Shanklin Theatre, Isle of Wight.

About the Theatre

Shanklin Theatre was formerly known as The Institute and opened in 1879.  In 1884 new rooms were added, the Reading Room and Amusement Room. Visitors were charged 1d to use the Reading Room and this was housed in the lower section of the building to the right of the main front facade. The Amusement Room had two billiard tables and was managed by the Shanklin Chess Club.

The words Institute and Reading Room were erased from the building by order of the council in 1913 and it then became The Town Hall.

In 1925 a serious fire occurred but after much deliberation by the then authority, approval to proceed with reconstruction was given in 1932 and in 1934 the new Town Hall and Theatre opened. 

During World War Two the theatre was used for dances and many other kinds of entertainment. The theatre seated in excess of 700 people but when it was used for dancing the staff would push all the seats to the side or under the stage to leave a large expanse of dance floor.  Underneath the theatre is the lower town hall room, this was used for meetings and as a bar until about 2005. Behind what was the bar are the old wartime control rooms which are strenthened by large steel girders to safeguard users in case of bombing. These rooms continued to be used by the Civil Defence during the early part of the Cold War with the Eastern Block. Also on this floor was the town mortuary, now used as a work shop.

After the war the Theatre came into its own with the Barry O'Brien Company putting on repertory plays every week of the summer season, and on Sundays there would be concerts shared with Sandown Pavilion, to include many famous names of the era. One cast would perform at Sandown Pavilion during the first half, while the others would be at Shanklin Theatre and  then switch during the interval, being shuttled by taxi between the two theatres. In the winter the local drama groups such as The unity Players or The Palmerston Players would hire the theatre to stage their own productions. From the 1970's Shanklin Theatre was the base for the Island Savoyards a local amateur group performing Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas and other musicals. The group still performs at the theatre on a regular basis.  Tickets in those days were sold from a booth, now used as a sweet kiosk, in the front foyer. In 1992 a new ticket office was created and this is sited to the right hand side of the main front entrance a little further up Steephill Road.

The theatre remains open throughout the year where it hosts events ranging from Christmas Pantomime, a professional summer season, local amateur dramatics, a children's stage school, the Isle of Wight Dance Festival and workshops for visiting school parties.

Click here for Online Bookings