#20 - The Little VenueThat Refused to Be Beaten: Chippy Theatre's Remarkable Story

Step off a pretty Cotswold lane and into a building that used to be a Salvation Army citadel - and now pulses with the kind of live theatre that makes a town rally around it. Nigel Ridpath sits down with John Terry, the long-time Artistic Director of Chipping Norton Theatre and untangles the unusual, heartwarming story of how a 200-seat venue turned eccentric vision, invention and a beloved pantomime into the lifeblood of its community.

Through tales of gin palaces and hay-bale promenade performances, behind-the-scenes scrapes and touring triumphs, this episode traces how creative risk, local ownership and stubborn character keep a theatre thriving when others fold. If you believe live performance still has the power to unite and surprise, come and listen to a story about courage, craft and the clever ways a small theatre pays the bills - one panto, one community cast and one brave new show at a time.

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