Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Encyclopedia
Birmingham Repertory Theatre (commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep) is a theatre
and theatre company based on Centenary Square
in Birmingham
, England
. It is one of the most influential companies in the history of the English Stage.
The Rep was founded by Barry Jackson in 1913 when the earlier amateur 'Pilgrim Players' company opened a permanent home on Station Street (now the Old Rep
). The theatre was opened on February 15, 1913 by Barry Jackson. The stated aim was to "serve an art instead of making that art serve a commercial purpose." and under Jackson the company quickly revolutionised English Theatre, promoting experimental productions and pioneering innovations such as performing Shakespeare in modern dress.
The Birmingham Civic Society
played a critical role in saving the Repertory Theatre from closure in 1924, and again in 1934-5. The link with the Repertory Theatre continues through ex officio membership of the Sir Barry Jackson Trust which holds the shares of Birmingham Repertory Theatre Ltd.
However, in spite of the unexpected box office hit 1066 And All That
in 1935 Birmingham City Council
took responsibility, founding the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Trust.
The Rep's radical reputation attracted young talent. Actors who first rose to prominence at the pre-war Rep included Laurence Olivier
, Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
, Edith Evans
, Stewart Granger
and Ralph Richardson
.
The director Peter Brook
launched his career at the Rep in 1945 and directed three plays with Paul Scofield
in 1945. Other post war actors included Albert Finney
, Ian Richardson
, Julie Christie
and Derek Jacobi
(Cochrane 2003).
Sir Barry Jackson remained managing director of the theatre until his death in 1961. In 1971 the company moved from Station Street to a new 901 seat theatre designed by Graham Winteringham
and Keith Williams Architects on Broad Street
, in the area that would later be developed as Centenary Square. The theatre was opened by Princess Margaret
and the first production to be shown in the theatre was an adaptation of Jane Austen
's Pride and Prejudice
called First Impressions which starred Patricia Routledge
. The building itself won a Royal Institute of British Architects
award in 1972.
In 1972, the Studio opened, it became an example of innovative theatre nationwide. It targeted young audiences and showcased new writing, including the world première of Death Story by David Edgar
. In 1974, David Edgar was made resident playwright. Despite the success of Oh Fair Jerusalem, the Rep board decided against staging Destiny because of its strong theme of racial tension, putting The Importance of Being Earnest
on instead.
The theatre began to make losses during the mid-1970s and the Board of Directors was restructured in an attempt to secure funding.
The Studio became popular during the 1980s and in 1988, Kenneth Branagh
temporarily relocated his Renaissance Theatre Company
to the Rep which gave Birmingham the opportunity to showcase plays by guest directors such as Judi Dench
and Derek Jacobi
.
During the 1970s and 1980s the Studio was a regular home to the Birmingham Youth Theatre
, a company which launched the careers of actors Andrew Tiernan
and Adrian Lester
among numerous others.
The theatre was refurbished and extended in 1991 after the completion of the International Convention Centre
. However, the Rep began to stop making profits as the country was hit by recession.
In 1998 the company opened "The Door" as a second auditorium specialising in new writing, replacing the Studio.
In 2004 the company controversially cancelled as series of performances of Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti
's play Behzti
after protests from Birmingham's large Sikh
community.
The theatre often trades its Christmas shows with the West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2006, The rep's revival of the musical of "The Wizard of Oz" played in Yorkshire and the Playhouse's version of "Alice in Wonderland" played in Birmingham. "The Wizard of Oz" was the Rep's biggest selling show in 93 years. It had been seen by 45,000 people by the time it closed and was the first to take more than £500,000 at the box office. In 2008, The Rep's "Peter Pan" and Yorkshire's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" swapped over. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" earned £750,000 at the box office.
As of 2011 the theatre is closed, to allow for work to remodel the building, as part of the Library of Birmingham complex. The company are working from other local theatres.
There is a blue plaque
on the exterior of the building, commemorating the pioneer of aseptic surgery, Sampson Gamgee
, who once lived on the site.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and theatre company based on Centenary Square
Centenary Square
Centenary Square is a public square on Broad Street in central Birmingham, England, named in 1989 in celebration of the centenary of Birmingham achieving city status in 1889....
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is one of the most influential companies in the history of the English Stage.
The Rep was founded by Barry Jackson in 1913 when the earlier amateur 'Pilgrim Players' company opened a permanent home on Station Street (now the Old Rep
Old Rep
The Old Rep is a theatre located in Station Street in Birmingham, England, managed by Birmingham City Council.Construction began in October 1912 and it was opened on February 15, 1913 with a performance of Twelfth Night and then a reading by its founder, Barry Jackson, of a poem written by John...
). The theatre was opened on February 15, 1913 by Barry Jackson. The stated aim was to "serve an art instead of making that art serve a commercial purpose." and under Jackson the company quickly revolutionised English Theatre, promoting experimental productions and pioneering innovations such as performing Shakespeare in modern dress.
The Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society was founded at an inaugural meeting on 10 June 1918 in The Council House, Birmingham, England and is registered with The Civic Trust. The first President of the Society, the Earl of Plymouth, addressed the assembled Aldermen, Councillors, Architects and other city...
played a critical role in saving the Repertory Theatre from closure in 1924, and again in 1934-5. The link with the Repertory Theatre continues through ex officio membership of the Sir Barry Jackson Trust which holds the shares of Birmingham Repertory Theatre Ltd.
However, in spite of the unexpected box office hit 1066 And All That
1066 and All That
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, comprising all the parts you can remember, including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman and illustrated by John Reynolds, it first...
in 1935 Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
took responsibility, founding the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Trust.
The Rep's radical reputation attracted young talent. Actors who first rose to prominence at the pre-war Rep included Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
, Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
Dame Gwen Lucy Ffrangcon-Davies, DBE was a British actress and centenarian. She was born in London of a Welsh family; the name "Ffrangcon" originates from a valley in Snowdonia...
, Edith Evans
Edith Evans
Dame Edith Mary Evans, DBE was a British actress. She was known for her work on the British stage. She also appeared in a number of films, for which she received three Academy Award nominations, plus a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award.Evans was particularly effective at portraying haughty...
, Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger
Stewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
and Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
.
The director Peter Brook
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH, CBE is an English theatre and film director and innovator, who has been based in France since the early 1970s.-Life:...
launched his career at the Rep in 1945 and directed three plays with Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield
David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
in 1945. Other post war actors included Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
, Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....
, Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
and Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
(Cochrane 2003).
Sir Barry Jackson remained managing director of the theatre until his death in 1961. In 1971 the company moved from Station Street to a new 901 seat theatre designed by Graham Winteringham
Graham Winteringham
Graham Winteringham is an English architect who was born in Louth, Lincolnshire. Winteringham's work has consisted either of public buildings or the restoration of historic buildings.-Early life:...
and Keith Williams Architects on Broad Street
Broad Street, Birmingham
Broad Street is a major thoroughfare and popular nightspot in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Traditionally, Broad Street was considered to be outside Birmingham City Centre, but as the city centre expanded with the removal of the Inner Ring Road, Broad Street has been incorporated into...
, in the area that would later be developed as Centenary Square. The theatre was opened by Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
and the first production to be shown in the theatre was an adaptation of Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
called First Impressions which starred Patricia Routledge
Patricia Routledge
Katherine Patricia Routledge, CBE is an English character comedy actress and singer. She is best known for her role as character Hyacinth Bucket in the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Hetty Wainthropp in the British television series Hetty Wainthropp Investigates...
. The building itself won a Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
award in 1972.
David Edgar (playwright)
David Edgar is a British playwright and author who has had more than sixty of his plays published and performed on stage, radio and television around the world, making him one of the most prolific dramatists of the post-1960s generation in Great Britain.He was resident playwright at the Birmingham...
. In 1974, David Edgar was made resident playwright. Despite the success of Oh Fair Jerusalem, the Rep board decided against staging Destiny because of its strong theme of racial tension, putting The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
on instead.
The theatre began to make losses during the mid-1970s and the Board of Directors was restructured in an attempt to secure funding.
The Studio became popular during the 1980s and in 1988, Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
temporarily relocated his Renaissance Theatre Company
Renaissance Theatre Company
The Renaissance Theatre Company was founded in 1987 by Kenneth Branagh and David Parfitt as a development of the work they had been doing periodically on the London 'Fringe', producing and appearing in lunchtime shows, leading up to Branagh's full-scale production of Romeo and Juliet, at the Lyric...
to the Rep which gave Birmingham the opportunity to showcase plays by guest directors such as Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
and Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
.
During the 1970s and 1980s the Studio was a regular home to the Birmingham Youth Theatre
Birmingham Youth Theatre
The Birmingham Youth Theatre was founded in 1971 in Birmingham, England by local teachers Derek Nicholls and Ray Speakman, and was based at the Midlands Arts Centre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre...
, a company which launched the careers of actors Andrew Tiernan
Andrew Tiernan
Andrew James Tiernan is an English actor.-Theatre:Tiernan began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre and moved to London in 1984 to study a three-year Diploma in Acting at the Drama Centre London run by Christopher Fettes and Yat Malmgren...
and Adrian Lester
Adrian Lester
-Personal life:Lester was born in Birmingham, England, the son of Jamaican immigrants Monica, a medical secretary, and Reginald, a manager for a contract cleaning company. He sang as a boy treble in the choir of St. Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham...
among numerous others.
The theatre was refurbished and extended in 1991 after the completion of the International Convention Centre
International Convention Centre, Birmingham
The International Convention Centre is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. The centre includes Symphony Hall and it faces Centenary Square. The building has another entrance leading to the canals of Birmingham. The Convention Quarter area, which includes Brindleyplace, is...
. However, the Rep began to stop making profits as the country was hit by recession.
In 1998 the company opened "The Door" as a second auditorium specialising in new writing, replacing the Studio.
In 2004 the company controversially cancelled as series of performances of Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti
Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti is a British Sikh writer. She has written extensively for stage, screen and radio.-Life:Bhatti studied modern languages at Bristol University and has worked as a journalist and an actress....
's play Behzti
Behzti
Behzti is a play written by the British Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. The play sparked a controversy in the United Kingdom in December 2004. A controversial scene set in a Gurdwara included scenes of rape, physical abuse and murder. Some members of the Sikh community found the play deeply...
after protests from Birmingham's large Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
community.
The theatre often trades its Christmas shows with the West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2006, The rep's revival of the musical of "The Wizard of Oz" played in Yorkshire and the Playhouse's version of "Alice in Wonderland" played in Birmingham. "The Wizard of Oz" was the Rep's biggest selling show in 93 years. It had been seen by 45,000 people by the time it closed and was the first to take more than £500,000 at the box office. In 2008, The Rep's "Peter Pan" and Yorkshire's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" swapped over. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" earned £750,000 at the box office.
As of 2011 the theatre is closed, to allow for work to remodel the building, as part of the Library of Birmingham complex. The company are working from other local theatres.
There is a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
on the exterior of the building, commemorating the pioneer of aseptic surgery, Sampson Gamgee
Sampson Gamgee
Dr Joseph Sampson Gamgee, MRCS, FRSE was a surgeon at the Queen's Hospital in Birmingham, England. He pioneered aseptic surgery , and, in 1880 invented Gamgee Tissue, an absorbent cotton wool and gauze surgical dressing...
, who once lived on the site.
External links
- Birmingham Repertory Theatre Official Website
- Birmingham Repertory Theatre Archive Database, a free online database covering Birmingham Repertory Theatre productions up to and including 1971.