The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre

Taunton Brewhouse (previously The Brewhouse) is the largest theatre and arts centre in Taunton, the county town of Somerset, England.

Taunton Brewhouse
The theatre and to the right, administrative offices in the old Georgian brew house.
Former namesThe Brewhouse
AddressCoal Orchard, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1JL
Taunton
England
Coordinates51.0181°N 3.1022°W / 51.0181; -3.1022
OwnerTaunton Deane Borough Council
DesignationThe Georgian brew house is a Listed Building Grade II
TypeProvincial
Capacity350
Current useTheatre and arts centre
Opened1977
Website
https://www.tauntonbrewhouse.co.uk/

The building opened on 28 March 1977, on the banks of the River Tone, and offers a purpose-built 352-seat auditorium, a supporting 60-seat versatile studio space for performances, classes and conferences, and an exhibition space.[1] It hosts a programme of live professional and amateur theatre productions; live folk, rock, and pop music; comedians; popular and independent cinema; live broadcasts from major international venues, such as London's National Theatre and The Royal Opera House; and visual arts exhibitions.

Its first professional production was Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests, starring the then unknown David Jason.

Building

The Westward Room and administrative offices reside in the Old Brewery house, a Georgian Grade II listed building, which gives the theatre its name.[2]

The main house is a proscenium arch theatre with a trapezoidal apron, which can be reconfigured to include a central vomitorium, and includes a flexible orchestra pit.

Funding

In 2005, Arts Council England announced that it would cut regular funding to The Brewhouse from 2006, following a drop in artistic output. In September 2005 a new director Robert Miles was appointed to lead the artistic re-invigoration of the organisation. It was also the first theatre, apart from the Royal Court Theatre, to stage Caryl Churchill's controversial play Seven Jewish Children.

In 2009, ongoing under funding, combined with the impact of recession and a subsequent threat of cuts meant the venue was once again put under threat of closure.[3] With support from its stakeholders Taunton Brewhouse overcame these immediate funding concerns, and in March 2010 it was announced that the organisation had been awarded £487,500 from Arts Council England's Sustain fund to allow it to continue to programme arts and participatory activities during the economic downturn.[4]

The venue closed in February 2013 and went into administration.[5]

The venue reopened in April 2014 by independent arts charity Taunton Theatre Association Ltd (TTA), having been granted the lease from Taunton Deane Borough Council, who bought the 61-year lease of the site and its contents from administrator BDO.[6][7]

In 2020 Taunton Theatre Association were awarded a significant grant as part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.[8]

The venue now receives regular finding from Arts Council England and Somerset West and Taunton Council.

References
  1. "About us". Brewhouse Theatre. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  2. "Old Brewery House". historicengland.org.uk. English Heritage. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  3. Gardner, Lyn (2 April 2009). "Brewhouse theatre should be rewarded for its reinvention – not at risk". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  4. The Stage web site - "Young Vic receives biggest theatre Sustain grant of £1.2m"
  5. "Brewhouse theatre closure: Arts groups search for new venue". BBC. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  6. "Taunton's Brewhouse Theatre to be reopened by community group". BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  7. "Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton set to reopen in April 2014". The Stage. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  8. "Vital £2 million of funding secured by Somerset cultural groups". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
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