Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, today announces that the venue previously known as the Studio theatre will now be named the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse in honour of the hugely influential theatre designer that had an essential role in the creation of the Crucible complex.
Sheffield Theatres is the largest producing theatre complex outside of London, formed of the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse and the Crucible Theatre, both housed within the Crucible building, and the Lyceum Theatre across Tudor Square. The Playhouse which can flex in formation up to a capacity of 400 seats has launched writers, nurtured directors and propelled actors over its 50-year history.
Over the 50-year history of the space, audiences have enjoyed performances from hundreds of actors, from professional debuts to famous faces including Victoria Wood, Alan Rickman, Tracey Bennett, Shaun Parkes, Niamh Cusack, Richard Wilson, Stephanie Street, James Norton, Chetna Pandya and Rose Leslie.
The first production in the newly named Playhouse will be Accidental Death of an Anarchist from Friday 23 September – Saturday 15 October. Directed by Daniel Raggett and with Daniel Rigby in the role of The Maniac, Dario Fo’s riotous 20th century classic is adapted by BAFTA-nominated comedy writer Tom Basden (Afterlife).
Robert Hastie, Artistic Director: “Since last November we’ve been celebrating 50 years of the Crucible and Studio theatres. The Studio theatre has created some of the most memorable moments in our history, and played a part in the careers of so many beloved artists. What better time to shine a spotlight on both this wonderful space and a theatre designer to whom British theatre owes a huge debt of gratitude.
Tanya Moiseiwitsch was a pioneer. Innovative, imaginative and a ground-breaker in her profession. Tanya created radical theatre shapes now enshrined and cherished in theatre buildings all over the world. Without her vision, neither the Crucible nor the newly named Playhouse would exist in the forms they do. Hers is an incredible legacy.
As we look ahead to the next 50 years, this new name also honours our theatrical past. The original Sheffield Playhouse, a 540-seat converted Temperance Hall, closed its doors in 1971 when the company moved to Sheffield’s new theatre. The forerunner to the Crucible’s success, it too had a reputation for bold, adventurous, and revolutionary productions, under the leadership of inaugural Crucible artistic director Colin George.
Renaming the Studio as the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse is our way of celebrating and cementing the impact of Tanya and those that set us on our journey, as we look ahead to a new chapter in our history, welcoming audiences to this glorious space with renewed vigour.”
