Birmingham’s Old Rep reopens after £500K refurbishment

Published Tuesday 7 October 2008 at 15:55 by Lalayn Baluch

Birmingham’s Old Rep Theatre has reopened after a £500,000, six-month refurbishment programme.

The modernisation scheme, funded by Birmingham City Council, includes a new lift for wheelchair users, and improvements to the Grade II listed building’s box office, bar and toilet facilities.

Old Rep Theatre Manager Theresa Janssen told The Stage: “The huge benefit will be the disabled access - it was a problem before. The work has created a much more welcoming, cleaner, brighter, modern environment.”

The theatre reopened last week with a special performance by the venue’s Young REP company of Twelfth Night, the first play staged in the building when it opened 95 years ago.

This week, the Old Rep’s autumn/winter season kicked off with Birmingham Stage Company’s production of David Almond’s book Skellig, which won the Carnegie Medal and the 1998 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

The resident company will return to the stage at Christmas, with Michael Morpurgo’s Why the Whales Came. Other season highlights include BMOS Musical Theatre Company’s Fame the Musical, BMOS Youtheatre’s Aladdin, and MCS Rep Theatre’s Alice in Wonderland.

The Old Rep was the UK’s first purpose-built regional repertory theatre and was the original home of Barry Jackson’s Birmingham Repertory Company.

Councillor Ray Hassall, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: “The Old Rep is a vital part of Birmingham’s cultural history, and has played host to a wealth of big names and historic productions. Renovating these key areas of the building has made visiting this fabulous theatre an even more enjoyable experiences for years to come.”