Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds is a vibrant 200-year-old theatre located in the beautiful Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds. first built in 1819, it was restored to its original regency design in 2007 and as a grade 1 listed building, is the only theatre in the national trust portfolio and the last working regency playhouse in the country. Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds produces 3 in-house productions each year. The annual pantomime is a firm favourite among audiences, providing a festive treat and helping to end – or begin – the year in style.
The theatre’s Summer School model has also proved very successful; designed to provide opportunities for young people to work alongside professional cast and crew on a production. The most recent of which were Goodnight Mister Tom, starring Roy Hudd and Pride & Prejudice, starring Sophia Capasso. Theatre Royal also presents a vibrant year-round programme of drama, family shows, comedy, music, dance, community productions and more.
Theatre Royal’s productions are also popular with local schools, 80 of which attended performances at the theatre in 2018. Young people have a multitude of ways to get involved with the theatre, be it via the thriving Youth Theatre or Creative Learning projects that build social skills and develop new theatrical techniques. This includes Holiday Workshops, After School Drama Clubs, Career Insight Days, Takeover Projects and Work Experience.
Another essential element to Theatre Royal’s identity is Community Engagement. The Community Engagement programme, run by Associate Artists, works with young people, disability groups, survivors of domestic abuse and people in recovery from substance abuse; with the aim of growing and enhancing local lives.
The theatre itself is a unique historic experience, with many of the original Regency aspects of its design closely adhered to and preserved, it is a wonder to behold in its own right. Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the building to discover more about the fascinating history and you’ll even have a chance to tread the boards yourself.
