The Ellen Terry Barn Theatre Society is a community-driven organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting the historic Ellen Terry Barn Theatre in Smallhythe, Kent, England. Originally the home of renowned Victorian actress Ellen Terry, the barn was converted into a working theatre by her daughter, Edy Craig. The Society works to maintain the barn as a living theatre space, offering a variety of performances to celebrate Terry’s legacy and the arts. It fosters a vibrant cultural hub for local and visiting audiences, ensuring that the rich history of the theatre continues to inspire future generations. Members of the Society are regularly circulated with play details and are able to book tickets for the shows.
The History of The Ellen Terry Barn Theatre Society
From the first production held in the barn in 1929 to the present day, a production has been staged as near as possible to the date of Ellen Terry’s death.
1929
A year after the death of Dame Ellen Terry in July 1928 her daughter Edith had converted the lovely old Tudor barn behind Dame Ellen's house into a theatre as a memorial to her mother and to help provide funds for the upkeep of the main house which she had turned into a memorial museum.
To raise initial funds an all-star matinee was held at the Palace Theatre London in which dozens of prominent actors appeared, and Edith asked for donations of £1.00 for a chair which would carry the name of the donor. The chairs cost 5 shillings and are still in use today.
The first memorial performance at The Barn was performed on July 21st, 1929.
(Right: Dame Ellen Terry in the Cow Byre at Smallhythe Place.)
1932
The Barn Theatre Society was formed by Edith Craig. There is no record of the first production but the second was a violin recital by Seymour Whinyates, accompanied by Daisy Bucktrout followed rather suprisingly by a lecture - 'What I saw in Russia' by a dramatic critic, Hubert Griffith. Edy would continue to stage 4-5 productions each year until the outbreak of the Second World War. Edith gave the property to The National Trust in 1939 but continued to run it herself and went on to produce 33 shows.
1947
Edith died in1947. At this stage Sir John Gielgud and Lewis Casson together with a host of theatrical personalities of the day formed the Ellen Terry Fellowship. The Fellowship leased the barn from the National Trust and each year brought a production down from London for a memorial matinee. During this time most of the great names of the theatre appeared at the Barn.
1961
At this time, due to heavy commitments, it was decided to wind up the Fellowship and Anthony Thomas was granted a lease by the trust to form the Ellen Terry Theatre Club. Under his leadership, the Ellen Terry Theatre Club took over the responsibility of continuing the tradition of life Theatre at the Barn. Although it proved impossible to maintain the custom of the grand memorial matinees with their cast of famous London performers, most of the show stage were still produced by professional companies.
1970
Thomas also produced outdoor performances at Smallhythe, A tradition which, weather permitting, still continues. The first outdoor performance of production of A Midsummer Night's Dream took place in 1970. An area of the garden was raised to create a stage, with the exits and entrances masked by Hazel bushes, whilst the barn was used for refreshments and a bar. Over the coming years, the Ellen Terry Theatre Club under the direction presented an average of four productions each year including the annual memorial performances. Many of the great names of the theatre continued to be attracted to perform in this historic Little Theatre.
(Left: Anthony Thomas directs an open-air production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in 1982)
1992 / 1993
After 31 years and directing 102 performances, Anthony Thomas retired in 1992, and the Ellen Terry Theatre club was wound up. Over many years the wiring of the barn had deteriorated in part and modern fire precautions were a priority at the end of 1992 an appeal was launched for £12,000 for renovation work the National Trust offered to meet pound for pound any amount raised by the appeal. The response from well-wishers was immediate and generous, both from the public and from the acting profession. Work was put in hand at an early stage and completed in 1993. The Barn Theatre Society was reformed having been the title of the original society formed by Edith Craig in 1929 when she converted the Barn. Tony Weare, who had been running the Society alongside Anthony Thomas since 1989, led the society which was fully subscribed and there was a waiting list for membership. Productions were presented to members only each month during the summer and the Barn Theatre was open to visitors to the memorial museum for the first time in its history on Saturday 29th of May 1993 and continued to be shown by courtesy of the society and stewarded by members of the society.
2003
When Tony Weare retired in 2003, Peter Mould, whose links with Smallhythe go back to the days of Anthony Thomas, took over as the director of the Barn Theatre Society. He maintained the tradition of the subscription Theatre Club, staging 5 or 6 plays each year as well as producing the annual memorial Shakespeare performance there which still takes place each July to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Ellen Terry.
Over the coming years, the National Trust obtained a public theatre license which enabled the theatre to open its doors to the public as well as continuing to serve the 400-500 loyal members who supported the society and the upkeep of the theatre through their generous donations.
(Left: Ian Klemen and Bill Allender in 'The Dresser', 2012)
2024
After 22 years at the helm, Peter Mould retires as Director, but remains a firm part of the Society, passing the title of Honorary Co-Directors to two of his long-serving actors, Matt Turpin and Zo Biba-Leonard, who in turn, becomes the first female director of the Society since Edith Craig. The full name of the society was changed to include Ellen Terry's name but will forever be known as The Barn Theatre Society.
(Right: Peter Mould as Shylock in A Merchant of Venice, 2013)
