Everyman Theatre is a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

based in Regent Street,

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

. There are two auditoria in the building: the 718-seat main

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

and the 60-seat Studio Theatre, originally named the Ralph Richardson Studio after

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

History

The

Grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

was designed by

Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design of theatres and ...

and was originally called the New Theatre and Opera House. It was opened on 1 October 1891 with a performance by

Lillie Langtry Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe (née Le Breton, formerly Langtry; 13 October 1853 – 12 February 1929), known as Lillie (or Lily) Langtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer. Born on the isla ...

in 'Lady Clancarty'. When it was first built, the theatre seated around 1,500 people on bench seating. In 1929, the New Theatre and Opera House gained a licence to screen projected film, becoming a multi-purpose theatre and cinema. The licence stipulated the building must continue to present live performance as well as cinema. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the theatre became a Garrison Theatre, continuing to present theatre throughout the war years to civilians and the US soldiers based at Pittville. Many actors from London left the capital to escape

the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...

, bringing big names to Cheltenham. The Cheltenham Corporation ran the building after World War II until 1960. In 1959 the building closed and was at risk of being sold. The Cheltenham Theatre Association published an advertisement in September 1959 advertising "Urgent - Wanted £3,000 at once, to re-open Cheltenham Opera House". Theatre at night Jan 2018

In May 1960, the Cheltenham Theatre Association published another advertisement titled "Great News", which announced that the Everyman Theatre would open on Monday 22 May 1960 with a world premiere presentation of N.C. Hunter's '' A Piece of Silver'', starring Joyce Heron and Esmond Knight. The Cheltenham Theatre Association rebranded itself as the Everyman Theatre Association (ETA). It enjoyed booking advantages and raised money for the Theatre. Its 50th anniversary in 2010 was a great success; sadly, Covid lockdown prevented the 60th. Members enjoyed a variety of social activities, but, even before lockdown, support diminished and the ETA was wound up in late 2021. The benefits transferred to a new Priority Access Membership scheme administered directly by the theatre. On re-opening in 1960, the Everyman Theatre operated as a

Repertory Theatre A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

with several household names being part of the rep, including

William Gaunt William Charles Anthony Gaunt (born 3 April 1937 in Pudsey, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actor. He became widely known for television roles such as Richard Barrett in ''The Champions'' (1968–1969), Arthur Crabtree in '' No Place ...

Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff (born Leslie Steven Berks; 3 August 1937) is an English actor, author, playwright, theatre practitioner and theatre director. As a theatre maker he is recognised for staging work with a heightened performance style known as "Be ...

Windsor Davies Windsor Davies (28 August 1930 – 17 January 2019) was a British actor. He is best remembered for playing Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the sitcom '' It Ain't Half Hot Mum'' (1974–1981) over its entire run. The show's popularity resulted ...

and

Penelope Keith Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith (''née'' Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and '' To the ...

. The theatre closed in 1983 to coincide with the development of the Regent Arcade, during which the building underwent significant rebuilding and refurbishment. The theatre reopened in 1986 with a production of

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

, starring Jacqueline Dankworth. The Everyman Theatre is the oldest surviving working Matcham Auditorium. In 2023, the pantomime ''Mother Goose'' removed an anti-vegan song from the show after complaints from audiences.

2011 refurbishment

In 2011, the theatre closed in early May for a £3.2 million refurbishment. During the refurbishment, the main auditorium was restored and returned to a decorative style resembling Frank Matcham's original style, including bespoke wallpaper and carpets, painting by fine arts and replacement of cherubs around the auditorium. The pink paint on the iconic narrow and high Opera House proscenium arch was removed to reveal the original Scagliola marble. Above the proscenium arch, the

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...

s were restored to put original paintings representing the angels of Comedy and Tragedy back in place. The theatre reopened in September 2011 with a performance by Sir Ken Dodd.

References

External links

* Everyman Theatre * Everyman Theatre Priority Access Membership {{Authority control Theatres in Gloucestershire Buildings and structures in Cheltenham Culture in Cheltenham 1891 establishments in England Event venues established in 1891

History

2011 refurbishment

See also

References

External links