In the first week of our Raise the Roof! Appeal all four of Next Stage Theatre Company’s Patrons sent in messages of support for the cause.
Next Stage is extremely proud to have attracted the patronage of four such giants in the UK theatre industry, and their support in this crucial campaign to raise £110,000 to replace the degraded and leaking roofs on The Mission Theatre is hugely appreciated.
Only a few hours after the launch of the Raise the Roof! Appeal, Dame Harriet Walter DBE emailed the company:
"I am sending all good wishes and hopes for a successful Raise the Roof! campaign".
Dame Harriet Walter, Next Stage Patron since 2001.
Harriet has been a Patron of Next Stage since 2001. The support of such a highly-acclaimed and well respected actor is a real boost to Next Stage and, hopefully, Harriet’s endorsement will encourage more generous donations to the Raise the Roof! Appeal.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is Next Stage’s longest-serving Patron. Since 1995, this giant of British theatre has been highly supportive and involved in Next Stage’s work, inviting the company to perform in 2000 and 2001 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough when he was the Artistic Director there. In 2014 Sir Alan and Lady Ayckbourn came to Bath to celebrate Next Stage’s 20th birthday and to watch Ayckbourn’s plays - House and Garden - performed by the company at The Mission Theatre.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE, Next Stage Patron since 1995.
Alan’s message of support regarding Raise the Roof! to be passed on to supporters was:
“Wonderful news that Next Stage is planning to reopen soon, with that marvellous play “The Memory of Water”. Please be generous and help them to fix their roof and stop the memory from becoming an actuality!”
Sir David Hare, Next Stage Patron since 2000 and a leading playwright in British theatre, has written to the company in support of the Raise the Roof! campaign:
“What a perfect moment to shore up the future of a company which has given so much pleasure in the past, and to make sure it does in the future.”
Sir David Hare, Next Stage Patron since 2000.
Next Stage is very grateful to David, for his words of encouragement and also for his donation to Raise the Roof!
Leading British actor, Robert Lindsay, Next Stage’s Silver Anniversary Patron since 2018, sent in the following message of support:
“Very sad to hear that The Mission Theatre has sprung some leaks. It's a beautiful little Georgian building which showcases so much great theatre and entertainment in one of Britain's most popular heritage cities. I urge the people of Bath to get behind Next Stage's Raise the Roof! Appeal and give as generously as possible. Once the target of £110,000 is reached the roof can be repaired, helping to ensure The Mission Theatre's long-term future as a much-loved performing arts venue in the heart of the community. These are tough times for theatres everywhere, but, looking ahead, the shows MUST go on, and preferably in dry auditoria! Very best wishes for a successful campaign.”
Robert Lindsay, Next Stage’s Silver Anniversary Patron since 2018.
Next Stage Theatre Company would like to thank all of its Patrons for their support and encouragement in this ambitious and crucial fundraising effort to help to ensure the future of The Mission Theatre.
For more information on the appeal, including how you can get involved, please click here.
For more information on Next Stage and their patrons, please click here.