Gordon Craig Theatre
The Gordon Craig Theatre is the only major theatre in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. 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 and is connected to the station by a bridge extending across the dual carriageway. The Arts & Leisure Centre is accessible by train, car, bus and foot.Taking its name from Edward Gordon Craig, 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.
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 up to 12.2m wide and the stage depth is 7.62m. The theatre boasts a proud tradition of presenting plays, pantomime, opera, 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 Messrs 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 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 3rd 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 Stevenage Borough Council, 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 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, 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 pantomime. 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.Year | Production | Cast Included: | Director | Producer | Ticket Prices | Features | Refs. |
1975/1976 | Dick Whittington | George Chishold, Alan Wells, Don Crann, Sandra Carrier, Jackie Gaytone, Graham Woolnough | Bunny Baron | 70p - £1.00 | |||
1976/1977 | Cinderella | Adrienne Posta, Anita Graham, Elizabeth Suggars, Henry Metcalfe, Stanley Beard, Vivienne McKee | Robin Bowditch | Mark Furness | £1.00 - £1.40 | two real ponies | |
1977/1978 | Babes in the Wood | Alan Granville, Davies and Gray, Elise Gilman-Abel, Eunice Black, Jan Austen, John Boulter, John Bromley, Rodney Diak | Tony Clayton | £1.10 - £1.60 | |||
1978/1979 | Mother Goose | ||||||
1979/1980 | Aladdin | Alan Randall, Carol Leroy, David Barry, David Masterman, George Reibbitt, Roz Cole, Sara Rae-Maddern, Valentine Palmer | Ron Richards | Malcolm Knight | £1.40 - £2.00 | ||
1980/1981 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Bob Grant, Charlie Gray | Ron Richards | Malcolm Knight | £1.80 - £2.50 | ||
1981/1982 | Sinbad the Sailor | Alan Randall, Ken Wilson, Michele Breeze, Richard Wilding, Adam Daye and John O’Flynn | Ron Richards | Malcolm Knight | £2.20 - £3.20 | ||
1982/1983 | Goldilocks and the Three Bears | Deborah Watling, Colin Baker, Michael Sharvill Martin, Spencer K Gibbins, Davis & Field | |||||
1983/1984 | Cinderella | Peter Byrne, Betty Benfield, Kathryn Apanowicz, Ken Wood, Linda Hayden, Nigel Ellacot, Peter Robbins, Spencer K. Gibbins | Peter Byrne | Paul Elliott | £2.25 - £4.00 | Perrier Petite Ponies | |
1984/1985 | Puss in Boots | Andrew Betts, Bobby Crush, Carol Leroy, Georgina Cole Young Set, Jane Stevens, John Ayldon, Mimi Law | Charles Haley Productions | £2.25 - £4.00 | |||
1985/1986 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Nicholas Smith, Nicola Bryant | Kevin Wood | Kevin Wood Productions | |||
1986/1987 | Aladdin | Floella Benjamin, Paul Laidlaw, Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Productions | ||||
1987/1988 | Dick Whittington | Ian Lavender, Ricky Simmons, Jane Hardy, Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Productions | £2.80 - £5.30 | |||
1988/1989 | Babes in the Wood | John Clegg, Nigel Pivaro, Paul Laidlaw, Tessa Hatts | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Productions | £3.25 - £5.95 | a real waterfall | |
1989/1990 | Cinderella | Barbara Windsor, Richard Whitmore, Bobbie Lawrence, Paul Laidlaw, Steve Marsh, Richard Swerrun | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Productions | £3.25 - £6.50 | ||
1990/1991 | Mother Goose | Alfred Marks, Terry Hall, Paul Laidlaw, Steve Marsh, Dorothy Vernon, Claire Woyka, Peter Russell, Nigel Makin | Kevin Wood Productions | £3.50 - £7.00 | dancing fountains | ||
1991/1992 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Ruth Madoc, Paul Laidlaw, Steve Marsh | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Productions | £4.65 - £8.15 | ||
1992/1993 | Puss in Boots | Jack Smethurst, Paul Laidlaw, David Horn, Terry Gleed, Andrew Truluck | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Productions | |||
1993/1994 | Aladdin | Barbara Windsor, Paul Laidlaw, Jeff Stevenson | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Productions | £5.00 - £9.50 | flying carpet, cascading waterfall | |
1994/1995 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Maggie Dence, Michelle Hatch, Warwick Davis, Kim Smith, Andrew Truluck | Malcolm Farquhar | Kevin Wood Productions | |||
1995/1996 | Dick Whittington | John Altman, Colin Deveraux, John Pickard, Mark Rattray, Andrew Truluck, Amanda Noar | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Productions | |||
1996/1997 | Sleeping Beauty | Kate O'mara, Mark Rattray | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £6.50 - £11.25 | ||
1997/1998 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Toby Anstis, Jess Conrad, Colin Devereaux, Alistair Divall, Deborah Chad | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £7.00 - £11.25 | ||
1998/1999 | Cinderella | Romana D'Annunzio, Arvid Larsen, Paul Zerdin, Richard Cawley, Scott St Martyn, Richard Whitmore, Joanne Conway | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | Ice Skating Scene | ||
1999/2000 | Aladdin | Diane Louise Jordan, Colin Devereaux, Warwick Davies, Marcel Bracks and Philip Madoc | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £7.95 - £12.45 | jewelled cavern, laser spectacular | |
2000/2001 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Toyah Willcox, Colin Devereaux, Warwick Davis, Jez Edwards, Scott St Martyn, Warwick Davies, Sophie Martin, Stephen Gaunt | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £7.25 - £12.85 | laser in the forest | |
2001/2002 | Dick Whittingdon | Jez Edwards, Jonathan Owen, Lynette McMorrough, Peter Duncan, Philip Madoc, Scott St Martin | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | laser show | ||
2002/2003 | Cinderella | Bradley Walsh, Jack Edwards, Lynette McMorrough, Melissa Familly, Scott St Martyn, Stephen Hunt | Peter Denyer | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | Real Ponies and Carriage | ||
2003/2004 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Bradley Walsh, Paul Laidlaw, Emily Brooks, Jack Edwards, Ben Dudley, Amanda Hall | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | Laser Show | ||
2004/2005 | Aladdin | Gemma Harris, Graham Kent, Lucy Benjamin, Mike McClean, Paul Laidlaw, Scott St Martyn | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £8.00 - £17.00 | Laser Show | |
2005/2006 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Shane Lynch, Sarah Shepherd, Paul Laidlaw, Ben Roddy, Steve Walls | Paul Laidlaw | Kevin Wood Pantomimes | £10.00 - £17.75 | ||
2006/2007 | Dick Whittington | Paul Laidlaw, Jack Edwards, Sheila Ferguson, Stefan Booth | Paul Laidlaw | Evolution Pantomimes | £9.00 - £19.50 | Projection Underwater Scene | |
2007/2008 | Cinderella | Ben Nicholas, Amanda Barrie, Paul Laidlaw, Scott St. Martyn, Ben Roddy, Rachel Jerram | Paul Laidlaw | Evolution Pantomimes | Real Ponies and Carriage | ||
2008/2009 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Ben Nicholas, David Spinx, Claire Huckle, Kate Burrell, Keith Miller, Paul Burling, Paul Laidlaw, Scott St Martyn | Paul Laidlaw | Evolution Pantomimes | Laser Show | ||
2009/2010 | Aladdin | John Altman, Paul Laidlaw, Tom Beard, Phil Holden, Junix Inocian, Kate Burrell, Craig Perry, Laura Emmitt | Paul Laidlaw | Evolution Pantomimes | Laser Show | ||
2010/2011 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Sue Holderness, Daniel Boys, Paul Laidlaw, Katie Rowley-Jones, Chris Clarkson, Claire Rickard | Paul Laidlaw | Jordan Productions | Snow Scene | ||
2011/2012 | Beauty and the Beast | Bernie Nolan, Paul Laidlaw, Leanne Jones, Chris Clarkson, Rachel Jerram, Graham James, Simon Pontin | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Magical Flying end of Act 1 | ||
2012/2013 | Robin Hood | Brian Capron, Paul Laidlaw, Tracey Penn, David Dobson, Ray Griffiths, Paul Bentley, John Alistair, Francesca Leyland | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Waterfall and Rain | ||
2013/2014 | Cinderella | Gillian Wright, Paul Laidlaw, Derek Walker, Scott Cripps, Rebecca Tyson, Rebecca Lisewski, Imogen Brooke, Graham James | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Flying Horse and Carriage | ||
2014/2015 | Aladdin | Shaun Williamson, Paul Laidlaw, Junix Inocian, Aidan O'Neill, Hannah Malekzad, CG Fraser, Micha Richardson, Christina Hoey, Adam Shorey | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Laser Show | ||
2015/2016 | Sleeping Beauty | Wendi Peters, Paul Laidlaw, Aidan O'Neill, Gregor Stewart, Daniella Piper, Nicola Bryan, Paul Bentley | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | CO2 Jets, Flame Projections | ||
2016/2017 | Peter Pan | Tom Lister, Paul Laidlaw, Aidan O'Neill, Twist & Pulse, Ewan Goddard, Laura Baldwin, Amanda Coutts, Sinead Long, Amy Oxley | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Water Fountains and Ball Pit | ||
2017/2018 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Cliff Parisi, Melanie Masson, Paul Laidlaw, Aidan O'Neill, Lisa Mathieson, Victoria Farley, Sion Tudor Owen, Matt Lee-Steer | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Giant Beanstalk that was climable | ||
2018/2019 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Hannah-Jane Fox, Matt Lapinskas, Paul Laidlaw, Aidan O'Neill, Hannah Boyce, Ray Griffiths, Lee Hill, Greg Doherty, Hayley Burroughs, Karen Anderson, Mark Sealey, James Lusted | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Snow Scene | ||
2019/2020 | Beauty and the Beast | Carli Norris, Paul Laidlaw, Aidan O'Neill, Grace Lancaster, Alex Scott-Fairley, Rebecca Vere, Neil Stewart | Chris Jordan | Jordan Productions | Auditorium Flying |
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:- Luton Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society
- Broadhall Players
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The English Sinfonia