In 1951, the year of the Festival of Britain, the Southend Shakespeare Company was formed for the study and performance of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Over the years this programme has been extended to include more of the classics. 

Nowadays the SSC is one of the few theatre groups in the south-east, professional or amateur, that dedicates itself to performing plays from a classical repertoire.

In recent years our productions have included works both comic and tragic, ancient and modern, by authors as diverse as Chekhov, Sheridan, Wilde, Calderon, Ibsen, Stoppard, Euripides and Arthur Miller.

Our Summer open air tours have seen us performing at various venues in Essex, and Stratford-Upon-Avon. We are also one of the most prolific drama groups around, normally producing at least four productions each year. Consequently we are always on the look out for new faces!

We always welcome new members who may be interested in acting, working backstage or any other aspect of the Company. Associate membership is also available, bringing you full details of all our productions, a regular Newsletter, and complimentary tickets to certain shows.