Type Regional theatre Production Garrick Rep Company | Capacity 562 seats Opened 1 July 2003 | |
 | ||
Address Castle Dyke
Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6HR Owner Lichfield District Council leased to Lichfield Garrick Theatre Ltd | ||
The Lichfield Garrick is a modern, purpose built theatre in Lichfield, a city in Staffordshire, England.
Contents
The main auditorium seats 562 people and the Studio seats 157 people. The theatre is named after the 18th century actor David Garrick, who was brought up in Lichfield.
The Garrick's program includes a variety of touring shows as well as its own productions. It is also used for plays and musicals by local amateur companies. Like most British theatres the Garrick also plays host to an annual Christmas pantomime.
The Lichfield Garrick is operated as a charitable theatre trust and is independent of Lichfield District Council, although the Council invests in the theatre as its principal partner.
The current chief executive is Karen Foster and artistic director is Tim Ford. The board of trustees is chaired by James Leavesley DL.
History
The new £5.5 million theatre opened in July 2003 replacing the old Arts centre and Civic Hall. The project received over £1.4 million from the European Structural Funds Program. The architect was Alan Short, founder of Short & Associates. As well as adding a fly tower and orchestra pit to the main auditorium, the theatre was remodelled, so that new front of house areas could be built, better backstage access provided and a studio theatre included. It is architecturally notable for its unique natural ventilation system, which is an award-winning eco-friendly design. In 2004 it won the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and CIBSE Project of the Year, among others. However, the building received a mixed response from the public, with some people arguing the theatre's design was not in keeping with the character of Lichfield.
The first production, The Recruiting Officer, was directed by and starred Corin Redgrave. George Farquhar is said to have written some of the play while staying at the George Hotel in Lichfield. It was also the first play that David Garrick performed in.
Garrick Rep Company
The Garrick Rep Company was formed in 2005 with the aim of providing theatre goers with powerful and exciting performances, produced in-house at the Garrick Theatre. Early productions were presented under the name of RDC Productions.
Controversy
In June 2009, a public campaign was started against what was called "the misappropriation of council funding at the Garrick". The organizers claimed that "the facility is focused on the arts when its predecessor, the Civic Hall, catered for a wider variety of community events". However, in response to this many Lichfeldians came out in support of the venue.