Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round: 1993

This page contains a more detailed guide to significant events concerning Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round in 1993.

1993

  • 6 January: It is reported attendance at the theatre has increased by 60% over the past four years to 60,000 people a year.
  • 17 January: An internal theatre memo reveals that Alan Ayckbourn expects the new theatre will be open - at the very latest - by Autumn 1994.
  • 7 April: The Spring / Summer season opens with Feed by Tom Elliot.
  • 21 April: Alan Ayckbourn revives one of his most famous creations, The Norman Conquests, directing the play for the first time since its world premiere at the Library Theatre in 1973.
  • May: The aimed for opening of the new theatre is now ideally proposed as summer 1995 to coincide with the theatre's 40th anniversary.
  • May: Alan Ayckbourn contributes £400,000 to the new theatre appeal; this will later be revealed to have secured the name of the venue as the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
  • 24 May: The official launch of the - now £4.35m - New Theatre Appeal sees a chance to sponsor everything from a square foot of the theatre for £25 to naming the theatre for £800,000 takes place at Scarborough Town Hall. The event opens with a 'word from the man in the street' - a poem by Alan Ayckbourn read by the actor Malcolm Hebden.
  • 24 May: It is officially announced that Shepherd Design & Build will carry out the design and build to convert the former Odeon building into the new theatre.
  • 2 June: The new theatre appeal has a second launch in London at the National Theatre with Artistic Director Richard Eyre as a speaker.
  • 23 June: It is reported £2m has been raised for the New Theatre Appeal.
  • 9 August: Shepherd Design & Build begin work on Phase 1 of the conversion of the Odeon building into the new theatre; expected completion of Stage 1 is intended to be June 1994.
  • 29 August: The first major fund-raising event for the New Theatre Appeal sees a village fête held in the grounds of Wykeham Abbey organised by Scarborough Theatre Trust and the Friends of the theatre and opened by television's EastEnders / Heartbeat actor Nick Berry. The event raises more than £5,000.
  • 8 September: The Autumn / Winter season opens with Physical Jerks by Stefano Reali.
  • November: The Friends of the Stephen Joseph Theatre hand over £10,000 in £1 coins to the theatre as the first stage of its commitment to raise £40,000 towards paying for the theatre's wine bar.
  • 7 November: A rare visiting production to the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Road during this period sees comedians Robert Newman and David Baddiel perform for two nights at the theatre.
  • 22 November: It is reported that tickets sales have increased by 12% on 1992 with 39,711 tickets sold in the previous 12 months.
  • December: The Pindar group donates £50,000 towards the New Theatre Appeal.
Article by and copyright of Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce this article without permission of the copyright holder.