‘A theatre that is increasingly proving itself a significant player’

Lyn Gardner in The Guardian

About Us

Our mission is to make excellent theatre-in-the-round and be a force for positive change in our region.

Our vision is of a theatre which:

  • makes distinctive theatre in distinctive spaces;
  • increases engagement with the arts, especially among young people;
  • nurtures artists and the artform;
  • showcases Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent as places where creativity and excellence thrive;
  • inspires local pride, making this a better place to live, work and do business;
  • works in partnership with Arts Council England and Local Authorities to make investment go further and achieve more.

The New Vic is one of the country’s most successful producing theatres and a key part of the region’s cultural life, engaging 150,000 people each year. We deliver a programme of international-class work made with local audiences in mind, complemented by an award-winning community programme, and education work which alone reach around 25,000 people of all ages per year.

New Vic Theatre

Opening in 1986 as Europe’s first purpose-built theatre-in-the-round, the New Vic has a special role to play in the architectural heritage of theatre development. We recognise our responsibility to provide tangible returns for the public investment we receive, and therefore seek through all our work to help make the local community a better, safer and more inspiring place to live and work.

We explore new and exciting theatre through a continued programme of investment in artistic development. Our busy programme includes both award-winning, in-house work and touring productions.

Theatre-in-the-round is a democratic ideology, it radiates through all our work ensuring that the local communities of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have a sense of ownership and engage with the theatre at every level. As one of only a few local arts organisations, our award-winning New Vic Borderlines, and New Vic Education ensure we are key to the cultural life of the region. Alongside this the theatre leads, Appetite, an Arts Council England Creative People & Places programme, to engage more people in Stoke-on-Trent in the arts. We are committed to increasing aspiration, empowering communities to tackle complex social issues and making a real difference in an area that experiences serious deprivation.

Other recent achievements include becoming the first building-based theatre company outside London to become a National Theatre Studio Affiliate and receiving critical acclaim for our productions of Around the World in Eighty Days and Dracula.

Around the World in Eighty Days

“standing ovation for this beautifully-executed magnificently preposterous romp”
starstarstarstarstar The Independent for Around the World in Eighty Days 2014

Image by Andrew Billington

“the first half is one of the most impressive hours I’ve spent in the theatre for months”
starstarstarstar The Observer for Dracula 2015

The New Vic operates thanks to a unique partnership between Arts Council England, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

ACEgrant_award_logo_hires-1     Borough Logo 08 CMYK     SCC_logo_colour     SOT_logo Col

Artistic Director: Theresa Heskins
Executive Director: Fiona Wallace

tel: 01782 717954
email: admin@newvictheatre.org.uk

Charity Registration No: 253242

In this section

Careers / Work With Us

For every actor you see on the New Vic stage there might be another ten people working behind the scenes: in our…

Read more

History

The Victoria Theatre Company was the first professional company in Britain to perform permanently in the round – that is, with the…

Read more

Annual Review

Annual Review  Take a look at the New Vic’s annual review here…

Read more

Press

For interview requests, review tickets and any general press enquiries for all New Vic work, including New Vic Education and New Vic…

Read more

Kiln Associates

The New Vic Theatre will work with three Associate Artists – Khaos Theatre, Quick Duck and playwright James Morton – across the…

Read more

Script Submissions

Due to limited staff resources, unfortunately, we are not able to accept unsolicited scripts for consideration and feedback at the New Vic.…

Read more

Kiln Network

The Kiln Network is a local artist hub which gives performing arts professionals based in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent – in any stage…

Read more

Theatre-in-the-Round

‘Theatre-in-the-round’ or ‘arena’ theatre is a theatre space in which the audience surrounds the acting area. It was common in ancient theatre,…

Read more

Key Contacts

Artistic Director:

Theresa Heskins

Executive Director:

Fiona Wallace
01782 717954
admin@newvictheatre.org.uk
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
1
2
3
45678
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
2930
31

Book Tickets by Date

Latest News

News Article

Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Freelance Borderlines community practitioner Rory talks about his experience working in the arts

Twenty-four-year-old Rory Blessington, a freelance community practitioner with New Vic Borderlines, chats about how working in the arts has helped his experience…

Read Article >
The Three Musketeers show image

NEW VIC TO STAGE DUMAS’ GREATEST ADVENTURE STORY THE THREE MUSKETEERS FOR CHRISTMAS 2024

Staffordshire’s New Vic will stage a brand-new version of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers this Christmas. The show follows on from Theresa…

Read Article >
The Next Chapter drama group perform on the New Vic Theatre stage for World Mental Health Day 2023. They are stood along the edge of a snakes and ladders games board, three of the performers facing the audience wear masks.

DONATIONS TO MUCH-LOVED THEATRE CHARITY WILL BE DOUBLED BY A NEW FUND FOR ONE WEEK ONLY

Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre is taking part in The Big Give this month, from 19 – 26 March, and donations made to…

Read Article >