THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

THE present Derby Theatre has seen plenty of dramas in its 47-year year history – and a few off-stage too! Now the venue looks to be entering another act as Derby City Council has revealed it wants to move it from its home in the Derbion shopping centre to a purpose-built site in the Market Place.

The council will be asking for around £20 million from the Levelling Up fund to build a new theatre. Derby Theatre is presently owned by the University of Derby.

The city council’s chief executive, Paul Simpson, put it pretty bluntly this week when he said: “We have in Derby Theatre – The Playhouse as I know it as a kid – it’s a great theatre once you’re in it. But it’s not the biggest and its location, not putting too fine a point on it, is pretty terrible.”

So Bygones thought this would be a good time to cast our memory back 47 years to when the theatre was built on its current site.

The original Playhouse started life as the Little Theatre in a converted church hall in Becket Street in 1948. In 1952, it moved to Sacheverel Street and even survived a major fire in 1956.

It was officially opened as Derby Playhouse on September 20, 1975, by the 11th Duke of Devonshire.

Theatre designer Roderick Ham had been commissioned to create it by the city council, which wanted the theatre incorporated into its new Eagle Centre shopping development. The theatre opened its first season with My Fair Lady.

The theatre ran into financial difficulties, and in October 2008 owner Derby Playhouse Ltd ceased operating. The theatre reopened in October the following year under the new name “Derby Theatre” and under the ownership of the University of Derby.

The university originally operated the venue in partnership with Derby Live, the city council’s entertainment arm. This partnership ended in 2012 when full responsibility was returned to the university.

Last October it was announced that the city council was considering plans for the theatre to move to new premises on the site of the Assembly Rooms, and this week it was revealed it was bidding for Levelling Up cash to do it.

The New Derby Playhouse and Eagle Centre taking shape in 1974

JONATHAN POWERS The newly completed Derby Playhouse in 1975

JONATHAN POWERS The new entrance foyer to the Derby Playhouse

Celebrating the relaunch as Derby Theatre in 2009 are theatre manager Gary Johnson; Andrew Nicklin, director at Gilbert and Sullivan; pro pice chancellor at Derby University Prof Michael Gunn; vice chancellor Prof John Coyne, Helen Olser of Derby City Council, and Peter Ireson

JONATHAN POWERS Princess Alexandra tours Derby Playhouse in November 1975

JONATHAN POWERS Laying the foundation stone at Derby Playhouse

Celebrating its 21st birthday in 1996 with Mark Clement and David Edwards

The Old Derby Playhouse in Sacheveral Street