January 2007
Exciting New Stage Beckons, 40 Years On, In Winchester
Monday, January 01, 2007 by Hampshire Chronicle

Chesil member and former Chronicle reporter, Lisbeth Rake, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Chesil Theatre, Winchester

WHEN Winchester Dramatic Society members held the official opening in October 1966, of their theatre in St Peter’s Church, Chesil Street, there was only one person they wanted to perform the ceremony. Barbara Carpenter-Turner, the then mayor, had been the driving force to prevent the demolition of the church and enable the society to have its own home. Mention of St Peter’s can be found in the Winton Domesday Book of 1148. Sandwiched between two mills on a stretch of the Itchen River, it was once the mother church of a bustling community of tradesmen and craftsmen. In the 1940s, it fell out of use and, by 1960, it was becoming structurally unsafe. When a plan to widen Chesil Street was mooted, it looked as though the church would be lost. Mrs Carpenter-Turner was the president of the newly-formed Winchester Preservation Trust, which undertook to save the building. The diocese had no alternative use for it, so WDS negotiated a rent-free occupancy, in exchange for keeping the building in repair.

An appeal was launched for £10,000 to put the fabric in good order. WDS members took responsibility for the internal alterations and equipment. Years of negotiation, fund-raising and hard DIY work followed, while the WDS rehearsed in halls and performed in the Guildhall.

The church, now designated a Grade II listed building, has adapted well to its new role. The tower is a wardrobe store, the vestry a dressing room, the south aisle a scenery store and the stage occupies the nave. The back row of the auditorium, which seats 74, marks the site of the altar.

The first show was The House by the Lake and, since then, WDS has presented nearly 250 productions. Looking at the archives, carefully catalogued in the Hampshire Record Office, there are photos ranging from Pinter to panto, Shakespeare to Shaw, Ayckbourn to Anouilh. The tradition of a pantomime at the Guildhall was maintained for many years. Although the WDS has also performed in the Tower Arts Centre, the John Stripe Theatre and the Theatre Royal – most recently with Hay Fever– the Chesil has remained its much-loved home, with directors and actors taking full advantage of the intimate atmosphere to draw the audience into the drama. Despite the lack of space, shows have been performed in the round and with complex, multi-level sets.

The society has been fortunate to have members who give freely of their professional expertise. Others contribute by organising the thriving youth workshops, building sets or helping with the wardrobe, lights, sound and marketing. Some clean loos, staff the bar and front of house and fulfil the many responsibilities of opening doors to the public. On some of the hottest evenings this summer, a team moved all the staging and chairs to clean and renovate the floor.

The medieval church now has the latest technology to operate the lights and sound and there are video links to other areas of the theatre, making the backstage team’s job much easier.

The society is quietly proud that, apart from occasional historic building grants to help with the maintenance of the fabric, all expenditure for improvements and the running of the theatre has come from revenue from productions and their own fund-raising activities.

This anniversary is not just a time for nostalgia – exciting times lie ahead. Last year, planning permission was granted for an extension in conjunction with their neighbours, the St John Winchester Charity. For the Chesil, it will bring a multi-purpose foyer, extended rehearsal space, enhanced facilities for the disabled, an easily-accessed wardrobe, upgraded equipment and improved amenities. The cost is estimated at £700,000.

President, Tom Williams, said: “We owe a great debt to the far-sighted people who made the imaginative decision in the early 1960s to take on the responsibility of having our own theatre. “Over 40 years, not only has the society brought high-quality drama to Winchester, but also worked hard to maintain our superb listed building as one of the jewels in the city’s architecture.”

For more details, visit www.chesiltheatre.org.uk.