| H | I | S | T | O | R | Y |
There was a Byre ...
The original Byre Theatre was founded in 1933 by Alexander B Paterson, a local freelance journalist and prolific playwright, with help from a theatre group made up from members of Hope Park Church, St Andrews.
The original byre, part of the Abbey Street Dairy Farm in 1926 >>>>
Its first home was a semi-derelict cow byre which the group cleaned out and ran as the St. Andrews Play Club, giving performances to invited audiences who sat on cushions on the floor. Within a couple of years, the Byre Theatre had established a considerable reputation running an impressive programme of performances which attracted audiences the theatre was barely able to accommodate.
A B Paterson in the auditorium of the original Byre >>>>>
Moving On ...
In 1969, after over 30 years with many successful productions, the much loved original Byre Theatre was demolished to make way for a housing development.
A B Paterson says goodbye to the original Byre just before its demolition >>>>
With the support of funds raised by a public appeal and the local authority, a new theatre was opened in 1970. The facilities were modest, for both public and staff, but it was thought to be rather grand compared to its predecessor!
A. B. Paterson's last ambition was yet again to modernise and refurbish the Byre Theatre to meet current expectations and requirements, in particular to address the inadequate facilities for those with special access needs, including visual or audio impairment.
The original Byre and the new, unfinished Byre in 1969 >>>>
At the time of his death in 1989, a proposal for expansion of the theatre's facilities had been initiated.
Today's Byre Theatre, built by award winning architects Nicoll Russell Studios of Broughty Ferry, grew from A.B. Paterson's aspirations for a truly modern theatre addressing the needs of the entire community.
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