| Milton Keynes
Theatre opened on 4 October 1999, 25 years after
the campaign for a new theatre first started and
has placed Milton Keynes firmly on the country's
cultural map.
The National
Lottery award, amounting to £19.6 million
kick-started the actual construction of the
theatre and the Milton Keynes Theatre and
Gallery Company was set up to continue to
develop the project. Further capital to meet the
£30 million costs came from English Partnerships
(formerly Commission for New Towns) as well as
fundraising in the town. ATG was awarded the
management contract for the new theatre in 1998
and has enjoyed enormously successful seasons
since its opening.
The new theatre
is the latest state of the art building, with
the most technically advanced equipment
available. Designed by architects Blonski-Heard,
the new theatre accommodates a vast range of
productions, from large-scale West End musicals,
to smaller, more intimate drama. The auditorium
ceiling has been carefully designed to
accommodate various shows and can be lowered or
raised depending on the scale of the production.
The seating can also be moved around within the
auditorium to vary the capacity from between 900
and 1,400.
In addition to
bringing a variety of performances to the city,
Milton Keynes Theatre provides a focus for the
city's already thriving cultural life. The very
first performances on the new theatre's stage
brought together nearly 1,000 local people,
actors, dancers, musicians and backstage staff.
 The
theatre stages a variety of large West End
productions, including Annie starring Lesley
Joseph, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Adventures
In Motion Pictures; Swan Lake and The Car Man,
West Side Story and Dr Dolittle starring Russ
Abbot. |
