About us

The story of Sutton Arts Theatre started one evening in 1944 when Paul Rice called unexpectedly with a proposition to put to Bill Wesley Harkcom. Paul intended to produce a play somewhere in Sutton Coldfield and was having trouble finding a leading man.

Wesley Harkcom was an experienced actor and after a long discussion he agreed to take the lead. So began a long and fruitful friendship.

In 1946 Sutton Arts Council was formed, after the Libraries and Arts committees of Sutton invited representatives of local dramatic societies to form a central body. This amalgamation resulted in the new company producing three plays a year. Sutton Town Hall continued to be used to stage the productions.

The high quality productions continued and in 1997 the theatre took a significant step towards securing its future when the freehold of the site was purchased from Birmingham City Council.