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The Warehouse Theatre is a studio theatre with up to hundred seats in Croydon, South London, based in a Victorian warehouse. It is well-known for its commitment to new writing, including its annual International Playwriting Festival, in partnership with theatres in Italy and Cyprus. Youth theatre is also important, including an annual collaboration with the Croydon-based Brit School. Within the building, there is also a bar and restaurant.1 The Early Years
The Warehouse Theatre was founded by Sam Kelly, Richard Ireson, and Adrian Shergold at the height of the lunchtime theatre boom with the aim of presenting a varied season of plays with an emphasis on new work to the highest possible standards. The first production - Hell's Angels on Typewriters by Angela Wye - opened in May 1977, and the then 50 seat auditorium became an instant favourite with local audiences for lunchtime performances whilst sharing the building with a Caribbean night club.
In 1978 the Arts Council recognised the work of the theatre by awarding a major grant and in 1979 the nightclub closed, evening performances were introduced and the seating capacity was increased to 100. Highly respected touring companies began to visit the theatre between in-house productions and extremely popular cabaret evenings were introduced, with performers including Lenny Henry, French & Saunders, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton, and Julian Clary. Gradually more plays were premiered, with many being specially commissioned by successful writers, such as Sue TownsendSue Townsend (born April 2, 1946) is the author of the Adrian Mole series of books. She has suffered from diabetes for many years as a result of which she was registered blind in 2001. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 her best selling book, and th, who wrote Groping for Words and Womberang for the theatre.
After the withdrawal of an Arts Council grant in 1984This page is about the year 1984. For other uses of 1984, see 1984 (disambiguation). 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday (link shows calendar). Events January January 1 Brunei becomes a fully independent state January 1 AT&T is broken up into 22 indepe, potential closure was averted when Croydon CouncilCroydon Council covers the London Borough of Croydon. It consists of seventy elected councillors across 24 wards. Since the 2002 local elections, the Labour Party has controlled the Council with 37 councillors. The Conservative Party has 31 councillors wi and the GLC agreed to replace the grant. Following a brief closure for major refurbishment, including the building of the bar, the theatre re-opened in 19851985 is a common year starting on Tuesday. Events January events January 1 Creation of the Internet's Domain Name System. January 17 British Telecom annouces they are going to abolish the famous red telephone boxes. January 23 A debate in the House of Lor under the directorship of Ted Craig with the premiere of David Allen's Cheapside.
Now concentrating exclusively on new playwriting, initiatives such as the South London Playwriting Festival were launched, giving an invaluable platform to works by both new and established writers. Kevin Hood's compelling new play Beached won the first festival in 19861986 is a common year starting on Wednesday. Events January January 1 Spain and Portugal enter the European Community January 1 Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles. January 9 After losing a pa and he later became Resident Playwright, writing both The Astronomer's Garden and Sugar Hill Blues for the theatre.
2 Building On Success
The South London Playwriting Festival quickly became the highly acclaimed International Playwriting Festival, reflecting the number of entries from all over the globe. Finalists have included playwrights from the USA, TrinidadTrinidad (Spanish, " Trinity") most commonly refers to the larger island of the nation Trinidad and Tobago the subject of this article. For other places and people with the same name, see Trinidad (disambiguation). History Main Article: History of Trinida, Australia and Bulgaria, with the 1994 winner, Dino Mahoney, being half Irish, half Greek, living in Hong Kong. Dino's selected play Yo Yo had its premiere here in April 1995. In 1996 the Warehouse Theatre inaugurated a partnership with the leading Italian playwriting festival, the Premio Candoni Arta Terme and in 1999 a partnership was also formed with Theatro Ena in Cyprus providing selected writers with a window for further productions in Europe. The new writers discovered by the festival have since gone from strength to strength and further productions, radio and screen contracts, and success with other work has followed.
