Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre is a theatre in

Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England. It has an estimated population of 259,965 as of 2022, making it the largest settlement in Staffordshire ...

, England. It opened in 1997. The Stoke Repertory Theatre Players present a season of plays each year. The theatre is also a venue for local dance, drama and musical theatre companies.

History

Stoke Repertory Players

A group of amateur actors and actresses in Stoke-on-Trent met in 1920 to stage the play ''

Caste A caste is a Essentialism, fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (en ...

'' by

T. W. Robertson Thomas William Robertson (9 January 1829 – 3 February 1871) was an English dramatist and stage director known for his development of Naturalism (theatre), naturalism in British theatre. Born to a theatrical family, Robertson began as an acto ...

, which they performed in February 1921 at the

Empire Theatre, Longton The Empire Theatre (earlier the Queen's Theatre) was a theatre in Longton in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It was later a cinema and a bingo hall; it was destroyed by fire in 1992. History The theatre was originally named the Queen's Theatre. The firs ...

. They later created a theatre, converted from a mission church in Beresford Street in

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire * Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire * Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedf ...

; it opened in March 1933 with the play ''

Lean Harvest ''Lean Harvest'' is a 1931 play by the British writer Ronald Jeans. It portrays a married couple in the years after the First World War, with the ''New Statesman'' review concluding that the moral of the play was "too much money and too little mo ...

'' by

Ronald Jeans Ronald Jeans (10 May 1887 – 16 May 1973) was a British playwright with a career spanning nearly 50 years. Early life Ronald Jeans was born in Oxton, Merseyside, the younger son of Sir Alexander Grigor Jeans (1849–1924), the founder and ma ...

. They subsequently presented a season of varied plays each year. The theatre in Beresford Street closed in May 1997."The Repertory Players 1920–2017". ''Rep at 20''. Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre. (Brochure for 2017–2018)

New theatre

In 1992 the Stoke Repertory Players were on the verge of purchasing the former Empire Theatre in Longton where the group had performed some years prior, more recently converted into a bingo hall. There were plans to renovate the building back to its original state as a theatre. On New Year's Eve 1992, days before the purchase was due to be completed, the building was destroyed by fire. The building of the new theatre was subsequently proposed to replace the deteriorating theatre in Shelton. Funds received for the project included donations from local businesses, and a grant from the

National Lottery Community Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for " good causes". It is the largest community funder in the UK and ...

. The theatre was designed by Hulme Upright and Partners. It opened in November 1997, with a production of ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funni ...

'' by

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen (play), Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy (play), Democracy''. Frayn's novel ...

The theatre today

The theatre seats 235. The Rep is a limited company with charitable status, and is staffed by volunteers. The theatre presents five plays per year produced by the in-house Stoke Rep Players but it is also hired by local dance, drama, musicians and musical theatre companies and is busy throughout the year."Stoke Repertory Theatre"
''Visit Stoke''. Retrieved 28 October 2020.

References

{{Stoke-on-Trent Buildings and structures in Stoke-on-Trent Theatres in Staffordshire Culture in Stoke-on-Trent 1997 establishments in England