Next Stage Youth prepare for the Mid-Somerset Festival

The Next Stage Youthers have been hard at work in the weekly sessions at Burdall’s Yard, preparing their pieces for the Mid-Somerset Festival in March. With entries in both U14 and U19 categories, our young actors have been practising their text-based work in small group scenes and duologues, expertly led and directed by our Next Stage Youth tutors.

Next Stage Youth sessions run from 16:30-18:00 every Sunday (in term time) and are open to anyone aged between 11-18yrs old who loves theatre and wants to develop their performance skills, whilst making lots of new friends! If you are interested in joining, you can find more information here.

Our next enrolment session will be on Sunday 27th March 2022.

Walcot State Choir open their new term at Burdall’s Yard

Walcot State Choir on the Main Stage at the end of their rehearsal

We are excited to announce that Walcot State Choir’s winter term is commencing at Burdall’s Yard. On the 4th of January, for their first meeting of 2022 the choir filled Burdall’s Yard with wonderful song. The talented, enthusiastic, friendly choir members lead by choir leader Su Hart had a successful rehearsal and socialised afterwards with a drink from the beautiful bar at Burdall’s Yard. We look forward to hosting more Walcot State Choir rehearsals every Tuesday evening from 7pm-10pm. To get involved and for a free choir taster session at Burdall’s Yard visit www.walcotstatechoir.com or phone Su Hart, Choir Leader on 01225 331636.

Bath University Music Society performs an incredible showcase at Burdall’s Yard

Bath University Music Society Showcase December 2021

On Monday 13th of December, for our very first public event, Burdall’s Yard welcomed Bath University Music Society for their Christmas Showcase.

‘The Sherb’, a talented and versatile band, opened the evening in Main Stage with a selection of lively and atmospheric music that soon had the enthusiastic audience dancing and clapping along. The Sherb were followed by Lemon Upstairs, a newly formed, but incredibly talented group of young musicians and singers. Lemon Upstairs performed several covers including festive numbers. With fairy lights in the courtyard and a tinsel bedecked bar, Burdall’s Yard was alive with music, singing and everyone getting into the Christmas spirit. Here’s to many more such events in 2022 and there is an open invitation to both The Sherb and Lemon Upstairs to perform on Burdall’s Yard stage anytime in the future.

Introducing Burdall's Yard

Next Stage Theatre Company is thrilled to announce its acquisition of Burdall's Yard as a partner venue to The Mission Theatre. Situated near Cleveland Bridge, on the London Road, to the north of the city, Burdall's Yard will be run by Next Stage as a Community Centre and Arts Hub. Previously a brewery, then a nightclub and most recently a students' arts venue, this wonderful building has three atmospheric performance spaces with beautiful stone-vaulted ceilings - Main Stage, Gallery and Studio. The venue also features a large bar/cafe, a full catering kitchen, excellent toilet facilities and a large open courtyard.

Burdall's Yard will open in January 2022, offering day time spaces to any local practitioner who would like to run classes there. We are already receiving interest from dance, art, music, yoga, martial arts, pilates and toddler group facilitators, and have bookings for literary and spoken word events. In the evenings, Burdall's Yard will become a vibrant performance venue suitable for hire by theatre, dance and musical  companies, stand up comedians, bands, musicians and open mic night events. 

Becca Jefferis, Venue Manager, says: 

'I have been thrilled at the reaction of those practitioners and performers we have already shown round Burdall's Yard. Every single visitor has loved the space and seen the potential for its use and some have already made bookings. There is real excitement that Bath and its residents will have a community asset that offers beautiful, accessible spaces at affordable prices to the many creative and recreational groups that seek to run classes in the city. I am sure Burdall's Yard will swiftly become a popular and thriving addition to the Bath community'. 

Francesca McBride, Venue Assistant, says:

'I am thrilled to have the opportunity to assist Becca with the running of Burdall's Yard - it is a beautiful venue with wide-ranging uses and potential. I can't wait to see it buzzing with life. We hope that by Summer 2022 our timetable will feature all aspects of the arts including acting and dance classes, geared at both our younger and our older customers, art exhibitions, themed activity weeks, Fringe and Festival events and a busy wifi cafe'.

Ann Ellison BEM, Founder and Artistic Director of Next Stage Theatre Company and Andrew Ellison, Founder and Director of Next Stage, in 1994, say:
'This is the most exciting and significant development for Next Stage since we opened The Mission Theatre 17 years ago in January 2005.  For years we have realised there is a very real need in the community for day time practitioners to have opportunities to run classes and activities in a theatrical-style space. Unfortunately, The Mission has limited capacity for such events as there is nearly always a company performing in the Main Auditorium with set and props in place and The Theatre Upstairs has no disabled access or provisions for babes and toddlers. Burdall's Yard - with superb disabled and buggy access, different sized spaces, self-contained rooms, storage space, changing facilities and a large welcoming bar/cafe hub - has huge potential to become one of Bath's most versatile and popular arts centres. We hope that you will come along with us on the next stage of our journey and support our newest venture.'