The Theatre In The Church

Tymescythe Theatre Company has produced plays at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Chagford since 2015. The church is a beautiful 14th century building with many interesting historical features. During productions, a stage and a backdrop (“stage-wall”) is raised inside the church. Modern lighting and sound are added creating a unique, atmospheric theatre perfectly suited for Shakespeare’s plays. The stage is framed by the church’s medieval granite pillars and a high wooden vault.

How It Began

When the idea of producing plays in the church first arose, a problem was evident: Pews occupied most of the space at the front of the church - there was not enough room for a stage. A solution was found: A stage could be built over the obstructing central front pews. The result was a stage at exactly the right height.

The “Stage Wall”

Various extra items of staging have been used for different productions, including a balcony for Romeo and Juliet and a high gallery for Henry V. In 2024, to further meet the demands of Shakespeare plays, a “stage-wall” was added, in the style of Eliizabethan theatres. Unlike the changing scenery of later theatres, the stage wall is a permanent backdrop to plays. It features doors for actors to enter through, a curtained “discovery area”, and a high balcony.

Shakespeare at the Theatre in The Church

The Theatre in the Church is an Elizabethan Theatre in miniature. It is perfectly suited to producing Shakespeare’s plays, which were written with its features in mind. The high balcony can be the deck of a ship (The Tempest), the walls of Harfleur (Henry V), or a minstrels gallery. Most famously of course, it can be Juliet’s balcony (Romeo and Juliet). The curtained discovery area can conceal Polonius (Hamlet) or the inhabitants of Prospero’s cell (The Tempest).