Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Birmingham Repertory Theatre stands on Centenary Square in the city centre. Founded in 1907 by Barry Jackson as the Pilgrim Players, it became Britain’s first purpose-built repertory theatre in 1913. The company moved to its current home in 1971, though the original Station Street building, now called The Old Rep, remains in use. Three auditoria seat 825, 300 and 140 people, hosting a wide range of drama. Much of the work tours nationally and internationally, with 130 new plays commissioned between 2008 and 2013. The Rep’s history is marked by ground-breaking productions and first performances. In its first decade it gave world premieres to 36 plays and British premieres to eight more, including works by Chekhov and Tolstoy. George Bernard Shaw’s five-play cycle Back to Methuselah was staged in 1923, and the company’s modern-dress Shakespeare productions sparked national debate. Barry Jackson’s ensemble approach launched the careers of John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft and Laurence Olivier, who called the Rep the foundation of his art. Visitors find a busy producing theatre with three stages and a programme that mixes classics, new writing and experimental work. The building sits alongside Centenary Square, close to the city’s other cultural venues. The Old Rep on Station Street still hosts performances, preserving the theatre’s early legacy. The Rep remains a living centre for drama, where new voices are developed and touring productions take shape.