THE 'powerhouse' Orange Tree Theatre, which has become renowned for showcasing new writing, directing and acting talent, is to be celebrated in an exhibition at the Museum of Richmond.

Theatre lovers are being asked to help the initiative, which is designed to mark the theatre's 50th anniversary, by contributing memories and any objects that could help tell its remarkable story of triumph over adversity.

There was no greater adversity than the pandemic, which forced the theatre to go dark for some 14 months, robbing it of the audience and funds that have been its lifeblood.

The theatre is now in the midst of what it calls 'The Recovery Season', which is a series of five productions featuring many plays that are new to British audiences.

It has had many high profile supporters including, famously, Dame Judi Dench, who participated in a filmed interview from the theatre, which raised funds for its work.

She supported a decision by the theatre to offer its supporters the opportunity to buy access to a video of the 90 minute 'in conversation with' event during lockdown.

Curator and executive officer for the museum, Laura Irwin, said: "The exhibition is a chance to tell the Orange Tree's extraordinary history - from room above the pub to award-winning independent theatre; London's only permanent theatre in the round.

"It will showcase stories about the actors, writers, directors and staff who have made it their own along the way."

The team are conducting a number of oral history interviews with the husband and wife team who founded the theatre, Sam Walters, the former artistic director, and Auriol Smith, the actor and writer; as well as the current Artistic Director, Paul Miller.

There will be displays from the theatre's archives, including props and artworks, which will tell its story from its origins in a room above the Orange Tree pub to the former Victorian primary school, which became its home in 1991.

The move and a £750,000 conversion of the building was made possible through an through an appeal by Richmond residents Sir Richard and Lady Attenborough.

Importantly, the new exhibition will coincide with a programme of learning activities and family workshops, including 'behind-the-scenes' visits to the theatre and Arts Award summer schools at the museum.

The museum is asking people who can contribute to the exhibition to contact the curator here.

The free exhibition will last from mid-December 2021 until late August 2022 and is being funded by the Museum of Richmond Benefactors' Circle, the Richmond Parish Lands Charity, and the Society for Theatre Research.

As a registered charity, the theatre relies heavily on volunteers and financial support from the local community. It also works with 10,000 people in Richmond and beyond through participatory theatre projects.

A spokesperson said: "Our mission is to enable audiences to experience the next generation of theatre talent, experiment with ground-breaking new drama and explore the plays from the past that inspire the theatre-makers of the present."

The theatre has recently been showcasing 'Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act' set in apartheid South Africa, which was directed by JMK Award Winner, Diane Page, and stars Scarlett Brookes, Richard Sutton and Shaq Taylor.

Coming in October is Rice, an award-winning story of corporate politics and family. It is the UK premiere of the play, which has won numerous awards including the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Best Original Stage Play.

The production, starring Zainab Hasan (Nisha) and Sarah Lam (Yvette), opens on October 13, with previews from October 9, and runs until November 13 .

Interestingly, the theatre has found a new way to increase its influence, reach and income by offering streaming of its plays, which can be booked here.

The museum's current exhibition is called 'The King's Observatory: Richmond's Science Story' and will run until the end of November. The observatory was a hub for scientific research in Richmond for over 200 years, exploring everything from astronomy to timekeeping to predicting the weather.