A NEW photographic exhibition at the Stephen Joseph Theatre celebrates the history of the Scarborough company, from 1955 to 2015.

The First 60 Years is a two-part exhibition at the Stephen Joseph Theatre Gallery on throughout the summer and which features a single photo from each year.

A second selection will go on display in the autumn season.

The chosen images capture the theatre’s beginnings at the Library Theatre, as it was known from 1955 to 1976, 20 taken at its second home, the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round at Westwood, and 19 from productions at the current Odeon building where the company has been based since 1996.

Among the photos is can be seen a young Martin Freeman in the 1997 revival of The Woman In Black, and David Harewood who many will now recognise from the American crime thriller series Homeland, award-winning actress Janie Dee in the 2008 revival of Woman In Mind, Tamzin Outhwaite before EastEnders fame, The Thick Of It and Cucumber television star Vincent Franklin and American actor Judd Hirsch to name a few.

Alan Ayckbourn’s world premieres include Way Upstream and The Norman Conquests and he is also pictured in his first play, The Square Cat. Laughton and The Importance of Being Earnest feature from some of the most recent plays under current Artistic Director Chris Monks.

The Stephen Joseph Theatre has produced a total of 616 plays of which 327 were new plays. These have been captured over the years by photographers Ken Boden, Alec Russell, Adrian Gatie, Tony Bartholomew, Robert Day and Karl Andre.

The exhibit has been curated by the theatre’s executive director Stephen Wood, who has worked for the theatre for 25 years over a 40-year period beginning in 1976, and archivist Simon Murgatroyd, who first started working with the company in 1999.

Stephen Wood said: “Our photographic archives capture so many great moments throughout the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s history and it has been a difficult process to narrow the selection.

“The First 60 Years will no doubt evoke fond memories but whether people have been visiting the theatre since day one, in the years between or perhaps never before, it’s a very interesting collection that tells a unique snapshot of the Stephen Joseph Theatre.”

Simon Murgatroyd said: “There are wonderful stories behind each of The First 60 Years photos: Sabine Azéma can be seen in Alan Ayckbourn’s House and Garden - the role was a wedding present following her marriage to Alain Resnais, Alan Ayckbourn can be seen in rehearsals in several images and Tom Baker, who famously went on to star in Doctor Who, is one of many actors in the exhibition who launched their career at the SJT.”

The exhibition will be on display throughout the 60th anniversary summer season which sees the return of The Woman In Black, Alan Ayckbourn directing a revival of his 1974 comedy Confusions and the world premiere of his 79th play Hero’s Welcome, Chris Monks directing the revival and Yorkshire tour of the 2014 musical comedy Cox & Box – Mrs Bouncer’s Legacy and Associate Director Henry Bell reviving Tim Firth’s Neville’s Island.

The First 60 Years – Part One can be seen in The Gallery at the Stephen Joseph Theatre until Saturday, October 3.

The gallery is open Monday to Saturday, from noon to 6pm, except when there is a matinee performance in The Round. Entry is free.