Oast Theatre, Tonbridge
Encyclopedia
The Oast Theatre is situated on the outskirts of Tonbridge, Kent
. It is a small theatre
that is based in an old oast house
. It is home to the Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club. The theatre seats 112 people.
, Hadlow Road, Tonbridge. In the late 1960s, it was apparent that the venue was too small and an alternative was sought. The search led to a disused oast house
, which had been used to dry hops
until 1966. The oast was purchased for £7,500
by a consortium of ten members of TTAC. The Oast Theatre was opened on 20 April 1974 by Lady Rupert Nevill
. The opening production was Tom Jones
. By 1978, TTAC had paid off all loans taken out to purchase the oast.
In 1982, the Oast Theatre was awarded Civic Design Award from Tonbridge Civic Society. The theatre is a registered charity, the Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club. In 1988, an extension was built on the side of the oast. The adjoining barn was purchased and converted for use as storage and workshops. The extension was opened by Prince Edward
, who attended a performance of Children of a Lesser God
. A further extension in 1997 provided improved dressing room and additional storage facilities. The theatre can seat 112 people. In January 2010, the theatre was granted planning permission
for an extension of an ancillary storage building. The planning application was supported by The Theatres Trust.
The theatre plays host to two annual art exhibitions. The major one is held in the Janet Young Room. The Summer Exhibition is held outside in the car park, although this can present weather-related problems. These exhibitions normally attract about fifty artists and one hundred and fifty exhibits of extremely high quality.
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
. It is a small theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
that is based in an old oast house
Oast house
An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture...
. It is home to the Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club. The theatre seats 112 people.
History
Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club (TTAC) was based at The Mitre PHPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, Hadlow Road, Tonbridge. In the late 1960s, it was apparent that the venue was too small and an alternative was sought. The search led to a disused oast house
Oast house
An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture...
, which had been used to dry hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
until 1966. The oast was purchased for £7,500
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
by a consortium of ten members of TTAC. The Oast Theatre was opened on 20 April 1974 by Lady Rupert Nevill
Lord Rupert Nevill
Lord Rupert Nevill, CVO, DL, JP was the younger son of Guy Larnach-Nevill, 4th Marquess of Abergavenny, and was vice-chairman of the National Playing-Fields Association from 1963, and Chairman of the British Olympic Association from 1966...
. The opening production was Tom Jones
Tom Jones (opera)
Tom Jones is a comic opera in three acts by Edward German founded upon Henry Fielding's 1749 novel, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, with a libretto by Robert Courtneidge and Alexander M. Thompson and lyrics by Charles H. Taylor....
. By 1978, TTAC had paid off all loans taken out to purchase the oast.
In 1982, the Oast Theatre was awarded Civic Design Award from Tonbridge Civic Society. The theatre is a registered charity, the Tonbridge Theatre and Arts Club. In 1988, an extension was built on the side of the oast. The adjoining barn was purchased and converted for use as storage and workshops. The extension was opened by Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
, who attended a performance of Children of a Lesser God
Children of a Lesser God (play)
Children of a Lesser God is a play by Mark Medoff, published in 1980 focusing on the conflicted professional and romantic relationship between deaf former student, Sarah Norman, and her teacher, James Leeds. The play was specially written for the Deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent...
. A further extension in 1997 provided improved dressing room and additional storage facilities. The theatre can seat 112 people. In January 2010, the theatre was granted planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
for an extension of an ancillary storage building. The planning application was supported by The Theatres Trust.
Oast Youth Theatre
The Oast Theatre is home to the Oast Youth Theatre. Its members are between 13 and 18 years old. They produce three plays per annum.Art
The Oast Theatre has its own art group, which meets weekly.The theatre plays host to two annual art exhibitions. The major one is held in the Janet Young Room. The Summer Exhibition is held outside in the car park, although this can present weather-related problems. These exhibitions normally attract about fifty artists and one hundred and fifty exhibits of extremely high quality.