‘There was a sense of enormous achievement and a feeling that anything was possible, which was typical of the late 60s. The feeling behind the Octagon was to get everyone interested in the theatre and not just make it a middle class and middle-aged prerogative. I always said the best theatre would be a huge aeroplane hanger with a massive Meccano set inside it’
Octagon founder, auditorium designer and Artistic Director (1967 – 1972), Robin Pemberton-Billing

‘In 1967 I’d come straight from working with Alan Ayckbourn in Scarborough into the first season of the Octagon and I doubt whether a young actor could be given a better start. I was allowed to play a huge variety of roles, from Dolittle in Pygmalion, Mr. Pat in The Hostage to the eponymous hero of Ken Campbell’s extraordinary play Jack Sheppard. I left Bolton with so much more confidence than when I had arrived. The three stages available at the Octagon, open, thrust and in-the-round were invaluable in teaching a young company just about everything they needed to know about working in theatre. I will never forget my brief sojourn in Bolton and I am delighted to be reconnected with the Octagon via patronage of the 40th Anniversary. May I be a patron of the 75th?’
Robert Powell, Actor, and Octagon Patron.

‘Whilst enduring our first jobs after leaving school, Dave and I were asked to supply the music and do a little acting for the first documentary there in 1968, ‘Crompton's Mule’. When it came to the ‘Bolton Massacre’ the next year, it was hinted that if we were full time actor/singers we'd be able to give more time and get much more from it. That's all we needed - we turned professional. So, the Octagon was responsible for the kick start. The year after, as a solo operator, I wrote the songs and acted in ‘Bolton Wanderers’. Now, 37 years later, I can't do anything else!’
Bernard Wrigley, Actor, Patron

‘An RSPCA inspector will today inspect the chickens cooped on the roof of The Octagon Theatre, Bolton. One is humanely killed each day and plucked on stage during a scene in Mother Courage. The audience is less than six foot from the stage and it is claimed a dummy would lack realism’
Daily Mail, Manchester Edition, 28 Oct 1970.

‘After hearing that Bolton’s Octagon Theatre had a deficit of £31,000, Aspul Council decided to give a donation of £25’
Wigan Observer, 27 Aug 1971

Many thanks to Andy Mosley and the picture desk at The Bolton News, for their assistance and editorial support. For more information on the Octagon's history, please visit The Bolton News website.

‘Bolton audiences are great. Having worked all over the country I found Bolton audiences to be up for it... willing to take a chance, have fun and enjoy themselves. The Octagon’s theatre space is unique, it’s gorgeous, it’s interesting - it can be used in the round, as a thrust stage or an end stage. Robin Pemberton-Billing should be knighted for his work on designing that fantastic and highly adaptable theatre. The trouble is now you wouldn’t be allowed to build a theatre like the Octagon. There'll never be another one built like it again’
John Adams, Artistic Director at The Octagon Theatre (1984 - 1987)

‘I grew up in Accrington, a little market town not dissimilar to Bolton, except that Accy doesn't have a theatre! When I first visited the Octagon in my teens I couldn't believe that such exciting theatre was being produced in a little northern town like my own. I saw a promenade production of ‘Road’, directed by Andy Hay, starring amongst many others, Michelle Holmes, Malcolm Hebden and Dean Sullivan. It was a life-changing experience, seeing theatre about people like me and my friends and family, in a town like Bolton, rather than in London or in Manchester City Centre. It was theatre written and performed for the audience it hoped to reach. From then on I became a firm fan of the Octagon’ Julie Hesmondhalgh, Actor and Octagon Patron.

‘The Octagon has been part of my life for a long time ....acting, directing and being an audience member at some very fine plays and concerts. When I played Maggie Hobson in ‘Hobson's Choice’ I'd just learnt to drive, finally { ! } passed my test and acquired a Morris Traveller. Miss Maggie's independence matched my own! The Octagon has always encouraged young people's involvement in theatre and around that time I was interviewed by a young Darren Southworth for one of his GCE projects. We've kept in touch and now Darren is in London starring in ‘Spamalot’ in the West End. The Octagon's tentacles stretch far and wide. Thank You...The Octagon....Here's to the next 40 years!’
Noreen Kershaw, Actor, Director and Octagon Patron.

‘I have played The Octagon Theatre, with two performances of my science show, ‘The Magic of Chemistry’. It was a brave Wilfred Harrison who allowed some pretty dangerous chemicals into his theatre during the pantomime season. I had some interesting scenery and the theatre was ‘in the round’, so I felt quite dizzy when I finished each show. There was a difficult patch when funding was a major problem, I lobbied those who held the purse strings…the ‘Save the Octagon’ campaign succeeded and the Octagon thrives today’
Dr Brian Iddon, MP, Patron.

Many thanks to Andy Mosley and the picture desk at The Bolton News, for their assistance and editorial support. For more information on the Octagon's history, please visit The Bolton News website.

‘My abiding memory is when I came down to the box office one day and saw two lads in their work gear, full of dust, wanting four tickets for that night’s performance. That proved to me that the Octagon was a place where anyone could walk through the door and feel at home.

I felt my time at The Octagon was heady, exciting and irreverent. I think I upset a few of the more conservative people of Bolton who thought some of the productions were too racy. They thought I was being too political but I wanted to make people have a good time when they came to the theatre but also question things at the same time.

To sum up my time in Bolton, I would say my ambitions were to be bold, adventurous and forward thinking. The hearts and minds and voices of all those people who have performed at the Octagon, worked there, watched a performance in its unique auditorium, leave a lasting legacy. I feel very proud to have been a cog in the chain of the artistic provenance of The Octagon Theatre and I wish it great longevity’
Andy Hay, Artistic Director, 1987-1991 (now TV Director - Trial & Retribution/Waking the Dead)

‘Bolton Octagon Theatre’s leading lady has undergone a sex change. Jane Cox, who plays the blousy, tough and determined Blackpool landlady in their Christmas show ‘Fangs’, was suddenly robbed of her voice when bronchitis struck and ordered to rest. So with just 30 minutes to go before the start of the show, director Andy Hay donned Jane’s blonde wig and wiggled his way into her tight-fitting dress to take over the role’
Bolton Evening News

John McArdle recalls that he and Sue Johnston were surprised when the audience applauded them as they walked on stage for the production of Two by Jim Cartwright in 1989, ‘It threw us a bit at first but it was obviously a TV crowd that night who knew Sue and I as Billy and Sheila Corkhill (from TVs Brookside). I have fond memories of that play because it was a challenge. We both had to play 7 parts each and often there was no time to change when switching between characters so we just put another hat on. Jim wrote that play especially for us and he originally had us down to play 14 parts each! But at one point, when I found myself talking to myself as another character, I said to Jim 'Look I can’t do this' — so he cut it down to 7 each’.

One night a party of pensioners came to see the play and one of John’s roles was that of an old man who conjured up images of his dead wife in his mind. ‘As I was talking an old lady sitting close by said out loud to me “Don’t worry — it’ll be alright Billy”, and I had to reply and said “Yes, I know love,” and then carried on with the play!’
John McArdle, Actor and Octagon Patron

‘I have so many positive and enthusiastic memories of working in Bolton throughout the 1990s. It is one of the most exciting theatre spaces in the country. It’s flexibility is clearly its greatest asset. Where else can the shape of a play be matched to the shape of the auditorium? I am proud of the work I did and confident that the theatre can proceed for another 40 years with the courage of its convictions’.
Lawrence Till, Artistic Director, 1991 – 1999

Many thanks to Andy Mosley and the picture desk at The Bolton News, for their assistance and editorial support. For more information on the Octagon's history, please visit The Bolton News website.

In the summer of 1999 I had a call from my agent asking me if I would be interested in attending an interview for the post of Resident Director…I came for the interview, which was only really for three shows and they offered me the job. I have a suspicion that somewhere along the way someone forgot to ask me to leave as nearly eight years and thirty four shows later I find myself in the position of still being at the artistic helm at the start of the theatre’s 40th Year.

I’m immensely proud to have been the Artistic Director over a time of enormous transition and change. The challenges that my colleagues and I set ourselves at the beginning are now bearing fruit in what is a very ambitious season for us. When I first started here the average cast size was four and even slipped down to two at one stage. Now we are in the unique position of being able to perform works with up to 19 actors on stage. A remarkable journey. Working here has instilled in me values that I will never forget and confirms my belief that theatre still matters in our lives be it as an artist, a spectator, or a participant. What keeps me here is the overwhelming feeling that this theatre belongs to Bolton and that it somehow matters’
Mark Babych, Artistic Director 1999 - present

‘I am full of admiration for the management and staff of the company whose resilience, commitment and hard work have seen the theatre through some difficult times. The Octagon continues that proud tradition of a regional rep: to serve its community with a consistently varied and high quality artistic programme. And it has given me two of my most treasured acting experiences: “My Children! My Africa!” in the Studio in 1995 and “ I Just Stopped By To See The Man” in the main house ten years later’
Wyllie Longmore, Actor, Director and Octagon Patron

‘I got a call from Ian Tabbron at the then North West Arts Board in September 2000 saying “the Octagon have a bit of a crisis – the Executive Director has walked out, the Chair of the Finance Committee has resigned, the staff are unhappy and they haven’t submitted any plans for further funding from The Theatre Review (which was about to distribute £25m of new money). Do you want to take it on?” I said “Ok. I’ll have a look.” I met the Chair, Les Harvey and the Senior Management Team. I said “Is this the Senior Management Team”. They said “Yes.” I said “how often have you met?” They said “never.” So I said “well this is the first meeting then.” I accepted the offer of a consultancy to see what I could do. When I arrived, I found a note on the back of an envelope from the departed Executive Director with five bullet points:

• The money raised by Sue Hodgkiss to maintain the Octagon’s ability to produce
  plays runs out the end of next year.
• The activ8 money from the lottery runs out in 6 months
• The café and bar (a separate company) have lost £30k and are continuing to lose money hand over fist
• The new lottery funded heating and ventilation system doesn’t work
• Good luck

We drew up a business plan in a week which we submitted just in time for the Theatre Review by the Arts Council who awarded us an additional £200k to retain our producing status and continue the work of activ8’.
John Blackmore, Executive Director, 2000 - present

‘A good producing theatre is a sign that a city or town is a proper, civilised community and not just a conglomeration of people. It's a key element along with schools, colleges, libraries, playing fields — a way of talking to each other about things that matter, a workshop and a shop window where we can try to make sense of a weird and sometimes frightening world’
Alan Plater, Writer (Blonde Bombshells Of 1943 produced by The Octagon Theatre, Bolton and subsequent UK tour. Winner Best Production, Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards 2006).

Many thanks to Andy Mosley and the picture desk at The Bolton News, for their assistance and editorial support. For more information on the Octagon's history, please visit The Bolton News website.