The Crucible at 40: a new stage in life – in pictures

This is the interior of the Crucible when it opened on 9 November 1971. At the time, the theatre's thrust stage was the subject of much debate, but Colin George, the Crucible's first artistic director, was steadfast in his commitment to it. Forty years later, the unique experience the stage offers makes the Crucible one of the most exciting places in the country to perform and to experience live theatre Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Artwork from Fanfare, the Crucible's very first production. The opening night was a collage of an evening, including a brass band, a children's choir and a performance of Chekhov's Swan Song by Edward Petherbridge and Ian McKellen
Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The Crucible has a long-standing reputation for producing exhilarating musicals, including the European premiere of Chicago in the 1970s. Here is a young Gemma Jones as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, 1977
Photograph: Ken Phillip / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Comedy genius Victoria Wood wrote two new plays for the Crucible Studio during her early career. Her long-standing collaborator, Julie Walters (pictured here in Good Fun, 1980), appeared alongside the author
Photograph: Gerry Murray / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Renowned television writer and director Stephen Poliakoff (pictured here with Hayley Mills in 1980) premiered plays at the Crucible in the 70s and 80s. The Studio theatre quickly gained a reputation for producing world premieres of challenging plays, including those by Rony Robinson and Dennis Potter Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Marti Caine as Fanny Brice proved a huge hit at the Crucible in 1984 Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The late Stephen Pimlott directed many Shakespearean productions during the 80s. Here's Clive Rowe and John Ramm in Twelfth Night (1987) – a production in which the stage was flooded every night
Photograph: Gerry Murray / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

It's a Bit Lively Outside (1987) was a celebrated community production depicting the history of the blitz in Sheffield. The Crucible is renowned for its community performances, and in autumn 2011 will establish a new community theatre company: Sheffield People's Theatre
Photograph: Bill Stephenson / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The world premiere of Paul Allen's adaptation of British film Brassed Off became an overnight success in the 90s. The show transferred to the National Theatre before embarking on a nationwide tour Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

As artistic director, Michael Grandage transformed the Crucible into a theatre of international renown. His production of Richard III in 2002 (starring Kenneth Branagh) met with huge critical success
Photograph: Ivan Kyncl / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Michael Grandage's scintillating 2004 production of Schiller's Don Carlos starred Derek Jacobi. Jacobi had previously appeared as Prospero in The Tempest at the Crucible. Both productions enjoyed subsequent successful runs in London's West End
Photograph: Ivan Kyncl / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Henry Goodman as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (2006) was one of the most popular productions of all time at the Crucible
Photograph: Catherine Ashmore / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

My predecessor, artistic director Samuel West, appeared alongside his father, Timothy (pictured), in a 2006 production of Caryl Churchill’s A Number
Photograph: Manuel Harlan / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The work of Harold Pinter has played a significant role more recently at the Crucible. In fact, a whole season was dedicated to his plays in 2007, including Erica Whyman's production of The Birthday Party (pictured)
Photograph: Ivan Kyncl / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

Jonathan Miller's 2007 production of The Cherry Orchard starred Joanna Lumley as Madame Ranevskaya
Photograph: Catherine Ashmore / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

In 2010, the Crucible reopened its doors following a £15m redevelopment project. The improvements include a new entrance, new front-of-house areas, new seating in both theatres and energy-efficient heating and lighting throughout Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

For my inaugural production in 2010, I directed Antony Sher as Tomas Stockmann in Ibsen’s political thriller An Enemy of the People. The production also included an ensemble cast of 50 local volunteers who appeared in the fourth act as townsfolk
Photograph: Catherine Ashmore / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The Crucible is internationally recognised as the home of the World Snooker Championship, and has been since 1977. This picture is of Judd Trump, taken just before the start of the 2011 final – one of the most exciting finals in the tournament's history Photograph: FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd

The Crucible's 40th birthday celebrations start this autumn with a co-production with Eclipse theatre of Don Evans's One Monkey Don't Stop No Show in the Studio, while Shakespeare's Othello makes its Crucible debut on the main stage. The production will star Clarke Peters in the title role and Dominic West as Iago.
Photograph: Hugo Glendinning / FDA Design Ltd / Boco Publishing Ltd