Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It opened in 1997. The Stoke Repertory Theatre Players present a season of plays each year. The theatre is also a venue for local dance, drama and musical theatre companies.

History

Stoke Repertory Theatre Players

A group of amateur actors and actresses in Stoke-on-Trent met in 1920 to stage the play '' Caste'' by T. W. Robertson, which they performed in February 1921 at the Empire Theatre, Longton. They later created a theatre, converted from a mission church in Beresford Street in

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire * Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire * Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bed ...

; it opened in March 1933 with the play ''

Lean Harvest ''Lean Harvest'' is a 1931 play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. It portrays a married couple in the years after the First World War, with the ''New Statesman'' review concluding that the moral of the play was "too much money and too little mo ...

'' by

Ronald Jeans Ronald Jeans (10 May 1887 – 16 May 1973) was a British playwright with a career spanning nearly 50 years. Early life Ronald Jeans was born in Oxton, Merseyside, the younger son of Sir Alexander Grigor Jeans (1849–1924), the founder and ma ...

. They subsequently presented a season of varied plays each year. The theatre in Beresford Street closed in May 1997."The Repertory Players 1920–2017". ''Rep at 20''. Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre. (Brochure for 2017–2018)

New theatre

In 1992 the Stoke Repertory Theatre Players were on the verge of purchasing the former Empire Theatre in Longton where the group had performed some years prior, more recently converted into a bingo hall. There were plans to renovate the building back to its original state as a theatre. On New Year's Eve 1992, days before the purchase was due to be completed, the building was destroyed by fire. The building of the new theatre was subsequently proposed to replace the deteriorating theatre in Shelton. Funds received for the project included donations from local businesses, and a grant from the

National Lottery Community Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to ...

. The theatre was designed by Hulme Upright and Partners. It opened in November 1997, with a production of ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier ...

'' by

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce '' Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy''. His novels, such as '' Towards the End of the M ...

The theatre today

The theatre seats 250. The Rep is a limited company with charitable status, and is staffed by volunteers. The theatre normally presents during the year a season of six plays. It is also hired by local dance, drama and musical theatre companies."Stoke Repertory Theatre"
''Visit Stoke''. Retrieved 28 October 2020.

References

{{Stoke-on-Trent Buildings and structures in Stoke-on-Trent Theatres in Staffordshire Culture in Stoke-on-Trent 1997 establishments in England