Crescent Theatre
- Proscenium
- Studio
- 340 (Main House)
- 120 (Ron Barber Studio)
- 70 (Bar)
- 40 (Roma's Room)
- 1964
- 1997
The Crescent Theatre is a multi-venue theatre run mostly by volunteers in Birmingham City Centre. It is part of the Brindleyplace development on Sheepcote Street. It has a resident company, one of the oldest theatre companies in the city, and a founding member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain. As a venue, it also hires its three performance spaces to a host of visitors each year, nationally and internationally, both amateur and professional.
In their centenary year, June 2024, it was officially announced that they would be taking over the running of the historic Old Rep Theatre from August 2024, alongside its own theatre complex in Brindleyplace.[1]
History
The company began, as the Municipal Players, in 1924. The first theatre was a converted building, formerly Baskerville Hall, in The Crescent, Cambridge Street.[2] The first production was Edmund Rostand's "The Romantics" in 1932. The theatre moved to newly built premises on Cumberland Street in 1964, designed by Graham Winteringham of S.T. Walker and Partners, with a seating capacity of 296. The apron stage and first seven rows of seats were on a revolving platform to turn the interior into an arena theatre. The two-storey building was faced with London stock bricks and black-framed windows. Phase Two of the construction would have included a restaurant and a rehearsal stage.[3]
The present theatre was opened in 1998 by Celia Imrie. The theatre it replaced was demolished in the same year. It houses four performance spaces: The Main House, Ron Barber Studio, Roma's Room, and the Bar with capacities of 340, 120, 40 and 70 respectively. The building was designed by Terry Farrell and John Chatwin.
The theatre is run by a board of directors elected from the membership including chairman, secretary and treasurer. They oversee the general direction of the theatre and all the membership activities. There is a small team of paid staff who look after the day-to-day running of the building and supervise the hire operation.
The theatre has hosted a variety of events for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Rep, the NHS and the BBC, including recent live broadcasts of Radio 1's Newsbeat and Radio 4's Any Questions.
References
External links
- Crescent Theatre Official Website
- Guardian article on the theatre
- v
- t
- e
(in height order)
- Sutton Coldfield mast
- BT Tower
- 10 Holloway Circus
- Chamberlain Clock Tower
- Alpha Tower
- Orion Building
- Sentinels
- Rotunda
- 103 Colmore Row
- The Cube
- Hyatt
- Centre City Tower
- Two Snowhill
- One Snow Hill Plaza
- Quayside Tower
- Colmore Gate
- McLaren Building
- Metropolitan House
- Edgbaston House
- The Colmore Building
- Jury's Inn
- Lloyd House
- Aston Library
- Baskerville House
- Central Police Station
- Chamberlain Clock
- Chamberlain Memorial
- Council House
- Edgbaston Waterworks
- Energy from Waste Plant
- Hall of Memory
- Library of Birmingham
- Moseley Road Baths
- Municipal Bank
- Town Hall
- Town Hall (Sutton Coldfield)
- Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park
- Moor Street
- New Street
- Snow Hill
- Other stations
Current | |
---|---|
Defunct |
|
- Adam & Eve
- Anchor Inn
- Antelope
- Bartons Arms
- Black Horse
- Brookhill Tavern
- Crown (closed)
- Crown Inn
- Fighting Cocks, Moseley
- Fox and Grapes (demolished)
- Golden Eagle (demolished)
- Lad in the Lane
- Old Crown
- Queen's Arms
- Red Lion (Handsworth; closed)
- Woodman
- 1–7 Constitution Hill
- 17 & 19 Newhall Street
- Arena Birmingham
- Ashford & Son
- Assay Office
- Birmingham Banking Company
- Birmingham Crematorium
- Bromford Viaduct
- Castle Bromwich Assembly
- Chinese Pagoda
- Fort Dunlop
- Gas Retort House
- Gas Street Studios
- Great Western Arcade
- Holliday Street Aqueduct
- ICC
- Millennium Point
- New Street Signal Box
- Perrott's Folly
- Perry Bridge
- Prison
- Proof House
- Ringway Centre
- Roundhouse
- Saracen's Head
- Selfridges
- St James's House
- Victoria Square House
- Victoria Law Courts
- Victoria Works
- Woodcock Street Baths
- Aston Hippodrome
- Birmingham Manor House
- Bishop's House
- Bishop Ryder Church
- Bordesley Hall
- Central Goods railway station
- Central Library
- Christ Church
- Church of the Messiah
- The Crescent
- The Exchange
- Five Ways Tower
- Fox Hollies Hall
- Heathfield Hall
- Highfield
- Island House
- St James the Less' Church
- Langley Hall
- Market Hall
- St Mary's, Whittall St.
- Metchley Fort
- Pebble Mill Studios
- Post & Mail Building
- Public Office
- Union Workhouse
- Architecture
- Tallest
- Board schools
- Listed
- Scheduled
- Category
52°28′38.27″N 1°54′55.48″W / 52.4772972°N 1.9154111°W / 52.4772972; -1.9154111