Alloa The Coach House Theatre

The Alman Dramatic Club was formed in 1939 by a group of fifteen women led by Helen Wright and Nettie Forsyth and soon became the largest performing arts group in the county. This informal group developed into an amateur dramatic club. In 1953 the Club was allowed to use the hay loft in the former Coach House of Inglewood, a mansion built in 1900 by the Forrester-Paton family and designed by A G Sydney Mitchell & Wilson. The estate was later owned by the Church of Scotland and the Club eventually purchased the Coach House.

The Hay Loft Theatre opened in 1957, but in 1959 its present name was adopted. Since then it has been the Club’s permanent home, its unique 63-seat theatre providing audiences with an intimate theatrical experience where they have seen numerous performances, including many full-length plays, as well as modern writing, comedy, tragedy and satire. The Club has performed works by all the great playwrights, national and international, as well as its own members’ work. The theatre is also used by other groups for a range of cultural activities.

The building has been renovated with grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and many other supporters.

Guided tours, the chance to look at costumes and properties from the Club’s excellent and extensive collections and see a fascinating film about the story of the Club.