Address | 39 High Street, Carshalton, SM5 3BB London England |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°21′57″N0°09′35″W / 51.365941°N 0.159602°W |
Owner | Sutton London Borough Council |
Operator | Sutton Theatres Trust |
Capacity | 68–125 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1991 by HRH Prince Edward |
Architect | Edward Cullinan Architects |
Website | |
https://cryerarts.co.uk/ |
The Charles Cryer Theatre is a studio theatre located in the High Street in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. The theatre is named after the man who led the campaign to open the Secombe Theatre in neighbouring Sutton. [1] It was opened by Prince Edward in 1991. [2] [3] It closed in 2016, but in November 2019 it reopened under new management.
The theatre is housed in a building which was built as a public hall in 1874 for the village. Prior to becoming a theatre it has been used as a roller skating rink (from 1900 to 1912) and a cinema (from 1912 to 1939). [4]
To convert the building to a theatre, the roof and the facade were renewed. A stone-set wind vane and three red brick entrance arches were kept. Notable are the tiled eaves to each side of the building, which project past the front. The interior was renewed including staircases and porthole shaped windows. A new floor was designed to divide the hall in half. There is a restaurant downstairs with the box office while upstairs are the auditorium and dressing rooms. The auditorium itself features flexible seating for between 68 and 125, dependent upon the arrangement. The stage has limited space to the sides. There is a rehearsal room for performing to 20 people or less. [4]
The 1992 RIBA Downland Design Award judges commented that "the project makes a significant social contribution to the High Street. The theatre is in constant use and well-liked". [4]
Past performances have included a "sensitive treatment by a clever director and fine cast" in 2009 of Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya by the Square Peg Theatre Company, which received a five star review from the Croydon Advertiser . [5] In 2013 the theatre hosted the Breakfast Cat Theatre Company's treatment of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which was noted by the Croydon Citizen for its "skill and flair." [6]
Other past productions have included Steel Magnolias , The Tempest , Jesus Christ Superstar and The Witches of Eastwick. [7]
The theatre was included by the Independent Newspaper in a 1998 article entitled "The 50 Best: Britain's Best-kept Summer Secrets", which covered its drama workshops for children. [8]
Because of the local council's need to make budgetary savings, the venue was, along with its sister theatre, the Secombe Theatre in Sutton, identified by the Theatres Trust as one of 33 theatres in the country for inclusion on its "At Risk" register. [9] [10] Comedian Tim Vine, called on Sutton Council to reconsider its proposals. [10]
In November 2014 the local council announced that four organisations submitting outline bids to take over the two theatres had been invited to submit full business cases. [11] In January 2015 the bid by the new "Sutton Theatres Trust" (STT) was given approval by the council's environment and neighbourhood committee to take over the theatres, thus saving them from closure. Speaking about the future running of the theatres, a spokesperson for STT said: [12]
"...They really want to keep the theatres alive, have them work hard, supporting the community. The vision is to focus on community projects as well as classical and contemporary theatre, and big scale commercial dance and comedy events..."
In June 2015 the theatres were official handed over to the STT. Cllr Jill Whitehead said: "Now we can look forward to an exciting programme of activity to be unveiled by Sutton Theatres Trust this summer and their contribution to cultural life in Sutton." [13]
In August 2016, the Sutton Theatre Trust went into administration and the theatre (along with its sister theatre in the borough) closed. The administrator began looking for a buyer for the Trust. Audience numbers had doubled under the new management, but this was still not enough for the Trust to be financially viable without additional support. [14]
At a meeting in October 2018, the local council announced that the theatre would be brought back into use, following a successful bid to run the venue (on a 25-year lease) by Cryer Arts Ltd. The company plans a range of events, including music, film and theatre. [15] [16] In November 2019 it was announced that the theatre would reopen later that month. The local councillor responsible for cultural services, Steve Cook, said: "I’m really pleased that we have completed this lease and that Cryer Arts can move forward with their plans to make the Cryer a real asset to the community and a successful business. It’s great to have a new performance and music space and this has come at a good time for our bid to be London Borough of Culture in 2023. I wish Cryer Arts every success and would encourage everyone to visit, use the restaurant and bar, see a performance or hire the theatre for their group." [17]
The theatre is on TfL bus routes 127, 157, 407, and SL7 , and within walking distance of Carshalton railway station and Wallington railway station. [18]
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km2 (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood, Norbury, New Addington, Selsdon and Thornton Heath. Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the largest London borough and sixteenth largest English district.
Carshalton is a town, with a historic village centre, in south London, England, within the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south-southwest of Charing Cross, in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the middle of the village. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Carshalton was in the administrative county of Surrey.
Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton, South London, England, 9.7 miles (15.6 km) south-west of Charing Cross. Before the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington merged into the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London in 1965, it was part of the county of Surrey. Wallington is a post town in the SM postcode area.
The London Borough of Sutton is an Outer London borough in south-west London, England. It covers an area of 43 km2 (17 sq mi) and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It borders the London Borough of Croydon to the east, the London Borough of Merton to the north and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to the north-west; it also borders the Surrey boroughs of Epsom and Ewell to the west and Reigate and Banstead to the south. The local authority is Sutton London Borough Council. Its principal town is the eponymous Sutton.
Croydon is a large town in South London, England, 9.3 miles (15.0 km) south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London, it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837.
The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about 9 miles (14 km), the river passes through the London boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth, where it reaches the Thames. A short headwater – the Caterham Bourne – is partially in Surrey, the historic county of the river's catchment. Tributaries of the Wandle include Carshalton Ponds and Norbury Brook.
Sutton is the principal town in the London Borough of Sutton in South London, England. It is the administrative headquarters of the Outer London borough, on the lower slopes of the North Downs. It is 10 miles (16 km) south-southwest of Charing Cross, one of the thirteen metropolitan centres in the London Plan. The population of the town was counted as 41,483 in the 2011 census, while the borough overall counted 204,525.
Carshalton Beeches railway station is in south Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. It is between Wallington and Sutton, 13 miles 72 chains down the line from London Bridge, measured via Forest Hill.
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area, resulting in local authorities responsible for larger areas and populations. The upper tier of local government was reformed to cover the whole of the Greater London area and with a more strategic role; and the split of functions between upper and lower tiers was recast. The Act classified the boroughs into inner and outer London groups. The City of London and its corporation were essentially unreformed by the legislation. Subsequent amendments to the Act have significantly amended the upper tier arrangements, with the Greater London Council abolished in 1986, and the Greater London Authority introduced in 2000. As of 2016, the London boroughs are more or less identical to those created in 1965, although with some enhanced powers over services such as waste management and education.
Carshalton Athletic Football Club is an English football club based in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division and are based at the War Memorial Sports Ground. The club also field a women's team playing in the London and South East Regional Women's Premier Division and have one of the biggest community clubs in England with over 40 junior teams.
St Helier Hospital in the London Borough of Sutton is run by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust along with Epsom Hospital. It is located next to the large St Helier council estate and close to the major intersection known as Rosehill.
Bioregional is a British entrepreneurial charity, which aims to invent and deliver practical solutions for sustainability. It was founded in 1992 on the belief that overconsumption of resources was the driving force behind environmental degradation, and set out to find new ways for people to meet more of their needs from local resources.
Sutton High Street is a high street running north–south through the town of Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton.
The Spinney, Carshalton is a 0.4 hectare local nature reserve in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is owned by Sutton Council and managed by the council and Sutton Nature Conservation Volunteers. It used to be managed by the London Wildlife Trust.
The Secombe Theatre 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.
The Millennium Dial Armillary is one of six pieces of public art located in the town centre of Sutton in Greater London, England. The others include the Sutton heritage mosaic, the Sutton twin towns mural and the Messenger statue.
The Sutton Twin towns mural is a large mural in the form of seven individual paintings situated in Sutton High Street in the town of Sutton in Greater London, England. It is one of six works of public art in Sutton town centre.
Elliot Haydn George Colburn is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carshalton and Wallington since the 2019 general election. Colburn also served as councillor for the Cheam ward on Sutton Council from 2018 to 2022.
The 2022 Sutton London Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022. All 55 members of Sutton London Borough Council were elected. The elections took place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.
Media related to Charles Cryer Theatre at Wikimedia Commons