Secombe Theatre
As seen from Cheam Road 2016
|
|
| Address | 42 Cheam Rd, Sutton SM1 2SS Greater London England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°21′42″N 0°11′50″W / 51.361707°N 0.197146°W |
| Owner | Sutton London Borough Council |
| Operator | Sutton Theatres Trust |
| Capacity | 343–396 |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Website | |
| http://www.suttontheatres.co.uk/ | |
The Secombe Theatre, named after Sir Harry Secombe, is in Cheam Road, Sutton, Greater London. The theatre was opened by Sir Harry, who lived in Sutton for over 30 years. The theatre went into administration and shut in August 2016.
The theatre was created in 1984 out of a red-brick former Christian Science church on a large plot on Cheam Road at its junction with Gibson Road. 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".
The auditorium can accommodate 396 patrons, or 343 when the orchestra pit is being used, and it is tiered facing the end-on stage. The stage is a flat floor proscenium arch, and there is adequate wing space. Backstage there are four dressing rooms (with capacities ranging from ten to twenty cast members each). Under the previous managements, there was a multi-purpose room at the back of the theatre. Since taking over the theatres in June 2015, the new Sutton Theatres Trust has 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". Daytime it provides an affordable rehearsal space. A large glass extension to the east side of the original building provides a bar and refreshment area, which is also open to the general public.
Productions at the Secombe can include both modern productions and old, established plays given a new twist. Since June 2015, it has become both a producing house and a receiving house. It produces two to three in-house productions a year, include a pantomime. Under the new management, the theatre also co-produces with theatres nationally and internationally. It now attracts big headline comedians and continues to provide space for local community groups. Run as a multi-purpose entertainment venue, the theatre also hosts conference events.
Past productions have included Steel Magnolias, The Tempest, Journey's End, and Accidental Death of an Anarchist. In a 2009 review of Souwest 09, the Croydon Advertiser awarded the performance four stars, and described it as "visually vibrant".
...
Wikipedia