Stag Theatre Sevenoaks

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	Majestic then, majestic now

	The Stag Community Arts Centre now operates as a charity, and includes a theatre, two digital cinema screens, and an alternative performance and conferencing facility. The Stag welcomes more than 25,000 people every month. More than 40,000 log on to the website each month, and extensive youth outreach work undertaken by the Stag reached more than 12,500 young people last year alone. The Stag was originally built as the Majestic Cinema, a first generation Odeon cinema, in 1937. More than 70 years later, the shell of the building looks almost identical. But the 1930s shell hides a dark and twisting story, a tumultuous, ongoing drama which has refused to stick to the script. Despite the long-term economic downturn which followed the Second World War, the cinema enjoyed a golden era through the 1940s and 1950s. The stage area of today's Stag was, at that point, one of the largest screens in the area. The cinema seated about 900 in total, with a large stalls area and a dress circle. In the early 1970s, the cinema was converted into a triple-screen complex, and plans were even hatched to include a discotheque. But the 1980s brought gloomy times for cinema. The advent of video and the flagging film industry meant that the cinema was increasingly forlorn, unloved and rather tatty. Planning permission for the disco was refused. Sevenoaks had been accused of lacking "a sense of identity" by Jeremy Brett, star of BBC 1's The Three Musketeers, as far back as 1967, becuase it lacked its own theatre. Seeking to rectify that oversight was local thespian Margaret Durdant-Hollamby, MBE, who created the Sevenoaks Theatre Action Group (STAG) which, in its various guises, had campaigned for a theatre in Sevenoaks for almost 17 years. In August 1982, the STAG campaign group was poised to purchase a plot of land in Sevenoaks to build a brand-new theatre. But Margaret received a call from the Rank Organisation, which owned the cinema (called the Ace Film Club at that time), offering the building for use as a theatre. In a whirlwind year and a half, the former cinema was transformed into a theatre. The two lower-level cinemas were retained, and the large auditorium converted to house the new stage. The stage was constructed without charge by contractor Deacons, which was building a nearby carpark at the time for Waitrose. The grand opening took place on the night of December 18, 1983. In 1992 an extension and refurbishment was approved by the District Council. The £3.2m Plaza Suite was created at this time, a self-contained venue used for drama, music, conferences and more. the Stag's grand re-opening, which included the unveiling of the Plaza Suite, took place in December 1993. After the commercial failures of Sevenoaks Playhouse and Kino to make the venue a success, Sevenoaks Town Council took the bold step for a small Town Council to re-invent the venue as a Community Arts Centre. It took over the venue on January 2 2009 with a 25 year lease following a formal bid process with more than 20 formal bids. The cinemas re-opened on Februay 13 2009. Since then, the Stag Community Arts Centre has enjoyed success upon success. Most notably, the Stag's inaugural 3D screening took place on July 19 2010, which brings the Stag right up to date. The Stag became a charity on August 11 2010, operating on its current not-for-profit basis with events run mainly by volunteers. The venue hosts an array of events and perfomances which appeal to audiences of all ages. Its management, its staff, its volunteers, the town and district councils and the Sevenoaks community are all determined that the Stag remains at the heart of Sevenoaks: Majestic in times past, and majestic today.
	Life's not a Rehearsal Life’s not a Rehearsal is the autobiography of the creator of the Stag Theatre, Margaret Durdant-Hollamby MBE, which documents the rise of theatre in Sevenoaks. A fascinating true story of a 30-year struggle by one woman whose vision, as a young amateur actress, of providing a venue for theatre in Sevenoaks becomes reality, it is a chronicle of contrasts: the warmth of a devoted wife and mother compared with the necessary ruthlessness of a business executive; the frustration and red-tape of planning permissions in comparison with the gentle treatment of the stars; and coping with the running of a very public centre of entertainment at a time of great personal tragedy. Life’s not a Rehearsal is available to purchase online by clicking the link below. http://www.artofchange.co.uk/products/view/181/lifes-not-a-rehearsal-margaret-durdant-hollamby