Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round: 1995

This page contains a more detailed guide to significant events concerning Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round in 1995.

1995

  • 11 January: It is reported Phase 1 of the Odeon conversion will be completed in February (originally scheduled for June 1994) and that part of the theatre could open by summer 1995; the intention being the end-stage McCarthy Theatre / Cinema, restaurant and box office will open first.
  • 16 January: Charles McCarthy, chairman of Scarborough Theatre Development Trust, denies completion of the Odeon conversion has been delayed due to funding issues, noting Phase 2 is accepted to begin in May with the theatre opening completely by December 1995.
  • 19 March: The Lindsay String Quartet performs a fund-raising recital at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round for the New Theatre Appeal.
  • 14 - 18 March: Actress Maureen Lipman presents Re:Joyce - her tribute to Joyce Grenfell - for a week at the Spa Theatre to raise funds for the New Theatre Appeal.
  • Lunchtime productions are dropped from the summer programme due to preparations for the company's move to the new theatre in 1996.
  • 13 April: The Spring / Summer season opens with the world premiere of Alan Ayckbourn & John Pattison's musical A Word From Our Sponsor; this will be the final new Ayckbourn play to open at the venue; this summer marks the 40th anniversary of the Library Theatre opening in 1955.
  • 13 April: All the neon lights at the Odeon conversion are switched on for the first time to mark the start of the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round's final summer season.
  • 20 May: In a live Saturday night broadcast from Scarborough's Sun Court on the BBC, it is announced one of the first major National Lottery grants of £1.5m is to be awarded to the New Theatre Appeal.
  • 24 May: It is announced Phase 1 of the Odeon conversion has been completed and work on Phase 2 will begin immediately.
  • The announcement of the £1.5m Lottery award triggers a European Community grant of £495,000. It is noted the theatre just needs to raise £325,000 to meet the target which has risen to £5.1m.
  • 3 June: The actress Sophie Winter, who has been with the company since 1993, collapses and tragically dies prior to the final performance of A Word From Our Sponsor.
  • 12 June: Despite the tragic circumstances, A Word From Our Sponsor transfers to Chichester Festival Theatre with Phyllida Hancock taking on the role of Gussie.
  • 10 July: The Scarborough Evening News reports the new theatre could open with a revised revival of Alan Ayckbourn and Andrew Lloyd Webber's flop musical Jeeves.
  • Summer: Three members of the company perform three solo shows - Taylor's Tickler, Hovering and Dorothy Parker's Dead - to raise money for the new Stephen Joseph Theatre.
  • 21 August: Opening night of the late night production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal; this is the final production Alan Ayckbourn will direct at the venue.
  • 20 September: The Autumn / Winter season opens with Talking Heads by Alan Bennett.
  • 20 November: It is reported the National Theatre's Head of Press - and former Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round press officer - Stephen Wood is to become the General Administrator of the new theatre.
Article by and copyright of Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce this article without permission of the copyright holder.