Wyvern Theatre

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Wyvern Theatre
Address Swindon
Capacity 635
Construction
Opened 7 September 1971 (1971-09-07)
Reopened 25 September 2007
Website
swindontheatres.co.uk

The Wyvern Theatre in Swindon, Wiltshire, is named after the mythical wyvern which was once the emblem of the kings of Wessex. It was opened on 7 September 1971 by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

It is managed on behalf of Swindon Borough Council by Wyvern Theatre Ltd, a subsidiary of HQ Theatres Ltd..[1] The auditorium has 635 seats, all designed to be within 70 feet from the stage.[2]

History

The theatre was built in 1968-71 by Casson, Conder and Partner as part of Swindon Civic Centre.[3] The first performance was by the Ukrainian Dance Company.[4]

On 3 September 2006, it closed temporarily after the discovery of traces of asbestos in the venue's offices and roof void during a routine inspection. It remained closed until September 2007 and the closure was used to refurbish the venue, bringing new decor, bars, cafés, disabled entrances and new seating costing £1.3 million. The first performance afterwards was on 25 September 2007.[5]


    File:Wyvern Logo 1.jpg
    The Original Wyvern Theatre logo
    File:Logo 2.gif
    The 2nd Wyvern Theatre Logo


    File:Wyvern logo 3.jpg
    The 3rd logo
    File:Wyvern logo 4.png
    the 4th and current logo

    Management companies

    • 1971–1994 – Wyvern Arts Trust Ltd
    • 1994–2001 – Apollo Leisure - General Manager Ted Doan
    • 2001–02 – SFX Venues - General Manager Ted Doan
    • 2002–05 – Clear Channel Entertainment - General Manager Ted Doan, Andrew Lister
    • 2005–07 – Hetherington Seelig Theatres Ltd. - General Manager Nick Shaw, Darren Edwards, Andrew Hill
    • From 2007: HQ Theatres, a joint venture between H.S.T Ltd and Qdos Entertainment - Theatre Director Derek Aldridge

    Pantomimes

    Behind the Scenes

    • Wyvern backstage.jpg

      Backstage at the Wyvern Theatre 11/10/08

    • Wyvern backstage2.jpg

      Backstage at the Wyvern Theatre 11/10/08

    • Wyvern backstage3.jpg

      Backstage at the Wyvern Theatre 11/10/08

    • Wyvern backstage4.jpg

      Backstage at the Wyvern Theatre 11/10/08

    Awards

    • 2015 - The Wyvern Theatre was awarded the Venue of the Year Award at the annual HQ Theatre awards

    Summer Youth Project

    Theatre Mascot

    Over the years The Wyvern Theatre has had its own mascot in the form of a 6-foot-high green dragon-like creature known as Willy the Wyvern.[citation needed]

    Willy the Wyvern became the theatre's mascot originally during in its founding years but faded into obscurity for over two decades. In 2001, Willy was reborn and returned to the Wyvern theatre with a new look and a new lease of life just in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary. He has now seemingly gone into retirement making rare appearances, the last being in the 2013 Summer Youth Project[citation needed]

    References

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    External links

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