Crescent Theatre

The Crescent Theatre stands in Birmingham’s city centre, part of the Brindleyplace development on Sheepcote Street. It is run mainly by volunteers and has a resident company, one of the oldest theatre groups in the city. The theatre also rents its four performance spaces to visiting groups from across the country and abroad. In 2024 it marked its centenary and took over the running of the historic Old Rep Theatre. The building itself is a modern venue designed by Terry Farrell and John Chatwin. The theatre began in 1924 as the Municipal Players, an amateur group made up of council workers. Its first home was a converted hall on Cambridge Street where it staged its first production in 1932. In 1964 it moved to a new building on Cumberland Street designed by Graham Winteringham. That theatre had a revolving stage and seating for 296 people. The present theatre opened in 1998 with four separate spaces for performances. Inside, visitors find The Main House with 340 seats, the Ron Barber Studio for 120, Roma’s Room for 40 and a smaller Bar space for 70. The building is run by a board of directors and a small paid team who handle daily operations. It has hosted events for Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Rep and the BBC, including live broadcasts of Radio 1’s Newsbeat and Radio 4’s Any Questions.