Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round: 1985

This page contains a more detailed guide to significant events concerning Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round in 1985.

1985

  • The threatened cut to the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round's subsidy by the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1984 results in the summer season being reduced by four weeks and one of the planned productions being cut.
  • Scarborough Council's annual Holiday Guide publication manages to fail to make any mention of the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round; a spokesman for the council notes there was originally text which it was 'rather intended would go in."
  • March: In one of several initiatives to raise extra financing for the theatre, it is announced several of the theatre's rooms will be made available out of season to hire to local bands looking for rehearsal space.
  • Alan Ayckbourn is invited to become a company director at the National Theatre which he accepts. Robin Herford is appointed Director of Productions.
  • 30 May: The Spring / Summer season opens with the world premiere of Alan Ayckbourn's Woman In Mind.
  • 17 July: A production of Can't Pay, Won't Pay marks the company's first production of the prolific Italian playwright Dario Fo.
  • 4 September: The Autumn / Winter season opens with Family Circles by Alan Ayckbourn.
  • 11 October: World premiere of the two-part play The Brontës Of Haworth, adapted by Christopher Fry and Kerry Gardner from Fry's 1973 television series. It is not a success as the matinee school performances coincide with massive school strikes and the large cast often frequently outnumbers the audience!
  • Autumn: Members of The Brontës Of Haworth company stage a production of Athol Fugard's Hello And Goodbye at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round; specific performance dates are unrecorded.
  • 31 December: Ken Boden steps down as Theatre Manager having been with the company since its formation in 1955; his replacement is announced as Ian Watson.
Article by and copyright of Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce this article without permission of the copyright holder.