History of Little Theatre Company

The School of Speech and Drama

The roots of the Little Theatre Company go back as far as 1946. Then, the Municipal School of Speech and Drama was founded in Burton on Trent, using the premises of the former Guild Street school. It offered full-time courses for students seeking a career in the theatre or as teachers of speech and drama, as well as training for amateur theatre groups and providing a venue for the public staging of their work.  

The school was unique in the UK as it was the only institution maintained by a local education authority that specialised in drama alone. It was instantly popular, with 198 children and 288 adults enrolled on courses in its first year.

As part of the School, a hall in Guild Street was fitted out as a little theatre. Plays were performed here by the students (the Little Theatre Players) as well as by visiting companies.

Many of the students went on to fulltime employment in the media – including Thelma Rogers (who played Peggy Archer), Brian Matthew of Radio 2’s Sounds of the Sixties and Philip Bond from The Onedin Line.

Financial cut-backs in the 1950s ended the full-time courses, but the School continued to run part-time courses and host local amateur theatrical productions. The Little Theatre Players presented a regular variety of plays and musicals. In 1971, for the School’s Silver Jubilee, they celebrated in style with a glittering production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”.

1971 production of The King and I at the Little Theatre, Guild Street, Burton upon Trent.

Birth of Little Theatre Company

The School itself closed in 1984, but the Little Theatre Players were determined not to be victims of the closure. Under the guidance of the Burton Drama Trust (chaired by Peter Clemson), they began their journey into independence.

In December 1984, now separate from the School and called the Little Theatre Company, they staged their first production "Come Laughing Home", a play by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. Little Theatre Company then began their practice of producing three plays a year, mixing drama and comedy, enjoying the freedom of their new life as an Amateur Dramatics company.

Move to the Brewhouse

The next significant event in LTC’s evolution was when the Brewhouse Arts Centre opened in January 1991.  LTC had been involved in the project from the outset, and immediately moved to make it their base. Their first play on the Brewhouse stage was Mike Harding’s “Fur Coat and No Knickers” in March 1991, followed by “Children of a Lesser God”.

From 1991 onwards, the Brewhouse has been LTC’s main centre for our rehearsals as well as all our shows. The only exception to this was the unfortunate fire in 2006 which closed the centre for 6 months, and our show at the time (Tom’s Midnight Garden) was staged in the unlikely venue of the Meadowside Leisure Centre! However, the Little Theatre Company had the honour of re-opening the Brewhouse with their production of “The King and I” in December 2006 -  30 years after the same show had marked the Silver Jubilee of The Burton School of Speech and Drama.

 2006 production of The King and I at the Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent.

LTC Youth

The Society had a growing number of younger members, impressing everyone with their tremendous enthusiasm and talent, so it was decided to start an LTC Youth Group.

This group was restricted to 18’s and under – and was given a musical production every year (around Easter-time). Their very first show was "Summer Holiday", which was followed by Youth Productions of a string of famous shows – Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera – and more. Many of the young performers in LTC Youth have used the experience to springboard into professional careers on stage – something that the Society is very proud of.

2012 production of Les Misérables (School Edition) at the Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent.

Unfortunately, along with every other theatre group, the advent of COVID-19 had a major impact on LTC’s activities. Productions had to be halted, and the Youth Group has now been integrated with the main society.

40th Anniversary 2024

2024 marks 40 years of LTC! Despite the major impact of COVID-19, we have managed to survive and continue thanks to the ongoing support of our patrons and audiences, for which we will be forever grateful. We look forward to celebrating this landmark with you!