It’s been an incredible 25 years since our Gala Opening Season in Autumn 1997!
We were established in 1997 in Eastleigh’s former town hall thanks to one of the first National Lottery grants and our very first season began with a performance from The Southern Minstrels on Saturday 4 October featuring special guests the Sangerlust Choir from Germany.
The official opening Gala Performance took place on Saturday 1 November and saw Indian Dance Company Sankalpam and RJC Dance Theatre joined by over 80 young people from Eastleigh.
Early in the season, The Point’s resident company For One Night Only presented a Chekov play while diners enjoyed a themed meal – tickets cost £8 for a two course meal, glass of wine and the theatre performance!
A Celtic Festival took over for a weekend – complete with harp workshop, Cornish basket-making – and we welcomed dance companies Cwmni Ballet Gwent, Mark Bruce and Aletta Collins.
Local groups appearing included Hedge End Youth Theatre, Eastleigh Operatic Society with The King & I and their carol concert, Performers Dance Studio, Eastleigh Youth Theatre, Solent People’s Theatre and Eastleigh Young Singers with Winchester Music School Junior Band.
The remainder of the season also saw RJC Dance Theatre, The All-Electric Puppet Theatre, percussive dance band Inner Sense, Trading Faces, Floral Opera Education, Boombaya Band, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company, and art and photographic exhibitions take to the stage of the venue.
Do you have any memories of our first seasons or actually performing at The Point in 1997? Let us know: email ThePoint@eastleigh.gov.uk
