Huddersfield's Lawrence Batley Theatre celebrates 30th anniversary

Gary Clarke - Theatre30 exhibition Lawrence Batley Theatre - credit Daniel Johnson Gray
-Credit: (Image: Daniel Johnson Gray)


Huddersfield’s Lawrence Batley Theatre is celebrating its 30-year history with a special exhibition.

Earlier this month, the Theatre30 exhibition launched at the Queen Street venue. The redevelopment of Lawrence Batley Theatre started in 1992 and two of Yorkshire’s finest actors were involved in the project.

Dame Judi Dench laid the foundation stone in October 1993 and Sir Patrick Stewart OBE officially opened the theatre in 1994 on September 11 - to complete the historic buildings’ return to the limelight.

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This September it is celebrating its 30th year and is marking the milestone with a season of exhibitions, shows, and fundraising events to help reach its £30,000 target to support its creative work within the arts.

Yorkshire’s answer to ‘Humans of New York’, Theatre30 features 30 portraits of people who all have a significant connection to the theatre from the past 30 years - captured by photographer Daniel Johnson Gray. The exhibition celebrates the people of the theatre's history, sharing their stories and memories, and will showcase why the theatre holds a special place in their hearts.

The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield
The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield -Credit:peter boyd photography

One such person is Gary Clarke, the son of a miner who grew up in Barnsley, a professional choreographer, and now leading his own contemporary dance group in the shape of the Gary Clarke Company. His first experience of contemporary dance was at Lawrence Batley Theatre - which sparked his passion for it and led to his very successful career.

The Theatre30 exhibition runs into next year with it due to end on January 18.

The only professional theatre in Kirklees, Lawrence Batley Theatre is the creative heart of Huddersfield. A 200-year-old building that was once a church, at the time of building in 1819 it was the largest Methodist chapel in the world.

Lawrence Batley Theatre is a midscale receiving house that has managed to weather all the economic storms over the last three decades. In 2016, it began producing pantomimes with a commitment to employing professional actors from the local community so that local audiences can see and hear themselves reflected on the stage. During 2020, the theatre innovated to become an online theatre producer in partnership with other regional theatres, producing incredible shows featuring Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley and Russell Tovey.

Becky Dash, Chief Executive - Lawrence Batley Theatre, said: “30-years-ago a group of passionate local people banded together to fundraise £5m to transform a derelict building into Lawrence Batley Theatre because they felt it was essential that the town had a world-class theatre. In 2024, we know that this is true now more than ever.

“As the only professional theatre in Kirklees, we have a duty to welcome, entertain, and inspire our community. Over 70,000 people come through our doors each year, as we bring the shows to our town that people deserve to see on their doorstep, and we are honoured to celebrate the wealth of local talent on our stages. We are incredibly proud of our heritage and are very excited to be hosting several events to mark our thirty wonderful years.”

You can find out more about what’s on at the Huddersfield venue by visiting the Lawrence Batley Theatre website.

You can find the latest event news in Yorkshire and nearby by visiting our What's On homepage. There you can also find days out guides for things to do across the region.

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