The Egg

a real missed opportunity. It lacks education focus, the choice of performances bland and patronising and allows the Theatre Royal to treat young people like vermin when they come to a main show. attitudes need to change and quickly. This ship is sinking fast!!!

The Egg was Britain’s first ever children’s theatre (some others have subsequently opened, but I think The Egg still flies the flag). I worked here from the day it opened up until a few years ago, and saw the place grow and grow. Built inside the smouldering husk of Robbin’s Cinema (may you rest in peace) The Egg is a performance venue, theatre school, child friendly café, gallery and rehearsal space all rolled into one. The plays put on in the auditorium cater for the wee ones, and the space was purpose built with dinky seats and plenty of soft squishy bits. In fact, the whole building is custom built to be child friendly — from buggy accessible lifts to tiny toilets in the bathrooms (there are adult sized ones too, don’t worry).
On the ground floor an open plan café and reception make a welcoming space for all, with kiddy friendly meals and sandwiches, an arts and crafts corner, and jazzy décor to keep everyone entertained, including fun lights on the floor and a mirrored ceiling. The basement houses an art room and store which you may be lucky enough to splash about in if you take part in an arts and crafts session. Upstairs is The Egg itself, a professional theatre split over two floors with stalls and gallery seats. On the top floor sits a professional style sprung-​floor rehearsal studio, set with its own greenroom and dressing rooms.
As well as housing touring plays aimed at children, The Egg hosts Theatre Royal Bath’s Young People’s Theatre, with classes and groups running for everybody from tiddlers to teenagers. There is a long waiting list to join YPT (on account of its great staff and fantastic shows), so if you know a little thespian who wants to join get them signed up quick!
Even if you’re not ‘into’ theatre, The Egg is a great place to stop for a coffee, and as a standard has the best Christmas show in the South West every year.

‘the egg’ is a very special theatre for children and young people though it doesn’t stop older people like me going occasionally! As well as performances, it runs clubs and workshops for anybody up to the age of 25, as it has a rooftop rehearsal studio and technical workshops in the basement. Despite being purpose built, with a design brief drawn up by young people, it is actually wholly housed within a listed building and has won many awards. The theatre space is really egg-​shaped but be warned, seats are not reserved. There is also a lovely café on the ground floor. Don’t let the idea of youth theatre put you off if you are a seasoned theatre goer one of the best shows I have ever seen was the Bath YPT Urban Arts production ‘Max and Beth’ a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth written by the UK rapper Lowkey.