Stephen Joseph Theatre
A theatre-in-the-round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, founded by Stephen Joseph and housed since 1996 in a converted former Odeon cinema.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a performing-arts venue in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, known particularly for its theatre-in-the-round format and its role in the development of new theatre in the region. The institution was founded in 1955 by theatre director Stephen Joseph, who established a small theatre-in-the-round on the first floor of Scarborough Library. This made it an early and important British example of a theatre designed around the principle that performers and audience members should share a central performance space rather than being separated by a conventional proscenium stage. The theatre developed over the following decades despite having no immediately permanent home. In 1976 it moved to a building that had previously been Scarborough Boys' High School. The venue was intended to be temporary, but it became the theatre's base for many years while efforts continued to secure a more suitable permanent location. The institution's long-term artistic development was closely associated with Alan Ayckbourn, who served as its long-standing artistic director and helped establish Scarborough as an important centre for theatrical production. A major opportunity arose after the closure of Scarborough's local Odeon cinema, operated by Rank Leisure, in the late 1980s. The former cinema offered a substantial building that could be adapted for theatrical use. Ayckbourn led a £4 million appeal to support the conversion, with the objective of creating a permanent home. The transformed venue opened in 1996 under the name Stephen Joseph Theatre. The present building contains two auditoria. The Round is a 404-seat theatre-in-the-round, while The McCarthy is a 165-seat end-on performance space that can also function as a cinema. The building includes front-of-house and backstage facilities, a restaurant and a shop, enabling it to operate as a complete cultural venue rather than simply as an auditorium. The Round incorporates technical features intended to support flexible and efficient production, including a stage lift for rapid set changes and a trampoline-style access system that helps technicians reach the lighting grid. The theatre's principal offering is live performance, especially theatrical productions presented in intimate and flexible spaces. Its history connects it with regional theatre, theatre-in-the-round practice and the production of new work. The venue also has cultural associations beyond its stage programme: the image used on the cover of Richard Hawley's album Coles Corner was photographed there. The Stephen Joseph Theatre remains an active theatre institution, although detailed information about its present ownership, corporate structure, current leadership and financial position is not established by the supplied reference material.
History
The Stephen Joseph Theatre originated in 1955, when Stephen Joseph established a small theatre-in-the-round on the first floor of Scarborough Library. The venue was an early British example of the form and reflected Joseph's interest in presenting theatre in a configuration that placed the audience around the acting area. Rather than relying on a conventional front-facing stage, the arrangement created a more immediate relationship between performers and spectators. The institution grew in importance but lacked a permanent purpose-built home. In 1976 it moved to the ground floor of the former Scarborough Boys' High School. Although this was described as a temporary location, the theatre remained there for an extended period while the search for a lasting venue continued. Its development was strongly associated with Alan Ayckbourn, who became its long-serving artistic director and contributed to its reputation as a place for theatrical production and new work. The decisive change came after the closure of Scarborough's Odeon cinema in the late 1980s. The cinema, which had been operated by Rank Leisure, provided a substantial existing building that could be converted rather than replaced. Ayckbourn initiated a £4 million appeal to fund the redevelopment. The project aimed to create a permanent home capable of retaining the institution's theatre-in-the-round identity while adding modern production and audience facilities. The converted building opened in 1996 as the Stephen Joseph Theatre. Its principal auditorium, The Round, seats 404 people and preserves the theatre-in-the-round format that has defined the institution since its origins. A second, smaller venue, The McCarthy, seats 165 and uses an end-on stage arrangement; it can also serve as a cinema. The building additionally provides restaurant, retail, front-of-house and backstage facilities. The Round contains technical features designed for adaptable repertory and efficient changeovers. A stage lift assists with set changes, while a trampoline system, described as a Canadian invention, gives technicians access to the lighting grid. These features support the venue's ability to mount varied productions within a flexible auditorium. The Stephen Joseph Theatre's history is therefore marked by three major phases: its library beginnings in 1955, its long temporary occupation of the former boys' high school from 1976, and its move into the converted Odeon cinema in 1996. It remains a Scarborough cultural institution centred on theatre and live performance. The venue has also had a connection with popular music history because the photograph used for the cover of Richard Hawley's album Coles Corner was taken at the theatre. The supplied references do not establish the present management structure, ownership, annual finances or current programme in sufficient detail.
- 1996
New Stephen Joseph Theatre opens
[1]A converted former cinema opened as the Stephen Joseph Theatre, containing The Round and The McCarthy auditoria.
- 1988
Former Odeon identified as a permanent-site opportunity
[1]Following the closure of the local Odeon cinema operated by Rank Leisure, the former cinema became a potential permanent home for the theatre.
- 1976
Move to former boys' high school
[1]The theatre moved to a ground-floor space in the former Scarborough Boys' High School, initially intended as a temporary home.
- 1955
Theatre founded in Scarborough
[1]Stephen Joseph established a small theatre-in-the-round on the first floor of Scarborough Library.
Products and positioning
Regional theatre and cultural venue specialising in live theatrical performance, with a distinctive theatre-in-the-round auditorium and a history of supporting new and locally produced work.
Theatre auditorium · 1996
The Round
The Round is the Stephen Joseph Theatre's principal auditorium and seats 404 people. Its theatre-in-the-round configuration places the audience around the central acting area, continuing the format established when the institution was founded in 1955. The space includes a stage lift to support rapid set changes and a trampoline-style technical-access feature that assists with access to the lighting grid.
End-on theatre and cinema auditorium · 1996
The McCarthy
The McCarthy is the venue's smaller auditorium, with seating for 165 people. It uses an end-on stage arrangement rather than the central configuration of The Round and can also function as a cinema. The space gives the theatre a more compact and flexible setting for performances and screen presentations.
Live performance · 1955
Theatre productions
The Stephen Joseph Theatre's core offering is live theatrical production. Its institutional identity is connected with theatre-in-the-round, regional theatre and the presentation of new or locally produced work. Productions may be staged in either of the venue's two auditoria, allowing different scales and staging relationships.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Permanent-home fundraising appeal
United Kingdom
Alan Ayckbourn launched a £4 million appeal to convert the closed Odeon cinema in Scarborough into a permanent home for the theatre.
Outcome. The redevelopment resulted in the opening of the new Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1996.
Brand decisions
1996
Conversion of former Odeon into a permanent theatreStrategyBackground
The closure of Scarborough's Odeon cinema created an opportunity to establish a permanent home after years in temporary accommodation.
Action taken
The former cinema was redeveloped as a two-auditorium theatre with a 404-seat theatre-in-the-round and a 165-seat end-on venue that could also operate as a cinema.
Aftermath
The new building opened in 1996 under the Stephen Joseph Theatre name and added dedicated front-of-house, backstage, restaurant and shop facilities.
Redevelopment appeal. £4 million appeal launched (Before the 1996 opening)
1976
Relocation to a larger temporary venueStrategyBackground
The original library venue had been outgrown, while a permanent theatre site had not yet been secured.
Action taken
The institution moved to the ground floor of the former Scarborough Boys' High School.
Aftermath
The building served as the theatre's base for many years before the later conversion of the Odeon cinema.
Recent events
Stephen Joseph Theatre announces additional 2027 productions[3]
Reported:
Stephen Joseph Theatre announced additional productions for its 2027 programme, including its production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, a Young Company production and five visiting shows.
Sources3 sources
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