A Reading theatre company has been taking the arts scene by storm as they continue to thrive despite the difficulties of opening their new venue in a global pandemic.

Since their inception in 2012, Reading Rep have built up a reputation of combining high-class productions and out-reach programmes within the community. Built on a shoe-string, Paul Stacey along with a handful of dedicated individuals have created this producing theatre company from the ground up to become one of the rising stars in the UK’s national theatre scene.

David Fishley, who plays Scrooge in this year’s adaption of a Christmas Carol said:

“I never thought in my lifetime that Reading would have not one but two producing theatre companies. I never really associated reading with Culture with a capital C and now I can.

“I’ve always thought that if Reading is to have a city status, it should have as much culture as it possibly can. Having a producing theatre, creating its own work is one of those vital aspects and now Reading has it.”

The theatre has worked with many actors and creatives both locally and nationally over the years, some returning to work with the company for multiple seasons. Rick Romero was one of the first actors who began working with Paul Stacey in those first few years and has returned this year to play Hopkins in their new adaption of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

He explains: “I was working with Paul in the first wave. It was a very young company, and we were borrowing space from Reading College to do the performances in.

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“It was on a complete shoestring with good will and spirit to try and get everything off the ground.”

Having borrowed the space off Reading College to showcase their performances since 2012, their plan to move to their own state of the art building came only six years after the first production. They were moving from a 60-seat venue to a 163-seat theatre and cultural hub, built in Reading’s former Salvation Army building.

Romero added: “I’ve watched them as they’ve blossomed and kept going, and now they have peaked with their fantastic new theatre space. It’s such an amazing achievement.”

“It was great to be able to come back and have another go as part of the ‘reborn’ season and actually work in this new space.”

Speaking to the theatre’s managing director, Nick Thompson, he talks about the struggles and strengths of creating a theatre company and what the last two years has taught them.

Nick said: “We like to think Reading Rep has shown a lot of resilience over the last 2 years. Obviously, we built this theatre over the global pandemic. The first day we started building works was the day they announced the first national lockdown.

“We’re not unaccustomed to dealing with difficult and challenging situations but what we are here to do is connect audiences in Reading to enhance civic pride. We do that by putting work on our stage, working and doing out-reach work in the community that we serve.”

Reading Rep theatre company started their community out-reach project in 2015, which provides access to the arts for Reading’s most vulnerable communities. During the pandemic they have been able to reach 15,000 young people and work in partnership with organisations such as the NHS, Reading Library and Reading Borough Council to run year-long programmes and workshops.

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With performances this Christmas cancelled because of a Covid-19 out-break, the theatre has been forced to deal with further hard-ships.

Thompson said: “We locked off the production for a period of time but what that did is allowed us to reset the clock and to make sure that what we are doing is safe and reassures our audience and then we were back with all the same robust precautions we had in the first place and will continue to present the rest of the run.

“In a way I think that is even more special because it’s very much theatre making of its time. Trying to make work that you can share with the community at a really difficult time, particularly when we haven’t really been able to engage with live entertainment and have these sorts of events happening.

“I think that we will only go from strength to strength. Fingers crossed the world begins to return to normal in the new year.”

After years of ups and downs and huge support from the local community, it has been announced that the theatre has now been shortlisted for the ‘Theatre Building of the Year’ in The Stage awards 2022.

Paul Stacey, Artistic Director, said: “Building Reading Rep Theatre's new home during a pandemic and in the shadow of such difficult and challenging times for so many, makes opening the doors to our new theatre extra special. We are so grateful to the many, many people who have allowed us to get to this stage.” 

It will join the select ranks of elite theatres throughout the UK that have been shortlisted alongside them this year, including Hall for Cornwall and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.