A hidden chapter of British theatre history came to life at this year’s Frome Festival, as audiences at the Merlin Theatre were treated to the remarkable rediscovery of a long-forgotten creative space – the Stratford Roundhouse – thanks to a project spearheaded by none other than the Festival’s own founder, Martin Bax MBE.
In one of the highlights of the Festival, Martin was joined on stage by Professor Abigail Rokison-Woodall from the Shakespeare Institute and BAFTA and Emmy award-winning filmmaker Andrew Smith. Together, they unveiled the results of years of meticulous research into a mysterious theatre space which once nestled in the grounds of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon.
For years, the Roundhouse theatre had all but vanished from official records – barely a footnote in the archives. It was only when Professor Rokison-Woodall spoke to Martin, and delved into his personal archive from his time with the RSC, that the story began to surface. What emerged was a vivid portrait of an ambitious and radical experiment in theatre-making.
Nicki Marshall from FilmFrome takes up the story.
“An enthralled audience learned of Martin’s initial plan, in 1970, to create a new training and experimental space in Stratford for all who worked at the RSC,” she said. “The management of the RSC agreed to loan him the tiny Roundhouse in Avonbank Garden in the grounds of the theatre, which had previously been a tea room.
“The shows were written, created and performed there by many of the famous actors of their day, including Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart and Alan Howard. Trader Faulkner, in his biography Inside Trader, says the Roundhouse was a really important part of his time at the RSC.
“One of the most exciting plays to come out of the Roundhouse was Plastic Birthday, written by the actor John Kane (who played Puck in Peter Brook’s famous Midsummer Night’s Dream – in which a young Martin Bax also performed!). Starring Helen Mirren, Plastic Birthday won the title of best play in the Midlands in 1970 and transferred to London. And John Kane went on to become a celebrated playwright.
“However, after only one year of hugely successful shows, Martin’s contract at the RSC wasn’t renewed, which meant leaving Stratford and the Roundhouse. Some shows apparently did continue to be created for a year or so after, but then the experiment faltered.
“However, in 1973, Trevor Nunn, director of the RSC, announced his idea of starting a second theatrical space in Stratford as a training ground. This became The Other Place, which continues to be a world class theatre in its own right. Might this have been directly inspired by the earlier success of the Roundhouse?
“All the research material is now part of the Birmingham University Shakespeare archives; and the film and all the research is accessible to everyone: www.birmingham.ac.uk/thestratfordroundhouse
“After a fascinating film and many questions from the audience, it was lovely to see that, 50 years on, Martin Bax has finally achieved recognition for creating an innovative theatrical space for experimentation, training and creativity – one of the very first of its kind across the country. Incredible vision and drive, which Martin continued to show throughout the subsequent decades, ultimately resulting in the creation of our very own Frome Festival.”
