Theatre Royal Wakefield – History, Heritage and Future with Katie Town

How do you offer a lively and entertaining programme of shows and other events and activities while also preserving a Grade II* heritage asset? Come along to this talk by Wakefield Theatre Royal's Executive Director Katie Town to find out how, and much more besides!

The Talk:

Join us for an enthralling evening of the history and heritage of Theatre Royal Wakefield with our guest speaker Katie Town.

The evening will delve into the origins of theatre on the Drury Lane site, which date back to 1776. The current Grade II* building opened in 1894 and is the design of legendary theatre architect, Frank Matcham. It is the smallest surviving Matcham theatre auditorium. Katie will also talk about the theatre’s role in the community today and how the team ensures it remains relevant to everyone in the district.

Theatre Royal Wakefield is a charity and plays an important role in Wakefield, despite receiving no regular public subsidy. As well as a vibrant and varied programme of produced and touring work, the organisation runs a busy Participation programme that regularly works with young people, socially isolated older people, refugees and asylum seekers, improving wellbeing for all of these groups. The talk will explore how the theatre’s team are able to continue with these important and valuable projects, alongside performances and maintaining a heritage asset.

Our Guest Speaker:

Katie has been Executive Director at the theatre since 2015. Prior to this she was General Manager of Learning at the National Theatre. She’s also the Vice Chair of trustees at the Theatres Trust, an organisation dedicated to championing the future of live performance, by protecting and supporting excellent theatre buildings which meet the needs of their communities.

The event:

Every year in January, Wakefield Civic Society and Wakefield Historical Society organise a joint meeting, taking it in turns to host and to select the subject matter.

In January 2025, it is the Civic Society's turn to host the meeting which will take place in the Kingswood Suite on the first floor at Wakefield Town Hall, Wood Street, Wakefield, WF1 2HQ, starting promptly at 7.30pm. (Doors open at 7pm.)

The event is free to attend and is open members and guests of both societies and anyone else interested in the subject matter. Note that you do not need to be a member of either society to attend.

The event will end at approximately 9pm.

A live-stream option will also be available for anyone unable to attend in person. When selecting your tickets, please make sure you select either an 'in person' ticket if you wish to come to the Town Hall, or a 'live stream' ticket if you wish to watch on-line via Zoom. A link to the talk will be emailed to you on the day of the event.

Host or Publisher Wakefield Civic Society