In September 1973 I arrived in Taunton to take up a new appointment as some breed of advisor/tutor in music for schools in West Somerset. I was to be based in a non-existent music room in what was then called Taunton Technical College, and without any students. My experience I suspect was not totally untypical of how things happened in our County Town at that time.
However it was not long before I heard of the name John Wilkins with his vision and efforts, along with others, to establish a professional theatre in Taunton.
Meetings were held where the major topic was to decide just how many nights could be filled in the new theatre. We got to around 150 or so.
The Brewhouse Theatre was built with the future promise of expansion – witness the uncompleted brickwork to the left of the foyer as you look straight onto the building. Those early days extended the artistic community and raised standards all round. Now it is too small.
Today we look forward to the next inevitable step; a bigger theatre with improved facilities with all the opportunities known and unknown that that will bring to Taunton and the County. The artistic community is ready. At the Millennium, TAPA had just 5 members. Today our membership is 23 and growing.
TAPA is excited by the prospects offered by the Vision for Taunton, and we give it our fullest support.
Brian Cresswell (Founder of TAPA)