of the interior: The ''Stamford Mercury'' reported, in 1842: "A Travelling fair known as The Mart arrives in Wisbech each March for 'Mart Week'. ... th travelling performers and the local theatre sought to benefit from the large crowds attending the fair and race weeks." Other travelling exhibitions used the theatre as a venue; in November 1842 a Grand Moving Panorama was set up at the theatre, claiming to use 20,000 feet of canvas to display scenes such as the "Fire of York Minster" and the whole city of New York. Prices were similar to those for a theatrical performance: Boxes 2s, Pit 1s and Gallery 6d. In April 1843, ''The Theatre'' wrote: "Mrs Robertson had her farewell benefit, having resigned the management f her theatresto her nephew, Mr. illiam ShaftoeRobertson. She appeared in the character of Lady Eleanor Irwin, in
Elizabeth Inchbald Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention. Life Bo ...
's comedy ''Everyone has his Fault'' after which she delivered a very neat and appropriate address. There was a full house, but we are sorry to say the season has been productive of very few even tolerable houses." The recently redecorated theatre was offered for sale by auction at the White Hart Inn in May 1843. The Robertson company continued as a tenant. The
Licensing Act 1737 The Licensing Act of 1737 is a defunct Act of Parliament in the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a pivotal moment in theatrical history. Its purpose was to control and censor what was being said about the British government through theatre. The act ...
was modified by the
Theatres Act 1843 The Theatres Act 1843 (6 & 7 Vict., c. 68) (also known as the Theatre Regulation Act) is a defunct Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It amended the regime established under the Licensing Act 1737 for the licensing of the theatre in Great B ...
so that spoken drama could be performed in any theatre. In November 1843 the Wisbech Theatre was again put up for auction "in an excellent condition". In 1845
Joseph Richardson Joseph or Joe Richardson may refer to: * Joseph Richardson (American politician) (1778–1871), United States Representative from Massachusetts * Joseph Richardson (Liberal politician) (1830–1902), Liberal Party politician in England, MP for So ...
's Rock Band gave morning and evening concerts with their
lithophone A lithophone is a musical instrument consisting of a rock or pieces of rock which are struck to produce musical notes. Notes may be sounded in combination (producing harmony) or in succession (melody). It is an idiophone comparable to instrumen ...
. Star appearances at Wisbech and the rest of the Lincoln theatre circuit in spring 1845, for which the theatres charged premium prices, were
Charles Kean Charles John Kean (18 January 181122 January 1868), was an English actor and theatre manager, best known for his revivals of Shakespearean plays. Life Kean was born at Waterford, Ireland, a son of actor Edmund Kean and actress Mary Kean (''ne ...
and his wife
Kate Terry Kate Terry (21 April 1844 – 6 January 1924) was an English actress. The elder sister of the actress Ellen Terry, she was born into a theatrical family, made her debut when still a child, became a leading lady in her own right, and left the stag ...
; her roles included Miss Halley in ''The Stranger'' and a role in ''
The Honey Moon ''The Honey Moon'' is a play by John Tobin. History It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 31 January 1805; Maria Rebecca Davison played Juliana. It opened in Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of S ...
''. By the mid-1840s the situation for suburban theatres was becoming more difficult financially, and the theatre companies sought subscriptions to keep going: "Mr. Robertson has announced his intention of opening the theatre at Wisbech during the month of May, provided the inhabitants will at once engage 30 season tickets, at £1 each the subscription to extend over one year, for which Mr R guarantees twenty separate performances; the arrangement will include the engagement of all 'stars' introduced in the course of the year. ... great many applications have already been made for season tickets."
Henry Langdon Childe Henry Langdon Childe (1781–1874) was an English showman, known as a developer of the magic lantern and dissolving views, a precursor of the dissolve in cinematic technique. While the priority question on the technical innovations Childe used i ...
's chromatrope was exhibited by Mr Blanchard of the
Royal Polytechnic Institution , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...
in late May. The press reported: "The dissolving views and images of animalculae were seen by numerous visitors". In July 1846 Robertson's theatrical company performed a play ''Mind how you Wed!'' written by Dr Whitsed, a local GP and later mayor. The season finished with another benefit for Mrs Robertson featuring ''The Beggar on Horseback'' and the ''Robber's Wife''; a full house was reported. In May 1847 Mr Davenport, manager of several
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
theatres, took a season at the Wisbech theatre, which commenced with ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''. In August the Distin family performed a well attended concert. The following year, the composer Henry Russell gave a concert at the theatre in May. In August Robertson had a portable theatre erected in Pickard's Lane in Wisbech. Whereas the lease of the Wisbech Theatre would be £400, the temporary theatre cost him not more than £50. In December a political lecture at the theatre was given by J. Kingsley of the
British Anti-State Church Association The Liberation Society was an organisation in Victorian England that campaigned for disestablishment of the Church of England. It was founded in 1844 by Edward Miall as the British Anti-State Church Association and was renamed in 1853 as the Soc ...
. In 1850 the building ceased being used as a venue for regular theatrical performances and was then used as a concert room. In August that year Mr & Miss Southgate of Wisbech Castle presented a "drawing-room" entertainment, and
Henry Vincent Henry Vincent (10 May 1813 – 29 December 1878) was active in the formation of early Working Men's Associations in Britain, a popular Chartist leader, brilliant and gifted public orator, prospective but ultimately unsuccessful Victorian membe ...
delivered a lecture on the
Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
. The following year, a building (probably the former school) was referred to as "Concert-room, Crescent Passage" when used for a lecture on Bloomerism and for lectures by Mrs Balfour that year and in 1853. One lessee after that was Mr Saunders, a tent and marquee maker. In 1897, the School of Science and Art leased the theatre property. At that time, the theatre building still contained the stage and gallery, with the school occupying the former infant school in the front of building.


20th century

A poster in the
Wisbech & Fenland Museum The Wisbech & Fenland Museum, located in the town of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, is one of the oldest purpose-built museums in the United Kingdom. The museum logo is W&F. History Initially a member-based organisation ...
printed by Poyser's records that the building was put up for auction as "The Old Theatre", to be sold by Johnson & Easter in July 1921 at the White Lion hotel. At this time it had a pedestrian entrance from Crescent Passage. The stable, coach house and yard were occupied by Dr C. H. Gunson. In 1978, the theatre building was "rediscovered" by drama enthusiasts looking for a space to rehearse their productions, and they renovated it, together with the school property, as the Angles Theatre. On 25 November 1978 a civic opening of the building was attended by the Mayor of Wisbech and chairman of Fenland District Council and presided over by Anton Rogers. Richard Leacroft, architect and theatre historian, gave a lecture on the development of regional theatre. Another speaker was Gregor MacGregor of the
Georgian Theatre Royal The Georgian Theatre Royal is a theatre and historic Georgian playhouse in the market town of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is among the oldest of Britain's extant theatres. It was built in 1788 by the actor-manager Samuel Butler (1 ...
in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
, North Yorkshire. Four days later the Angles Theatre Company staged ''
She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays from the 18th ...
''. This was one of the most regularly staged plays in the theatre's heyday. This may be in part because its author,
Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...
, stayed with the Lumpkin family at Park House,
Leverington Leverington is a village and civil parish in the Fenland District of Cambridgeshire, England. The settlement is to the north of Wisbech. At the time of the 2001 Census, the parish's population was 2,914 people, including Four Gotes, increasin ...
, and lampooned his friend Nicholas Lumpkin (1748–1825); Goldsmith may even have written part of the play while at Park House. After spending much of his wealth Lumpkin moved to Wisbech where he died in 1825. On 23 September 1979 the musical ''
Songbook A song book is a book containing lyrics for songs. Song books may be simple composition books or spiral-bound notebooks. Music publishers also produced printed editions for group singing. Such volumes were used in the United States by piano manu ...
'' was performed at the theatre after relocating from the
Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 986 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague an ...
for the single performance. This event was arranged by cast member and president of the Angles Theatre
Anton Rodgers Anthony "Anton" Rodgers (10 January 1933 – 1 December 2007) was an English actor and occasional director. He performed on stage, in film, in television dramas and sitcoms. He starred in several sitcoms, including ''Fresh Fields'' (ITV, ...
. The Wisbech Players' first production at the theatre was ''
Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...
'' in 1979; they then used other venues until their production of '' The Unexpected Guest'' in 1988. The architecture of the building was documented in 1980 by Richard Leacroft, who used the timbers and doorways to deduce the original design of the building. He noted that the size, shape and layout of the auditorium was similar to that of the
Georgian Theatre Royal The Georgian Theatre Royal is a theatre and historic Georgian playhouse in the market town of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It is among the oldest of Britain's extant theatres. It was built in 1788 by the actor-manager Samuel Butler (1 ...
in Richmond, North Yorkshire, but the current design does not reflect the original form. In the 1980s the theatre's director was Rex Mountain. His first production in 1983 was a
Ray Cooney Raymond George Alfred Cooney, OBE (born 30 May 1932) is an English playwright, actor, and director. His biggest success, '' Run for Your Wife'' (1983), ran for nine years in London's West End and is its longest-running comedy. He has had 17 ...
Farce, ''
Not Now Darling ''Not Now, Darling'' is a 1967 farce written by English playwrights John Chapman and Ray Cooney, first staged at the Richmond Theatre, in Richmond, England prior to a long West End run. The production starred Donald Sinden and Bernard Cribbi ...
''. The theatre company also toured; in 1987 its performances included
David Storey David Malcolm Storey (13 July 1933 – 27 March 2017) was an English playwright, screenwriter, award-winning novelist and a professional rugby league player. He won the Booker Prize in 1976 for his novel ''Saville''. He also won the MacMillan ...
's ''Home'' at
Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...
, Norfolk, and ''Romeo and Juliet'' outdoors at
Wisbech Castle Wisbech Castle was a stone to motte-and-bailey castle built to fortify Wisbech (historically in the Isle of Ely and now also in the Fenland District of Cambridgeshire, England) on the orders of William I in 1072, it probably replaced an earlier ...
. The theatre suffered a fire in 1991.


21st century

In 2018 the Angles Theatre celebrated the 40th Anniversary of its reopening with an extensive programme of events including a production of ''She Stoops to Conquer''. The 2019
pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
production was ''
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
– the Fairy Godmother of pantomimes'' by Tom Whalley. The entrance to the theatre is on Alexandra Road. The theatre closed early in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. It received government funding in 2021 and, after refurbishment, reopened on 23 September 2021, with Willy Rushton's ''
Educating Rita ''Educating Rita'' is a stage comedy by British playwright Willy Russell. It is a play for two actors set entirely in the office of an Open University tutor. Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, ''Educating Rita'' premièred at The Wa ...
'', followed by other productions and a Christmas pantomime.


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *{{cite book, title=Treading the Boards, author=Neil R Wpublisher=Society for Lincolnshire History & Archaeology, year=2016


External links


Angles Theatre website
Wisbech 1791 establishments in England Theatres completed in 1791 Theatres in Cambridgeshire Grade II listed theatres Grade II listed buildings in Cambridgeshire Georgian architecture in England