Northcott Theatre facts for kids
The Northcott Theatre is a cool place to watch plays and shows! It's located on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter in Exeter, Devon, England. This theatre first opened its doors in 1967. For many years, it was run by a group called the Northcott Theatre Foundation. Now, it's known as the Exeter Northcott Theatre and works as a charity, which means it's focused on helping the community.
The Northcott Theatre after its 2007 refurbishment.
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| Address | Exeter |
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| Coordinates | 50°44′09″N 3°32′07″W / 50.7358°N 3.5352°W |
| Capacity | 464 seats |
| Production | Visiting performances |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Website | |
| http://www.exeternorthcott.co.uk | |
History of the Northcott Theatre
The Northcott is actually the seventh building in Exeter to be used as a theatre!
Back in 1962, another theatre called the Theatre Royal, Exeter was torn down. It was replaced by an office building. However, many people in Exeter really wanted a theatre to stay in the city. A kind man named Mr. George Vernon Northcott wanted to save the Theatre Royal and turn it into a place for arts.
He talked with the theatre's owners. A small group from the University of Exeter also shared ideas on how a new arts center could work. But these plans didn't work out, and the Theatre Royal was sold.
Later in 1962, Mr. Northcott started talking with the university again. The university had already planned a spot for a theatre on its campus. They thought that by working together, Mr. Northcott's ideas for a theatre and arts center could come true.
The university offered a place for the new theatre. Mr. Northcott then created a special fund with £100,000. Other groups, like the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, also gave money. This helped create the "Northcott Devon Theatre and Arts Centre." It was meant to serve the whole community in the area.
The Northcott Theatre officially opened on November 2, 1967. The first play performed was The Merchant of Venice. Tony Church, who was the first Artistic Director, starred in it. A famous artist named Barbara Hepworth even showed one of her sculptures in the theatre's lobby on opening night.
Many famous actors spent time at the Northcott early in their careers. These include Polly James, Lesley Joseph, John Nettles, Robert Lindsay, Geraldine James, Celia Imrie, and Imelda Staunton. Also, Nicholas Hytner directed his first plays here.
In its early years, the Northcott company created many plays about the West Country. They also took their shows on tour around the area. The Northcott has a strong history as a "producing repertory theatre." This means that most of its shows were made and performed by the theatre's own company, not brought in from other places.
When it was first built, the theatre had a round main room with 433 seats. It also had an orchestra pit that could move up and down. The theatre could even change to be a "theatre in the round" (where the audience sits all around the stage) or a cinema. After a big update in 2007, the theatre can now seat 464 people.
Theatre Expansion and Updates
In March 2005, the people in charge of the Northcott announced plans for a big building project. They wanted to spend £3.1 million to make the theatre's public areas bigger and increase the number of seats to 538.
After raising £2.1 million, the theatre closed for updates in January 2007. It reopened on December 12, 2007. This was close to its 40th birthday!
The updates made the theatre much better. Here are some of the improvements:
- New, more comfortable seats in the main theatre room.
- More spaces for people using wheelchairs.
- A lift to all public levels, making it easy for everyone to get around.
- Better facilities for people with disabilities.
- Nicer and updated public areas.
- More space in the lobby for eating and drinking.
- A more welcoming entrance area.
- Improved technical areas for lights and sound.
Just before the theatre reopened in December 2007, a group called Arts Council England threatened to stop giving the theatre a large yearly grant. Losing this money would have caused big problems, possibly even closing the theatre. However, in February 2008, the Arts Council England decided to continue funding the Exeter Northcott.
Later, in February 2010, the theatre faced some money problems from past management. The people running the theatre had to put it into a special process called "administration." This was a tough decision. However, in June 2010, the University of Exeter created a new company and bought the theatre. This helped save the theatre and secure its future!
In 2014, the Exeter Northcott Theatre got a new major sponsor, a law firm called Browne Jacobson. In 2015, the theatre started producing its own shows again, like A Christmas Carol. In 2017, they even started making their own pantomimes, which are fun, musical plays often performed around Christmas.
Artistic Directors
An Artistic Director is like the creative leader of the theatre. They decide which plays to put on and help shape the theatre's overall artistic style. Here are some of the people who have held this important role at the Northcott Theatre:
- 1967–1971: Tony Church
- 1971–1974: Jane Howell
- 1974–1977: Geoffrey Reeves
- 1978–1980: Richard Digby Day
- 1981–1985: Stewart Trotter
- 1986–1990: George Roman
- 1991–1998: John Durnin
- 1998–2008: Ben Crocker
- 2008–2010: Rebecca Manson Jones (Creative Director)
- 2015–2018: Paul Jepson (Artistic and Executive Director)
- 2018-2022: Daniel Buckroyd (Artistic and Executive Director)
- 2022-2023: Kelly Johnson and Emma Stephenson (Interim Co-CEOs)
- 2023 - : Martin Berry (Creative Director), Kelly Johnson (Director of Marketing and Development), Emma Stephenson (Director of Operations and Finance). All three also serve as Joint-Chief Executives.
See also
