The Theatre's History

(Formerly St. Luke's Church)

The Beginnings of a Church on the Common.

By 1858 the Common had been enclosed and a Turnpike road (the Andover Road) had been built across it. Large houses, then smaller ones were built. To cope with the growth in population, St John's parish (of which the Common formed part), erected a Mission Room and Infant School in 1876. In 1878 the small red and blue brick building was licensed for Divine Service and the Sacrament of Baptism - it became known as St Luke's, and remained Wash Common's church for 57 years.

In 1889 Mr Charteris of Sandleford Priory, gave money to build a small Mission Church with a school-room at the back for infants, who took one penny a week. This was St Luke's and was served by a curate from St John's.

The sale of land to the Education Authority as the site of Falkland School made possible the completion of St George's Church in 1963-4.

St George's now became a separate parish with the Revd. Canon W.R. Birt its first vicar.

A church hall was built in 1973, and St Luke's, which had served this purpose since 1933, was leased as a theatre to  New Era Players, who remain there to this day.

© 2006 - New Era Players