Derby Playhouse

For nearly 60 years the Derby Playhouse has provided theatre-goers in the city with top-class entertainment right on their doorstep.

Starting life as the Little Theatre in a converyted church hall in Becket Street in 1948, the company moved to further converted premises in Sacheveral Street in 1952, surviving a major fire in 1956.

The present-day Derby Playhouse was officially opened on 20th September 1975 by the 11th Duke of Devonshire. It was the culmination of years of planning and fund-raising to secure a purpose-built theatre for Derby.

It went into administration on 30 November, 2007 - just as that year's Christmas show "Treasure Island" was about to begin its run - but reopened on 7 December following a £160,000 cash injection.

The Playhouse had originally opened in its purpose-built location in the city's Eagle Centre with the musical My Fair Lady, and the first season concluded the following summer with Allestree-born Alan Bates in The Seagull.

Mark Woolgar was Resident Director for the first five seasons, with work ranging from Shakespeare, Shaw and Ibsen to Ayckbourn, Orton and Coward.

He was succeded as Artistic Director by Christopher Honer (1980-87), Annie Castledine (1987-90), Mark Clements (1991-2002) and finally Karen Louise Hebden and Stephen Edwards, who were Joint Artistic Directors when the theatre closed.

The theatre enjoyed its greatest financial success under Mark Clements. John Godber's On The Piste proved so popular in 1992 that it had to be repeated later in the year, and again in 2000.

By the time of the 2007 temporary closure, the theatre had a gained a national reputation for its productions. During that year the theatre sold over 100,000 tickets in aggregate for the first time.

Do you have any memories of the Derby Playhouse which you would like to share? What are the best - and worst shows - you have seen there? Go to the Discussion link at the top of the page.

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