Rugby Theatre

Last updated

Rugby Theatre
Rugby Theatre 3.21.jpg
Rugby Theatre
Website
www.rugbytheatre.co.uk

Rugby Theatre is an amateur theatre in Rugby, Warwickshire, located in Henry Street in the town centre. [1]

Contents

The building which the theatre is based in on Henry Street was first opened as a 550 seat cinema called The Empire in 1913, being renamed as The Scala in 1923. In 1946 the cinema was taken over by the rival Granada company and closed. [2]

In 1946 the Rugby Amateur Theatre Society was formed with the intention of founding a permanent theatre in the town, in 1947 they obtained the former cinema and set about converting it into a theatre, re-opening it as such in 1949. [2] Among the founders of the theatre was Harry Pigott-Smith, father of famous actor Tim Pigott-Smith. [3] Today the theatre society has over 500 members. [4]

The main theatre has 270 seats, and puts on up to twelve live shows a year, ranging from classical drama to musicals, as well as hosting musical entertainments, and showing up to 20 films a year in the small cinema. [4] [5]

The theatre is a member of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain, as well as being affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association and the Association of British Theatre Technicians. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford-upon-Avon</span> Town in Warwickshire, England

Stratford-upon-Avon, commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick. The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area on the edge of the Cotswolds. In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenilworth</span> Market town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England

Kenilworth is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Coventry, 5 miles (8 km) north of Warwick and 90 miles (140 km) north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the River Avon 2 miles (3 km) north-east of the town. At the 2021 Census, the population was 22,538. The town is home to the ruins of Kenilworth Castle and Kenilworth Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby, Warwickshire</span> Town in England

Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. At the 2021 census its population was 78,117, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby, which had a population of 114,400 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuneaton</span> Market town in Warwickshire, England

Nuneaton is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth in northern Warwickshire, England, located adjacent to the county border with Leicestershire to the north-east. Nuneaton's population at the 2021 census was 94,634, an increase from 86,552 at the 2011 census making it the largest town in Warwickshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southam</span> Human settlement in England

Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaconsfield</span> Human settlement in England

Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, 23+12 miles west-northwest of central London and 16 miles south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within five miles : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuneaton and Bedworth</span> Borough & Non-metropolitan district in England

Nuneaton and Bedworth is a local government district with borough status, in northern Warwickshire, England, consisting of the towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth as well as villages such as Bulkington, Ash Green, Exhall, Galley Common and Barnacle. The borough had a population of 129,883 in a 2019-estimate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromley</span> Area of south east London

Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 9+12 miles southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 339,883 as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Warwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span>

North Warwickshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Craig Tracey, a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilton, Warwickshire</span> Human settlement in England

Bilton is a suburb of Rugby in Warwickshire, England, located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-west of Rugby town centre. It is also a ward of the Borough of Rugby, which at the 2021 Census had a population of 6,544. It comprises much of the western half of the town. Historically a village in its own right, Bilton was incorporated into Rugby in 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Pigott-Smith</span> British actor and author (1946–2017)

Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series The Jewel in the Crown, for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1985. Other noted TV roles included roles in The Chief, Midsomer Murders, The Vice, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, King Charles III and two Doctor Who stories. Pigott-Smith appeared in many notable films including: Clash of the Titans (1981), Gangs of New York (2002), Johnny English (2003), Alexander (2004), V for Vendetta (2005), Quantum of Solace (2008), Red 2 (2013) and Jupiter Ascending (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon</span> Grammar school, academy in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England

The Grammar School of King Edward VI at Stratford-upon-Avon is a grammar school and academy in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, traditionally for boys only. However, since September 2013 the school has admitted girls into the Sixth Form. It is almost certain that William Shakespeare attended this school, leading to the school widely being described as "Shakespeare's School".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick School</span> Public school in Warwick, Warwickshire, England

Warwick School is a selective, public school in Warwick, England.

Bristol is a city in South West England. As the largest city in the region it is a centre for the arts and sport. The region has a distinct West Country dialect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scala Theatre</span> Former theatre in London, England

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheringham Little Theatre</span>

Sheringham Little Theatre is a theatre in Sheringham, Norfolk, England. It stages live theatre and music, and film screenings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hospital of St. Cross, Rugby</span> Hospital in Rugby, England

The Hospital of St. Cross is a National Health Service hospital on Barby Road, in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, managed by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. It is on the south edge of Rugby above a steep slope running down to the Sow Brook valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby Parkway railway station</span> Proposed railway station in Warwickshire, England

Rugby Parkway is a proposed railway station on the eastern outskirts of Rugby, promoted by Warwickshire County Council. It was the subject of a high level feasibility study which recommended the station to be located on the Northampton Loop Line, near the Hillmorton area of Rugby, and close to new housing in Houlton and DIRFT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macready Theatre</span> Building in Rugby, Warwickshire, England

The Macready Theatre is a professional theatre on Lawrence Sheriff Street in the town centre of Rugby, Warwickshire, it is owned by Rugby School.

Richard Henry Wood DL JP FSA FRGS was a British antiquary and philanthropist.

References

  1. "Rugby Theatre". BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 Rugby: Aspects of The Past, Volume 11. Rugby Local History Research Group. 2020. pp. 39–40.
  3. "Former Advertiser reporter remembers award-winning Rugby actor best known for his police chief role". Warwickshire World. Rugby Advertiser. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rugby Theatre history article". VisitorUK. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  5. "Directory of attractions - Rugby Theatre". The Rugby Town. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

52°22′27″N1°15′37″W / 52.374129°N 1.260282°W / 52.374129; -1.260282