Address | 42 Cheam Rd, Sutton SM1 2SS Greater London England |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°21′42″N0°11′50″W / 51.361707°N 0.197146°W |
Owner | Sutton London Borough Council |
Operator | Sutton Theatres Trust |
Capacity | 343–396 |
Opened | 1983 |
Closed | 2016 |
Website | |
http://www.suttontheatres.co.uk/ |
The Secombe Theatre (originally the Secombe Centre) was a theatre in Cheam Road, Sutton, Greater London. [1] 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. [2] 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. In October 2022 Sutton Council announced its plans to sell off the Seycombe Theatre “the disused Secombe Theatre - will be sold and could be used for new homes, including affordable housing.” [3]
The theatre was created in 1983 out of a red-brick former Christian Science church on a large plot on Cheam Road at its junction with Gibson Road. [1] The plot once formed part of an estate, and the original church building dates from 1937. The Theatre Trust describes the current building as commanding "a presence in the landscape". [1]
The auditorium could accommodate 396 patrons, or 343 when the orchestra pit was being used, and it was tiered facing the end-on stage. The stage was a flat floor proscenium arch, and there was adequate wing space. Backstage, there were four dressing rooms (with capacities ranging from ten to twenty cast members each). Under previous managements, there was a multi-purpose room at the back of the theatre. Since taking over the theatres in June 2015, the Sutton Theatres Trust created a new 120-seat venue (180 standing capacity) in the room, complete with its own sound and lighting rig as well as a self-contained bar. It was renamed “Back Door @ The Secombe”. During the daytime, it provided an affordable rehearsal space. [4] [5] A large glass extension to the east side of the original building provided a bar and refreshment area, which was also open to the general public. [1]
Productions at the Secombe included both modern productions and old, established plays given new twists. [6] Since June 2015, it has become both a producing house and a receiving house. [7] It produced two to three in-house productions a year, include a pantomime, and co-produced with theatres nationally and internationally. It attracted headline comedians and provided space for local community groups. [8] [9] [10] [11] The theatre also hosted conference events. [1]
Past productions have included Steel Magnolias , The Tempest , Journey's End , and Accidental Death of an Anarchist . [12] In a 2009 review of Souwest 09, the Croydon Advertiser awarded the performance four stars, and described it as "visually vibrant". [13]
The world première of the Edward Bond play, Dea, was staged in 2016. [14] [15] [16] [17] Bond is said to have an "uneasy relationship with the theatre establishment", feeling that engaging people's intellect is no longer a priority for it. It was this that led to his decision to choose Sutton over the West End for the staging of the play. He said: “I would like to create something here which you couldn’t do in the West End, you couldn’t do at the Royal Court, you couldn't do at the RSC – and I know because I worked at these places. They are all part of the entertainment industry." [18] [19] [20]
The Secombe Theatre was operated together with the nearby Charles Cryer Studio Theatre, named after the campaigner for the Secombe Theatre. (The Charles Cryer Theatre is in a former hall in Carshalton, which was converted to theatre in 1991.) Financial difficulties in 2002 had put the theatre in jeopardy, but its future was believed secure the following year when it was taken over by the London Borough of Sutton and run directly by the council. [21]
In 2014, because of local council budget cuts, the venue was, along with its sister theatre, the Charles Cryer Theatre in Carshalton, identified by the Theatre Trust as one of 33 theatres in the country for inclusion on its "At Risk" register. [22] The risk of closure spurred celebrity intervention in favour of the two theatres: writer, actor, comedian and BBC presenter Tim Vine, called on Sutton Council to reconsider its proposals. [23]
On 10 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 by 12 December. The council worked with the Theatres Trust and Sutton Centre for Voluntary Services to help bidders through the bidding process. [24] On 15 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: [25]
"...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: [26]
"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."
In August 2016, the Sutton Theatre Trust went into administration and the theatre (along with its sister theatre in the borough) closed. The administrator sought 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. [27]
A petition to save Sutton's theatres was run in late 2016, gaining 1,350 signatures. It was discussed by the Council at a meeting in January 2017, [28] but as of 2024 remains closed. [29]
In October 2022 Sutton Council announced its plans to sell off the Seycombe Theatre:
“The existing Civic Centre site - which includes the council’s offices, Sutton Library, and Sutton College, as well as the Gibson Road Car Park and the disused Secombe Theatre - will be sold and could be used for new homes, including affordable housing.” [3]
Sutton mainline railway station is the nearest station. The Gibson Road car park is adjacent, and buses serve the town. [30]
Sir Harry Donald Secombe was a Welsh actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme The Goon Show (1951–1960), playing many characters, most notably Neddie Seagoon. An accomplished tenor, he also appeared in musicals and films – notably as Mr Bumble in Oliver! (1968) – and, in his later years, was a presenter of television shows incorporating hymns and other devotional songs.
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.
Cheam is a suburb of London, England, 10.9 miles (17.5 km) southwest of Charing Cross. It is divided into North Cheam, Cheam Village and South Cheam. Cheam Village contains the listed buildings Lumley Chapel and the 16th-century Whitehall. It is adjacent to two large parks, Nonsuch Park and Cheam Park. Nonsuch Park contains the listed Nonsuch Mansion. Parts of Cheam Park and Cheam Village are in a conservation area. Cheam is bordered by Worcester Park to the northwest, Morden to the northeast, Sutton to the east, Epsom, Ewell and Stoneleigh to the west and Banstead and Belmont to the south.
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.
Belmont is a village in the London Borough of Sutton, in South London, England. It is located off the A217 road and near to Banstead Downs in Surrey. It is a suburban development situated 10.8 miles (17.4 km) south-southwest of Charing Cross.
The London Borough of Sutton is an Outer London borough in 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 Sutton.
Paul Kenneth Burstow is a British former politician who served as the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam for 18 years, from 1997 to 2015, when he was defeated by Paul Scully.
Sutton is a 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 fourteen metropolitan centres in the London Plan.
Sutton College formerly known as Sutton College of Learning for Adults and Sutton College of Liberal Arts (1972–2001), is a college based in the Borough of Sutton in London, England. The college offers over 1000 part-time courses for all adults of any age. It operates out of two main centres and other community venues throughout the borough
Sutton London Borough Council, also known as Sutton Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 1990. The council is based at the Civic Offices in Sutton.
Sutton High Street is a high street running north–south through the town of Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton.
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. It was opened by Prince Edward in 1991. It closed in 2016, but in November 2019 it reopened under new management.
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.
Paul Stuart Scully is a former British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton and Cheam from 2015 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister for London from February 2020 and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy from October 2022. He was sacked from both roles in November 2023.
There are four conservation areas within the town of Sutton. One of these is in Sutton town centre - the Sutton Town Centre High Street Crossroads Conservation Area - while the other three are residential: Grove Avenue, Landseer Road and the Sutton Garden Suburb.
Elliot Haydn George Colburn is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carshalton and Wallington from the 2019 general election until he lost his seat in 2024. Colburn also served as councillor for the Cheam ward on Sutton Council from 2018 to 2022.
Sutton Civic Offices is a municipal facility in St Nicholas Way, Sutton, London. It is the headquarters of Sutton London Borough Council. In October 2022, Sutton Council announced plans to sell off the existing civic offices, the public library, and Sutton College, as well as the Gibson Road Car Park and Secombe Theatre, for housing. The new Sutton Civic Hub will be built within the St Nicholas Centre.
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 Secombe Theatre at Wikimedia Commons