Market Theatre (Ledbury)
Encyclopedia
The Market Theatre is in Ledbury
, Herefordshire, UK. It is believed to be the first theatre in the world to open in the new millennium
.
' of that era, constructed from wood and clad in corrugated steel. The interior was lined throughout with tongue and grooved planking. The building was adopted by Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS), a registered Charity, in the early 1950s. During this period very little changed to the structure of the building except for raking of the auditorium and fixed seating being installed, this having been salvaged from the closure of the local cinema in the early 1960s.
Following the demolition in 1963 (the last show was in 1961) of the Kemble Theatre in Hereford
, this little building was the only theatre left in Herefordshire until 1979, when the Nell Gwynne Theatre, converted from the old swimming baths in Edgar Street, gave the city of Hereford
back its own theatre.
LADS changed the name to The Market Theatre in the 1970s: the building was located on the other side of Market Street from the then livestock market
. (Market Street runs between New Street and Bye Street, but is closed to motor traffic at the New Street end.) The livestock market closed in 2000 and the Ledbury Community Hospital
has since been built on that site.
In 1986 a fire broke out at the rear of the theatre, which affected the backstage areas.
refusing to be upstaged and wanting to go out in style!
The keys to the new theatre were handed to LADS patron, Richard Briers
, in November 1999. The building was fitted out internally by LADS and was opened in January 2000 by Spencer Lane, Ledbury's Mayor at the time.
The theatre building won Ledbury's annual Design Awards competition for the best contribution to the town's built environment during 1999. It is a member of The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain.
5-channel sound) were installed in 2002. This was upgraded to full High Definition (1080p
), complete with Dolby Surround 7.1
sound, in 2011. Just over 40 years since the town's cinema closed, films were again being shown on a regular basis in Ledbury.
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
, Herefordshire, UK. It is believed to be the first theatre in the world to open in the new millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
.
History
The building originally on this site was a hall built in about 1910, called The Church Room. It was a typical 'tin tabernacleTin tabernacle
Tin tabernacles were a type of prefabricated building made from corrugated iron developed in the mid 19th century initially in Great Britain. Corrugated iron was first used for roofing in London in 1829 by Henry Robinson Palmer and the patent sold to Richard Walker who advertised "portable...
' of that era, constructed from wood and clad in corrugated steel. The interior was lined throughout with tongue and grooved planking. The building was adopted by Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society (LADS), a registered Charity, in the early 1950s. During this period very little changed to the structure of the building except for raking of the auditorium and fixed seating being installed, this having been salvaged from the closure of the local cinema in the early 1960s.
Following the demolition in 1963 (the last show was in 1961) of the Kemble Theatre in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, this little building was the only theatre left in Herefordshire until 1979, when the Nell Gwynne Theatre, converted from the old swimming baths in Edgar Street, gave the city of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
back its own theatre.
LADS changed the name to The Market Theatre in the 1970s: the building was located on the other side of Market Street from the then livestock market
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. (Market Street runs between New Street and Bye Street, but is closed to motor traffic at the New Street end.) The livestock market closed in 2000 and the Ledbury Community Hospital
Community hospital
A Community hospital can be purely a nominal designation or have a more specific meaning. Specific mention of Community hospitals is encountered in the following countries:-- Thailand :...
has since been built on that site.
In 1986 a fire broke out at the rear of the theatre, which affected the backstage areas.
The New Market Theatre
In 1999, LADS obtained grants and raised sufficient funds to replace the building with a purpose-built theatre. Just after the site had been handed over to the demolition contractor, in February 1999, a second fire destroyed the entire structure. LADS wonders if it might have been their old poltergeistPoltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
refusing to be upstaged and wanting to go out in style!
The keys to the new theatre were handed to LADS patron, Richard Briers
Richard Briers
Richard David Briers, CBE is an English actor whose career has encompassed theatre, television, film and radio.He first came to prominence as George Starling in Marriage Lines in the 1960s, but it was in the following decade when he played Tom Good in the BBC sitcom The Good Life that he became a...
, in November 1999. The building was fitted out internally by LADS and was opened in January 2000 by Spencer Lane, Ledbury's Mayor at the time.
The theatre building won Ledbury's annual Design Awards competition for the best contribution to the town's built environment during 1999. It is a member of The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain.
Facilities
The theatre seats 128 in 8 rows with a staggered layout. It has a bar, toilets and foyer area for the audience, which were lacking in the old building. The stage is approximately 7.5 metres by 8 metres. There are two dressing rooms, a costume store and a small workshop backstage. A cinema screen and DVD projection system (with Dolby DigitalDolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
5-channel sound) were installed in 2002. This was upgraded to full High Definition (1080p
1080p
1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....
), complete with Dolby Surround 7.1
Dolby Surround 7.1
Dolby Surround 7.1 is a system by Dolby Laboratories which delivers theatrical 7.1 surround sound to movie-goers. It adds two new channels to current Dolby Digital 5.1...
sound, in 2011. Just over 40 years since the town's cinema closed, films were again being shown on a regular basis in Ledbury.