Secombe Theatre

The Secombe Theatre (originally the Secombe Centre) was a theatre in Cheam Road, Sutton, Greater London. The theatre was opened in 1983 by the Welsh comedian Sir Harry Secombe, who lived in Sutton for over 30 years, and was named after him. The theatre went into administration and closed in August 2016. A petition to save Sutton's theatres was run in late 2016, gaining 1,350 signatures.

Theatre building

The theatre was created in 1983 out of a red-brick former Christian Science church on a large plot on Cheam Road at its junction with Gibson Road. The plot once formed part of an estate, and the original church building dates from 1937. The Theatre Trust describes the current building as commanding "a presence in the landscape".

The auditorium can accommodate 396 patrons, or 343 when the orchestra pit is being used, and it is tiered facing the end-on stage. The stage is a flat floor proscenium arch, and there is adequate wing space. Backstage there are four dressing rooms (with capacities ranging from ten to twenty cast members each). Under the previous managements, there was a multi-purpose room at the back of the theatre. Since taking over the theatres in June 2015, the new Sutton Theatres Trust has created a new 120-seat venue (180 standing capacity) in the room complete with its own sound and lighting rig as well as a self-contained bar. It was renamed "Back Door @ The Secombe". Daytime it provides an affordable rehearsal space. A large glass extension to the east side of the original building provides a bar and refreshment area, which is also open to the general public.

Productions and events

Productions at the Secombe included both modern productions and old, established plays given new twists. Since June 2015, it has become both a producing house and a receiving house. It produced two to three in-house productions a year, include a pantomime, and co-produced with theatres nationally and internationally. It attracted headline comedians and provided space for local community groups. The theatre also hosted conference events.

Past productions have included '' Steel Magnolias'', '' The Tempest'', ''Journey's End'', and ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist''. In a 2009 review of ''Souwest 09'', the ''Croydon Advertiser'' awarded the performance four stars, and described it as "visually vibrant".

The world première of the Edward Bond play, ''Dea'', was staged in 2016. Bond is said to have an "uneasy relationship with the theatre establishment", feeling that engaging people's intellect is no longer a priority for it. It was this that led to his decision to choose Sutton over the West End for the staging of the play. He said: “I would like to create something here which you couldn’t do in the West End, you couldn’t do at the Royal Court, you couldn't do at the RSC – and I know because I worked at these places. They are all part of the entertainment industry."

Former operation of the theatre

The Secombe Theatre was operated together with the nearby Charles Cryer Studio Theatre, named after the campaigner for the Secombe Theatre. (The Charles Cryer Theatre is in a former hall in Carshalton, which was converted to theatre in 1991.) Financial difficulties in 2002 had put the theatre in jeopardy, but its future was believed secure the following year when it was taken over by the London Borough of Sutton and run directly by the council.

2014 to 2015 closure risk, rescue and renaissance

In 2014, because of local council budget cuts, the venue was, along with its sister theatre, the Charles Cryer Theatre in Carshalton, identified by the Theatre Trust as one of 33 theatres in the country for inclusion on its "At Risk" register. The risk of closure spurred celebrity intervention in favour of the two theatres: writer, actor, comedian and BBC
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