Buxton Opera House is Derbyshire’s only largescale cultural venue for the performing arts. Its position and contribution to the regional economy are critical to the town’s redevelopment vision, complementing the regeneration of the historic Crescent, which opened this year.
Our core strength in engaging audiences has generated loyal, regular and enthusiastic participants and forged creative alliances with other cultural organisations, including Buxton International Festival, Buxton Film, a Fringe Arts Festival, High Peak Kinder Choirs and the Crescent Trust. We offer a strong platform for rural communities whose voices rarely enter the mainstream and we support an imaginative suite of learning and engagement activities.
As an incubator for young talent, we have created a musical company and inspire young people who are yet to discover their potential. A passionate 130-strong volunteer force on which the theatre relies builds advocacy and community cohesion. Volunteers reflect our integration within the community, drawn from all ages and involved in all strands of our work.
Our vision is to have a local, national and international reputation for inspiring quality theatre and film in a transformed environment that will preserve Buxton Opera House for generations to come.
Buxton Opera House is a stunning 1903 Frank Matcham heritage theatre and a major tourist attraction. Throughout the year we stage a wide range of events designed to appeal to all ages and tastes, including, comedy, children’s theatre, concerts, dance, drama, literature, musical theatre, opera and pantomime. We host the annual Buxton International Festival, English Touring Opera, Dance Consortium, international artists and a popular Christmas season. We operate Buxton’s only cinema in our adjacent Pavilion Arts Centre, which includes NT and other live streaming of drama, music and dance.
2021 sees our first co-production with Buxton International Festival, Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, directed by Paul Kerryson. Other recent productions include West Side Story, Oliver! and Rent. Reflecting Arts Council England’s ‘Lets Create’ goals, our community engagement work links with hard to reach rural areas without access to live theatre. Working remotely in 2021 hundreds of young participants joined our ‘Re-Connect’ programme.
