Wyvern Theatre
Encyclopedia
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 Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip.
It is managed on behalf of Swindon Borough Council by Wyvern Theatre Ltd, a subsidiary of HQ Theatres Ltd. The current Managing Director is Michael Ockwell.
The auditorium has 615 seats all within 70 ft from the stage.
Clear Channel Entertainment managed the venue for many years until 2005, when they lost the tender. The Wyvern was taken over by Wyvern Theatre Ltd, a subsidiary of Hetherington Seelig Theatres Ltd. on behalf of Swindon Borough Council.
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 £1.3m. The first performance afterwards was on 25 September 2007.
Starring Steven Pinder (Captain Hook), Daniel Boys (Peter Pan), Jonah Cook (John Darling), Aaron Jenkins (Michael Darling).
Willy the Wyvern became the theatre's mascot in its founding years but faded into obscurity for over two decades. In 2001 Willy returned to the theatre in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
is named after the mythical wyvern
Wyvern
A wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, two legs , and a barbed tail. The wyvern is found in heraldry. There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail...
which was once the emblem of the Kings of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
. It was opened on 7 September 1971 by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip.
It is managed on behalf of Swindon Borough Council by Wyvern Theatre Ltd, a subsidiary of HQ Theatres Ltd. The current Managing Director is Michael Ockwell.
The auditorium has 615 seats all within 70 ft from the stage.
History
It was designed in 1967 by Casson, Condor and Partner. The first performance was by the Ukrainian Dance Company.Clear Channel Entertainment managed the venue for many years until 2005, when they lost the tender. The Wyvern was taken over by Wyvern Theatre Ltd, a subsidiary of Hetherington Seelig Theatres Ltd. on behalf of Swindon Borough Council.
On 3 September 2006 it closed temporarily after the discovery of traces of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
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 £1.3m. The first performance afterwards was on 25 September 2007.
Management companies
- till 2001 - Apollo Leisure
- 2001/02 - SFX Venues
- 2002/05 - Clear Channel Entertainment
- 2005/07 - Hetherington Seelig Theatres Ltd
- From 2007: HQ Theatres, a joint venture between H.S.T Ltd and Qdos Entertainment
Pantomimes
- 1971/72 - Dick Whittington
- 1972/73 - Cinderella
- 1973/74 - Dick Whittington
- 1974/75 - Aladdin
- 1975/76 - Mother Goose
- 1976/77 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- 1977/78 - Babes in the Wood
- 1978/79 - Cinderella
- 1979/80 - Jack and the Beanstalk
- 1981/82 - Aladdin starring Bernie WintersBernie WintersBernie Winters was an English comedian and the comic relief of the double act, Mike and Bernie Winters with his brother, Mike. He later performed solo, often with the aid of his St...
- 1983/84 - Babes in the Wood
- 1984/85 - Cinderella
- 1986/87 - Jack and the Beanstalk starring Johnny BallJohnny BallJohnny Ball is a British television personality, a great populariser of mathematics and the father of BBC Radio 2 DJ Zoë Ball.-Early life:...
- 1987/88 - Babes in the Wood
- 1988/89 - Jack and the Beanstalk
- 1989/90 - Mother Goose - Starring Adam WoodyattAdam WoodyattAdam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
(Eastenders Ian Beale) as Billy - 1990/91 - Aladdin - Starring Floella BenjaminFloella BenjaminFloella Karen Yunies Benjamin, Baroness Benjamin OBE DL is a British actress, author, television presenter, businesswoman and politician...
(BBC TV's Playschool) as Aladdin and Bobby Gee (Bucks FizzBucks Fizz (band)Bucks Fizz are an English pop group who achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and...
) - 1991/92 - Cinderella - Starring Matthew KellyMatthew KellyMatthew Kelly is an English television presenter and Olivier-award winning actor. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as You Bet! and Stars in Their Eyes...
(ITV's You Bet & Stars in their Eyes) as Buttons - 1992/93 - Jack and the Beanstalk - Starring Trevor BannisterTrevor BannisterTrevor Gordon Bannister was an English actor best known for playing the womanising junior salesman Mr. Lucas in the sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1979, and for his role as Toby Mulberry Smith in the longest-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, from 2003 until it ended its run in 2010...
(Mr Lucas from BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV's Are you Being Served?) - 1993/94 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Starring Brian HibbardBrian HibbardBrian Hibbard is a Welsh actor and singer, best remembered as the lead vocalist in the original Flying Pickets.Hibbard was born in Ebbw Vale, and after various job including teacher, steel worker, barman and chimney sweep, he formed the Flying Pickets with a group of other actors who had practised...
(ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Making Out & Coronation Street) as the Henchman - 1994/95 - Dick Whittington - Starring Jimmy CricketJimmy CricketJimmy Cricket is a comedian. He currently lives with his family in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.- Early life and career :...
- 1995/96 - Aladdin - Starring Timmy MallettTimmy MallettTimmy Mallett is a TV presenter and broadcaster in the UK. He achieved cult status on BBC Radio Oxford and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am...
(ITV's Wacaday, Wide-a-wake Club) as Aladdin - 1996/97 - Cinderella - Starring Jess ConradJess ConradJess Conrad OBE is an actor and singer from England.-Career:Having started his career as a repertory actor and film extra, Jess Conrad was cast in a television play "Bye, Bye Barney" as a pop singer...
as Prince Charming and Bernie CliftonBernie CliftonBernie Clifton is a British comedian and entertainer, who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze, Don Maclean and Jan Hunt in the 1970s....
as Buttons - 1997/98 - Babes In the Wood - (Charles Vance Productions) Starring Paul Leyshon (Hollyoaks, Cavegirl) as Robin Hood, Hugo MyattHugo MyattHugo Myatt is a British actor, best known for his role as dungeon master Treguard of Dunshelm in the children's game show Knightmare. He has often commented that he did not mind working with children on Knightmare as his first job was as an actor in children's theatre.In addition to numerous...
(ITV's Knightmare) as the Sheriff of Nottingham and the Roly Polys as the Merry Men - 1998/99 - Jack and the Beanstalk - (Charles Vance Productions) Starring Colin BakerColin BakerColin Baker is a British actor who is known for playing Paul Merroney in The Brothers from 1974 to 1976 and as the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who, from 1984 to 1986.- Background:Colin Baker was born in London, but moved north to...
(Dr Who, The Brothers) as Dame Durden. With Rod, Jane & Freddy (ITV's Rainbow) - 1999/2000 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - (Charles Vance Productions) Starring Jacinta StapletonJacinta StapletonJacinta Stapelton is an Australian actress. Her most notable acting role was Amy Greenwood in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours from 1997 to 2000.-Early life:...
(Neighbours Amy GreenwoodAmy GreenwoodAmy Greenwood is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jacinta Stapleton. She made her first on-screen appearance on 10 July 1997. Amy was flirtatious and ditzy, especially interested in fashion and gossip. Throughout most of her time in the show Amy was...
) as Snow White and Paul Ladlow as the Wicked Queen. Also featured Mike McCabe and Sandy Martin (BBC Radio Swindon). - 2000/1 - Aladdin - (Charles Vance Productions) Starring Aleetza Wood (Home and Away's Peta Janossi) as Aladdin, Geoffrey HinsliffGeoffrey HinsliffGeoffrey Hinsliff is an English actor best known for his portrayal of Don Brennan in Coronation Street from 16 August 1987 to 8 October 1997. He had previously played other characters in the same programme, in 1963 and 1977....
(Coronation Street's Don Brennan) as Widow Twanky, Bobby DazzlerBobby Dazzler- External links :*...
as Wishee Washee and Juliette KaplanJuliette Kaplanhttp://www.juliettekaplan.com/Juliette Kaplan is a British actress, real name Marlene Hoser. She is most famous for playing the role of Pearl in the BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine, from 1985 to 2010. She also did a tour around British theatres in a one actor show, performing as Pearl...
(Last of the Summer Wine's Pearl) as the Empress of China. Also featured Tweedy & Alexis as Ping and Pong. - 2001/2 - Cinderella starring Emma Willis (Cinderella), Bernie Clifton (Buttons), Pollyann Tanner (Dandini), Paul Mead (Baron Hardup)
- 2002/3 - Dick Whittington starring Geoffrey Hayes (Simple Simon), Pollyann Tanner (Dick), Hugo Myatt (King Rat), Colin Baker (Sarah the Cook).
- 2003/4 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears starring Vicky Binns (Goldilocks), Howard Taylor (Ringmaster), Ross Davidson (Dame Dolly), Amanda Sandow, Alfie the Alligator and Willy Wyvern
- 2004/5 - Jack and the Beanstalk starring Juliette Kaplan (Fairy), Paul Bradley (Fleshcreep), Jo Martell (Jill), Daniel Boys (Jack)
- 2005/6 - Peter Pan
Starring Steven Pinder (Captain Hook), Daniel Boys (Peter Pan), Jonah Cook (John Darling), Aaron Jenkins (Michael Darling).
- 2007/8 - Cinderella starring Britt EklandBritt EklandBritt-Marie Ekland is a Swedish actress and singer, and a long time resident of the United Kingdom. She is best known for her roles as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, and in the British cult horror film The Wicker Man, as well as her marriage to actor Peter Sellers, and her...
(Fairy Godmother) and Tequila her Chihuahua - 2008/9 - Aladdin starring Shaun Williamson (Abanazar), Neal Andrews (Wishee Washee)
- 2009/10 - Sleeping Beauty starring Lorraine Chase (Carabosse), Ceri-lyn Cissone (Sleeping Beauty), Edd Post (Prince Harry)
- 2010/11 - Peter Pan starring Paul Nicholas (Captain Hook), Richard Vincent (Peter Pan), Pearce Barron (John Darling), Thomas Snowball (Michael Darling)
Curtain Fells On A Charmer
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Monday 7 March 2005.The man who greeted the stars for 34 years has marked his retirement with style. Derek McCarthy began working at the Wyvern Theatre only a fortnight after it opened in 1971. As stage doorman he was responsible for meeting and greeting the actors and actresses and showing them to the dressing rooms.
Among the stars he met during his time at the theatre were Ken Dodd, Danny La Rue and Maggie and John Larsen. Derek, 79, of Queensfield in Kingsdown, origin-ally worked as a railway clerk in Swindon. He said: "I was made redundant and then they found me a job as a clerk at Paddington Station. "I would come back to Swindon in the evening and go straight to the Wyvern, change my clothes and carry on working. "I met Ken Dodd through working there. I got on with him very well. He was good for a laugh." At first Derek worked backstage but later became stage doorman. He said: "I had to speak to them all backstage. As stage doorman I booked them in, greeted them and gave them a dressing room."
Nick Shaw, the theatre's general manager, is sad to see him go. He said: "Derek is one of those larger than life characters you can only find in a theatre. "He was kind and helpful and well loved by people who came to visit the theatre, especially amateurs. "He's one of those people who actually wanted to be at work. He was genuinely part of the fabric of the building and certainly made my life a lot easier." Mr Shaw said that talking to Derek was so interesting it would often distract him from his own work. He said: "It was easy to sit and talk to Derek for hours because I would learn so much about Swindon, its people and this building. He genuinely is a font of information. He tells stories with a unique turn of phrase."
The Summer Youth Project
- 1994 - Bugsy Malone
- 1995 - Annie
- 1996 - 42nd Street
- 1997 - My Fair Lady
- 1998 - Oliver!
- 1999 - Me and My GirlMe and My GirlMe and My Girl is a musical with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay. It takes place in the late 1930s in Hampshire, Mayfair, and Lambeth....
- 2000 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
- 2001 - Crazy for YouCrazy for YouCrazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Billed as "The New Gershwin Musical Comedy", it is largely based on the songwriting team’s 1930 musical, Girl Crazy, but interpolates songs from several other productions as well...
- 2002 - West Side Story
- 2003 - FameFame (musical)A stage musical based on the 1980 musical film Fame has been staged under two titles. The first, 'Fame – The Musical' conceived and developed by David De Silva, is a musical with a book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical premiered in 1988 in Miami,...
- 2004 - The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
- 2005 - Guys and Dolls
- 2006 - Annie
- 2007 - NO SHOW
- 2008 - Oliver!
- 2009 - Boogie Nights
- 2010 - Wizard of Oz
Willy Wyvern
The Wyvern Theatre has its very own mascot in the form of a 6 ft high green dragon-like creature known as Willy the Wyvern.Willy the Wyvern became the theatre's mascot in its founding years but faded into obscurity for over two decades. In 2001 Willy returned to the theatre in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary.