| Admin History | The history of live entertainment in Exeter can be traced back to the Roman occupation of the city, with evidence of an amphitheatre on Dane's Hill. Between the 13th and 18th centuries, plays were performed by groups of strolling players, and in 1721 the first regular theatre venue in Exeter opened, which was a room in the Seven Stars Inn. In 1735, the first purpose-built theatre opened; The Exeter Theatre in Waterbeare Street. A series of buildings were subsequently destroyed by fire, until the Theatre Royal in Longbrook Street opened in 1889. This venue was active until its closure, and demolition of the building, in 1962. Early that same year, G.V. Northcott entered negotiations with the Board of Directors of the Theatre Royal in an attempt to re-create it as a Theatre and Arts Centre. A site at Exeter University was offered, which had been earmarked for a theatre on the University's Development Plan. Northcott established a Trust with a benefaction of £100,000 (later supplemented by a gift of £50,000 from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and by other bodies), to establish the Northcott Devon Theatre and Arts Centre. The architects were Sir William Holford and Partners and the theatre consultant was Michael Warre.
The theatre opened with a production of The Merchant of Venice, starring Tony Church, its first Artistic Director, on 2nd November 1967. Very soon after the opening of the new theatre, the abolition of censorship on the stage in 1968 enabled more freedom of production and this was reflected in its artistic direction. For example, Howard Brenton's production of 'Measure for Measure' in 1972 was set in a strip club and described in the newspapers as bawdy and seedy. Early directors, including Tony Church and his successor, Jane Howell, also fostered new talent in writing at the theatre in the late 1960s and early 1970s and this continued through to the 1980s. Jane Howell's tenure included three Edward Bond plays, two of which, 'Bingo' and 'The Pope's Wedding', were peformed in public for the first time at the Northcott. The theatre has also fostered its share of acting talent. Among the many actors who have performed there are Lysette Anthony, Honor Blackman, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Celia Imrie, Geraldine James, Robert Lindsay, John Nettles, Bob Peck, Diana Rigg, Imelda Staunton and David Suchet. In more recent years the theatre has faced many challenges, including cuts in the 1980s, and the threat of loss of funding from the Arts Council England (ACE) in 2007. At the threat of closure, an appeal and public campaign was launched to save the theatre and it received a funding reprieve from ACE for two years, in 2008. However, legacy financial accounting problems forced the trustees to place it into administration on 25 February 2010. On 5 June 2010 it was confirmed by administrators that a new company had been set up, the Exeter Northcott Theatre Company, formed with the University of Exeter, and the immediate future of the theatre is now more secure.
The Northcott Theatre was founded as a 433 seat theatre,but later increased to 464 during refurbishment in 2006/2007. The Northcott was built as a receiving house, but launched as a repertory theatre and spent several decades with a strong repertory company. Northcott Repertory company members often directed as well as acted and many actors/ production staff went on to well known careers. Maurice Marshall, an early lighting designer at the Northcott later set up the well known Stage Electrics company. By Ben Crocker's time as Artistic Director in 1998 it was still a producing theatre (with around 9 or 10 in house/co-productions a year), but the repertory company had waned. Emmanuel Hall in St. Thomas, Exeter was used as a venue for rehearsal and studio type productions from the early 1970's, particularly for Theatre in Education performances, such as Northcott Young Peoples Company productions. The hall was purchased in 1977 to be used as a rehearsal space and costume store, later becoming home to Theatre Alibi from 1982. The dedicated Northcott Studio Season launched in 1987 and Emmanuel Hall relaunched as Northcott Studio Theatre 14 Feb 1989.
See EUL MS 348/2 - a collated file of general information on the Northcott Theatre for more information. Please note that a spreadsheet listing all events at the Northcott by opening night (as far as could be ascertained during compilation) is also available.
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS OF THE NORTHCOTT THEATRE (more information can be found in a short info sheet on previous artistic directors)
Tony Church 1967 - 1970
Associate director: Robin Phillips
Writer in Residence: Bernard Goss
Jane Howell 1971-1973
Associate Directors: Jack Emery & Kevin Robinson
Geoffrey Reeves 1974-1977
Associate Director: Clive Barker
Richard Digby Day 1978-1980
Associate Directors: Michael Winter & Crispin Thomas
Stewart Trotter 1981-1985
George Roman 1986 -1990
Associate Director: Martin Harvey
John Durnin 1991 - 1998
Associate Director: Tim Carroll
Assistant Directors: Charlotte Conquest & Gillian King
Writer in Residence: Robert Shearman
Ben Crocker 1998 - 2008
Rebecca Manson Jones 2009 - 2010 (Re-titled - Creative Director)
Kate Tyrell 2010-2014 (Re-titled - Executive Director)
Paul Jepson 2015-2018 (Re-titled - Artistic and Executive Director)
Daniel Buckroyd 2018- |