| New Wolsey Theatre | |
| Image Alt: | A picture of the outside of the New Wolsey Theatre during an outdoor event, with people gathered to watch a performance. |
| Address: | Civic Drive |
| City: | Ipswich |
| Country: | UK |
| Coordinates: | 52.0587°N 1.1481°W |
| Architect: | Roderick Ham |
| Owner: | New Wolsey Theatre Company Ltd |
| Capacity: | 400 |
| Opened: | 31 October 1979 |
| Rebuilt: | Reopened 01 February 2001 after major refurbishment |
| Production: | Beauty And The Beast' |
| Currentuse: | Producing and Receiving house |
| Website: | New Wolsey Theatre homepage |
The New Wolsey Theatre is a producing theatre with a café & bar in Ipswich, Suffolk. It is a midsized regional theatre, with a seating capacity of 400.
It replaced The Arts Theatre,[1] the town's much loved and respected Repertory Theatre for many decades and was designed by Roderick Ham for Ipswich & Suffolk New Theatre Trust. Construction was carried out between 1977 and 1979 by Haymills Contractors Ltd with Carr And Angier theatre consultants providing planning advice and design/installation of all technical systems and equipment.
From 1979 to 1999 the theatre was operated by The Wolsey Theatre Company, a regional repertory company. The theatre was known for showing performances of drama, comedy and musical plays and was used almost exclusively as a producing house. Due to financial problems dating back to the mid 1990s, the operating company closed the theatre in 1999 and was dissolved.
In 2001, the theatre reopened and is owned and operated by the New Wolsey Theatre Company. The New Wolsey Theatre Company is a registered charity with a stated mission of presenting high quality, diverse and accessible work, and operates on a not-for-profit basis. The Theatre is now nationally recognised for the quality, diversity and reach of its productions,[2] both as a producer, and in collaboration with a diverse range of visiting artists and companies from across the UK. It’s renowned for staging world premieres and landmark revivals of musicals including 20th Century Boy,[3] It’s a Wonderful Life, Made in Dagenham, Never Lost At Home, Once, Our Blue Heaven, Sweet Charity, The Who’s Tommy (UK Theatre Award for Best Touring Production) and for its annual Rock ‘n’ Roll pantomime.
The Theatre has always been a champion of making performing arts accessible to all. As a founder member of the ground-breaking Ramps On The Moon,[4] the New Wolsey Theatre is part of a consortium that strives to normalise the presence of deaf and disabled people on and off the stage and in 2017 the Theatre won the UK Theatre Award for the Promotion of Diversity.
Since its reopening as a producing theatre, The New Wolsey has developed a recognisable house style of actor/musician productions - particularly through their Rock 'n' Roll Panto.
Notable productions have included: