History of the group
Formed in the mid-1980s by the legendary SALOS Producer and Director Pat Donovan, and long-serving SALOS leading man Ray Dance, the group brought together talented performers Pat had worked with from Swindon, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath and Bristol. Their first production was “The Sound of Music” at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre.
The group chose to name themselves M4 Theatre Company in 1989 due to the frequent journeys made by the cast and production team along the M4 motorway for rehearsals at Bath University and venues in Swindon.
Over the next 10 years or so, the group performed such diverse shows as “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, ”Godspell”, “Man of La Mancha”, “The Zoo”, “Trial By Jury” and “A Little Night Music” at venues in Swindon, Bath and Poole.
Both Ray and Pat sadly passed away in 2025, but earlier in that year gave their blessings for an exciting rebirth of the M4 Theatre Company. Now, Tony & Sarah Asprey and Russell & Gemma Langdown are proud to be bringing the M4 Theatre Company back to Swindon audiences, starting with the hit show “Gypsy: A Musical Fable” in June 2026.
