The Gordon Craig Theatre is the only major theatre in

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

. Opened in 1975, the 501-seat theatre on Lytton Way houses its own rehearsal room, scenic workshop, wardrobe, cafe, bar, art gallery and restaurant.

Overview

The theatre is housed in the Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, which is situated on Lytton Way, directly opposite

Stevenage Railway Station Stevenage railway station serves the town of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England. The station is north of London King's Cross on the East Coast Main Line. Stevenage is served and managed by Great Northern, who operate Thameslink stopping serv ...

and is connected to the station by a bridge extending across the

dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...

. The Arts & Leisure Centre is accessible by train (via the bridge), car (via Lytton Way), bus (via Stevenage Bus Interchange) and foot (via the Town Centre). Taking its name from

Edward Gordon Craig Edward Henry Gordon CraigSome sources give "Henry Edward Gordon Craig". (born Edward Godwin; 16 January 1872 – 29 July 1966), sometimes known as Gordon Craig, was an English modernist theatre practitioner; he worked as an actor, director and ...

, the internationally renowned theatre practitioner who was born less than a mile away, the theatre has become a key part of the cultural offering of the area. Designed to accommodate orchestral concerts alongside produced and visiting theatrical events, it has also been used to screen films and host organ recitals. The Theatres Trust describes the theatre as: "probably the best-designed civic entertainment centre of its type in the country". The theatre was officially opened in February 1976 by HRH

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

. The Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre contains two halls. The smaller of these is the Gordon Craig Theatre itself, which has a capacity of 501. The stage features a

proscenium A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...

up to 12.2m wide and the stage depth is 7.62m. The theatre boasts a proud tradition of presenting

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

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 ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

, dance and orchestral concerts. Also located within the Arts & Leisure Centre is the Concert Hall, derived from a large gymnasium, which has a capacity of 1,200. The concert hall plays host to a variety of shows including live music and comedy.

History

From the early 1960s there was discussion on the need for an Arts / Leisure centre in the new town of Stevenage. In 1968 Stevenage Arts Trust resolved to commence the building of an Arts Centre on land granted by Stevenage Development Corporation. Architects Messr
Vincent, Gorbing and Partners
drew up detailed plans for a 488-seat theatre to cost £300,000. The scheme was put on hold due to a lack of capital. In 1968 a feasibility study was commissioned by Stevenage Urban District Council and the Stevenage Development Corporation for a combined Arts/Sports Centre. In 1969 Stevenage Urban District Council and Stevenage Development Corporation accepted the Initial Design Brief prepared by the architects. In 1972, the architects confirmed that the final design drawings were completed, the final cost was estimated at £1,610,218. The foundation stone was laid on 14 June 1974 by Baroness Lee, the former Labour minister, Jennie Lee. Opening for The Danesgate Theatre, as the building was then to be known, was planned for November 1975.

Naming and Openings

On the suggestion of Roger Dyason, the first Arts' Manager of the Centre, proposal was made in August 1975 to a Full Council Meeting of

Stevenage Borough Council Stevenage Borough Council is the local authority for the Stevenage non-metropolitan district of England, the United Kingdom. Stevenage is located in the north-east of Hertfordshire, in the East of England Regions of England, region. The Counci ...

that the theatre should be named The Gordon Craig Theatre. This motion was passed. The £2.7 million sports and arts centre opened to the public on 3 November 1975 with a gala variety bill produced by Bunny Baron featuring Ted Rogers. The Leisure Centre was officially opened in February 1976 by HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the Director of Leisure Services at

, Mr M. L. Banks.

Design

The theatre has a plain, fan-shaped auditorium with excellent sightlines. It is a modern, fully-equipped touring and, occasionally, producing theatre with fourteen dressing rooms, an optional orchestra pit, and has an intimate atmosphere; it has also been used for cinema screenings. Architect Ray Gorbing's original exterior design proved controversial. It attracted both admirers and those horrified at the aesthetic of the building. Panels of glass and reinforced plastic had been used to insulate the building against noise from rail, road and overhead aircraft. The orange coloured cladding led to it being nicknamed "Gorbing’s orange box".

The Architects' Journal ''Architects' Journal'' is an architectural magazine published in London by Metropolis International. History The first edition was produced in 1895. Originally named ''The Builder's Journal and Architectural Record'', from 1906 to 1910 it was k ...

described the building: "designed as a simple rectangular coloured box… it reflects the integration of activities within and also expresses the introvert nature of these activities…the bright colour provides a positive image." The orange cladding was later replaced.

Performances

The programme offered by the Gordon Craig Theatre is currently strongly focused on music (including tribute bands), comedy, popular dance, popular entertainment and family shows. The theatre also plays host to productions presented by local amateur and community groups. In addition, since 2012 the theatre has produced three shows in-house annually, incorporating musicals and drama.

Pantomimes

One of the major highlights of the yearly programme is the

. Incorporating some of the top names in the entertainment world and budding local performers, the theatre's pantomime attracts record-breaking attendances year on year.

Gordon Craig Theatre Productions

Notable Performances by Decade

Visiting Amateur Groups

The Gordon Craig Theatre was conceived by the local authority to provide amenities for Stevenage residents. It was built to a specification to allow use by large amateur operatic and dramatic societies with elaborate productions. Its design architect, Ray Gorbing, was an avid member of local group The Stevenage Lytton Players. Many local schools, colleges, dance, theatre, music, religious and Scouts groups have performed on the Gordon Craig Theatre's stage as well as these notable visiting groups:
The Stevenage Lytton Players

Letchworth Arcadians

Hitchin Thespians
* Luton Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society * Broadhall Players
Stevenage Symphony Orchestra

North Herts Music School

Stevenage Ladies Choir

Stevenage Male Voice Choir

The English Sinfonia

The English Sinfonia was an orchestra who made the Gordon Craig Theatre their home in 1997. To celebrate the residency, they commissioned

Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 23 March 1944) is an English composer, pianist, libretto, librettist, musicologist, and filmmaker. He is known for numerous film soundtrack, scores (many written during his length ...

to write '' Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks'', a five-movement orchestral work taking its name from the Anglo-Saxon name of the town, "Sithenaece" meaning "Strong on Oaks". The English Sinfonia's conductors, leaders and soloists at the Gordon Craig Theatre included

Bramwell Tovey Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer. Life and career Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...

, Janice Graham, Nicolae Moldoveanu,

John Lill John Richard Lill (born 17 March 1944 in London) is a British classical pianist. Biography Lill studied at the Royal College of Music with Angus Morrison, and with Wilhelm Kempff. His talent emerged at an early age, he gave his first piano rec ...

, John Farrer, Julian Llloyd Webber and

Evelyn Glennie Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish people, Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. Early life Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Sco ...

. The residency at the Gordon Craig Theatre ended in 2006.

Saturday Mornings 1975–1993

Saturday Morning shows for children were an integral part of the Gordon Craig programme in the theatre's early years. Jack Mayes lived and performed in the town and was a popular Stevenage personality, performing alongside his puppet Hairy Harry as "the almost famous Jack Mayes". His shows ran from 1975 until 1993, when he finally called it a day at The Gordon Craig Theatre.

Organ

The theatre is also notable for the popular and still playable 1932 Christie theatre organ, which was installed in 1987 after originally being in the Carlton cinema,

Tuebrook Tuebrook is a North-East area of Liverpool, England. At the 2001 census the population was 14,490. Toponymy The origin of the name may be Tew Brook, a tributary of the Alt. The brook itself is now almost entirely piped or culverted, with the l ...

, Liverpool. The re-homed Christie had its Grand Opening Concert at the Gordon Craig Theatre at 3:00pm on Sunday 27 September 1987. Five famous organists performed that afternoon; Frank Fowler (Managing Director of Hill Norman & Beard), George Blackmore, Joanna Fraser, Janet Dowsett and finally William Davies. The console for the organ can be played in the orchestra pit or brought onto the stage. The Christie Organ will be returning to the stage for the first time after a very long break, on 15th September 2022

References

{{Reflist, 30em Stevenage Theatres in Hertfordshire 1976 establishments in England