Ends and beginnings
February 15, 2009
Ron Simpson on the changes afoot in Hull and Scarborough
The theatre scene on Yorkshire’s east coast is certainly changing in the opening months of 2009. The modest Spring Street Theatre, home to Hull Truck ever since the eponymous truck was parked in the garage, is about to be replaced by a shiny new theatrical complex on Ferensway, whilst up the coast at Scarborough the man who oversaw the creation of the Stephen Joseph Theatre and the move into the former Odeon cinema, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, is retiring from the post of artistic director.
Opinion: what is regional theatre?
December 9, 2008
Ron Simpson on what traditions of provincial theatre the new WYP programme displays
The question occurred to me as I read through the West Yorkshire Playhouse programme for the first six months of 2009 – and produced several different answers.
Perhaps regional theatre in its purest form can be found at Hull Truck, now reprising former successes in the last round of productions at the intimate Spring Street theatre before moving – after a final triumphant burst of Bouncers – into opulent new premises early next year.
Harrogate Theatre faces Arts Council cuts
February 1, 2008
North Yorkshire’s highly regarded Harrogate Theatre has been informed that it has lost its appeal against the Arts Councils proposal to cut their annual funding. However the Arts Council did acknowledge the work and role of the Theatre in the District and has decided to reduce the grant by 64% rather than the intended 75% This means the annual grant will be reduced from £400’000 to £150’000. Harrogate Theatre is one of 190 arts organisations, which received letters in December outlining withdrawal or drastic cuts to their Arts Council grants from April.
Harrogate Theatre will continue to provide a dynamic, challenging and entertaining arts service for the District and this news sees no short term changes to the artistic programme. A production of Saturday Night & Sunday Morning, adapted by Amanda Whittington and directed by Joyce Branagh, opens on Friday 22 February and the plans for this calendar year remain unchanged with the second phase of a major refurbishment scheduled for the summer of 2008. Read more