This week, Norwich Theatre Stage Two marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of transforming how creative spaces engage with communities, challenging artistic ownership, and driving innovation across the sector.
Situated behind Norwich Theatre Royal, it is a dedicated creative space for community relationships and collaborative storytelling and a place for breakthrough performances and pioneering local theatre.
Stephen Crocker, Chief Executive & Creative Director at Norwich Theatre, said: “Over the past decade, Stage Two has challenged how we think about creativity and who gets to shape it, and it has reshaped how we build relationships with our communities. Most importantly, Stage Two taught us that a creative building reaches its potential through co-creation.”
Stage Two has built deep community trust and delivered high-impact programming. As a designated Theatre of Sanctuary, the space has welcomed people with lived experience of migration to build trust and develop projects like 3 Migrant Women. Through initiatives such as the Creative Ageing programme, participants have explored new forms of self-expression, culminating in events like the Visible Women celebration for International Women’s Day.
The building has become the home of our artist development work. It gives emerging artists in-kind space to test ideas, take risks, and share unfinished work directly with audiences through Norwich Theatre’s Scratch Nights.
This collaborative ethos extends to the whole community: local participants co-created curtain-raisers for Norwich Theatre Royal alongside national touring partners, including The Stokers Hold for Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Hamlet and La traviata: A Response in Three Movements for the Norwich Theatre and Buxton International Festival co-production of La traviata. Stage Two played a pivotal role in creating our biggest-ever community project, Norwich Hamlets, which brought the community together for five unique performances across Norwich, in partnership with the RSC.
Over the past decade, Stage Two has been the place to see brand-new work, including from up-and-coming comedians: Andrew Bird, Adam Riches, Stephen Bailey, Alison Spittle, Sam Avery, and Emmanuel Sonubi. Productions by Box Tale Soup and MC Hammersmith first started at Stage Two and now regularly play to audiences at Norwich Theatre’s larger venue, the Playhouse.
It also continues to be a champion of original storytelling and new musicals, having hosted acclaimed runs of Nel’s Place by Sheep Soup and Half Man | Half Bull by Wright & Grainger, alongside the upcoming new musical JEEZUS! this November.
Stephen Crocker added: “Stage Two taught us that creative spaces are most powerful when people feel safe enough to take risks, and when communities see their own experiences reflected in the stories being developed. That’s a legacy worth celebrating. And it’s one we’re determined to carry forward.”
To celebrate, audience members can see a Stage Two show for £10* by using the code STAGETWO10. They can claim up to five tickets at this special rate on selected performances across the anniversary year, which can be used all on one show or spread across five different performances.
For more information about upcoming shows, workshops and events at Norwich Theatre Stage Two, head to norwichtheatre.org or call the Box Office on 01603 630 000.
*Selected performances only. £10 tickets available between 14 Sep 26 – 13 Sep 27. Individuals can get a maximum of up to 5 tickets at £10 during the year.
