Tower Theatre Company
Encyclopedia
The Tower Theatre Company is a performing non-professional acting group based in the St Bride Institute (on the site of the former Bridewell Palace
), in the City of London
. The building also contains the Bridewell Theatre, which is used for the majority of Tower Theatre Company performances.
The group presents about 18 productions each year in London, either at their base theatre, or at other small theatres in the London area. During the summer months they also perform touring productions, with regular appearances at the open-air Théâtre de Verdure, which is in the Bois de Boulogne
in Paris, and at the Minack Theatre
in Cornwall
.
The acting company was founded, as the Tavistock Repertory Company, in 1932 at the Tavistock Little Theatre in Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury (and so has nothing to do with the town of Tavistock in Devon). In 1952, it moved to its own premises in Islington at Canonbury Tower which included a 156-seat theatre known as the Tower Theatre. Over the years it has mounted nearly 1500 productions. Unlike many other non-professional groups, the Tower Theatre's productions have always been mounted in publicly-licenced theatres, with tickets sold to the general public rather than just to members.
The lease in Canonbury expired in 2003 and since then the company has been searching for suitable new premises. It commissioned a new theatre at a site just off Curtain Road, in Shoreditch
, London Borough of Hackney
, but due to funding difficulties, it has now abandoned plans to proceed with the project. However, it is expected that another arts charity will be building the new theatre on the site, broadly to the same plans.
On 6 August 2008 archaeologists from the Museum of London
excavating the site, prior to construction, announced that they had found the footings of a polygonal structure which they believe to be the remains of the north-eastern corner of The Theatre
's foundations.
Bridewell Palace
Bridewell Palace in London, originally a residence of King Henry VIII, later became a poorhouse and prison. The name "Bridewell" subsequently became synonymous with police stations and detention facilities in England and in Ireland...
), in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. The building also contains the Bridewell Theatre, which is used for the majority of Tower Theatre Company performances.
The group presents about 18 productions each year in London, either at their base theatre, or at other small theatres in the London area. During the summer months they also perform touring productions, with regular appearances at the open-air Théâtre de Verdure, which is in the Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
in Paris, and at the Minack Theatre
Minack Theatre
The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre, constructed above a gully with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
The acting company was founded, as the Tavistock Repertory Company, in 1932 at the Tavistock Little Theatre in Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury (and so has nothing to do with the town of Tavistock in Devon). In 1952, it moved to its own premises in Islington at Canonbury Tower which included a 156-seat theatre known as the Tower Theatre. Over the years it has mounted nearly 1500 productions. Unlike many other non-professional groups, the Tower Theatre's productions have always been mounted in publicly-licenced theatres, with tickets sold to the general public rather than just to members.
The lease in Canonbury expired in 2003 and since then the company has been searching for suitable new premises. It commissioned a new theatre at a site just off Curtain Road, in Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, but due to funding difficulties, it has now abandoned plans to proceed with the project. However, it is expected that another arts charity will be building the new theatre on the site, broadly to the same plans.
On 6 August 2008 archaeologists from the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
excavating the site, prior to construction, announced that they had found the footings of a polygonal structure which they believe to be the remains of the north-eastern corner of The Theatre
The Theatre
The Theatre was an Elizabethan playhouse located in Shoreditch , just outside the City of London. It was the second permanent theatre ever built in England, after the Red Lion, and the first successful one...
's foundations.