The History of The Ellen Terry Barn Theatre Society
From the first production held in the barn in 1929 to the present day, a production has been staged as near as possible to the date of Ellen Terry’s death.
1929
A year after the death of Dame Ellen Terry in July 1928 her daughter Edith had converted the lovely old Tudor barn behind Dame Ellen's house into a theatre as a memorial to her mother and to help provide funds for the upkeep of the main house which she had turned into a memorial museum.
To raise initial funds an all-star matinee was held at the Palace Theatre London in which dozens of prominent actors appeared, and Edith asked for donations of £1.00 for a chair which would carry the name of the donor. The chairs cost 5 shillings and are still in use today.
The first memorial performance at The Barn was performed on July 21st, 1929.
(Right: Dame Ellen Terry in the Cow Byre at Smallhythe Place.)
1932
The Barn Theatre Society was formed by Edith Craig.
1947
Edith gave the property to the National Trust in 1939 but continued to run it herself until her death in 1947. At this stage Sir John Gielgud and Lewis Casson together with a host of theatrical personalities of the day formed the Ellen Terry Fellowship. The Fellowship leased the barn from the National Trust and each year brought a production down from London for a memorial matinee. During this time most of the great names of the theatre appeared at the Barn.
1961
At this time, due to heavy commitments, it was decided to wind up the Fellowship and Anthony Thomas was granted a lease by the trust to form the Ellen Terry Theatre Club.
For the next 30 years the Ellen Terry Theatre Club under the direction of Anthony Thomas presented an average of four productions each year including the annual memorial performances. Many of the great names of the theatre continued to be attracted to perform in this historic Little Theatre.
1992
Anthony Thomas retired in 1992, and the Ellen Terry Theatre club was wound up. Over many years the wiring of the barn had deteriorated in part and modern fire precautions were a priority at the end of 1992 an appeal was launched for £12,000 for renovation work the National Trust offered to meet pound for pound any amount raised by the appeal. The response from well-wishers was immediate and generous, both from the public and from the acting profession. Work was put in hand at an early stage and completed in 1993.
1993
The Barn Theatre Society was reformed having been the title of the original society formed by Edith Craig in 1929 when she converted the Barn. Tony Weare, who had been running the Society alongside Anthony Thomas since 1989, led the society which was fully subscribed and there was a waiting list for membership. Productions were presented to members only each month during the summer and the Barn Theatre was open to visitors to the memorial museum for the first time in its history on Saturday 29th of May 1993 and continued to be shown by courtesy of the society and stewarded by members of the society.
2002
Tony Weare retired, and Peter Mould became honorary Director of the Society. Over the coming years, the National Trust obtained a public theatre license which enabled the theatre to open its doors to the public as well as continuing to serve the 400-500 loyal members who supported the society and the upkeep of the theatre through their generous donations.
(Left: Ian Klemen and Bill Allender in 'The Dresser', 2012)
2024
After 22 years at the helm, Peter Mould retires, passing the title of Honorary Co-Directors to two of his long-serving actors, Matt Turpin and Zo Biba-Leonard, who in turn, becomes the first female director of the Society since Edith Craig. The full name of the society was changed to include Ellen Terry's name but will forever be known as The Barn Theatre Society.
(Right: Peter Mould in A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2024)
