Theatre Centre is a UK-based theatre company touring new plays for young audiences. It was Founded in 1953 by Brian Way and Margaret Faulkes.

History

Brian Way and Margaret Faulkes founded Theatre Centre in 1953. When they produced a shortened version of

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers ( ; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime novelist, playwright, translator and critic. Born in Oxford, Sayers was brought up in rural East Anglia and educated at Godolphin School in Salisbury and Somerv ...

' '' The Man Born to Be King'', the production inspired Sayers to donate £200 to help establish the company. Many of Theatre Centre's early plays were written by Brian Way himself, who believed that plays should be written for a specific age group, and audiences are best kept small, for the best performances. Theatre Centre productions were presented informally, in the round, on the floor of school halls. The company's "initial aim was to provide a place where unemployed actors might meet and practise their art", according to Laurence Harbottle (of Harbottle & Lewis) in 2006. "What it became was the launch pad for educational theatre in schools – and what Brian became, in the next half century, was the seminal influence on that movement, worldwide". The Theatre Centre has developed plays by many writers, including Lisa Evans, Noël Greig, Mike Kenny,

Bryony Lavery Bryony Lavery (born 1947) is a British dramatist, known for her successful and award-winning 1998 play '' Frozen''. In addition to her work in theatre, she has also written for television and radio. She has written books including the biography ...

Leo Butler Leo Butler (born 1974 in Sheffield) is a British playwright. His plays have been staged, among others, by the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Almeida Theatre. His plays have been published by Bloomsbury A & C Black.

, Brendan Murray, Philip Osment,

Manjinder Virk Manjinder Virk is a British actress, director and writer. She has appeared in the television series ''Holby City'' (1999), '' Doctors'' (2000), ''The Bill'' (2004), '' The Ghost Squad'' (2005), '' Runaway'' (2009), '' Skins'' (2010), '' Monroe' ...

, Roy Williams and

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Description

Today, Theatre Centre shows tour to schools and venues around the country and the company has a focus on writers creating work for young audiences aged 4 to 18. It is a member of Theatre for Young Audiences UK (TYA-UK), a network for makers and promoters of professional theatre for young audiences. Theatre Centre is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

and is an

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...

National Portfolio Organisation.

Awards

Theatre Centre administrates two prizes for writers, the Brian Way Award for Best New Play (formerly The Children's Award, established by

) and the Adrienne Benham Award. The Brian Way Award is presented annually to the writer of a play for young people which has been professionally produced, and the Adrienne Benham Award to a writer who wishes to write a play for young people but who hasn't previously done so. Winners of the Brian Way Award for Best New Play: * 2012: Evan Placey for Holloway Jones (Synergy Theatre Company) * 2011: Keith Saha for Ghost Boy (20 Stories High) * 2010: Laurence Wilson for Blackberry Trout Face (20 Stories High) * 2009: Douglas Maxwell for The Mothership (

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

) * 2008: David Greig for Yellow Moon (TAG) * 2008: Fin Kennedy (runner-up) for Locked In (Half Moon Theatre Company) * 2007: Tim Crouch for Shopping for Shoes ( National Theatre Education Department) * 2007: Deborah Gearing (runner-up) for Burn (Shell Connections) * 2006: Neil Duffield for The Lost Warrior (Dukes Theatre, Lancaster) * 2005: Abi Bown for Hey There Boy with the Bebop ( Polka Theatre) * 2004: Charles Way for Red Red Shoes (

Unicorn Theatre The Unicorn Theatre is a children's theatre in the London Borough of Southwark, in England. It is a custom-built, RIBA Award–winning building on Tooley Street, which opened in 2005. The theatre was designed by Keith Williams, built by Arup an ...

) * 2003:

Phil Porter Phil Porter (born 1977) is a British playwright, librettist and television writer. He is a graduate of the University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research unive ...

for Smashed Eggs (Pentabus Theatre) * 2002: Brendan Murray for Eliza's House ( Royal Exchange) * 2001: Mike Kenny for Stepping Stones (Interplay) Winners of the Adrienne Benham Award: * 2012: Kenneth Emson * 2011: Marcelo Dos Santos * 2010: Paula B. Stanic * 2009: Steven Bloomer

References

Sources

''Modern British Playwriting: The 1980s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations''
Jane Milling, Methuen Drama, 2012. . *''Working With Theatre in Schools'', Clive Webster, Pitman Publishing, 1975. . *''Advice for the Young at Heart'', Roy Williams, Methuen Drama, 2013. .

External links