Sidcup, Kent ; These children lined up outside an old barn in Sidcup , Kent are in for a Saturday morning treat . The Barn , standing in the grounds of the Rose Bruford Training College of Speech and Drama , has been converted by the students into a theatre . Every Saturday morning they perform for the local children , performing everything from fairy tales to potted versions of Shakespeare . The theatre was opened soon after the college itself in 1950 . At first the programmes were variety turns but the repertoire gradually enlarged as more children attended . In 1956 the College made their main annual productiuon an extension of the children ' s theatre and 12 performances of Maeterlincks ' s ' The Bluebird ' were given in London . Altogether the Company has played before 17000 children between 1950 and 1957 . November 1957