Thursday 1st May marked a very special milestone in the life of the Bridge House Theatre – 25 years since the building opened its doors to the pupils of Warwick School and the wider community.
To celebrate, we gathered on Saturday 10th May for the BHT 25 Anniversary Showcase. This one-off performance featured short extracts from plays, musical items, comedy sketches and special video messages, all championing a quarter of a century of artistic expression in Warwick.
The evening showcased a huge array of remarkable young talent, including Darcy Melville who delivered a commanding performance as Miss Trunchbull from Matilda the Musical, the members of Jazz Explorers, who demonstrated the musicality and razor-sharp instincts of the next wave of jazz musicians, and Hope Brotherhood and Tommy Perry, who reprised their roles as Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd with a magnetic ease, transporting us back to last November’s dark and captivating musical.
Particularly impressive were the performers of Yasmin Reza’s satirical comedy ‘Art’, James Bull, James Albrighton and Zoë Milne, who not only portrayed their characters with a rich sincerity, but also performed in different European languages embodying the distinct cultural nuances of the countries in question.
All the participants were exceptional and contributed to a varied and accomplished 90-minute showcase, enjoyed by an invited audience who held personal connections to the theatre. The young people were superb advocates for the power of arts education and the continued importance of live performance in our communities, a sentiment that was echoed in the special video message sent from Dame Judi Dench who opened the theatre back in 2000:
“Hello to Mike Perry and everyone at the Bridge House Theatre in Warwick. I can’t believe it’s 25 years since I opened the theatre and I’m so thrilled to know and hear how you’ve gone on from strength to strength. It’s incredible at this time when, you know, we don’t feel that the arts is being enough supported. But anyway, you go a great way towards making people aware of the theatre and how important it is to us all. So, many congratulations and love to you all and I hope you have a terrific day.”
The evening concluded by welcoming all the performers back onto stage with a stirring rallying cry of ‘The Finale’ from Les Misérables.
After the final curtain-call, folks were invited to stay and reminisce in the Bridge House Theatre foyer, swapping stories about productions past, and enjoying the photographic exhibition of 25 years of production shots, accompanied by swinging live music provided by the sensational Warwick School music department.
Sarah Robinson, Theatre Administration Manager, said
“It was such a fantastic evening! The atmosphere in the foyer was joyous and buzzy; so lovely to see old friends reuniting over their love of the theatre. Our front of house team, who have watched so many of these performers over the years, had great fun reminiscing over their standout moments, from all the rising stars on stage to the confetti clean ups at the end of the night.”
Director of the Bridge House Theatre, Mike Perry, said
“For a school community to have a fully functioning theatre at all is a precious rarity and this space remains an inspirational beacon reminding us all of the importance of the arts in everyone’s lives. It was wonderful to share memories and celebrate all who have contributed to the hundreds of productions over those 25 years. The experience tonight has gone a long way to inspiring all the BHT staff whose passion for theatre and performance will continue to fuel this place in the future.”
A huge thank you to the committed team of staff who supported the smooth-running of the event, to the incredible performers and to everyone who came along to toast the Bridge House Theatre. Thanks to the support of Warwick Schools Foundation, over the past 25 years BHT has become an integral part of the cultural life of our schools and our town, providing countless opportunities for young people, community groups and professionals to grow their creativity. We’re excited to see what the next 25 years hold.
The full programme for BHT 25 The Anniversary Showcase:
- Opening tableaux featuring production photos from past 25 years.
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by Bridge House Young Company
- Introduction Speech by Director of Drama, Mike Perry
- Romeo and Juliet performed by George Holmes and Taya Ashley-Timms
- Disney’s Aladdin Jr. performed by Warwick Junior School
- Matilda the Musical performed by Darcy Melville
- Behind the scenes video of West Side Story, Nov 2014
- Inferno rock band playing Ruby by the Kaiser Chiefs
- James and the Giant Peach by Warwick School, Middle School Drama Club
- Sister Act performed by Tilly Charles
- Old Warwickian Sketch performed by Charlie Hamblett, Maanuv Thiara and Ralph Davies
- Sweeney Todd performed by Hope Brotherhood and Tommy Perry
- Video message from Joshua McGuire
- Jazz Explorers
- Video message from Dame Judi Dench
- Finale: Do You Hear the People Sing (reprise) from Les Misérables performed by whole company
Written by Imogen Tong (Theatre Outreach Manager) 19th May 2025
