On January 24th 2005, The Mission Theatre opened its doors to Bath audiences for the first time. Fifteen years on, The Mission has become a highly popular and well-loved part of the Bath cultural scene.
As it used to be - a wedding at The People’s Mission last century.
The attractive Grade II listed building that Ann and Andrew Ellison, founders of Next Stage, first saw in 2002 had been derelict since The People’s Mission had ceased to worship there in 1998. The potential for the building to become a versatile arts venue was apparent from the outset, particularly to a theatre company specialising in theatre-in-the-round performances.
After 2 years of negotiations during which hopes were continually raised and dashed, finally in November 2004, Next Stage was awarded a ten-year lease on the dilapidated ex-chapel. Immediately the whole company was involved in an intensive 6 week refurbishment process to transform the building into a working theatre. The work included total electrical rewiring, installing a new block of toilets (including disabled facilities), complete redecoration, creating the bar/bistro in the 50 seater upstairs theatre and, of course, creating dressing rooms and a green room.
Images above > (1) Members of Next Stage working hard in the Theatre Upstairs, November 2004 (2) Artistic Director, Ann Ellison in a cement mixer with long-term supporters, Paul and Jim from Avonvale Carpets, December 2004 (3) The conversion of The Main Auditorium, January 2005.
Chris Harris opening the theatre, with Ann Ellison and Andrew Ellison
Against all the odds, when January 24th 2005 dawned The Mission Theatre was ready to open its doors to the public for the very first time. From October 2004, Next Stage had been rehearsing the inaugural shows that would launch The Mission: Comic Potential by patron Alan Ayckbourn to run for a week in the Main Auditorium in January, and A Visit From Miss Protheroe to launch Next Stage’s Supper Theatres in the Theatre Upstairs Bistro in February.
In January 2005, friend Chris Harris - a talented actor and accomplished pantomime Dame (sadly now deceased) - opened The Mission Theatre.
Next Stage believed they were acquiring an ideal venue for their productions and a meeting place for Next Stage Youth. Within months, it became apparent that The Mission Theatre was going to be very much more than merely a home for the company and within a few years Next Stage had been successful in negotiating an extended lease.
The Mission has given local amateur companies an affordable performance space in the heart of Bath to put on a huge variety of events. Visiting small-scale professional drama companies love the versatility of the stage and performance area, and the theatre’s existence has allowed the creation of new non-professional theatre companies. As well as this, The Mission has hosted many events from local Festivals over the last 15 years including: the Jane Austen Festival, the Bath Festival of Children's Literature, the Bath International Music Festival, the Mid-Somerset Competitive Festival, the Bath Comedy Festival and the Bath Fringe Festival.
Images above > (1) Jane Austen Festival 2019 (2) The Bath Kids Lit Festival (3) Bath International Music Festival.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn with the cast of House & Garden (2014)
The Mission has provided Next Stage Theatre Company with the ability to rehearse in its own space, and to attempt productions that would not have been possible had the company just hired a venue for a week. His Dark Materials Parts 1 & 2 has been staged 3 times since 2007, twice with youth casts, whilst Next Stage productions touring to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, make use of the versatility of the Mission’s stage to echo The Minack's sweeping grandeur. As part of Next Stage’s 20th Birthday celebrations in May 2014, for the first time ever, The Theatre Upstairs and The Main Auditorium were used simultaneously for the staging of Alan Ayckbourn’s challenging plays House and Garden. The cast were proud and privileged to perform in front of Sir Alan and Lady Ayckbourn when they came to Bath and to The Mission to watch the plays and to join in Next Stage’s celebrations.
So a very Happy Birthday to The Mission Theatre and here’s to the next 15 years. Do come along and celebrate with us and see for yourself why this attractive, intimate, city-centre venue has become a much loved institution at the heart of the cultural scene in Bath. Next Stage Theatre Company, now The Mission’s resident theatre company, is presenting a Bath première - Collaborators by John Hodge - to mark the milestone birthday. The production showcases a stellar cast of the company’s best actors, in a play originally performed at the National Theatre with Simon Russell- Beale and Alex Jennings in the lead roles. On January 24th there is a special Gala night SOLD-OUT performance when the show will be performed in front of The Mayor and Mayoress of Bath who will attend a reception afterwards hosted by Artistic Director Ann Ellison and Director Andrew Ellison with all the cast and crew of the play. Local playwright John Hodge has been in touch with Next Stage, visited the theatre, talked to the director and will be present at the gala night.
Artistic Director, Ann Ellison and Collaborators Director, Bob Constantine with playwright John Hodge at The Mission Theatre - January 2020.