How to find us
Unlike most amateur dramatic societies, we own our own beautiful little theatre. Situated in the heart of Beckenham, this unusual Victorian building houses one of the smallest auditoria in the country - with just 47 seats - and the unique charm of the venue delights all who enter. Our address is:

Beckenham Theatre Centre
46 Bromley Road
Beckenham
BR3 5JD

The theatre has its own small car park and parking space can be found in the side streets surrounding the theatre. Please note that the main roads around the theatre are not suitable for parking.

Unfortunately, there is no easy wheelchair access to the auditorium, but special arrangements can easily be made, so please ask the Box Office for more information.

Buses from Bromley: 227 / 367 / 162
Nearest British Rail & Tramlink: Beckenham Junction
Plan your journey to BTC on public transport at the TFL website
Plan your journey using Multimap
Plan your journey using AA RoutePlanner, or call 0800 600 0371

Membership
Our 300-strong membership is open to anyone interested in the dramatic arts, either as an audience member or as an active participant. We're not just looking for actors, but directors, singers, musicians, stage managers, dancers, lighting & sound technicians, as well as people to help with costumes, set-building, props, working behind the bar, looking after the fabric of the building... and membership costs only £20.00 per year. For more information, click here.

Taking part
Every show welcomes new characters to the theatre, for a variety of reasons: some want to try treading the boards for the first time, some are experienced actors interested in a particular role, some are new to the area and others are members of other dramatic societies who just love the social aspect of being at BTC.

We have a very friendly atmosphere, and a busy schedule of social events throughout the year. Why not pop along to the next social night or audition and see for yourself?

Charity
Beckenham Theatre Centre Ltd is a registered charity, staffed entirely by volunteers, which has been committed to serving, involving and delighting the local community for over 60 years. Registered number 236434 (England & Wales). We have a board of up to 16 Trustees, elected by quorum of members at an annual general meeting. The current chairman is Fiona Vail. A full list of Trustees, with contact details, is available in the Members Section of the website, which can be accessed from the homepage.

Past productions
It should come as no surprise that we have produced hundreds and hundreds of shows during our 60 glorious years of great theatre. Drama, musicals, variety, comedy, tragedy, burlesque, opera, dance, cabaret... we've done the lot. We are gradually uploading a history of our past productions, which can be seen here, though this is an ongoing process, which will take some time to complete. Inevitably, over the years, programmes have been lost and memories have clouded over, so if you (or anybody you know) can fill in some gaps for us, please contact Melanie Jones to let her know.

Our history
Beckenham Children’s Theatre, as we were initially known, was founded in 1948 post-war Beckenham by Hanna Schweizer, along with Mrs Longhurst, the children’s librarian at Beckenham Library. Originally conceived as a children’s play reading group, it was not long before the children aspired to perform the plays as well.

Sidney Minchin was soon to join Hanna and two children’s groups were formed. One meeting on Tuesday evenings at Churchfields School Beckenham, the other on Wednesday evenings at Hawes Down School West Wickham. The groups covered all aspects of theatre, acting, stage management, lighting, play reading, costumes etc. By 16th November 1948 after just six weeks rehearsal, the first ever Beckenham Children’s Theatre production was ready to open...

There followed a fairly nomadic existence, performing in various spaces in the area, including the library, Anerley Town Hall, Beckenham Public Hall, and the Grand Hall (baths). Then in 1954/55 things changed.

The Prentice Players was formed to accommodate the now older members in the 16-25 bracket. Subscription fees were 10/6 for those not working, 15/- for the employed and £1 1s for the over 21s. And a permanent home was found! A deal was struck with the owners of the Harvey Hall, Fairfield Road that the hall could be converted into a theatre and used by the group two evenings a week and for eight productions a year.

The first of these productions was ‘Through The Looking Glass’ written and composed by members. Sadly Sid Minchin died during the run. At his request none of the company knew he was ill. The period at the Harvey Hall was all too brief, and in June 1958 the final production, ‘Six Characters In Search Of An Author’, saw the end of an era. The stage was dismantled and the search was on once more. But this time there was an added challenge. Raising the estimated £5,000 that it would take to actually buy a new home.

By the Summer of 1959, 46 Bromley Road had been found and considered a perfect venue. On 21st August 1959 Beckenham Theatre Centre Limited was incorporated with a view to buying the property. Fundraising had been ongoing for some time assisted by a variety of celebrities, most notably Sir Richard Attenbrough. 1960 saw 46 Bromley Road become a hive of activity as an 1883 family home was transformed into Britain’s smallest complete theatre.

Most of the work was undertaken by members, some of whom, thankfullly, had started careers as architects and engineers - the rest relied on sheer enthusiasm. 100 tip-up seats were bought for 9d each at an auction of the Davis Theatre, Croydon effects. There were some planning battles along the way, but on Saturday 24th September 1960 Beckenham Theatre Centre was officially opened by comedian Dick Emery.

Since then BTC has gone from strength to strength thanks to the dedication and relentless enthusiasm of its members. The children's theatre has continued to be a vital part of BTC ever since, with drama groups on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year. The children have the opportunity to perform in two full productions each year, timed to coincide with the May and October half terms. For more information, please go to our Youth Theatre page.

A Few Facts...

• The purchase price of 46 Bromley Road was £3,500.00
• The cost of conversion estimated at £500
• £1,200.00 was raised through fetes and donations
• £1,800.00 as a mortgage on the property (paid off in 1968)
• A £1,000.00 overdraft was guaranteed by Carry On film producer Sidney Box.

The organisation is required to provide notices saying that performances require smoking. If smoking is required during a performance, it is suggested that the Director provides a statement saying why smoking is artistically justified, to be displayed clearly on the show’s information page on the website and/or printed in the performance programme and/or to be displayed on the theatre noticeboard. It is also advisable for the organisation to apply to the local Environmental Health team (but this is not obligatory) as it may help if a member of the audience makes a complaint with regard to the ban on smoking in public places.

These statements are taken from the legal advice issued to all theatres at the commencement of the 2007 legislation concerning smoking in public places.

07905 744 991
07847 127 133
020 8650 1179
07956 651 310
020 8663 3725
020 7957 4709 (daytime); Email
020 8650 4448
07847 127 133
Email

BTC Links
Our programmes and member publicity are published by Em-Jay's
Our programmes and member publicity are printed by plus five print solutions
Our signage is provided by Vinyl Demand
Our show photographer is Tim Hinchliffe at TheatrePhoto

Other links of interest
Lots of our vintage costumes are currently being marketed on eBay.
The website for Alexander Vail, our resident playwright.
You can search for playscripts on websites such as StagePlays and Amazon.
For local tennis and other sports, you might consider joining the Park Langley club

Beckenham Theatre is a member of the Bromley Theatre Guild.
Other theatre groups within the Bromley Theatre Guild are: Beckenham ADS (07913 325 520); New Wickham Court Players (020 8462 3492); Orpington Rep (020 8313 9765); Petts Wood Operatic Society (01689 820448); Burnt Ash Drama Association (07961 023 174); Phoenix Drama Group (020 8249 7162); Chelsfield Players (01689 831187); Pratts Bottom Dramatic Society (01689 853496); Farnborough Dramatic Society (01689 854995); St. Marks & Keston Players (020 8460 8031); Hayes Players (020 8462 5194); Theatre 62 (020 8777 3037); Imperial Players (01689 831187); West Wickham Panto Society.