The Bacon Theatre is a medium-scale venue on the site of

Dean Close School Dean Close School is a public school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school is divided into pre-prep, preparatory and senior schools located on separate but adjacent sites outside Cheltenham town centre, occupying the largest private ...

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

. The theatre provides a teaching and leisure resource for the school as well as being available to hire for local community groups and providing a full programme of professional events.

History

Originally named ''The New Theatre'', the 566-seater venue was opened on 29 October 1991 by the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire; Colonel Sir Martin Gibb . The architect, Richard Slawson, also designed the Edwards Building at Dean Close, consisting of a large dining room and classroom complex. Both buildings featured high sloping wooden roofs, unique at the time of building. The financing of the whole project, some £2 million, was partly funded from the sale of land; partly from careful housekeeping and partly by an appeal. Many local people, including staff and parents of Dean Close, donated sums or items towards the project. Notable donations include the Waterford chandelier hanging in the 'Orangery' (the theatre foyer), the marble floor and a

Steinway Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in Manhattan by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth led to the opening of a ...

concert grand piano. The 'Orangery' was named after the special orange trees originally grown in the space. The first production to take place in the New Theatre was ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' by Dean Close scholars in November 1991. Directed by the head of English and Drama, Peter Cairns, the production continued an old school tradition by including two members of staff in the cast, Richard Taylor as Sir Toby Belch and Lloyd Allington as Malvolio. Towards the end of 1994, the

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's ''

Any Questions? ''Any Questions?'' is a British topical discussion programme "in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media, and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience". It is typically broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays at 8 p ...

'' was broadcast from the New Theatre. The team comprised Baroness

Shirley Williams Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, (' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet from ...

, the Rt Hon.

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British politician, writer and diarist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

, MP, the Rt Hon.

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

, MP, and

Anne Atkins Anne Atkins is an English novelist, writer and broadcaster. The author of four novels – ''The Lost Child'', ''On Our Own,'' ''A Fine and Private Place'', and ''An Elegant Solution'' – as well as three books of non-fiction, she is a regular c ...

, journalist, broadcaster and a Dean Close parent. The show was hosted by

Jonathan Dimbleby Jonathan Dimbleby (born 31 July 1944) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David Dimbleby. ...

. In 1998 the theatre took on the name of Dean Close's headmaster, Christopher Bacon on the occasion of his retirement.

Usage

The theatre is equipped to present small and medium-scale theatre productions, live music, full-scale ballet and films. Performers such as the

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux as a bit of fun. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is b ...

Joe Pasquale Joseph Ellis Pasquale (born 20 August 1961) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He won the fourth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' in 2004 and participated in the eighth series of ''Dancing on Ice'' ...

Derren Brown Derren Brown (born 27 February 1971) is an English mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author. He began performing in 1992, making his television debut with ''Derren Brown: Mind Control'' in 2000, and has since produced several more shows fo ...

and

Vienna Festival Ballet The Vienna Festival Ballet, is a classical ballet company founded in 1980 by Peter Mallek. Based in the United Kingdom, they typically spend eight months of the year touring small and medium venues around the country, with the occasional foreign tr ...

have appeared at the theatre in the recent past. The theatre is home to the Cheltenham Film Society who present a season of films between September and April each year. The theatre has hosted events for the Science, Literature and Music Festivals which form part of the

Cheltenham Festivals Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that aims to bring joy, spark curiosity, connect communities, and inspire change year-round with four world-class Festivals in Jazz, Science, Music and Literature, and charitable programmes for educ ...

. The theatre and other facilities onsite are home to the European String Teachers Association's summer school, The Cheltenham Recorder Festival, The Cheltenham Rock School and the World Youth Guitar Festival. A number of local community groups hire the Bacon Theatre including: *CoadyCrew Dance Studios *Corraine Collins Dance Studios *Danceworks *DeNovo Dance *Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum *Gloucester Gang Show *Gloucestershire Dance *Gloucestershire Girl Guides *Hatherley Dance Centre *Holst Birthplace Museum *Janet Marshall Dance Studios *Mandy Godding Dance and Theatre Arts *Promenade Productions *Sally Prout School of Dance *Stage Experience *Stagecoach *The Salvation Army

Open-air Theatre Festival

The Bacon Theatre administrates the ''Open-air Theatre Festival'' at the Tuckwell Amphitheatre each year. The Tuckwell Amphitheatre is a stone-built open-air venue built in the 1930s, and is currently licensed to hold 300. The ''Open-air Theatre Festival'' was piloted in 2004 and is held over two weeks in July and August each year. Regular contributors include Miracle Theatre, Peter Gill, Jenny Wren Productions, Rain or Shine Theatre Company and The Pantaloons.

References

External links

Official WebsiteDean Close School website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon Theatre Theatres in Gloucestershire Culture in Cheltenham Buildings and structures in Cheltenham 1991 establishments in England Theatres completed in 1991