Babycham tycoon’s disused venue to host professional work again

Published Tuesday 16 January 2007 at 13:40 by Alistair Smith

A disused Somerset theatre, built 35 years ago by the inventor of Babycham, is to host its first professional play in a decade, following an ambitious £5 million project to renovate the site and turn it into a working venue and drama school.

Bristol Academy of Performing Arts, a musical theatre focused school which used to be based at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol, has already moved into the Academy Theatre, formerly the Amulet, in Shepton Mallet. It has 23 students and is looking to expand and offer residential courses to around 120 by September 2008.

The theatre was built in the seventies with finances from Frances Showering, the brewer of Babycham who based his factory in the town, but fell into disuse in the late nineties. When it opened, the venue was very technologically advanced - its 270 raked seats could be raised into the roof using a corkscrew mechanism to allow the stage to be used as an open space. This mechanism is still operational and the only one of its type in the UK.

BAPA principal Andrew Hambley Smith commented: “Now that we have 23 students based in the theatre building every day taking singing, dancing and acting lessons the building has started to come alive. Once planning permission is granted we want to move quickly to carry out the remaining work so that the theatre can be used for touring productions, music events, children’s theatre, community productions and concerts.

“Shepton Mallet is close to the Glastonbury Festival site, as well as Bristol and Bath. There are a lot of performers in the area and a desire from the public for a vibrant venue that can be used for music, dance and theatre.”

The developer which owns the site, Coxley Developments, has applied for planning permission for a new entrance, foyer and green room. A final decision is expected later this month.

It is hoped that the venue will host its first professional performance this summer, while the school, which offers one and three-year courses for students aged 18 and over, will also use the performance space and is looking to increase its intake to 60 this September and then 120 the following year, as additional student accomodation is built as part of the redevelopment. It is expected that the entire scheme will be completed by September 2008.