Thirty Years Of Theatre At Yorkshire’s Lawrence Batley Theatre

The Huddersfield theatre is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with the launch of a new photography exhibition Theatre30, opening on 12 September

The redevelopment of Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire started in 1992 and two of Yorkshire’s finest actors were involved in the project. Dame Judi Dench laid the foundation stone in October 1993 and Sir Patrick Stewart OBE officially opened the theatre on 11 September 1994 to complete the historic buildings’ return to the limelight. This September it is celebrating its thirtieth year and is marking the milestone with a season of exhibitions, shows, and fundraising events to help reach its £30,000 target to support its creative work within the arts.

Starting the celebrations on 12 September 2024 is the launch of a unique photography exhibition called Theatre30. Yorkshire’s answer to ‘Humans of New York’, Theatre30 features thirty portraits of people who all have a significant connection to the theatre from the past thirty years, captured by local photographer Daniel Johnson Gray. The exhibition celebrates the people of the theatre's history, sharing their stories and memories, and will showcase why the theatre holds a special place in their hearts.

One such person is Gary Clarke (pictured above), the son of a miner who grew up in Barnsley, a professional choreographer, and now leading his own contemporary dance company GARY CLARKE COMPANY. His first experience of contemporary dance was at Lawrence Batley Theatre, which sparked his passion for it and led to his very successful career.

The Theatre30 exhibition runs from 12 September 2024 to 18 January 2025 and has been curated by Keisha Hamilton, Creative Associate at Lawrence Batley Theatre.

The evening of the 12 September also sees the opening of the theatre’s annual community production, where sixty people of all ages from across Huddersfield will take to the stage in a modern adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gatsby’, adapted by local writer Chris O'Connor.

The only professional theatre in Kirklees, Lawrence Batley Theatre is the creative heart of Huddersfield. A 200-year-old building that was once a church, at the time of building in 1819 it was the largest Methodist chapel in the world.

Lawrence Batley Theatre is a midscale receiving house that has managed to weather all the economic storms over the last three decades. In 2016 it began producing pantomimes with a commitment to employing professional actors from the local community so that local audiences can see and hear themselves reflected on the stage. During 2020, the theatre innovated to become an online theatre producer in partnership with other regional theatres, producing incredible shows featuring Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley and Russell Tovey.

Becky Dash Photo: Mark Bickerdike

Thirty years ago a group of passionate local people banded together to fundraise £5 million to transform a derelict building into Lawrence Batley Theatre because they felt it was essential that the town had a world-class theatre. In 2024 we know that this is true now more than ever.

As the only professional theatre in Kirklees, we have a duty to welcome, entertain, and inspire our community. Over 70,000 people come through our doors each year, as we bring the shows to our town that people deserve to see on their doorstep, and we are honoured to celebrate the wealth of local talent on our stages.

We are incredibly proud of our heritage and are very excited to be hosting several events to mark our thirty wonderful years.