The Last Performance at the Mechanics’ Institute – 50 Years ago.
Half a century ago, the vibrant sounds of performances ceased within the walls of the Playhouse Theatre at Swindon’s Mechanics’ Institute. Unlike a grand farewell it ended quietly, with little fanfare, but for those involved, it comprised a night to remember.
Opened in 1855, and built as a social, educational and community centre, the Mechanics’ Institute sits in the centre of the Railway Village. 1892 saw it expanded and then refurbished in 1930 following fire damage. It was these refurbishments that saw the first floor hall rebuilt as a theatre, the Playhouse, with an enlarged raised stage.
The Last Performance
The final performance of the Playhouse Theatre carried the title ‘’The 75 Review’ and performed in March 1975. Our Trustee, Alan Wrixon, through a strange set of circumstances, became the de facto stage manager of that very last performance. In August 2024, Alan wrote his first-hand account of the last performance of the Mechanics’ Institute:
“I had walked into the Wyvern Club (then the centre of cultural life situated in the then new
theatre) as I had so many times in the past for a drink. I was accosted by a group from the Western Players who had retired to the bar following ‘a little local difficulty’ which had caused a number of participants to walk away from a production due to take place later that week. Having assembled several substitute ‘acts’ for the evenings they were now looking for a small backstage team.My own involvement with the Western Players had been as a pantomime chorus member who had always fancied myself as a stage manager, this being not too divorced from my profession as an engineer. So I joined the group heading for the choreographer’s house where we worked through to about 4 o’clock in the morning putting together a review.
This used many of the programmed acts now in different positions in the running order together with some new ones. One of those in this discussion was a gentleman recently recruited who told me that with the exit of so many personnel he was now in charge as he knew the show better than all of us. I had already concluded that he knew nothing of theatre but was happy to see a pair of willing hands.
This was interesting as he then said he would stage manage from 20 feet up in air in the fly gallery. This was similar to a steward on Concorde being promoted to captain and deciding to control the flight from the galley.
At that point I decided to assume management on the stage floor. Come the performances he retreated to this gallery leaving me to run things. He left the Swindon area shortly after this and subsequently had little to with the theatre. You often meet strange people for just one show in the theatre.
“For the record it is worth describing the stage, this is from a memory of almost 50 years. The width across the proscenium was about 30 feet and the maximum height about 25 feet. The wing either side was an additional 25 feet making the total stage width about 80 feet. The depth was about 40 feet.
Unusually each wing had an 8 ft wide balcony either side the whole length of the wing with the dressing rooms coming off from this. On the upstage (rear) of the stage right balcony was a vertical ladder which led initially to the Fly Gallery about 20 ft in the air from where the flying is controlled, a further 25 up the ladder gives us access to another gallery from where the counterbalance weights for the flying scenery are added.
Mid way along this gallery are some steps up to the ‘grid’, the framework from which the scenery is suspended. It was always a challenge to ascend these steps which would give a modern health and safety expert a heart attack. There were about 5 steps about 3 feet wide at 45 degrees. Either side of this was nothing. A small slip to either side would result in a 50 foot fall. At least the sawdust packed stage would mask the sound of the breaking bones if you put a foot wrong.
A walk on to the proscenium wall gives access to another group of steps leading up to the manual winch which lifts the safety curtain. The Stage Left balcony a housed the lighting controls, a large cupboard like arrangement with mechanical levers.
The president of the Western Players, a senior BREL manager had arranged to produce a programme for the show, as usual littered with adverts for companies keen to supply components and services to BR and BREL.
These adverts provided an income for the production. The actual show bore little resemblance to the programme because of the forced changes so a duplicated insert was provided. This was hurriedly produced on one of the duplicators of the time and will by now have faded. So, if at some point someone finds a glossy 50 plus page programme of the production it means nothing, everything was changed and the real information will have faded with time.
The show proceeded and, as a revue, followed the regular format of songs, dances and comedy sketches against various scenes, the whole thing controlled by me on stage with just a torch aimed at another person’s eyes as the communication.
I was taken to task by one of the respected singers of the time for positioning a yellow square rostrum the wrong way round. On protesting my innocence that you can’t put a square rostrum the wrong way round, I had it pointed out to me that the words of the song were clearly written on it and were difficult to read when facing the back wall! Working on stage was also difficult.
My friend in the fly gallery had wrongly weighted the counterbalance system. This should be weighted so that the natural position for the scenery is in the roof and you have to physically pull the scenery in. This wrong balance meant that just to take the brakes off let the scenery just fall in. This made for a dangerous and noisy evening as it hit the floor. But we survived. The safety curtain, released by a temperamental release on the proscenium was dropped at the interval in accordance with the regulations.
At the end of the performance feelings were mixed.
A play had been selected for later in the year and rehearsals in the theatre scheduled but there were rumours that the curtain would never again rise on these premises, so the after show drinks downstairs in the bar was a subdued affair.
Within a few weeks the group had been involved in this production were told that the Mechanics could no longer be used for public performances but could still be used for scenery build and rehearsals. Alternative premises for public performance were sought, Swindon Arts Centre was selected and used by the Western Players until this day. “
Theatres at Risk
Earlier this year in January, the Theatres Trust published its latest ‘Theatres at Risk’ register. With the Mechanics’ Institute risk increasing from when it was first added to the list in 2006. The Theatres Trust commented:
“The reinstatement of Forefront Estates in 2018 saw all assets returned to the company, including the Mechanics’ Institute. The company has indicated no interest in the building since and the dereliction is now extreme.
There is strong support to save and restore the building from local building preservation and development trust, Swindon Heritage Preservation Trust (previously known as the Mechanics’ Institution Trust Ltd), and also from the council. However, the ownership of the building remains a barrier to the ambition.”
The future of Swindon’s Mechanics’ Institute
Responding to the latest Theatres at Risk register Swindon Borough Council shared:
“We know there is a lot of work to do in order to save and restore the Mechanics and throughout 2024 we’ve been working with partners, including Historic England, to develop a plan.
A three-step plan was created to unlock the restoration of the building including:
• Updating the viability study in light of current market demands to identify a viable and sustainable reuse of the building
• Identifying a funding strategy for the restoration, considering a phased reopening of the building and considering both public and private investment
• Addressing the ownership of the building
The plan recognises the potential the building has but acknowledges the hurdles that are faced.
The Mechanics’ Institute, which has never been owned by the Council, was once a hive of activity during the height of the Railway Works. But, following the closure of the works, it has sat empty and decaying since 1986 and is currently classed as ‘at risk’ by the Theatres Trust.
Due to the condition of the building, it will take tens of millions of pounds and a number of years to bring it back into use.
This is not a quick fix, and a lot of work is still needed to make sure the building will come back into use – including working with the current owner of the building.”
Swindon Borough Council said further updates are expected later this year and to keep an eye on it’s social media channels for the latest information.
