Byre Theatre

Last updated

Byre Theatre
Byre Theatre, St Andrews.jpg
The back of the Byre Theatre
AddressAbbey Street
St Andrews, Fife
Scotland
OwnerFife Council
Capacity Main auditorium 220
Lawrence Levy 40-80
Construction
Opened1933
Rebuilt2001, Nicoll Russell Studios
Website
www.byretheatre.com

The Byre Theatre is a theatre in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was founded in 1933 by Charles Marford, an actor (found in the Who's Who of 1921) and Alexander B. Paterson, a local journalist and playwright, with help from a theatre group made up from members of Hope Park Church, St Andrews. [1]

Contents

Today's Byre Theatre was built by award-winning architects Nicoll Russell Studios of Broughty Ferry, Dundee. The theatre grew from Charles Marford and A.B. Paterson's aspirations for a truly modern theatre addressing the needs of the entire community. The current building was opened in 2001 by Sir Sean Connery. Its main auditorium is named after A.B. Paterson. There is also a second 80-seat performance space named after the late golf photographer, Lawrence Levy. The theatre is said to be haunted by the benevolent ghost of Charles Marford, one of its founders.

History

The Byre Theatre's first home was a disused cow byre which the group cleaned out and ran as the St. Andrews Play Club, giving performances to audiences who sat on cushions on the floor. The first performance was Murder Trial by Sydney Box in 1935. Within a couple of years, the Byre Theatre had established a considerable reputation running a programme of performances which attracted audiences the theatre was barely able to hold.

In 1969, the original building was demolished to make way for a new housing development, and in 1970 the second building was opened. At a cost of £40,000, funded by a public appeal and the local authority, it was modeled on the Mermaid Theatre in London. The facilities were modest, for both public and staff, but it was thought to be rather grand compared to its predecessor. In 1994, Ken Alexander became Artistic Director.

A.B. Paterson's last ambition was yet again to modernise and refurbish the Byre Theatre to meet current expectations and requirements, in particular to address the inadequate facilities for those with special access needs, including visual or audio impairment. At the time of his death in 1989, a proposal for expansion of the theatre's facilities had been initiated. The £5.5m expansion was completed in 2001, [2] and the theatre opened with a production of Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim. [3]

Ken Alexander was replaced as Artistic Director by Stephen Wrentmore in 2004. A cut in funding in 2006 meant that the Byre had to abandon producing its own plays, and subsequently provided a venue for visiting productions and community activities. [4] Jacqueline McKay became Chief Executive in March 2007.

In January 2013, the theatre went into administration and ceased hosting performances [5] despite a sustained campaign by "Save the Byre Theatre" activists, endorsed by figures like Sean Connery. [6]

The University of St Andrews announced in August 2014 that the theatre was to reopen under the management of the University, after striking a deal with owners Fife Council and Creative Scotland. Under the agreement, which takes the form of a 25-year lease, the Byre will be used as a theatre, educational resource, general arts venue and music centre. When the announcement was made, the University stressed that the "rescue package will be delivered at no cost to council tax payers in Fife who hitherto had subsidised the ailing theatre". [7] Michael Downes, the University of St Andrews’ Director of Music, was appointed as Artistic Director in September 2014, and replaced by Liam Sinclair in 2016. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Connery</span> Scottish actor (1930–2020)

Sir Thomas Sean Connery was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Connery originated the role in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery made his final appearance in the franchise in Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fife</span> Council area of Scotland

Fife is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. By custom it is widely held to have been one of the major Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland. A person from Fife is known as a Fifer. In older documents the county was very occasionally known by the anglicisation Fifeshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of St Andrews</span> Public university in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

The University of St Andrews is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, following the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the third-oldest university in the English-speaking world. St Andrews was founded in 1413 when the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII issued a papal bull to a small founding group of Augustinian clergy. Along with the universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, St Andrews was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrews</span> Town in Fife, Scotland

St Andrews is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, 10 miles southeast of Dundee and 30 miles northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 as of 2011, making it Fife's fourth-largest settlement and 45th most populous settlement in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Conservatoire of Scotland</span> Conservatoire in Glasgow, Scotland, UK

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and film in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Cilento</span> Australian actress (1932–2011)

Diane Cilento was an Australian actress and writer. She is best known for her film roles in Tom Jones (1963), which earned her an Academy Award nomination, Hombre (1967) and The Wicker Man (1973). She also received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Helen of Troy in the play Tiger at the Gates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Exchange, Manchester</span> Building in Manchester, England

The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Royal Exchange Shopping Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre Royal Stratford East</span> Theatre in London, England

The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose statue is outside the theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madras College</span> School in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

Madras College, often referred to as Madras, is a Scottish comprehensive secondary school located in St Andrews, Fife. It educates over 1,400 pupils aged between 11 and 18 and was founded in 1833 by the Rev. Dr Andrew Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of St Andrews Students' Association</span> Organization representing the University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews Students' Association is the organisation which represents the student body of the University of St Andrews. It was founded in 1885 and comprises the students' representative council and the Student Activities Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Grigor</span>

William Alexander Murray Grigor is a Scottish film-maker, writer, artist, exhibition curator and amateur architect who has served as director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. He has made over 50 films with a focus on arts and architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)</span> Theatre

The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of the University of St Andrews</span>

The Wardlaw Museum is associated with the University of St Andrews. The museum houses a selection of the university's historic, artistic and scientific collections, which comprise over 115,000 artefacts. They are displayed across four galleries which aim to tell the story of the university. The newly refurbished museum now has an extended temporary exhibition space as well as a new research studio and extended gift shop. also contains a 'Learning Loft' for workshops and a viewing terrace with panoramic views over St Andrews Bay.

The Other Guys (TOG) are an all-male a cappella ensemble from the University of St Andrews, Scotland and reigning Scottish champions after winning the Scottish A Cappella Championships (SACC) for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. The group was founded in 2004 and has been one of the groups responsible for the rise of collegiate a cappella in Scotland.

Fife Contemporary Art & Craft (FCA&C) is a contemporary visual art and craft organisation based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Its main activity is artist support and exhibitions.

<i>Tommys Honour</i> 2016 American film

Tommy's Honour is a 2016 historical drama film depicting the lives and careers of, and the complex relationship between, the pioneering Scottish golfing champions Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom Morris. The film is directed by Jason Connery, and the father and son are portrayed by Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden. The film won Best Feature Film at the 2016 British Academy Scotland Awards.

Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University (LA) is Lancaster University's public arts organisation. The organisation presents performances, for the public, staff and students, through its campus venues the Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster Concerts Series and the Peter Scott Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of St Andrews Boat Club</span> Scottish university rowing team

The University of St Andrews Boat Club (UStABC), founded in 1962, is the rowing team affiliated to the University of St Andrews. Operating under the University of St Andrews Athletic Union, the club competes in head races and regattas across Scotland and England, including the Head of the River Race (London), British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. Its national governing body is Scottish Rowing and the registration code of 'SAU'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Maxwell Stewart</span> Scottish industrialist (1916–1985)

Sir Iain Maxwell Stewart (1916–1985) LLD (Strathclyde), BSc, MINA, MINE, MIMEch.E was a Scottish industrialist with a strong interest in modernising industrial relations.

Stephen Wrentmore is a British theatre director, writer, educator, and strategist currently working in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ St Andrews in focus article about Alexander B Paterson [ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Connery takes centre stage at theatre". BBC. 6 June 2001. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Shuttleworth, Ian (26 June 2001). "The Financial Times" . Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Article on funding cut in The Stage
  5. ↑ "Byre Theatre in St Andrews board 'deeply regrets' closure". BBC News. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sean Connery backs campaign to save the Byre theatre in St Andrews". The Guardian. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "St Andrews Operating Theatre - Byre Brought Back To Life". University of St Andrews. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Liam Sinclair's arrival will help save Byre". The Scotsman. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.