A brand new theatre opens in the cathedral city of Canterbury this October. The Marlowe Theatre is designed by Keith Williams Architects and will have seating for an audience of 1,200 on three levels, and an orchestra pit that can accommodate up to 80 musicians. A second smaller performance space, the Marlowe Studio, will accommodate alternative, community and educational projects.
The theatre will have glazed foyers on three levels with views of the city’s rooftops and cathedral. There will be bars and cafés, a new riverside walk and piazza open to the public and a year-round programme of daytime activities and exhibitions.
The theatre opens with a gala concert on 4 October. Future performances will include Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III, the world premiere of Richard Alston’s A Ceremony of Carols and, ahead of its run in London’s West End, the world premiere stage musical production of TopHat, the 1930s Hollywood film classic.
Architect Keith Williams says: ‘The new Marlowe is that very rare thing – a major new contemporary theatre building within a magnificent historic cathedral city. Its architecture is radical yet it has been conceived to fit comfortably within its historic surroundings and I am confident that it will have a transformative effect on arts and culture in the south east and beyond.’
The new Marlowe Theatre opens on 4 October. It stands on the banks of the River Stour and replaces an old theatre that started life as a cinema in the 1930s. The project is costing £25.6 million.
The Marlowe Theatre, 12–13 Sun Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2HX
Tel: +44 1227 787787 (box office)
Website: marlowetheatre.com
Facebook: TheMarloweTheatre
Twitter: marlowetheatre
Vimeo: marlowetheatre
YouTube: marlowetheatre
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