The Stephen Joseph / Library Theatre Collection: Archivist's Notes
Scarborough has an extraordinary history with regard to theatre and yet it is largely unpublicised and little recognised. The history of theatre in the town can be traced back to the first half of the 18th century when, circa 1733, the Theatre Royal own St Thomas Street (then Tanner Street) opened as a tented booth to be replaced in 1770 by a purpose-built theatre. Since then, there has been a continual theatre presence in the town and scores of theatres over the decades.
The Library Theatre Collection pages of A Round Town are associated with The Stephen Joseph / Library Theatre Collection held in archive by Scarborough Library. This collection of material is the most significant collection relating to the UK's first professional theatre in the round company founded by Stephen Joseph on the first floor of Scarborough Library in 1955. The collection is currently being curated and catalogued by archivist and theatre historian Simon Murgatroyd.