The Stephen Joseph Theatre

In 1996, Alan Ayckbourn finally achieved Stephen Joseph's ambition for a purpose-built home for Scarborough's theatre-the-round company. After five years of development the company moved into a £5.2m conversion of the town's former Odeon cinema, which opened in April 1996. This state-of-the-art venue includes a 404 seat theatre-in-the-round and 165 seat end-stage space as well as full facilities.

However, the focus of this website is the history and formative years of theatre-in-the-round in Scarborough and what can be regarded as its most significant venues, Theatre in the Round at the Library Theatre (1955 - 1976) and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round (1976 - 1995).

As such, this website's story begins with Stephen Joseph's ambition to build a permanent theatre in the round in 1955 and ends with Alan Ayckbourn realising that dream in 1996.

Although details about the development and building of the current venue, its architect and details of the Odeon building from which it was converted can be found on this website, the story of the SJT since 1996 is one for others to tell and can be found at the theatre's website www.sjt.uk.com.

The Creation of the Stephen Joseph Theatre (1991 - 1996)

All research for this section by Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce the articles or images without permission of the copyright holder.