50 years in the spotlight, and counting

During its half century of entertaining locals, Stantonbury Theatre has welcomed a diverse array of leading names to its stage. Sammy Jones looks back at its colourful history with those who have steered the creative ship…

Jazz stars George Melly and Stephane Grappelli, stage and screen comedian Tommy Trinder, singer Helen Shapiro and astronomer Sir Patrick Moore have all taken the stage in times past.

But when the doors opened for the very first time in 1974, Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth played the first concert.

A note from the event programme, written by Mr Ireland, the Chair of Bucks County Council, read: ‘The County Council is proud to associate with the Borough Council and the Development Corporation to provide facilities which will meet some of the leisure and cultural demands of the community as a whole as well as serving the educational needs of the next generation.”

Of course its stage has hosted countless numbers of drama students, too – learning their craft, and feeling their way, and Roy Nevitt was there from the start, working as Director of Drama and Theatre at Stantonbury Campus.

In fact, when Roy assumed that position, building work was still ongoing, and aside from the physical build, this new place of learning was also about setting new standards of inclusivity: “…the design of an innovative curriculum, a flexible timetable, a culture that enabled everybody on Campus to be on first name terms, no uniforms, no punishments, lots of drama, music, dance and the visual arts as well as maths, science, languages and technology,” is the recollection.

Roy turned his attention to the theatre plans which then allowed for 200 seats.

“My first action was to double the seating capacity by introducing collapsible bleacher units that could be wheeled into any or all of the other three sides of the stage and put back in the dock when not needed. I added a lid to the orchestra pit. When fitted, the stage extended to the front row of the raked seating. When removed, there was room for a small orchestra or a band,” he remembers.

Expanding the seating capacity to a maximum of 400 was not the only advantage, The other was flexibility, making theatre-in-the-round and traverse theatre possible.

“There were three directors: Geoff Cooksey, in charge of everything: Hilary Davan Wetton, in charge of Music, and me, Director of Drama. Hilary and I were given complete freedom to develop our roles as we saw fit.

“We shared the theatre space. My backstage dressing rooms doubled as his music teaching and rehearsal rooms. On Saturday mornings, the entire space was filled by the Music Centre and his orchestras and choirs used the theatre for performances. Otherwise the theatre was my drama teaching space, my theatre rehearsal space and, of course, my principal performance space.”

Roy spent 27 years at Stantonbury, “…learning something new every day,” he says.

“Ever since I had seen Peter Cheeseman’s great musical documentary plays at the Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, researched, written and performed by a team of professional actors, musicians, lighting, sound, costume and set designers under Peter’s direction, I had wanted to achieve something as good using children, teenagers, teachers and other adults from the local community.

“Stantonbury Campus Theatre and the context of the new city made it possible.” Roy’s departure at 60 coincided with his recovery from ill health, but Roy had his eye on the next venture – a theatre fit for our growing new town, as Milton Keynes was then.

The seeds of MK Theatre were being sown.

“By the time we were ready to proceed, funding had dried up under Thatcher’s Government,” Roy said, “With the help of Shaun Hennessey, who had worked for MKDC and then MKC I set up a Milton Keynes Development Company with myself as Chairman and a board that included Sir Peter Thompson and the actor Kevin Whately. For a moment we thought we had secured Richard Branson’s money to build the complex but he withdrew his funds even as we were salivating over the architect drawings and models.

“Luckily John Major introduced The National Lottery which awarded us £20m. The Commission for New Towns gave us another nine million pounds which left us a few million pounds to raise.

“That was the moment for me to hand over Chairmanship of the Company to Sir Peter Thompson who was capable of raising the extra millions, while I kept responsibility for the Theatre Committee, which included choosing who to run it. I ignored the big commercial companies and chose instead Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire, who had one theatre in Woking and called themselves Turnstyle Theatre.
“Once installed in Milton Keynes they changed their name to Ambassadors Theatre Company and with MKT as its showcase venue, rapidly grew to probably the biggest and most successful theatre producer in the world,” which is quite the legacy.

Looking back on those Stantonbury days, Roy declares it was ‘a brief golden age.’

Vera Lowe began working at the venue in the mid-1990s: “It was a place I had been part of for many years, having first performed on the stage there in 1975, and then working with various local groups. The opportunity was my ideal job and my experience with local groups was what Roy and his wife Maggie wanted – so we could expand the number of hirers using the venue so it would become a part of the MK community, which it did,” she remembered.

Roy’s departure led to Hilary Rhodes’ arrival. She spent 17 years at the venue, joining in 2000.

“The attraction? The passion of the campus management to make a difference in young people and the community’s lives and the the opportunity to lead the theatre into its next stage after the retirement of Roy Nevitt and the recent opening of MK Theatre, which meant Stantonbury was no longer the only theatre in MK,” Hilary remembered, “It was like being given an endless supply of your favourite chocolate.

“MK was also a very exciting place to be as somewhere that was developing its arts and cultural identity without the boundaries of tradition. The ‘we can do this’ attitude was so refreshing and inspiring.”

Together, Hilary and Vera grew the theatre, ‘bringing the best small to mid scale touring productions to the stage, together with Stantonbury Theatre being the go to venue for local amatur groups, orchestras, choirs, bands, dance schools and many more other organisations.”
What was special about the theatre for Hilary?

“The chance it gave for students to experience first hand what professional theatre and theatre production was all about by engaging with it both on and off stage as participants and audience. It really was at the heart of the community, offering incredible opportunities for local professional and amateur groups to perform and contribute to the MK cultural scene. Plus, it was the perfect size to be able to programme some of the most innovative and exciting touring theatre at the time.”

Hilary developed the celebrated children’s theatre programme Theatre4Kids, and secured Arts Council Funding for a dance initiative which saw children and young people directly engaging with leading lights like Glyndebourne Opera, Northern Ballet and Milton Keynes Theatre, all of which she holds dear.

But sometimes it’s an individual who makes the biggest impact: “One time I was thanked by a parent who had never been in a theatre before as they didn’t think it was meant for them. He had come to see his daughter perform on our stage and was overwhelmed by the experience. That made my cry.”

Away from the stage, there were obstacles to be navigated successfully: “Convincing the public that Stantonbury did have a life after the opening of MK Theatre and re-establishing it as more than just ‘a school theatre,’” was a big one, “It had become Stantonbury Campus Theatre and it was my challenge to get it back to being Stantonbury Theatre without losing the special nature of its place on the campus,” Hilary said.

She nailed that particular challenge, and will be back for a celebratory glass of fizz at this month’s anniversary show. In hindsight, what do you think it is that makes smaller community theatres so important – they really have their place too.

“I think principally, it’s the intimacy they offer audiences to engage with what’s on stage. Although it’s increasingly challenging to make the books balance, they do have the ability to be more challenging in their programming and producing.

“They are vital to the lifeblood of theatre in the UK, it’s where emerging artists/writers/producers often get their first chance. Without them there would be no development to the mainstream, the West End etc. Too many small theatres are closing, you will suddenly miss them when they are not there.”

And she has words of warning for all of us: “The arts are more than just performing, they are the gateway to a whole new world of imagination, confidence building, creativity and personal development particularly for young people, and they are precious and under threat, don’t let them fade under the pressure of economics.”

When Hilary moved on, Vera guaranteed the theatre’s safe running, ‘ensuring it had the same ethos for the local community as a venue to watch performances as well as to perform in.’

Vera stayed in the role until lockdown, and she remains rightly proud of her time at the helm: “Stantonbury Theatre will always be in my heart,” she said, fondly.

As the venue prepares to toast its special anniversary, Theatre Administrator Ryan Truscott said: “Stantonbury Theatre has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years but has always continued to exist for the performing arts scene in Milton Keynes.

“After the pandemic hit all theatres badly, it is wonderful that we have come back and are going from strength to strength,” he said, reflecting on those traumatic times from a few years back.

“It is testament to the place that Stantonbury Theatre has all the hirers, local theatre groups, orchestras and dance schools, together with new hires utilising our venue.”
And Ryan has been intrinsically linked with the venue for decades: he is fully invested.

“Having parents and family that performed on Stantonbury’s stage, then treading the boards myself from when I was seven, later working on the technical side and now in administration, Stantonbury Theatre has been a big part of my life.

“I am delighted that we are here for the community today in the same way that the theatre has been for the last 50 years. My greatest hope is for the theatre to be standing in years to come and for it still to be used by the community, for the community.”

Stantonbury Theatre marks its 50th anniversary concert on Friday, December 6. Performances will come from Carabosse, Company MK, The Living Archive Band, Pepper’s Ghost Theatre Company, Milton Keynes Theatre of Comedy and the Wolverton Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

Fifty years to the day since her parents played the opening concert, singer Jacqui Dankworth will headline the show. “I was not even a teenager when my parents opened Stantonbury Campus in the 70’s – 50 years ago,” Jacqui said. “Where has the time gone? I remember them talking about it, the beginnings of Milton Keynes and the creative opportunity the theatre would bring to the new city.

I feel truly honoured to have been asked to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this lovely theatre. My dad would be proud! I will be performing an intimate set with Memphis born pianist and singer, Charlie Wood, on piano. We will perform a program of some classic songs like The Windmills Of Your Mind from my new album and some golden oldies like The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

We will also be performing some swinging, pared down, duets from the American songbook like Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing and Beginning To See The Light. It will be a fun, intimate set with some beautiful songs. I’m very much looking forward to being a part of the celebrations. Long may the theatre continue!” To book, visit stantonburytheatre.co.uk