New Vic Theatre

The New Vic Theatre is a purpose-built theatre in the round in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The theatre opened in 1986, replacing a converted cinema, the Victoria Theatre in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. History In the early 1960s, Stephen Joseph was searching for a permanent base for his Studio Theatre company which specialised in theatrical productions in the round. He found it in a disused cinema in Hartshill which was converted for theatrical use and opened as a playhouse on 9 October 1962. The first resident director was Peter Cheeseman who remained in control for 36 years, bar a period in 1967–68 when he was temporarily replaced by the management. The company soon established a reputation for innovative productions of both new and classic works. A particular focus was on plays with a local subject, such as The Knotty, about the North Staffordshire Railway, The Fight for Shelton Bar, about the closure of a local steelworks, and Jolly Potters. The first production of a play by Peter Terson took place there in 1964; he was writer in residence for 18 months and wrote 22 plays for the Victoria.