On the 14th May 1999, the official opening of The Layard Theatre took place. The opening was a grand event, with former Artistic Director of The Royal National Theatre, Sir Richard Eyre, formally opening the new theatre and special guest appearances from actor Michael Pennington and poet Lawrence Sail, as well as a variety of performances showcasing the talents of pupils at the time.
The theatre is named after Sir Austen Henry Layard who transported the Assyrian Frieze to Canford following his trip to Ninevah in the 1850s. This was sold at auction by the school in 1994 raising a whopping sum of £7.4million, some of which went towards the building of this fantastic new theatre.
The first musical to take place in the brand new theatre was Guys and Dolls in March of 1999 under the direction of Stephen Wilkinson with musical director David Warwick. 25 years on, the final rehearsals are well underway for pupils and staff as they prepare for the first performance of this years musical, Bugsy Malone on 23rd June.
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